Love Is Blind Season 5 Finale: In a Season Of Gaslighting and Backstabbing, Love Is Blind Lost Its Way

Love Is Blind has entered dark territory. Following the fifth season, many fans wondered what the casting directors were thinking and how a show that used to give off so many good feels completely sunk itself in 10 short episodes. 

On paper, this season had all the makings of a juicy season of reality television. There was a major pod twist — viewers learned two contestants previously dated in real life — that had social media buzzing. Meanwhile the contestants themselves were a bevy of personalities, the early-on female friendships were something to be celebrated, and the men finally learned to leave their guitars at home. 

So what happened? Of all the potential couples, only three made it to the romantic retreat, and of those, only two lived together and journeyed to the alter to say I do… or, I don't. It was a drastic change from previous seasons, and it left viewers with little to look forward to come the finale.

We all know that producing and editing decisions make or break these kinds of shows. Unseen players work overtime to create tension, reveal backstories at the most opportune times, and get contestants to say or do things that make for engaging television. It's also no secret that not all engaged couples are showcased on the series — every year there are people the cameras don't follow outside of the pods because the powers that be decide they just aren't captivating enough.

More on Netflix:

• The best shows on Netflix
• The best movies on Netflix
• What's new on Netflix in October

This year though, you have to question that decision. Because what was left was a season of gaslighting men, backstabbing women, and a lot of chatter about all of the lawsuits and reported bad behavior that has been happening off-camera. Those revelations, coupled with what was quite possibly the worst season of the series yet, definitely casts a shadow on the future of Love Is Blind. 

You see, Love Is Blind used to be charming. Sure, there was the odd villain or contestant who let their dog drink from their wine glass. But it was also just nice to watch two earnest singles find each other and fall in love "sight unseen," as hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey so frequently set up. It has also been a much more successful show than, say, The Bachelor, in terms of making matches. (Heading into Season 5, there have been seven marriages that stuck.) And let's not forget that this show first came out during the pandemic, when we needed nice things in our lives.

Unfortunately, Season 5 had none of those nice things. Johnnie and Stacy set women back with how they acted over Izzy, while Aaliyah and Lydia's friendship wound up being played for drama later on when the big reveal that Lydia and Uche dated pre-pods came up. 

Worse, for every emotionally mature person on the cast there was a gaslighting man breaking things up. Taylor was honest about wanting someone who would engage and communicate with her. But in response, JP told her he couldn't get past her fake eyelashes and he tried to put her down for wearing makeup. 

Izzy was an early-on pod favorite with the women, but when it came to being real he just couldn't hack it. After his top choice, Johnnie, opened up about her struggles from losing a loved one to addiction, Izzy broke things off and proposed to Stacy instead. He held onto his feelings for a long time though, and inexplicably attacked Johnnie later on in Houston, with Stacy piling on. (Was anyone actually surprised when Stacy and Izzy didn't get married in the finale?)

And then there was Uche, a major red flag from the beginning. He berated Aaliyah for a cheating mistake from her past and made her feel like a terrible person. When she returned to him, he continued making her feel as though her emotions weren't valid, in particular after he dropped the bombshell that he previously dated Lydia — the woman that had also become Aaliyah's pod bestie. 

Aaliyah protecting herself and leaving the pods before Uche could propose was the best thing she could have emotionally done for herself and for her mental health. But of course Uche weaponized that as well, first in a phone conversation in front of the cameras and then again at the restaurant when they met up. The nurse was probably kicking herself in the moment for letting Uche go, but after watching the footage back even she must realize the terrible situation she escaped. 

She wasn't Uche's only target in Season 5. Uche went from concern over Lydia getting hurt to accusing her of stalking after she paired up with Milton. In Houston, Uche unabashedly tried to make Lydia look mentally unstable and accused her of following him onto the show. Then, he tried his best to convince Milton to leave her. 

Speaking of Milton, who knew the 25-year-old petroleum engineer would be the most mature of the bunch? The biggest celebratory moment of the season came when he put Uche in his place, staying calm and using engineer logic to finally quiet Uche and his high horse. It was the moment viewers realized there was at least one couple still worth rooting for in Season 5, even if Milton was Lydia's third or fourth pick from the pods.

Still, their wedding in the season finale wasn't quite the payoff it should have been given all of the drama leading up to it. In the end, it was a flat finale with little to root for and very few — if any — emotional payoffs. 

By focusing on a handful of emotionally immature participants in Season 5, not following more couples out of the pods, and highlighting moments of women going against each other rather than lifting one another up, Love Is Blind lost what made it special. At the end of the day this is still a dating show about the possibility of finding love and the pureness of realizing someone was meant to be in your life. If Love Is Blind wants to recapture that magic in its rumored sixth season, it needs to get back to those basics. Otherwise, we may as well be watching another season of any other reality dating show out there. 

All five seasons of Love Is Blind are streaming on Netflix.