Editor’s note: The below review contains spoilers for Love Is Blind Season 8.Love is in the pods! Another season of the world’s most fascinating dating experiment is back — this time, focusing on the singles from Minneapolis, Minnesota. While Love Is Blind is still the same formulaic dating game, Season 8 is a breath of fresh air, with the singles that enter the pods bringing an energy that revitalizes the series. So far, we’ve only seen the dating pod portion of the game; there’s still much more to the journey toward the altar, and more time left to see some individuals’ true colors, but for now, the authenticity of this group is reason enough to tune in.
Minnesota has its happy helping of Midwest stereotypes, with things like “you betcha” and hot dish making the state what it is. So, are these “You Betcha Pod Squad” singles the epitome of Minnesota? You betcha! There may be genuine kindness at the heart of this season, but don’t get it twisted. This is still Love Is Blind, and true colors are exposed when the pressure cooker intensifies, leading to heartbreak not only for the singles but for us too.
Real Conversations Lead to Exceptional Moments in ‘Love Is Blind’ Season 8

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At the start, it’s revealed that Love Is Blind Season 8 is the show’s biggest yet. This means there are just more individuals to choose from, but it also means that if you’ve analyzed the cast during the preseason, you might end up playing a game of Where’s Waldo with some faces, as they won’t be featured in the pods one time. Do individuals like “Adam,” “Amanda,” “Hugo,” and “Tom” even get a lower third mention in the living quarter’s sequences? Were they even there to begin with? Nevertheless, the individuals the season does focus on are quite fascinating — most of them, at least. One element that stands out is that a large majority of these singles work in the medical field. It’s not necessarily important to the narrative, just an interesting fact about how singles in their twenties and thirties have focused on their career and are now jumping into finding love. Perhaps this is why this group seems to have their heads on their shoulders, or at least more than in previous seasons. They’re truly ready for the next step in life.
What makes Season 8 work is the real-world conversations that lead to exceptional moments in the pods. Part of the Love Is Blind experiment revolves around discovering if the connection made in the pod can work outside. In the past, there have been crucial conversations that have led to make or break decisions, and Season 8 is no exception. In two instances, the discussion of LGBTQ+ acceptance is brought up — and in both instances, it produces different results. One provides clarity, while the other leads to the dissolution of a relationship. Brittany Dodson discloses to Devin Buckley that she has had relationships with women, but despite that, she doesn’t believe she could see herself marrying a woman. While she doesn’t label herself with Devin, her disclosure of her past becomes a point of contention for the potential pair. Devin’s faith leads to discomfort about being with Brittany, while Brittany is uncomfortable that he’s hesitant to accept her for who she is. The two ultimately break things off in a respectful and honest way, agreeing that they could be friends outside of the experiment. It’s a prime example of how this game needs to be played.
By comparison, Sara Carton reveals that social issues are a major part of her life. Having lived in a conservative household, her eyes have been opened to the world, and she’s become more involved in social issues after the Black Lives Matter protests. She tells Ben Mezzenga that it’s important to have a partner that is accepting of that. Despite him saying he’s “ignorant to that stuff,” he’s willing to learn and understand. He tells her that he’s on board, so she trusts him, and they get engaged! Both conversations are exceptionally engaging to watch, and the highlight of this initial batch of episodes, but what’s even more important is how they’re handled. Brittany and Devin don’t let their prejudices influence their discussion toward something negative, while Ben and Sara’s interactions showcase how important the topic of social issues can be when considering a potential relationship.
‘Love Is Blind’ Season 8 Has Many Heroes and No True Villains

Surprisingly, the men of Love Is Blind Season 8 are pretty heroic, without a single bad guy in the mix, and the same goes for the women. With such a lovable cast, is it any wonder this season is a delightful viewing experience? There certainly is drama within the first six-episode arc, but it’s not for the sake of forcing reality television moments. Instead, Love Is Blind Season 8 is fully leaning into the first part of its title. Each individual brings a unique perspective about what they’re looking for, and perhaps by happenstance, their perfect match is right on the other side of the wall. The moment that Daniel Hastings discloses that his sister was born blind and that he wants to be like her, it’s clear that he’ll leave the experiment with a proposal. His mission isn’t only to find love, but to understand what his sister experiences. It may be a little on the nose for the show, but it celebrates this experiment in a new way.
Throughout the history of Love Is Blind, a handful of villains have run amuck in the pods. Shake Chatterjee seemed like his only purpose was to cause dissension and chaos during Season 2, while Season 6’s Jeramey Lutinski had buyer’s remorse and became notorious for his antics post-pods, and Micah Lussier spent Season 4 gossiping with the girls. If you watch the Season 8 trailer, you might believe that the villain moniker could be assigned to David Battenburg over his assertion that 30 is old — but this first batch of episodes reveals that this is just his sense of humor. While David is one of the harder individuals to root for above other men this season, there’s no doubt he’s among the heroes of the cast when he drops his walls and allows his vulnerability to shine through.

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‘Love Is Blind’ Season 8 Casting Choices Point to Another Hot Mess

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‘Love Is Blind’ Season 8 Spends Too Much Time in the Pods

Over six episodes, five engaged couples leave the pods, but there should have been more, as this season’s “It Couple” initially feels like it could be Alex Brown and Madison Errichiello. They are the couple to root for and a focal point in each episode. They make us believe that love may be blind in the pods, but it can be real! Yet, their time together ends in a decision that’s just as heartbreaking for the viewer as it is for this potential pairing. Becoming this engrossed in their happily ever after is a unique feeling; never has there been a couple we wanted to see succeed as badly as these two. Yet, when they acknowledge the red flag in the pod that would be their breaking point in reality, it is admirable, even if it hurts to see them leave the experiment alone.
There’s a universe in which there could have been a singular show focused on Alex and Madison, as well as the corresponding pair of Meg Fink and Mason Horacek. This quartet should have bumped the engagements up to seven, but alas, we can’t always get what we want. With these dates being so integral to the season, and possibly the most promising and exciting, it’s obvious why the pod sequence is broken up into six hour-plus episodes, but the season’s biggest flaw so far is the expanded episode count. There are various love triangles, and the journey from start to finish is captivating, but each narrative has bits and pieces that could have been condensed.
At the end of the day, we watch Love Is Blind to see how this fascinating experiment that many of us would never participate in plays out. This time around, however, it’s truly about romance, making a much-needed change that has bogged down previous installments. While the pod squad group meets are likely to introduce more drama, right now, Season 8 proves that Love Is Blind is moving in a strong direction for the future of the series.

Love Is Blind

Love Is Blind finally gives us singles (and potential couples) to root for in Season 8!

Release Date

February 13, 2020

Showrunner

Chris Coelen

Directors

Chris Coelen

Writers

Chris Coelen

Cast

Pros & Cons

The journey of Alex and Madison is the most fascinating yet, even if it ends in heartbreak.
The honest discussions about real topics allow for open personal growth.
There is no true villain, and that’s a good thing.

Six episodes dedicated to the pods is far too many.

Love Is Blind is available to stream on Netflix.
Stream on Netflix