Netflix released the first six episodes of Love Is Blind Season 9 on Wednesday, October 1. Singles from Denver, Colorado, entered the pods in the hopes of finding love sight unseen. The premise of Love Is Blind has remained consistent. The show is marketed as a social experiment that tests whether people can form a connection without the element of physical attraction. The show’s goal hasn’t changed, but fans feel the series is no longer casting authentic participants.
Recent seasons have yielded fewer compatible couples, prompting criticism of the show’s casting process. It begs the question: has the show lost its magic? In my opinion, the show isn’t as compelling as it once was, but I think it has the potential to reignite its spark.
Let’s explore where the show is going wrong and how I believe it can be improved.
Why Love is Blind doesn’t feel authentic anymore
Love Is Blind’s main problem is who they are casting on the show. The Season 1 participants had no idea what they were getting into. Since the show was new, they couldn’t predict how it would change their lives, but change their lives it did. The Season 1 contestants, especially those who left the show married, became massive social media stars, scoring brand deals and launching successful businesses.
The success of Season 1 made the possibility of appearing on the show quite appealing. In turn, it may have attracted the wrong kind of person to the show. The contestants in Season 1 were solely focused on forming a connection. They were also, generally speaking, not very shallow. Sure, there were moments where cast members expressed physical preferences, but overall, they appeared more interested in their emotional connection.
It’s hard to ignore that overtime the casts have become more shallow and more focused on physical appearances. The antithesis of the show’s goal. In Season 1, contestants didn’t discuss physical attributes in the pods. Nowadays, it’s become the norm to discuss race, hair color, and celebrity lookalikes. It seems the contestants in recent seasons are more focused on appearances than the average person.
Fans on Reddit expressed their frustration with the direction the show is headed.
“It will never be the same as season 1 where it seemed that people actually wanted to get married,” one user wrote. “Now almost everyone will be wanna be influencers as the show as become so popular.”
“The novelty of the show has definitely worn off for me,” another fan chimed in. “We keep getting the same kinds of drama and the show is becoming predictable in that most contestants that get shown are there for clout and they’re awful humans.”
What the show can do to feel real again
If Love Is Blind wants to win back fans, the show needs to change its casting process. Fans want to see authentic couples on the show. We all love a little drama, but the show has become too focused on toxicity. In the early seasons, there would be one or two toxic couples among the bunch. We enjoyed their drama because they were the minority, Nowadays, it feels as though the show has cashed in on drama and sidelined love stories. There is no Cameron and Lauren in Season 9. All of the current couples have glaring issues that fans cannot ignore. Sure, there may be one or two couples that say I do at the altar, but I don’t have much faith in their longterm compatibility. It’s not just me that feels this way. The Season 9 cast has received criticism from fans for being unlikable.
Fans on Reddit expressed their frustration with the newest batch of singles.
“This season is like watching a car wreck,” one fan wrote.
“This season made me uncomfortable,” another fan wrote. “The vibes were off.”
I do believe it’s possible for Love Is Blind to improve, but producers need to reassess the casting requirements for Season 10. Fans are done with the wannabe influencers and clout chasers. Hopefully, the show has the sense to re-evaluate before it’s too late.
Love Is Blind is available to stream on Netflix.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK LOVE IS BLIND HAS GONE DOWNHILL? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT SEASON 9 SO FAR?
