The ‘Love Is Blind’ Reunion Was A Total S**tshow

Vanessa. Girl. Mind your own ovaries. Matter of fact, give somebody else the host chair. I know this show is helping keep the lights on at Netflix, but the antiquated logic behind thinking this was an OK question to ask is going to be this show’s downfall. — Taryn

And she kept doubling down on it. So gross. — Erin

I’m still so happy for them. Forever going to be a fan of their love story. It was the only thing about this reunion, about this season, that wasn’t a shit show. — Taryn

I love them, and I’m really rooting for them. Their story has been really illuminating and a teachable moment, which I live for. I hope they can enjoy “normal” life. — Ruth

When Zack said that Irina only came on the show to get famous? Chile ... Then he said, “I have receipts, but the only receipt I think the world should see are the ones I posted on my Instagram today.” Baby, Mr. Attorney said, “Knuck if you buck. I’m READY.” — Ruth

Zack didn’t come to play, OK. I don’t care for their relationship at all, but seeing Zack and Bliss stand as a united front to drag Irina was the kind of carrying on I came to see. — Taryn

Save your crocodile tears for another day, girl. Like ... I just ... cannot with her. – Ruth

When Irina started crying and a few people in the audience laughed, I got my life. That was one of the best parts of the reunion to me. She’s a bully and I don’t buy her sob story. — Taryn

I will say this: Kudos to Irina for even showing up. She coulda been a coward like Josh and Jackie and stayed home. I kind of love that Zack called her out for just wanting to be famous. But I also felt for her when she said she wanted to leave the show before Mexico. She claims she knew pretty immediately that it wouldn’t work and it’s a shame that she didn’t just go home right then. (Not that her behavior before then was any good either.) — Erin

Let me begin by saying that Kwame’s lineup looks less terrible, so I’m glad his hair is ... better. Kudos to him. But back to the premise. Maybe Kwame’s mother did embrace Chelsea with open arms, maybe she didn’t. I wasn’t there but ultimately, good for them. Shocked that they even made it this far, honestly.

His explanation for the name change was ... not surprising. In our very first live blog, I did say that we don’t know how producers and video editors have chopped this up. However, I think it’s fascinating that to allegedly “honor the experiment,” you’d want to hide all cultural identifiers. It raises questions about what people are allowed to discuss in the pods and again, whom you want to attract.

Seasons ago, Shake Chatterjee was asking questions about women’s weight — meanwhile I’m not allowed to ask if you’ve ever dated outside of your race before? Or allowed to say that I’m Black? Like, eventually, you will figure it out ... I generally despise the notion of “I don’t see race! I’m colorblind!” Not only is it false, but it’s performative and obtuse. Love is love, but love is not blind and it sure as hell is not colorblind. Hate to break it to you. — Ruth

LMAO, Ruth, I said the same thing about Kwame’s hair. Like, he got a new
barber or got tired of people roasting him on social media. Kwame’s persona also came off better on the reunion than it did on the actual show in my opinion. He actually seemed to answer questions thoughtfully versus the way he was so dismissive, especially toward Chelsea, on the show. — Erin

*Deep sigh*

Marshall should’ve known better, too. Jackie went low and so did he. During the reunion, it’s revealed that Marshall responded to Jackie’s homophobic remarks with a transphobic insult about her jawline. Marshall is apologetic and regretful when Vanessa confronts him about it, but it’s still disappointing and revealing about how reactionary he was.

Now, I lived for Marshall’s side eyes during Jackie and Josh’s interview, and I understand the frustration of not being able to confront them face-to-face at the reunion, but he really has to stop acting like he doesn’t have control in the situation and how he responds. He told Nick and Vanessa that the opportunity to walk down the aisle was “taken away from him” as if the writings weren’t on the wall that he was choosing Jackie and all of her emotional unavailability. He even admitted to viewing her as a “project” during the season. Though Jackie was deadass wrong through and through, Marshall is no saint in the situation.
And I get that he wants the audience to move on from the drama between them two, but it’s hard to believe you really want that when you’re still being reactionary and sending tweets about it. You have some growing up to do, too, Marshall. — Taryn

That’s fair, Taryn. You’re right! I felt bad that he didn’t get to have a wedding day, even though I KNOW they needed to say no. But that’s just foolish. — Erin

SO well said, Taryn. The only thing that offered reprieve from the described queerphobic, pejorative exchange and the situation at large were the facial expressions from Marshall. For those of you who may not know, he is the cousin of Season 17 “Bachelorette” contestant Justin Glaze, who is known for his furrowing brows and wearing “[his] heart on [his] sleeve and his emotions all over his face.” I guess it runs in the family. — Ruth

First off, it’s so wack that Jackie and Josh were a no-show but they had time to do an interview with Vanessa the day prior. That’s scary behavior and Netflix shouldn’t have let them skate away like that. We did not wait for an hour and a half for this bootleg livestream to start to watch this safe-ass interview. Jackie and Josh are truly the cowards we always knew they were.

I thought they’d be broken up by now, but them being together and having moved in a year after filming the show makes sense because they are truly cut from the same cloth. Congratulations on that, I guess.

Jackie told Vanessa that what we saw during the season was “a totally different Jackie” and I’m just not buying it. She led Marshall on and was absolutely nasty to him from the time she was on the show to the reunion. Now Marshall isn’t the innocent victim he’s portrayed as (we’ll get to that later), but Jackie was very aware that she didn’t like that man. From the name-calling to the nasty text messages to her friends to her keeping the ring, Jackie tried to exert power over Marshall while plotting her exit. It’s all just ugly. — Taryn

I literally started booing at the screen when Vanessa said they weren’t there and had chatted over Zoom. I’m also confused as to why Vanessa asked Marshall, “Are you putting in consideration Jackie’s feelings?” It was a weird thing to ask, in my opinion, about Jackie and Josh not wanting to come to the reunion. Of course he considered Jackie’s feelings. But isn’t Jackie the villain? Marshall ain’t perfect, but I’m so confused at this dramatic posturing against him. Maybe I missed something. — Erin

We’ve been begging for Season 1 lovebirds Lauren Speed and Cameron Hamilton to host for ages — and I wouldn’t blame them if they didn’t want to. After their whole love story has been elevated to the franchise pedestal, they deserve their peace. But considering their, um, backstory, Nick and Vanessa Lachey do not need to be the ones hosting this. At all. Moreover, they’re terrible, unskilled, and awkward, especially navigating all of those technical difficulties.

I said before the reunion aired that I had zero faith they’d ask questions that we earnestly want answers to — and they barely did. The probing about children was wildly inappropriate and highly annoying; not every couple wants kids, infertility issues are real, etc. Fortunately, Nick and Vanessa will apparently not be hosting the forthcoming all-queer season of “The Ultimatum,” but I’d just like Netflix to wrap up their contracts all together. Sorry not sorry. — Ruth

I was so annoyed with their hosting skills. They had these long-winded questions that were sometimes hard to parse through, and they also stuck on certain topics way too long. I was glad when Bliss was basically over the conversation about Zack and Irina’s short-lived relationship and she told them to wrap it up. There were also points where they interrupted the contestants and it was just overwhelming. I want them to get Kevin Frazier to host. He has moderated reunions for “Married At First Sight” and he asks all the right questions and never gets flustered. — Erin

BOOOOOOOO! Tomato, tomato! We’re throwing tomatoes! — Taryn

Also, Vanessa kind of does this posturing that makes her sound a bit antagonistic to each of the contestants in certain moments. It always throws me off! — Erin

Before I get into this wedding, let me just say: I adore Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance.” It’s honestly peak country-pop canon. The original, that is — not the bootleg one Netflix played. Do I adore Zack though? No. Happy for Bliss and all, but this couple is just not … coupling. I can’t even lie and be like, “If you like it, I love it, girl!”

Be it in a professional or personal capacity, anyone who passes on me the first time will have to grovel — and I mean grovel — to get me back. (My friends know this to be true.) While I’m sure this was edited for dramatic effect, I didn’t love that there was such a long gap before Zack’s answer at the altar! That “I love you so much, Bliss"? Boy, if you don’t just say, “I do!” Anyway, I appreciate what Bliss’ father told her: Never settle and remember that you always have your family. — Ruth

I feel like they’re going to stay together for a bit and then break it off. I kind of expect them to still be together at the reunion, but who knows? This is another couple I really am not invested in, lol. My notes from the episode: “I realized I was not paying attention to this until they were at the altar. They say I do. I do not care.” — Erin

Bliss, girl, I want the best for you, but saying "I do" to the man who treated you like chopped liver makes you look dizzy. I get that we can’t help whom we fall in love with, but the flags are big and you feel it deep down.

I don’t think Zack is a bad man, but I do still think you deserve to be confident in knowing that the person you marry is dedicated to always choosing you. I’m not convinced of that here, and in the interviews on the show, you don’t sound like it either. If y’all do stay together, I hope Zack goes above and beyond to make up for what he failed to give you initially. Good luck, I guess. — Taryn

This wedding was beautiful. Brett asking Tiffany’s dad for his support and permission was such a nice touch. They had a moment to talk about their own families and upbringing, and knowing that Brett wants to stop generational poverty in his family made me tear up a bit. I can see Brett and Tiffany building a beautiful relationship and family together. In this house, we only root for Lauren and Cameron from “Love Is Blind” Season 1, and now we can add Brett and Tiffany to that list.

I knew that “Love Is Blind” was trying to catch us slipping with that little preview of Brett flipping out ahead of the ceremony. But Brett, a stylish perfectionist, was just mad that his pants weren’t fitting the way he wanted them to. This felt like the first crack in his persona, so the producers really made me mad with that little clip in the preview ahead of the finale. Thankfully, a seamstress stepped in and fixed his pants literally an hour before the wedding. Also, for all of Season 4, we’ve seen Brett build a really strong brotherhood with fellow contestant Marshall. I definitely teared up seeing him at the wedding! — Erin

We won! We got Tiffany and Brett successfully down the aisle. And we got groom tears! I feel like a proud cousin sitting in the audience. Clearly, this is the only couple we all were rooting for this season and, unsurprisingly, they both said “I do.”

Everything about their wedding was a dream. From the giddiness they both felt ahead of time to the way their support system showed up for them, I was emotional. The way Tiffany calls Brett “my man” so confidently is beautiful. Even Brett stressing over a last-minute tailoring faux pas showed how invested he was in making sure this day was perfect. These two deserve each other, and I hope they do nothing but thrive and deepen their love.

Tiffany and Brett’s story restores my hope in this show. The two “Love Is Blind” seasons prior made me believe that the magic Lauren and Cameron found in Season 1 was going to be the only time we saw a true love so infectious on this show.

Oh! One more point of juxtaposition. Brett’s dad hates flying to the point where he hasn’t been on a plane since the 80’s. Yet he made an exception to go see his son marry Tiffany. Now on the other end of the “Love Is Blind” spectrum, Kwame can’t even get his mom on the phone to talk to Chelsea. Do you see the difference here? OK, I’m done. Congratulations, Tiffany and Brett! — Taryn

Really love seeing healthy Black love, and I hope these two last. (Also, Netflix, y’all are nasty for editing the trailer to make it seem like there was such a bombshell moment between Tiffany and Brett when that man just wanted to have a good tux.) — Ruth

Shit. Show. All of this, and I mean all of Micah and Paul’s relationship, was forced. They needed to end things long before they got to the altar. From the way Micah scammed her way into Paul’s arms to the way her friends treated him, this relationship was destined to have a karmic downfall. In a way, Micah was probably preparing for that. She asked Paul to answer first, because she knew they weren’t going to work out, deep down.

They just weren’t a good fit. I know opposites attract, but Paul is a very logical man and Micah ... doesn’t think much. This relationship was forced for TV and I’m kinda mad Netflix wasted our time on telling their story. The drama surrounding how the relationship started was juicy enough, but their journey to ending things was boring. — Taryn

Generally speaking, there is no reason you should be doing mental gymnastics to figure out whether the person across from you at the literal altar is who you want to spend the rest of your life with. Be serious. Glad Paul turned Micah & co. down. Sorry not sorry. — Ruth

Listen, I was trying to figure out Micah’s end game for asking Paul to answer first. But it seems obvious now that she did not want to seem like the bad guy for saying no at the altar. Truth is, Micah, we already weren’t feeling you, so whatever happened was gonna be a moot point for us.

“To tell her no destroyed me,” Paul says. Then of course, her little friend Shelby is in the audience basically saying she’s glad they didn’t get married. (At the beginning of the ceremony, she says she wishes she were drunker, and I legit booed the screen.) But anyway, I found it so interesting that the reason Paul said no was that he thought it was “difficult to envision Micah as a mother.” Whew, that’s tough. I don’t remember how much they actually talked about children, but I’m wondering what Micah thought when she saw that in the episode, if she watched. I didn’t want these two to work out, but I definitely was locked into their storyline once Paul said no. — Erin

I see the delusion. Y’all see the delusion. So my question is: Why in the hell don’t Chelsea and Kwame? It feels like they’re not even trying to convince the cameras that this relationship works. It feels like they’re trying to convince themselves.

We knew Chelsea, with all of her thirst and lack of self-awareness, was going to say I do. But Kwame saying it threw me for a loop. Not only because of his wishy-washy energy towards his pressed fiancée, but because of his mom’s disapproval. He sat that woman down and told her he could not give her his last name until he gets his mom’s approval. Who’s going to be the one to tell him don’t hold his breath?

While Chelsea is head over heels in something with this man, Kwame has cold feet and fears they’ll implode. And it’s valid. You can say I do all you want, but you can’t fake the funk. While Chelsea’s vows were a hopeful dedication to the future she wants with him, Kwame’s vows (which he didn’t write) signaled those fears in a way. While his words were beautiful on the surface, what Kwame’s vows lacked was the deep commitment marriage requires. Even in their post-ceremony interview, Kwame’s uncomfortable body language shows that he’s still not sure.

Kwame isn’t ready for marriage, yet he said yes. I doubt the couple will last. And if they do, they’ll need some long therapy sessions. Because right now, Kwame’s doubt and Chelsea’s controlling nature look like they’re headed towards (cue Taye Diggs in “Brown Sugar”) their divooooorce! — Taryn

If I speak ... — Ruth

I don’t really have anything to say about this couple other than I’ll be surprised if they’re still married by the reunion. — Erin