Love is Blind is a Netflix original dating reality television series hosted by Nick and Vanessa Lachey.
In the show, fifteen men and fifteen women from the same metropolitan area who are all looking for love and to get married. For ten days, the men and women date each other to try to figure out with whom they have a connection. The twist?
They are isolated in "pods" so while they can hear and communicate with their dates, they are not allowed to physically see each other unless they are ready to get married. The idea is that without physical appearance being a factor in dating, contestants will be able to let go of distractions and preconceived notions in order to find true love.
After an initial "speed dating" period, the contestants eventually choose one person that they want to focus on building a long-term connection with and propose to. After becoming engaged, the couples then head to a romantic retreat at a resort where they can spend more time getting to know their partner (emotionally and er, physically) and also meet their fellow contestants who also got engaged.
From there, the engaged couples move to the same apartment complex as they prepare for their upcoming nuptials to be held at the end of four weeks. The apartment living functions as a "real world" test, where the couples will meet their partners' families and friends and see what co-habitating will actually be like.
At the wedding, the contestants make the final decision as to whether they would like to break up or say, "I do."
The first season, consisting of 11 episodes premiered February 13, 2020. A three-part "After the Altar" special checking in with the couples aired on July 28, 2021.
Netflix renewed the series for a second and third season, with the second season released on February 11, 2022.
Several spinoffs have been released on US Netflix with subtitles:
- Love is Blind: Brazil
- Love is Blind: Japan
- Love is Blind: Sweden
- Love is Blind: UK
A Character Sheet is under construction.
Tropes
- Bickering Couple, Peaceful Couple: The couples either fall into the camp of "instantly and genuinely gets along" or "struggles to connect."
- Clueless Aesop: The entire premise of the show is for the contestants to be able to get to know and fall in love with one another without looks coming into play. Except all the contestants are conventionally attractive and in good shape, especially the men.
- Inverted Trope. Oddly enough, seeing each other in person still somehow becomes enough reason for many of the couples to break up, even despite both of them being conventionally attractive and in good shape! Love may be blind, but so is its negative opposite.
- Confession Cam: Used occasionally for contestants to share their inner feelings or give context for the reason why they're having a particular discussion with their partner.
- Fourth-Date Marriage: Exaggerated. The contestants have 10 days of dating in the pods and then a four-week engagement period to get to know each other. And they do have the option of saying "I don't" at the altar.
- Like Goes with Like: Played with. There is a mix of interracial and monoracial couples although some black contestants admit that they assumed prior to going on the show that they would match with someone from a similar racial background.
- Romantic Candlelit Dinner: Frequently used during the resort episodes.
- Their First Time: Left entirely up to the couples, although most tend to consummate their relationships during the resort episodes.
- Wedding Ring Removal: If contestants decide to split up, there is usually a dramatic moment of returning the ring. Subverted in season 4, when one woman breaks off the engagement and tells her fiancé she plans to keep the ring.
- Will They or Won't They?: The whole point of the show. As of the start of Season 3, only two out of the twelve engaged couples (both from Season 1) are still married. note
