Look, I’m just going to come out and say it. I’m addicted to Love is Blind. I feel both dirty and skeevy but I can’t stop thinking or talking about Love is Blind, the new and incredibly addictive relationship reality show on Netflix. The first 5 eps dropped last week and truly, Netflix has done you a favour because this is the most addictive reality show on TV.
The batshit premise, the hook of this mother of all hook-up shows, is that people can fall in love without seeing each other. That if you take away all distractions (hello social media, I’m lookin’ at you!), including someone’s appearance, you can find true connection and love forever.
How this show enables this pseudo-psychology is by isolating 20 hot young men and women into a speed-dating on steroids situation. For 10 days they get to ‘date’ each other in private pods where they can only hear but not see each other. In between dates, each gender lives together in a house where they seem to spend most of their time drinking, gossiping and exercising.
The only way out of the game is to fall in love and propose – still sight unseen. If your partner agrees, then you get to finally meet and see if your relationship can stand the pressure of the real world. Your wedding date is set a month out from the proposal, and the race is on to see if your fantasy sweetie is really ‘the one’.
The special sauce in Love Is Blind is twofold. Firstly, it is insanely satisfyingly voyeuristic to watch people fall in love in real time. They sweat, they shake and they cry because they really believe they’ve found their soulmate – and you get to share those deliciously painful feelings. It is absolutely wrong, but also absolutely compelling to watch.
Secondly, unlike commercial TV shows, there’s no ads to break up the action and tension and therefore there’s none of those endless voice-over summaries and constant refreshers of what we’ve just seen like a million times! You’re hooked and you stay hooked.
I thought long and hard about what makes this show such love crack and I think it’s because Netflix are gods when it comes to compelling voyeuristic thriller documentaries. They’ve taken those tricks – framing the interviewee and zooming into their face, a cinematic soundtrack that reflects and uplifts the action like salt flakes on caramel – it’s clear the producers love their characters and any drama feels organic, not forced – just like in the best Netflix documentaries.
It’s this mix of every premise we’ve come to love about love reality shows, together with Netflix singular ability to create addictive, bingey TV that will leave you rooting for these people to win and find love.
Show summary
Score: 5/5 (so far)
Where to watch? Netflix
Category: Reality
Watch if you like: Dating in the Dark, Married at First Sight, Bachelor in Paradise
Family friendly? PG – some kissing, topless cuddling, sexy talk and nasty relationship drama
Bingable? OMG YES!
Irena is the TV critic for 2NM radio Breakfast Show in NSW and hosts The Green News show every Wednesday at 7pm on 4RPH – reading radio. She’s also a small business PR trainer and marketing consultant while in her 2nd year of a PhD at QUT on recruitment, artificial intelligence and ethics and a mum of two great kids who love TV almost as much as her. Tweet her know the shows you love @PRproAus
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