What I learned from my own experiment is that it\u2019s somewhat easy to see (or rather hear, I suppose) which couples work on a fundamental level and which couples don\u2019t when your judgment is not clouded by appearances. I also realized pretty much everyone looked nothing like what I had pictured, which could be what some participants experience after seeing the person they\u2019re supposed to very quickly marry for the first time.<\/p>\n
I diligently took notes as I listened to the early episodes (just like the participants do on their pod dates) and broke down my thoughts episode by episode. From Sparkle Megan\u2019s competing love interests to the dramatic breakups this season, all of the drama and the cringe were still present, even through this unusual viewing experience. <\/p>\n
Episode 1: \u2018A Love That Sparkles\u2019 <\/p>\n
Sixteen men and 16 women from the Denver area entered the pods in hopes of blindly finding love this season. <\/p>\n
(Netflix)<\/p>\n
This episode was, by far, the hardest to watch in terms of adjusting to my \u201cblind\u201d experience. I started by blindfolding myself and quickly realized that made my notes incoherent. I opted to swap the blindfold for a blanket covering my TV, which was better, but I cracked the code by the end of this episode. The blanket-on-the-TV method works best if you don\u2019t cover up the lower third of the screen so you can see the participants\u2019 ages, names and occupations. This also helps if you, like me, are reliant on subtitles.<\/p>\n
Once I figured out the optimal way to pursue \u201cblind\u201d viewing, it was still difficult to keep track of the participants, but a handful stood out. Patrick Suzuki quickly expressed his insecurities about being Asian American, which made me think he wasn\u2019t quite ready for a show like this where your insecurities can be tested, especially after participants become engaged. (Do I look like what they expected me to look like? Am I their type? Do they still love me in the \u201creal world\u201d?)<\/p>\n
I did note that Patrick and Anna Yuan, who also happens to be Asian American, seemed like a great match in their early conversations even before they knew each other\u2019s ethnicity \u2014 they later had an open conversation about it. <\/p>\n
Megan Walerius, whose opening line for all her pod dates was that she calls herself \u201cSparkle Megan,\u201d had strong connections with Blake Anderson, Jordan Keltner and Mike Brockway. Early on, Mike seemed like the best match in terms of chemistry but the worst in terms of building a happy, healthy relationship. <\/p>\n
Episode 2: \u2018Love Me When I\u2019m Blind?\u2019 <\/p>\n
Ali and Anton were the first couple to get engaged in Season 9. <\/p>\n
(Netflix)<\/p>\n
Ali Lima and Anton Yarosh were the first couple we saw get engaged, so they were the first couple I saw at all (although they hyped up the reveal in Episode 1, I didn\u2019t get to see them until the top of Episode 2). It felt like we barely got to know them at all before the reveal because there was just too much ground to cover with all the key players. I disliked Anton\u2019s comment about how Ali could have been \u201ctwice\u201d her size, but chalked it up to nerves and adrenaline that I imagine would be coursing through him in that moment. <\/p>\n
Madison Maidenberg\u2019s honesty about her vision issues and the possibility she could go blind one day was sad to learn, but it was nice to hear her being vulnerable, and it seemed like her match Joe Ferrucci took it well. Edmond Harvey and Kalybriah Haskin appeared to be an unproblematic, strong (albeit unexpected) fit, at least so far. Nick Amato already came off as a player, and I\u2019m not a fan of the spicy talk in the pods. Isn\u2019t your family going to watch this?<\/p>\n
With Patrick, the insecurity about his identity and his hesitation to share his ethnicity with Kacie McIntosh was uncomfortable to listen to \u2014 I do not envy those who actually watched this scene. Kacie was receptive and open to the conversation, but it still felt like Patrick and Anna made a good match at this point, even if she and Blake also seemed to really work together. So many love triangles! <\/p>\n
The bright spot of the episode was Joe\u2019s proposal to Madison, which seemed genuine and heartfelt. The low point was Anna ghosting Patrick. That was unexpected and made me feel terrible for him, but again, I was grateful I didn\u2019t have to watch the cringey moment. <\/p>\n
Episode 3: \u2018Ghost Town\u2019 <\/p>\n
Edmond and Kalybriah got engaged after having vulnerable conversations in the pods. <\/p>\n
(Netflix)<\/p>\n
Megan was in a tough spot here. Mike was the guy she says she would typically go for in the real world. But Jordan was a better fit emotionally, at least in my mind. Blake, however, bowed out and left the show early, like Anna. That left the door open for Jordan, so it was a win in my book. If Blake\u2019s departure had led her to Mike, I would have been more upset. <\/p>\n
Madison and Joe\u2019s reveal (and his shock) felt like one of the more realistic ones I\u2019ve seen on this show. Matching a stranger\u2019s face to the voice you fell in love with would probably be pretty jarring. Listening to the show as opposed to watching has made me a lot more sympathetic to the more awkward or surprised reveals. I\u2019ll cut Joe some slack here, but I\u2019ll be watching him with closer eyes now that I can actually see him. <\/p>\n
Edmond\u2019s proposal to Kalybriah and their reveal later on felt perfect for their personalities. They seem to have had the most open and deep conversations so far, but I always have to wonder if the edit makes anyone seem more deep or more shallow than they are to favor the juicier stuff. Maybe what we\u2019re seeing of Edmond and KB is a fraction of their conversations that happen to be interesting, and the rest could be unbearably boring. <\/p>\n
A quick rundown on my thoughts of all the other key players at this point: Kait Nemunaitis and Nick seem like a better fit than Nick and Annie Lancaster, Annie and Brenden Guthrie are probably not a match made in heaven, Patrick and Kacie have very little chemistry, and I still really don\u2019t like Mike (Sorry Mike! I just personally wouldn\u2019t want to date you). <\/p>\n
Episode 4: \u2018The Dangerous Games We Play\u2019 <\/p>\n
Nick, who is a luxury watch dealer, had two strong connections in the pods. <\/p>\n
(Netflix)<\/p>\n
Nick\u2019s conversations with Kait about religion were frustrating to listen to \u2014 he seemed to act blindsided that she didn\u2019t have a strong connection to religion after she articulated her feelings well in an earlier conversation. Annie and Nick feel like they might be a better fit in terms of their background and upbringings, but listening to their conversation about raising LGBTQ+ kids was uncomfortable. Annie said she felt like young people identifying as a part of the LGBTQ+ community was \u201c100%\u201d a fad, and Nick said when kids \u201cstart having those thoughts too young,\u201d it\u2019s concerning to him. (Both Nick and Annie have since walked back those comments in recent interviews<\/a>.)<\/p>\n By the end of the episode, it felt like Nick was trying to make the emotional connection with Annie catch up to their chemistry. \u201cThis is going to end in a messy breakup,\u201d I wrote in my notebook, predicting the demise of their relationship. And poor Brenden, who is so clearly in love with Annie, didn\u2019t win her heart. I think he may have dodged a bullet.<\/p>\n On Kacie and Patrick, let me first say that I don\u2019t understand how anyone could talk dirty in the pods, especially knowing that this is going to be televised. She did seem to love him, but it feels like that won\u2019t be enough to overcome his insecurities. Patrick\u2019s proposal was incredibly awkward \u2014 if I was proposed to and my partner immediately erupted into screams of \u201cLet\u2019s go!\u201d after I said yes, I might revoke that answer. <\/p>\n At this point, the competition between Jordan and Mike over Megan was heating up \u2014 and their responses to that competition were pretty telling. Mike was cocky and overconfident and Jordan was just concerned with Megan\u2019s happiness. I began wondering here whether their sweetness toward her was inflated or artificial because of this duel between the two men. Is flattery and kindness a means to an end for these guys? It felt that way for Mike. <\/p>\n Episode 5: \u2018I Want You to Want Me\u2019 Megan had a difficult time choosing between her two connections, Jordan and Mike. <\/p>\n (Netflix)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n