Love is Blind season 9 tests what it means to fall in love…again. Do looks, money, and other things matter when it comes to matters of the heart? Or can you fall in love with someone sight unseen? Again, we are watching a bunch of hopefuls navigate these questions in Love is Blind Season 9, Episodes 10-11. And since we can’t control ourselves (as evidenced by Love is Blind season 9 episodes 1-6 breakdown, episodes 7-9 breakdown, and episodes 10-11), here is our breakdown of episodes 10-11 of season 9!
1. Did Ali make the right decision by telling Anton no at the altar?
Lizzie: 100%. He worries me. He really does. And the lack of self-awareness about why she could have said no is out of this world. He was like “all I did was treat her right” and I was like did you really not see this coming, dude? She had a bunch of reservations and you could see it! Reservations he never even tried to address, just brushed off.
I think Ali made the right decision for herself and I felt kinda bad for her that she struggled with it so much, because she really didn’t want to marry him. But she was being so careful with his feelings, even though I don’t know that he was doing a good job of acknowledging hers. And why did we get to see his family trash-talking her? Do they never do that or was there a reason that was left in the edit just this time?
What I did like was how her mom and her friends were there for her every step of the way. It helps to have a tribe and I’m glad Ali does.
Lyra: Absolutely. The pods are supposed to allow you to get to know the other hopefuls sight unseen. It’s a way of stripping expectations away about how you look to get to the core of who you are. Anton presented himself as one way. And when they got out of the pods Ali realized (for herself) that this wasn’t the same man that she fell in love with. He misrepresented himself. And she absolutely had the right to say no and save both of them the grief of a painful divorce.
If anything, I have a problem with his family members and how they talked about Ali. They’re over here using curse words and calling her heartless but Ali is the only one crying. Tell me how that looks heartless? I’m just so sick and tired of a narrative where women are blamed for prioritizing their needs instead of just focusing solely on the man. Not today. And not with Ali.
2. Why did KB say no to Edmond after everything they’ve been through?
Lizzie: Girl was always going to say no. I think the right question is, why did she say so many nice things, only to say no? I think she was trying to placate him, I really do. It gave me a weird, scary vibe, because there’s 100% a part of her that was always trying to fix him, but I also thought there was a part of her that was scared of his reaction, so she focused on the positives even if she had to pull them out of nowhere. I’m not sure if that was actually the kindest thing to do to him, because she sounded 100% done.
And she should have been. He never seemed to meet her where she was, emotionally, and marrying him would have meant not gaining a partner, but a project. She deserved more than that. He has a lot of work to do to be able to actually succeed in a relationship. Honestly, as dramatic as he was being at the end, there was even a part of me that was going: Is this all because now you won’t get to have sex with her?
Lyra: KB said no to Edmond, at least in my book, because she realized that she would have to baby him for the rest of his life. And if he broke her during the singles party and during the snow trip, after knowing each other only for a couple weeks, just imagine what a marriage would look like, especially if she’s trying to spare his feelings like she was doing during the altar breakup? Like Ali saving herself from the grief of a brutal divorce, KB is doing the same thing with Edmond.
I also want to note his vows versus hers. While her vows were eloquent and spoke about the different parts of him that she loved, he said nothing of substance. The only thing that this man sees when he looks at KB is her beauty. And it reminds me of the Swan Princess when Derek was asked if there was anything else about Odette that made him want to marry her. And his reply, “What else is there?” That was a flop for Derek then and this is a flop now for Edmond.
This isn’t a fairy tale. KB isn’t going to turn into a swan and they’re not going to go on an adventure. This is real life. And KB needs a partner and not a fantasy or someone who easily breaks apart when he doesn’t get his way before lamenting that this happened because he was a nice guy. Nice guys don’t say that. They’re just nice.
3. Were you surprised by Megan and Jordan’s breakup? Was it the right decision?
Lizzie: Not surprised, but I thought they had a chance. I think ultimately, it was the right decision for them both. They weren’t what each other needed. And I’m glad Megan had that conversation not at the altar, because for Jordan, there was a child involved, and that would have been so much messier. So I did appreciate that.
Watching it, I had so many more emotions than I ever had during the season, honestly. I felt like Jordan really wasn’t even trying to meet Megan halfway. I think perhaps she made a mistake getting into this with someone with a kid, and she thought it would be easier. But I also think what she wanted from Jordan was a partner, and he was never willing to be that. He was tired, so he couldn’t just have conversations with her. He was a parent, so he couldn’t just travel with her. Never mind that he is not a single parent; Luca has a mom who is fully involved.
I think he wanted Megan to give up everything and adjust to his life, and the fact that she was willing to do that or considered it made him feel like he was in the right, but he wasn’t. Marriage is about compromise, not about saying “this is the way things are, tough luck.” So all in all, I’m glad they didn’t get married. They were probably not going to be happy together.
Lyra: A part of me hoped that Megan and Jordan could get past some of the difficulties they’ve had these past couple episodes. Because out of everyone, I thought they had the best chance of making it down the altar. But the breakup was the right thing and a part of me is relieved that it actually happened.
Megan was asking for a partner. A partner who would share their life with her, no matter how big or small. Jordan equated that to introducing her to his son. And he didn’t want to share the small bits about his day or his interests. He basically didn’t want to talk. And Megan also wanted someone who was curious about life and wanted to do stuff. He equated that to money being the only way that you can do things. As someone who grew up poor, Groupons are real and you don’t have to break the bank to explore new places.
Just look at the way that their breakup happened. Megan was over here broken up about this and he just sat there and didn’t add anything to the conversation. He sure had stuff to say to the camera afterwards though. He went on and on about if he had money like her things would be easier. My dude, you were going to marry her. You were going to have joint assets. If you couldn’t see that and get over yourself, then she’s better off.
Megan, Ali, and KB are better off choosing themselves instead of making themselves smaller for people who never appreciated them.
4. Ultimately, does reality TV dating even work anymore?
Lizzie: Eh, did it ever? Sometimes it brings people together that would have never met, but I think, like with any kind of dating, it’s about the people, not the format, really. Look at the Bachelor franchise. So it’s luck, in some cases. And Love Is Blind is now attracting people who want the clout more than actually finding love, which is a big problem.
Lyra: No, reality TV dating doesn’t work anymore. In the beginning of reality TV dating, there was less pressure and less eyes on you. Now reality TV dating is an influencer factory where everyone has an opinion. It’s also a money maker for studios that saves the money. Studios don’t care about quality when it comes to reality TV shows. So they probably just cast the people that will give them the biggest drama because they think it translates over to ratings. And maybe it does. Here we are in a Love is Blind roundtable after all. But the magic and authenticity of Love is Blind is gone. All that’s left is drama.
5. Looking back, what was the biggest red flag of Season 9?
Lizzie: All the men. Truly, when we got out of the pods it’s like they dropped their masks and brought out the toxic masculinity. There were levels, but I think the men were a huge issue. I also don’t like Annie, but I think the women aren’t a trend like the men. Lately, it feels like the men are always problematic and they always present themselves as something very different than what they are. Also, how did Love Is Blind even manage to find so many uber conservative people in Denver?
Lyra: The men and Annie. In talking with other people, I was told time and time again that for such a blue state they really found the most conservative bunch for Season 9 of Love is Blind. The men were either gaslighting their partners or love bombing them. And I’m never going to get over crying over a woman not wanting to have sex with you as if she owes you something because you were nice to her. None of these men were actually looking for partners. They were looking to check a box. Women aren’t boxes. They’re people. Can’t believe we actually have to remind men of that.
As for Annie, she wasn’t respectful of other people’s boundaries, even if I detest Nick. And I’m just as much concerned about her as I am with Anton when it comes to their drinking habits. Anton seemed to have a more quiet control over his drinking. Annie on the other hand seemed to be a little bit more emotional with her drinking. Both can be disastrous and aren’t good wife or husband material.
6. What does Love is Blind need to do better in future seasons?
Lizzie: Man, at this point, this show isn’t about finding love, and I don’t know if they can ever make it about that again. Probably not. But they probably gotta stop looking for wannabe influencers on Instagram as they cast, and try to cast more diverse in body shapes and truly in ethnicity. Alexa being their “plus size” contestant remains ridiculous, because she’s not even that big. Perhaps then we might have a chance to see real connections, or not. Worst-case scenario, it’ll be more drama, and they love that. But at least it’ll be different drama.
Lyra: The show either needs to go back to its roots, which I have no idea how they would do but I don’t get paid the big bucks for that, or completely lean into the crazy. The charm is gone when it comes to finding love sight unseen. So they have to work with what is left or change things up. My bet is they’ll lean into the drama and I hope we forget how this show started and the magic that came with it.
7. From Sabrina Carpenter to Miley Cyrus, what did you think about this season’s music budget?
Lizzie: I think they were like, we only had to pay for two weddings instead of five, we have a budget, let’s go all out! And honestly, I didn’t mind the show ending with “Flowers.” That kinda slapped.
Lyra: I kind of hate the mainstream music in Season 9. I miss the cheesiness of the artists brought in to write really specific songs for outlandish moments. But I did love Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild” playing as Joe walked out. It was kind of perfect.
Love is Blind Season 9 Episodes 1-12 are now available on Netflix. The Season 9 reunion premieres October 29.
