8 Ways Love Is Blind Season 5 Was A Letdown (Was It Really The Worst Installment Yet?)

Love Is Blind season 5 left dedicated fans feeling utterly let down for various reasons, and it just may be the worst installment since its inception. Love Is Blind quickly captured strong viewership and a loyal fan base with its inaugural season that premiered in 2020. Chris Coelen, the show’s creator and hands-on producer, debuted the series with perfect timing – when the world needed an excellent display of reality television (the COVID-19 shutdown era), and they delivered. Suddenly, the world couldn’t help but watch and discuss the show’s never-before-seen and rather bold concept.

Season after season, Love Is Blind maintained intense captivation, charting Netflix’s top 10 shows with every drop. While Love Is Blind season 5 still saw success in popularity, it wasn’t reviewed positively by many viewers, including the long-standing superfan base. Attention and overall satisfaction seemed to decline slightly following Love Is Blind season 4, but not in the ways that season 5 has. So, what about this season made it that much of a letdown to dub it the worst of all?

   

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8 There Were Only 2 Weddings

By the end of Love Is Blind season 5’s pod dating segment, viewers witnessed only three engagements after the fourth potential proposal failed when Aaliyah Cosby ditched the experiment (and Uche Okoroha) early. That left couples Lydia Velez Gonzalez and Milton Johnson, Stacy Snyder and Izzy Zapata, and Taylor Rue and JP Pierce; the latter didn’t make it past their honeymoon. The weddings are easily the best, most anticipated part of any Love Is Blind season – understandably so, as it delivers suspense and entertainment like no other reality dating series. Fans only got to see two awkwardly long periods of silence, eagerly waiting for the unpredictable results.

7 Only 1 Couple Said “I Do”

As if an abbreviated Love Is Blind finale wasn’t bad enough, only one agreed to tie the knot. In previous seasons, some couples didn’t marry but continued exploring their relationship outside the show, but not this time around. Lydia Velez and Milton Johnson were the only couple to find love sight on scene and pursue it until the end of the unconventional experiment. There’s an entertainment factor to unsuccessful altar outcomes, like if it’s unexpected or a toxic relationship where fans are rooting and hoping for them to end. However, with only one making it to the end, viewers naturally questioned whether the process was as successful as it once was.

6 The Cast Was Messy In The Worst Way

Reality TV fans often love and expect dating show contestants to be somewhat messy, but not at the expense of the experiment’s integrity. For example, Uche and Lydia’s situation brought good drama to a slow-moving season. Still, it challenged the show’s vetting process and, at the same time, viewers’ perceptions of their intentions as contestants. Many believe the two of them hiding their relationship history ruined Aaliyah’s experience. Uche then took to social media as soon as his contract allowed to stir the drama back up.

Then, another mishap formed between Stacy, Izzy, and Johnie Maraist – which was entirely unnecessary. Fans saw subtle issues between Stacy and Johnie, which is common in love triangles. However, when the cast got together for the first time, Stacy targeted Johnie, and it seemed calculated and unwarranted. The two of them couldn’t settle their differences before the reunion either, at which point Stacy and Izzy had been done for over a year. Then Stacy made a multiple-page Instagram post calling Johnie out and involving the rest of the cast.

5 Another Concerning Love Is Blind Lawsuit Was Filed

Love Is Blind and its production company has faced many allegations from former cast members, such as lack of sleep and food on set, unreasonable work hours, and purposefully disregarding or simply being ignorant of contestants’ mental health issues. Another lawsuit was filed, this time by Love Is Blind season 5’s Tran Dang, whose claims seem to be the worst so far. Tran was supposedly sexually assaulted on set and accuses Love Is Blind producers of looking the other way and forcing her to continue filming after it happened.

4 All The Hidden Storylines & Engagements

Uche revealed that Love Is Blind season 5 producers forced him to lie about his history with Lydia, which ended up ruining his and Aaliyah’s relationship; the show’s creator confirmed this was true. What’s worse is that three couples got engaged but were never shown: Paige Tillman and Josh Simmons, Tran Dang and Thomas Smith, and Renee Poche and Carter Wall. Renee and Carter even made it to the altar, but in a last-minute decision, Renee was informed that all of their scenes as an engaged couple would be cut from the show.

3 Taylor & JP Couldn’t Have Been More Cringeworthy

It’s typically disheartening when couples almost immediately lose interest after meeting for the first time, but for Taylor and JP, no one even wanted them to try. On the honeymoon trip, Taylor uncomfortably tried many times to squeeze words out of J, who continuously acted as if he were a guilty criminal pleading the fifth. At one point, she prompted him by asking if he could envision spending the rest of his life with her, and he refused to entertain it. JP is now only known for his expression of disapproval about Taylor’s use of make-up and his wardrobe, which is exclusively patriotic.

2 There Were No Bachelor & Bachelorette Parties

Usually, Love Is Blind plans bachelor and bachelorette parties for newly engaged couples. It’s specifically entertaining, as their outside friends often attend, and it provides viewers with a sense of actual reality. Although the show typically throws more conservative bachelor and bachelorette parties for the contestants, it’s still an essential moment. Many assumed it was cut due to the record-low number of weddings, but there were actually three couples who would’ve celebrated. Six contestants, their pod co-stars, and outside friends seem enough for a couple of parties.

1 Season 5 Shows Love Isn’t Blind

All the reasons above result in the last way Love Is Blind season 5 was the worst installment: there were too many indicators that love is not blind. For starters, the success rate dropped significantly compared to previous seasons. The concept was questioned head-on when JP openly admitted to not wanting to marry Taylor because of her physical appearance. Only one couple remains standing, Lydia and Milton, and they weren’t solid or widely favored for various reasons. The petty drama between the cast resembled the behavior seen on other dating shows, where they prioritize media attention and social media status over finding love.

There are many ways that Love Is Blind season 5 and its cast was a letdown, especially compared to earlier seasons. Love Is Blind is often praised as the most authentic dating show, but the behind-the-scenes manipulation of the cast and their stories were on full display this season. Some puppeteering is necessary for reality TV entertainment, but when it’s exposed, it no longer serves that purpose. Plenty of people were never fully convinced that love is truly blind, but Love Is Blind season 5 has undoubtedly instilled more doubt in the show’s concept than ever before.

Source: Stacy Snyder/Instagram