Sure, “Love is Blind: UK” has its fair share of drama, but ultimately it is nowhere near its American counterpart. All I could think as I watched the Brits come to their own conclusions about the blindness of love was, “Wow, this is surprisingly tame.” Most couples seemed completely content except for a couple of expected bumps in the road: a disapproving mom, an ex-connection wanting to talk or some other minor inconvenience that just comes with the territory of getting engaged to someone you’ve never met face-to-face.
However, some universal storylines always seem to develop throughout the seasons of “Love Is Blind.” Namely, there’s always a man worried more about his connection’s weight than some of her more, ahem, important characteristics. This season, that man was Sam. Although his vague niceties in the pods failed to sway the audience and potential future fiancées, Nicole, his connection, had to be told outright his intentions were anything but pure. Sam didn’t necessarily say or do anything wrong — barring an overreaction to one of Nicole’s jokes about her weight, he seemed the most disingenuous of the bunch.
On the other hand, if Sam showed up to “Love Is Blind” in the States, he would be the least of the pod squad’s problems. Typically, the men are surprisingly uninhibited when revealing where their attractions lie. At times, they even say it to their fiancée’s face: Take Shake, from season two, who mentioned on multiple occasions behind his partner’s back how he wasn’t physically attracted to her. To be fair, Freddie did make comments about Sharlotte, which came after his fiancee’s comments about Sam.
The American version also has its fair share of suspiciously unfaithful activity — take season six’s Jeramey going out all night with an old connection or Jackie from season four who looked to be carrying on two relationships simultaneously. Perhaps it’s this spell of dubious behavior that leads American contestants to hold an epidemic of insecurities about a partner’s commitment, with contestants constantly asking their partners for reassurance. But in the U.K., while many contestants had past experiences with infidelity, they seemed to manage their baggage much better.
In fact, the British contestants seem surprisingly self-confident — maybe that’s to be expected from a show that asks its cast to marry people they’ve never met, but the British contestants seem to love meditation, gratitude and personal growth. While they may seem like buzzwords just to signal virtue to others, I do think these practices have some merit. The result? A relatively tame season of “Love Is Blind.”
Despite many couples you’d expect to say “I do” ending up alone, “Love Is Blind: UK” is surprisingly successful, with three couples saying yes at the altar and two remaining together during the reunion a year after filming. I believe its success must be attributed to the self-reflection and actualization its contestants are committed to.
“Love Is Blind: UK”’s emphasis on self-improvement practices has been a welcome change as mental health is a largely stigmatized topic in the U.K., perhaps stemming from the nation’s reserved nature. “Love is Blind” devotes itself this season to making public its contestants’ focus on mental health, helping to destigmatize seeking help while also promoting personal development. “Love Is Blind: UK” promotes self-growth as a prerequisite for love, but the show is forced to confront the reality that it is not necessarily a recipe for success. The pendulum has swung to us now — and odd though it may be to follow the example of “Love is Blind” contestants, now it is our turn to do our own work.
