The recent season of “Love Is Blind,” Netflix’s hit dating reality series, was a whirlwind, to say the least. Or maybe whirled like a chicken smoothie?

For the first time in the series’ history, no couples said “I do” at the end of the experiment, in which singles date potential partners through individual “pods,” in which they can speak to each other but cannot see each other. Only when couples get engaged do they see each other for the first time through a theatrical reveal.

Season 9’s participants hail from Denver, and over the course of the experiment, six couples got engaged, though that number would dwindle. Kacie McIntosh and Patrick Suzuki were the first to split even before the traditional post-pods trip to Mexico, in a cringe inducing display of affection and rejection that left Patrick — and viewers — confused about whether or not she was breaking up with him. Kacie, through kisses and embraces, told Patrick she wasn’t going to Mexico after telling producers she didn’t think her “attraction to him is gonna grow that much.”

In later episodes, we see couples Nick Amato and Annie Lancaster, and Joe Ferrucci and Madison Maidenberg break things off before even walking down the aisle. Both couples argued frequently after they left the pods, as clashing communication styles and alcohol consumption fueled disagreements.

But if there was a central theme this season, it was about work and class — and what it would mean if certain couples said “I do.” Megan Walerius (aka Sparkle Megan), who spoke frequently about her wealth and work as an entrepreneur, ended up breaking things off with Jordan Keltner, a service manager in transportation and logistics. One of their disagreements centered on job flexibility and responsibilities outside of work, like children: “I can’t play tennis at 10 a.m. on a Wednesday,” Jordan told Megan in a tense conversation in the penultimate episode. (Jordan’s young son was a focus of their relationship.)

Similarly, Ali Lima and Anton Yarosh’s demanding jobs and financial situations were discussed frequently. Both work night shifts and long hours — Ali is a nurse and Anton works in transportation and logistics, like Jordan. Ali asked Anton if he’d be able to support both of them while she pursued a higher degree, and he said yes. “And I can still get Botox?” she asked, which Anton followed up with a less optimistic response.

In the end, Ali and Anton made it to the wedding, but she said she couldn’t marry him at the altar. Edmond Harvey and Kalybriah Haskin had the same outcome. Their relationship sparked conversation on social media about how participants are vetted, with some arguing that Edmond was not ready for the emotional intensity of the experiment.

Conversation has swirled online since the first batch of episodes were released earlier this month, with fans sharing strong feelings and theories about what happened both during the season and after filming wrapped in 2024. Some believe Nick and Annie’s on-camera break-up was staged, many have made armchair diagnoses and the rumor mill has been teeming with the theory that Megan had a baby with another man after breaking up with Jordan. (She confirmed she has a newborn son, Brooks, with her new partner, Paul, during the reunion.)

Hosted by Nick and Vanessa Lachey, the reunion special premiered on Netflix Wednesday. Opening with a performance from singer-songwriter Myles Smith, the special was taped in front of an audience of fans, like one who scoffed at Kacie’s remarks in an instantly memeable moment, and some of the participants’ relatives, like Kalybriah’s stone-faced mother.

Staff writer Kaitlyn Huamani and television editor Maira Garcia compared notes on the divisive season and the lively reunion special.

Maira Garcia: I have a tendency to dip in and out of “Love Is Blind,” but for many reasons, I get drawn back in and Season 9 was a highlight for me. I know the goal of the experiment is to end with happily married couples, and for the first time, that didn’t happen. But as a viewer, I have to say, I wasn’t disappointed. The messiness and disagreements between the couples this season kept me engaged and the discussions about topics like race and class are always interesting to me. I think they are revealing and important to have if you are considering a serious relationship with someone — even if the conversations can become unhinged.

Adding another layer is the conversation around parenting and becoming a step parent between Jordan and Megan. As a parent, I understand how demanding and time consuming it can be, and as a child of divorce, I remember those weekends being shuttled back and forth between mom and dad. None of it is easy, and as an adult, I have a better understanding of it. Kaitlyn, what about this season kept you hitting “next episode” again and again?

Kaitlyn Huamani: I have to agree that the messier the couples are, the more interesting the season is for me, which means this one was enthralling. No matter how many seasons I watch, it never ceases to amaze me how strong the bonds form between couples over the course of a mere 10-day period in the pods. I’m also always amazed by how quickly it can all crumble in the real world.

I watched the first six episodes of this season “blind” myself, not seeing any of the participants until they reached the reveal. That made it pretty clear early on this season that there were major incompatibilities between the couples, but it also added a bit of intrigue to this season. The only couple I saw as a long-term match early on was Kalybriah and Edmond, but clearly things changed dramatically between them once the pod bubble burst.

I’d been waiting rather impatiently for the reunion because I still had a lot of lingering questions after the finale. Kalybriah said she wouldn’t close the door on a future with Edmond, so have they given their relationship another shot since filming wrapped? Why did Kacie keep the engagement ring (and why hasn’t she returned it yet)? And are the rumors true? Did Megan have a baby?

What were you hoping to get some resolution on in the reunion, Maira?

Garcia: There were a few things. One, I wanted to see if the rumors were true, that Megan was now a parent. The episodes were filmed in 2024, and a lot can happen in that time span — and sure enough, Megan began a new relationship, had a baby and managed to hide it all from the internet. It’s honestly surprising and commendable how she was able to keep her life private, and I’m happy for her. She also seems to understand Jordan’s point of view better about how you have to give up some of yourself to take care of a new life. And he shared his reservations, in hindsight, about doing the show and introducing his child to a partner (“At his age, stability is very important”). Jordan and Megan also seemed to have a mature discussion about moving on from one another post-filming, and they both struck me as the most level headed of all the couples.

I was also dying to see how and if Kacie and Patrick — mostly Patrick — would get some resolution after their breakup. The issue about giving back the engagement ring — Ali rightly pointed out that Netflix foots the bill for the ring, though upgrades come out of contestants’ pockets — was less interesting to me versus what Patrick really wanted: an apology. She was indirect about her feelings toward him and her awkward attempt at breaking up could have magnified insecurities he had about his race and dating and what it means to be desired when you don’t look like the majority of men in Denver. I still think he deserved better, and I can see why he wanted an answer from her sooner rather than later about the status of their relationship.

But I also can’t condone the venom she says she received online when Patrick responded to a TikTok of hers — “People were sending me, ‘Go kill yourself.’’’ That’s horrible; reality shows have long been a criticized about whether or not they do enough to protect participants from threats on social media, but I hope they are taking some security measures. As for the random shootout with Chris Paul of the Clippers to see who gets the engagement ring? Well, I guess it’s one way to get out of asking hard questions — looking at you Nick and Vanessa.

Huamani: Yes, the CP3 appearance was certainly unexpected. The out of place hoops competition was just one component of the evening that really caught me off guard. The live music, the elaborate stage set-up and the strange Ninja Creami product placement at the end all made it feel like a bigger production than most years. Sure, it’s fun to know the man who’s regarded as one of the best point guards of all time is a fan of a dating reality show, but you’re absolutely right that those kind of odd gimmicks just sucked time away from the many things I wanted the cast to address.

You’re also correct in pointing out that Nick and Vanessa often fail to deliver on asking the important questions. They didn’t follow up on a comment Anton made about how “at the time” of filming, he would have a beer after work. The phrasing suggested he no longer does that, and could even imply he’s now sober, but the hosts just moved on after he said that. It was pretty disappointing for that to be an unanswered question considering how big of a role his alcohol consumption played in the demise of his relationship with Ali.

I also found some of the responses from the participants felt rehearsed — specifically Nick’s contributions. That’s not because I think Netflix coached him or the other participants (they couldn’t even coordinate a consistent dress code!), but because many people defaulted to therapy speak. Peppering in phrases like “love bombing” and “disassociative” feels insincere. Maybe Nick just cared deeply about the impact of his words and spoke with careful intention, but the read I’m getting on him is that it was more of a crafted crisis response than genuine apologies or vulnerable thoughts.

Luckily, some people were still pretty chaotic in their communication. Thank you Joe and Kacie for being unfiltered (kind of to a fault). That’s at least more interesting than Nick continuing to parrot that he’s taking accountability.

Garcia: Agreed, if there’s anything they can’t be faulted for is telling their point of view. But what is it about Joe? Is he really that charming in real life? I think after the weird moment when he was half asleep, half inebriated in Mexico that I wrote him off. Joe and Kacie admitted that they dated for a few weeks after he and Madison broke up, and Madison said she felt that the flirtatious encounters between Joe and Kacie led to the demise of her engagement to Joe. Madison also tells how Kacie “had the audacity to tell me we are Eskimo sisters” — an incredibly crass way of saying they had both had sex with Joe. All I want is for Kacie to understand why her actions and comments can be seen as deeply problematic. Sigh.

Speaking of accountability, Kalybriah tried her best to take responsibility for where her relationship with Edmond went wrong, even pulling out a piece of paper to raise the points she wanted to make. I get it, I’m nervous in front of a crowd too, especially if I’m trying to say something important. But she raised an important point about how she didn’t want to be portrayed simply as an angry Black woman — an onscreen stereotype — and that her reasons for getting upset with Edmond were valid. She felt manipulated because he would often cry and was dismissive of their issues and her feelings. It just felt like they were living in different realities watching them go back and forth. Ultimately they were able to depart on seemingly good terms — they apologized and embraced.

Huamani: That hug was nice to see, especially with how broken up Edmond seemed to be on the day of the wedding. But yes, it’s always interesting when there are two entirely different accounts of conflicts between couples. It’s clear that a lot more unfolded between them that wasn’t captured by the cameras, and I’ve always wondered how much of the truth we get in the edit about who the participants are in real life. Are they behaving differently when they are concerned with how they’ll be perceived after the show airs? I have to imagine someone in a forward-facing position like Edmond, who works as a realtor, is cognizant of that, at least on some level. I’m glad Kalybriah had the opportunity to clarify that their relationship was more complex than what we saw on screen. They do both seem like they came out on the other side of the experiment in a good place, maybe with a stronger understanding of what they want and need in a partnership.

I know some fans have said online that this season turned them off of the show because of the incompatibilities or the flaws of the participants, and some have even called for the show to end with this season. (It’s already renewed for Season 10, don’t worry.) But to me, these deeply imperfect, somewhat problematic and unintentionally funny people who participated this season are what makes this show so great.

What is “Love Is Blind” if not food for thought about your own desires and must-haves in a relationship? And if not that, at the very least, the show is a great watch with a group of friends. Perhaps with a giant golden wine glass in hand, a la the production’s signature beverage vessel.

Garcia: As an elder, married millennial, I often joke about how I feel like I got the last copter out of a war zone before the rise of online dating — I just hear a lot about the challenges people younger than myself face in the dating world! I understand trying different things to hopefully meet your match, so this experiment to me feels like a more fruitful journey compared to other dating shows because the premise is to force people to have hard conversations quickly, sight unseen. That’s what keeps me as viewer, and as someone who covers television, interested. I’m not fazed by the fact that none of the couples ended up married, but I also hope it’s not a trend.

There are always debates about whether people who participate in reality dating shows are “doing it for the right reasons” — in other words, they’re not just chasing internet clout. Some might, but not all and that’s why I’ve stuck with this show because there have been some successful relationships. So while choking down a Crystal Light chicken smoothie might not be anyone’s idea of romance, at least we get a real look at how it could be for someone out there.

©2025 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.