DALLAS — Falling in love with Netflix’s hit reality show "Love Is Blind" is easy. Falling in love on the show is a much more difficult thing.
But that's what makes the Nick- and Vanessa Lachey-hosted series, which debuted its first season on the streaming service just in time for us all to be sitting in our pajamas while cooped up in our own "pods" during the pandemic back in early 2020, such a fun watch.
This show is a mess, y'all!
And you know what? When it comes to this show, anyway, please mess with Texas.
For the third season of the series, the production came right here to Dallas. Its contestants were locals, its (absolutely gorgeous) interstitial shots were of the Dallas skyline and its action went down in settings all across the region -- from Fort Worth Stockyards hotspots and more than our fair share of Dallas bars to quirky Las Colinas landmarks and Addison brunch destinations.
Three seasons in, this show knows what it's doing. It also knows how to properly switch things up.
During a time when we needed it, Season 1 helped us believe in love and gave us hope. Lauren and Cameron are still together -- these fan favorites even have their own YouTube channel now, and they recently released a book, too. Meanwhile, who doesn’t remember Amber and Matt?! And, whew chile, the way Jessica tried it during that reunion scene at Lauren and Cameron’s party? Let's just say Matt made good choices!
As for Season 2? Well, none of the couples survived that season, but it still gave us some juicy drama! No need to relive all that hot mess, but let's just say we were thoroughly entertained.
Season 3, meanwhile, brought its own flavors to the table. So let's get into those, and dole out some superlatives for the Dallas-based season that just wrapped.
(Here come the spoilers.)
First of all, let’s talk about what happened in the pods early on in the new season.
To start, let’s get Andrew out of the way. He didn’t get engaged -- and, Nancy, you did right with that call. That man was a flight risk! Y'all, he used eye drops to pretend to cry. Sir! Keep it moving.
And can we talk about Bartise leaving money on the floor for pilates instructor Raven when she talked about her side work doing bottle service? Excuse me: I don't care if she was doing jumping jacks when he was emotionally dumping all over her about his family, Bartise was mad disrespectful and rude in that moment. (Little did we know, that was just the start of his revealing his true character.)
In the end, five couples emerged from the pods engaged, sight unseen: Alexa and Brennon, Cole and Zanab, Matt and Colleen, SK and Raven, and Bartise and Nancy.
After the big reveals of what one another looked like, the couples then took a honeymoon sojourn of sorts to Malibu, California, before finally seeing if their love could make it in the "real world" here in North Texas. And that's where the real drama starts.
So, how'd these couples fare? Well, let's hand out some superlatives as we discuss just that.
Best Couple: Alexa and Brennon
Oh my. Alexa and Brennon? These two were just so adorable. They were the first to get engaged, and everyone rooted for them along the way. I am so glad they lasted! As someone said at some point in this season, these two totally got the idea that you can’t let roommate issues become marriage issues. These two are also a testament to the importance of being honest with your partner. I mean, big ups to Alexa for asking for what she wanted in the bedroom! Don’t hold back, girl.
Biggest Growth: SK and Raven
Raven? Well, she grew on a lot of us. She definitely had her guard up early on in the season, which is understandable. But by the time the reunion show came around, people couldn’t help but like her. No, Raven and SK didn’t get married. He said no, which... I was really shocked! But it's great that Raven, as SK hoped, didn't necessarily see that altar shocker as the end of the road. I love that these two are still together. I also love that Raven didn't give Bartise the time of day! We're all here for that! I still laugh about the jumping jacks scene, though. She knew it wasn’t going to work with Bartise pretty early on.
Most Doomed From The Start: Nancy and Bartise
Yeesh. Nancy and Bartise. Where to begin? He said no at the altar, and he knew he was going to say no -- that’s why he was in the bathroom crying, because he knew what his answer would be. Bartise, you are on a show called "Love Is Blind." Why are you so shocked that you didn't get to see the person you’re going to be dating until you propose? Did it ever cross your mind that the person you chose might not be your type? Also, Nancy is cute! Seriously, Nancy’s family said what we all were thinking. He wasn't ready for her.
Most Likely To Divorce: Matt and Colleen
So, OK, Matt and Colleen said yes to each other at the altar, and they are apparently making it work in their own unique way (for now). Colleen was able to dig deep and open up to Matt, which is something she wasn’t willing to do with Cole. But Colleen, girl, marriage is hard! It’s not rainbows and unicorns. It takes work to make it work. While Matt seems to have the patience to give you space to grow, him trying to leave every five seconds is not reassuring. A red flag, though, is Matt taking Cole’s word over what happened in the pool. Colleen told Matt several times what happened, but he couldn’t get over it until after he talked to Cole? Um, alright. And his reaction to you staying out until 2:30 a.m.? That was a little scary! That said, Colleen went through a lot of rejection during the show, and that can be hard. She kept going and found her mate. I wish you guys the best. But I don't see it lasting. Sorry not sorry!
Absolute Worst Match: Zanab and Cole
Everyone knew this match was never going to work out. There was absolutely no drama about that. It was just a matter of when, not if, Zanab was gonna bail. Now, listen, y'all can interpret the infamous "cutie scene" any way you would like. But I'll just say this: It was 4:30 p.m. and dinner was at 7 p.m. Homegirl can't have some fruit to snack on when dinner is more than two hours away? Come on now. I'll admit that Cole had his moments -- but he also has a ton of growing up to do. As for Zanab? Girl, the passive aggressiveness was a lot! Just say what you have to say. It all came off a little naggy. Cole was right about that when he said that in the reunion.
Final thoughts
Thank goodness for reunion shows, am I right? The ladies wanted answers this year! And they didn't back down until they got them (somewhat).
Mostly, I just wanna say that I hope everyone from this season finds happiness, whether that's together or apart. The truth is, we don’t know what really happened between these people. We only know what was presented to us by the show's producers. And some people looked like angels while others looked like villains.
Getting to know a stranger can be hard, but the important thing to remember is that these people did it for love. They allowed the world to watch their journey.
We thank you for putting yourself out there!
But, really, we look forward to the next season and the next cast. We need more of this mess! We demand it!