Love Is Blind Season 5 just saw the most diabolical twist ever

Love is blind has never felt more chaotic than in Season 5, the first four episodes of which premiered on Netflix on Friday. This season has it all: midseason breakups, a confusing makeup argument that’ll leave you scratching your head for days, and, as viewers who’ve seen the first four episodes already know, a shocking reveal that’ll impact several Performer shakes members to their core.

Why does this season also seem to be the best orchestrated and best “produced” series yet? The answer may simply lie in the phrase itself. (For those who haven’t seen the first episodes and want to remain unaffected, this is the reason to stop reading!)

For the uninitiated, Love is blind sends its actors into individual “pods” where they blindly meet each other through a wall. After a few weeks of narrowing down a potential suitor, the cast must propose through a wall before meeting in person for the first time. Then it’s time to move in together, meet friends and family, and finally face each other at the altar, which often plays out like an emotional game.Chicken.”

Much like Season 4, which loosened the reins enough to allow couples to get back together after breaking up in groups, this season feels a little less restrictive than previous entries. The first episode shows an appetizing array of food in the women’s living quarters and even a few carelessly broken eggs. (Weird – I wonder why this show might want to tell us that feeds its participants!) Apparently there was one this season too Mental Health Disclaimer to each episode, towards the end of the credits. “Through the production company, a licensed psychologist conducted an assessment of all participants before filming,” we are assured. “All participants have access to psychological support services during and after filming.” Very chill!

Everything else feels pretty much the same; All of the cups on the set are still metal, which becomes especially fun this season when a couple tries to use them for hot coffee. However, this season also brings a devilish new twist: midway through the season, 34-year-old lawyer and entrepreneur Uche reveals to his top choice, 29-year-old intensive care nurse Aaliyah, that he once dated her fellow contestant Lydia. And wouldn’t you know: Lydia, a 32-year-old geologist, also happens to be Aaliyah’s best friend on the show.

Aside from Season 4’s Brett and Marshall, this doesn’t happen too often Love is blind The contestants form deep friendships that actually seem real, but in the first few episodes of this season, Lydia and Aaliyah are as adorable as they come. Lydia is seen several times comforting and reassuring Aaliyah about her relationship with Uche, and at one point the two even cuddle together under a blanket. All of this makes it even more devastating when we find out that Lydia and Uche are exes and that they both kept it from Aaliyah for so long.

But why did they keep it a secret – and how did the two of them end up here together? The latter question plagues the season, especially when Uche becomes convinced that Lydia must have planned to join the show to win him back. As stressful as the situation may be for Uche, Aaliyah seems to be struggling the most as Lydia fills her in on all sorts of unwanted details about her past relationship with Uche. (Lydia may think she’s over Uche, and maybe she is – but in the stunning surroundings of this series, at least part of her seems to still be holding on to something, if perhaps subconsciously.)

Reality shows specialize in keeping their actors in the dark, especially in confusing and stressful situations. It’s not exactly a surprise that no one steps in to give these three blind lovers some much-needed clarity; That’ll probably have to wait for the reunion episode if we ever really find out. However, since there is no other answer, it’s hard not to become at least a little bit of a conspiracy theorist. (It’s a different franchise, but did anyone else think of it right away? The bachelor‘S long story to ambush participants with “random” ex-encounters?)

At the end of Episode 4, we learn that Aaliyah has left the series. There is of course the possibility that this is only temporary; As Zach and Bliss showed last season, it is now possible for the group to reunite and get back on the show after a breakup. However, her and Uche’s fate remains a mystery for now.

As for the rest of this season’s couples? If we’re honest, most of them seem pretty doomed too.

First up we have 26-year-old teacher Taylor and 32-year-old firefighter Jared, also known as “JP.” These two quickly got along in the groups and didn’t have too many intrigues. However, when they met in person for the first time in Episode 3, she also admitted that it “felt weird” to match her beloved “Sugarbutt’s” voice to his face. Another not-so-promising sign: After their first meeting, Taylor also admits that she “probably wouldn’t have pursued him” in the real world because of the gap in those teeth. However, she claims that she doesn’t care about looks, so let’s just hope that’s the case!

Next we have Lydia and Milton, a 25 year old engineer. Her biggest hurdle might have been their age difference if it wasn’t for the whole “befriending each other’s exes” thing. Milton may not be as close to Uche as Lydia is to Aaliyah, but the revelation still doesn’t seem to excite him. At the same time, Milton and Lydia seem to be having a lot of fun tasting their favorite stones together. With such a strangely specific bond, they may defy all odds. (Although in the story of Love is blindAge differences have rarely worked to people’s advantage – just ask Season 1’s Jessica.)

While previous seasons have featured contestants serenading their lovers to lure them through a wall, this season is all about poetry. Uche and Aaliyah bond over their shared passion for the spoken word, while 34-year-old Stacy – one half of our last couple – writes a spontaneous ode to her chosen lover, 31-year-old Izzy.

Honestly, these two might have the best chance of the bunch. Izzy is something of a player, and although he is initially torn between two women – Stacy and 32-year-old Johnie – he ultimately chooses Stacy. Their conversations started out rather “funny” before the two apparently connected on a deeper level – something Johnie made sure to mention when she shaded Stacy after Izzy broke up with her.

It may not be over for Johnie; Her second partner, 28-year-old product manager Chris, refuses to pick things up again right after she dumps him for Izzy, but he says he’ll “maybe” see her again soon before they part ways. Could they also repeat Zach and Bliss’ midseason reunion? I really hope so! Johnie seems nice, if a little emotionally confused, and Chris might be the first (OK, second) man in Love is blind Story of who I actually find attractive – a real achievement! Plus, he just seems really, really cute.

Only time will tell if any of these lovebirds are actually ready to fly, but in the meantime, we can be sure of one thing: Very similar The circlewhich updates its mechanics every season to keep things fresh, Love is blind is getting better at setting up new emotional landmines.

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