If you are in the mood for a messy ass reality TV dating show, look no further than Love is Blind. Season 4 took place in Seattle, and there was no peeking allowed in the Pacific Northwest for the pod people. We don’t know why people think it is such a wacky concept because it is precisely the same as meeting someone on a dating app.
With online dating apps, until you actually meet the person in real life, you have no idea if they look like their dating profile picture (they could be using an old photo) or if you’re, god forbid, being catfished. But we digress.
The question of whether or not love really is blind is at the heart of this reality dating program hosted by Nick and Vanessa Lachey. In the Netflix series, eligible bachelors and bachelorettes embark on “blind dates” (which is where the pods come in), hoping to find true love, get engaged, and take a lavish honeymoon paid for by the streaming service.
The three phases of the show are as follows:
Dating
In this initial phase, interaction with the external world is restricted (no phones or internet). Instead, competitors spend as much as twenty hours per day in the isolation pods. The remaining period is spent in close proximity to other contenders of the same genders in shared living quarters. And when people start to get to know one another and establish cliques, that’s when the drama begins.
Honeymoon
After the big revelation, Netflix sends them on a honeymoon—complete with the other engaged pod couples—at their expense and with the intention of upping the dramatic ante. Messy drama is inevitable when participants, some of who are now broken up, are forced to spend time with their ex-partners in a vacation setting.
Engagement
During this period, they also plan their wedding and must ultimately decide whether to say “I do” or break up for good on the big day. This choice has to be made at the wedding altar for some reason (that reason is drama).
The Couples
Jackelina and Marshall
Jackelina is a badass with a harsh exterior and stunning hair. Marshall, a kind person who helps her open up, is her preferred link from the pods. They’re as different as they come, and although they make a lovely couple, we can easily understand how his heart would break if he committed to her.
Tiffany and Brett
At the beginning of the season, Tiffany is self-conscious about being the show’s resident elderly character (despite being just 36 years old). Brett, a Nike designer, has chiseled abs and a kind disposition. He, too, is 36, but his gender makes his age irrelevant (of course). Their closeness in the pods is quickly transferred to their interaction with one another. They make each other laugh, and we did not doubt they would be the most popular couple this season.
Paul and Micah
Paul, a geeky scientist type with boyish charm, has two pod connections: Micah, a 27-year-old marketing professional who bonds with both Kwame and Paul and Amber, a flight attendant who has been married twice. After first making Kwame feel guilty about his prior relationship, she ultimately decides to reject his semi-proposal. Then, after persuading Paul to end things with Amber, she whines that it is “taking too long” and sends her house bestie to spy on Amber since it takes longer than the five minutes she’d given to Kwame.
Although she subsequently claims Paul isn’t her typical type, their encounter seems to go well. Funny enough, Paul agrees, stating that he often dates crunchy hippie women. Micah is certainly not granola with her blonde extensions and chemical tan, but she is super entertaining to watch.
Chelsea and Kwame
Following Micah’s rejection, the show’s best person, in our opinion—a no-nonsense pediatric speech therapist—Kwame, a smooth-talking ex-soccer player, proposes to Chelsea. They have tremendous sexual chemistry, and things are looking well for the rest of their honeymoon until Micah and Kwame get back together and essentially “test the waters” during the group pool party (uh, awkward AND messy).
Irina and Zack
Finally, we meet Zack and Irina, the season’s most interesting (dramatic) pair. He is a criminal defense attorney who is socially uncomfortable since his single mother raised him and made ends meet by stripping. He develops feelings for two different women while living in the pods: the kind and mature Bliss, who owns her own company and makes him cupcakes on his birthday, and the mean and envious Irina. He goes with Irina, who spends the honeymoon being as cold and distant as possible and having an affair with Paul, the fiancé of her closest friend.
He realizes too late that he chose the wrong girl, and in a tense confrontation with Bliss, he attempts to make things right. Yikes.
Where We Are in the Show
Thirty eligible individuals signed up for Love Is Blind Season 4, but only 10 were engaged by the end of the season. Zack and Irina (eventually) called it quits after Episode 5, reducing the number of couples by one, while Episodes 9–11 predicted problems for another pair.
Episodes 9–11 were released on Netflix on Good Friday, ushering in yet another breakup, family strife, and a wedding. On April 14, Love Is Blind will air its season four finale, which will include coverage of the remaining weddings. And on Sunday, April 16, Netflix will host a live reunion for the first time with Love Is Blind: The Live Reunion at 8 p.m.
Here, we look at the couples still dating as of Ep 11, along with some spoilers offering insight into what’s to come.
Brett and Tiffany
Despite the fact that Tiffany’s lethargy in the pods almost stopped them from growing close, Brett and Tiffany became the first couple to get engaged and walk out of the pods hand in hand. When they first met, the attraction was obvious, and they were clearly obsessed with each other (in a good way).
In Mexico, the two of them seemed to fall madly in love with one another. The excitement didn’t end with ep 5, though. They quickly became a part of one other’s daily routines as a live-in couple, and they were introduced to each other’s families with obvious ease. In Episodes 9-11, however, the effects of being stressed were evident.
Anyone’s pulse rate would skyrocket at the thought of arranging their wedding in less than a month. In this bundle of episodes, Tiffany becomes overwhelmed by the preparations and has an emotional breakdown at home with Brett, questioning whether or not she really wants a wedding. As he comforted her, Brett prepared a night for the two of them that included a private jet ride and a romantic meal for two, all in an effort to help alleviate her tension.
The introduction to their loved ones likewise went swimmingly, and they’ve both been accepted into each other’s families, and preparations for the wedding are proceeding successfully. However, the teaser excerpts from that day do show some serious worries.
Tiffany tells her pals in her wedding suite, “I would be devastated” if Brett said no. No surprises should come up today–this should not happen, Brett says ominously in the same teaser trailer.
Paul and Micah
Even after her friend expressed her open opposition to Micah and Paul’s imminent marriage, their relationship still looked solid. They often spoke about things like where they were going to live., but Micah didn’t like Paul’s apartment, and Paul didn’t want to relocate to Micah’s home in Scottsdale, Arizona. When Micah questioned him about trying a long-distance relationship, his response was a firm “no.”
He eventually became open to the idea of trying Scottsdale out. Another thing they tried out: their handmade wedding bands made together in a forge. However, they seemed to be able to picture staying together if they didn’t say “I do.” They thought about what it would be like not to get hitched but to remain in a relationship.
“You’re the thing that I’m the most attracted to on Earth right now, so I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t afraid of losing you,” Paul told Micah. Micah seemed calm and certain, though a little cautious, as she searched for her wedding dress.
Paul broke down about the risks of both saying “I do” and not saying “I do” to his buddies at the bachelor party. He was sure of his love for Micah, but he seemed unsure of whether or not marriage was the best option. The last teaser keeps the tension and uncertainty going. You may remember that in the first teaser, Micah said to Paul at the altar, “I think that the best thing that I can do for us is to give you the opportunity to answer first.”
Micah and Paul are still following one another on IG as of the latest episodes. But their Instagram stories caught our attention–she posted a fan’s story about her and Paul on Micah’s account, claiming that they did a “180” on her. “Slow burn,” if you will,” Micah wrote as a caption, using the laughing and eyes emojis.
Over on Paul’s IG stories, on April 7, Paul gave Season 4 cast mate April King, who was eliminated in the pod’s experiment, a belated birthday shout-out. Their heads are touching as they sit closely together in the image, with his arm across her shoulders and April’s hand on his thigh. The image was re-posted by her with the comment “big kombucha guy.” Perhaps we’re reading too much into their body language, but it seems more personal than what you’d expect from a snapshot with a platonic friend. And I oop!
Marshall and Jackelina (Jackie)
Episodes 9-11 showed the fallout from the clash between Jackie and Marshall and Josh’s hail-Mary attempt to woo Jackie during Chelsea’s birthday party. Even though Jackie and Marshall were a solid pair at the beginning of the season, they ended up breaking up in episode 10.
After returning from Chelsea’s party, Marshall informed Jackie he wanted to know where they stood. Jackie had little desire to be a part of finding a solution and grumbled about the time and her tiredness as Marshall urged her to share with him what she required to feel supported, loved, and secure. She eventually broke down and said that she had been lying and that the previous time she’d asked Marshall to be a bit more “aggressive” with her, he bounced for three days. She was afraid of getting the same response if she tried again, so she avoided it. Instead, Jackie sought to appease Marshall by telling him that, because of his sweetness, all he needed to do was love her. He was not convinced.
The following day, the ladies went dress shopping with their families and friends. Jackie didn’t come because she had a date with Josh, who claimed to have feelings for her, and she seemed really receptive to the idea. Brett broke the news to Marshall during the men’s tuxedo shopping sesh, while Jackie didn’t bother to tell Marshall–not even in a text message. As he was late getting home, she decided to end things there. Jackie finally admitted the truth after a heated exchange.
“Marshall, I can’t love you because I’m attracted to Josh. I just saw Josh, and there is some chemistry,” she said, and then added, “I don’t want to be with you anymore.” Marshall responded with jaded incredulity. Because she “never should’ve accepted [his] proposal,” he requested the ring back. Because Jackie was in love with him when she accepted, she refused to give it back. The “real world” just “got to us,” she said. “Got to you,” Marshall fired back.
When Jackie said adieu to Marshall, she was extremely cold for no apparent reason. “Well, take it easy. And maybe I’ll see you around,” she remarked with little emotion. ICE COLD, Jackie. Marshall stood up and marched away after saying emphatically, “No, you won’t.”
Jackie responded with a scornful chuckle, perhaps mocking him for being emotional. It’s now abundantly clear that Marshall’s emotional outpouring and his level-headed defense of his and Jackie’s feelings were a problem for her from the get-go. Marshall and Jackie seem to have little hope for the future as a couple or anything else.
Kwame and Chelsea
Although Chelsea and Kwame still have an intense connection, their relationship was strained in these episodes due to the pressures of the fast process, their anxieties, and his mom’s radio silence.
A passive-aggressive remark made by Chelsea that morning led to a little argument between the two when they were out shopping, but both of them have shown an ability to resolve conflicts in a respectful manner. Chelsea, despite her possible defensiveness, hears Kwame out and offers her own thoughts and feelings. The subject of Kwame’s mom was brought up again after a particularly passionate professional engagement photo shoot.
“Will you say yes to me, if it’s right for you, without your mom’s approval?” Chelsea asked. Though he couldn’t say “yes,” Kwame assured her of his love for her. After getting to know Chelsea’s noisier relatives, they planned to settle permanently in Seattle and have their own home. Although Kwame found the move to be a significant concession, it did not seem to be a dealbreaker.
Their wedding day was the climax of ep 11, and although Kwame’s mom skipped the ceremony, he was helped immensely by his two older siblings. After Barbara and Chelsea spent a touching moment together in the bridal room, it was finally time to make their way down the aisle. When it was her turn to respond, Chelsea didn’t hesitate. Saying “I do” came easily for her.
Kwame, will you say, “I do?” We are waiting with bated breath!
Zach and Bliss
Bliss (bye, Irina) and Zack’s introduction to their respective families took place in episodes 9–11. Bliss’s mom expressed something that would make anybody cry since it perfectly captured the depth of feeling between her daughter and her soon-to-be-husband, Zack.
Naturally, there was a lot of curiosity about Irina after meeting Bliss’s mother and sisters. Zach spoke up about his anxiety for the very first time on camera, sharing that Bliss’s suggestion that her family would disapprove of Zack’s childhood in the pods made him feel frightened. He had been badly mistreated and rejected because of his mother’s background as an exotic dancer and his own modest upbringing. Bliss’s mom, though, didn’t feel the same way. She told Zack, “I’ll be your mom,” after he mourned his late mom.
Bliss’s dad was considerably more critical and doubtful of this relationship, instantly dismissing it and leading to an argument with Bliss, who asserted her autonomy and her decision to marry. Zack kept repeating, “Romeo and Juliet didn’t work out for a reason,” but this is real life, not a Shakespeare play. Zack and Bliss seem to be willing to put in the effort to stay together, although the previous teaser showed her father telling her to “never settle” moments before the wedding.
Final Thoughts
Again, Netflix has duped us into thinking that these episodes would really be the series finale, when in fact, the marriages won’t happen until next week. A curse on your streaming house, Netflix!
While the show is entertaining, these couples have a lot of problems with communication, which is key to any happy, healthy relationship. Throughout the season, the couples’ lack of emotional regulation skills and ability to cope with the triggers provided by their partners is highlighted. Is it more challenging to build healthy relationships when people lack access to emotional intelligence skills and assistance, even if love really is blind? Our inner romantic wants the couples to make it beyond their wedding day; we are cautious about putting money on it given the trend of declining healthy emotional processing among this season’s couples.
We’re three eps (steps) away from what looks to be a messy Love Is Blind season four finale. See you next week for the recap!
