Image: Netflix

Love Is Blind Season Four the Reunion: A Recap

Claimed by many fans to be a disappointment, Netflix’s Love Is Blind Season 4 Reunion began as a semi-disaster with the over-promised live show being delayed at the last minute. Leaving a sour taste in the audience’s mouth before the show even began, the reunion failed to deliver on many levels despite the widespread excitement on social media.

The love triangle (came) across as ‘old news’

The show’s hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey kicked things off with Chelsea and Kwame. Despite much outcry over his behaviour, Kwame came off respectably. They joked about the infamous Calvin Klein photoshoot, and Chelsea revealed her mom even helped pick out the boxers. Wearing complementary outfits, the couple looked genuinely ‘loved up’.

Getting into the Chelsea-Kwame-Micah love triangle, Kwame maturely admitted that his behaviour was unacceptable, and he owed an apology to both his wife and her family. Nick pressed Kwame on his “emotional reaction” following his break-up with Micah in the pods, to which he responded: “We’ve all had those moments where you separate from someone that you know isn’t right for you and you still sit on your bed and eat ice cream for a month”. Vanessa attempted to get into the ‘he said, she said’ but all parties seemed to have moved on – the love triangle coming across as ‘old news’.

If we’re real, you went on this show to get famous

Panning across the stage, the focus fell onto Zach and Bliss’s ‘love for the ages’ and their on-screen drama with Irina. With sighs of scepticism at Irina’s words as she attempted to explain herself, Netflix even subtitling “audience chuckle”, it’s clear that no one bought her version of events. Zach, in shockingly honest fashion, gave a piece of his mind in response: “If we’re real, you went on this show to get famous.” Gasps in the audience were replicated by those at home but tension was short-lived as both Zach and Bliss quickly admitted that they had both forgiven Irina, with viewers commending the couple for not ‘stooping’ and attacking her.

Beginning in tears with the next couple, Micah admitted that she asked Paul to answer first at the altar as she “didn’t want to spend the rest of our life … wondering if he has only said yes not to embarrass her”. Paul claimed that he probably would have said no regardless, but the larger controversy surrounded him not seeing Micah as a mom. Admitting she was blindsided, Micah was visibly upset, and Paul attempted to backtrack, but it felt weak with most social media commentators arguing that it was a petty excuse in the face of complete incompatibility.

Viewers who were expecting sparks to fly between Marshall and Jackie were left sorely disappointed when Josh and Jackie opted for a pre-interview online with Vanessa. Despite Jackie all over social media claiming that she would be vindicated and had “all the receipts”, failure to show up in person has the new couple dubbed as “cowards”. Jackie took the opportunity to ‘clear her name’ over Zoom, stating that “I am not a cheater.” She added later: “I take accountability for my own words and actions, and I hope that he would do the same.” Like most viewers, Marshall’s facial reactions in the corner of the screen had me belly-laughing – his side eyes, raised eyebrows and looks of disbelief gave much-needed comedic relief. His section of the reunion, in comparison, ended reasonably and his eagerness to move on was clear.

A clear takeaway had to be the widespread call for new hosts

Beginning and ending with a clear favourite couple, Brett and Tiffany continued to provide hope for the future of the show. They appeared blissfully married and our ‘insight into their shared life’ was full of personality and charm. Questions towards the couple were only met with sweet recollections of their time on Love Is Blind and how they’ve continued to evolve beyond the altar.

Despite the reunion falling short of anticipated drama, a clear takeaway had to be the widespread call for new hosts. Vanessa and Nick Lachey were slammed on social media for their long-winded questions and interruptions of the cast. Some even argued that the celebrity hosts were playing favourites among couples. Franchesca Ramsey, American comedian and TV host, took to TikTok to argue that Vanessa “just wants to hear herself talk”. Coupled with her strange obsession with a Love Is Blind baby, Vanessa came across as tone-deaf and Nick struggled to provide adequate input.

All in all, the Love is Blind ‘Season Four Reunion’ did provide some closure as a viewer of the show, but it has become clear that the intentions of those on-screen have deviated from the first season. Three couples made it past their weddings this time around, which felt a little flat considering the success rates of previous years. Receipts were not exposed, and tea was not spilt as promised, but one must admit that there were some juicy moments which are not going to be lived down any time soon.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.