Story by Esperanza Garcia, Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of GQ

Dating shows are known for being the worst of the worst when it comes to television. With that being said, we are entitled to one, and with everyone’s token dating show, “The Bachelor,” coming to a series end soon, we should start looking for a replacement.

On the table as a suggestion is Netflix’s new show, “Love is Blind.” The idea of the show is that people can make intimate connections with one another that are based on emotion, rather than looks. The individuals go into pods connected by a thin wall that allows them to hear each other, with a notebook in hand so that they can take notes about the people they talk to.

You might be thinking, “Well, this isn’t that bad.” What if I were to tell you that at the end of the experience, which lasts at most 10 days, they’re expected to be engaged? Because that’s exactly what some of the people did. But don’t worry! It doesn’t stop there! After the couples finally get to see each other when they get engaged, we are able to see how they navigate the world outside the pods. They find out more important information about each other— like how they feel about age gaps,  spend time figuring out how to tell their respective families that they’re engaged and plan their wedding, all in the span of 30 days! If you haven’t guessed it, this show is a stressful watch. 

I haven’t seen “Love Island,” so I can’t compare it to that. But I have seen some seasons of “The Bachelor” and “Bachelor in Paradise,” so if you’re wondering how it holds up against those two, here it goes. This show makes you appreciate the way that “The Bachelor” is set up, even with the terrible decisions that the producers make. Watching this show made me feel like having four months to get to know someone while they are simultaneously seeing 29 other people is a pretty decent time frame. In terms of “Bachelor in Paradise,” I would argue that they are on the same spectrum, just at different wavelengths. The people on “Bachelor in Paradise” do get to see each other, but similarly to “Love is Blind,” they’re dealing with the possibility of the person that they’re ‘talking’ with is seeing someone else, and having a stronger connection with them.

If “The Bachelor” isn’t a show that you would at least mind having in the background, this show is not for you. If you don’t like “Bachelor in Paradise,” this show is definitely not for you. And if you’ve never seen a reality show before, I also definitely wouldn’t start here. This show is good as background noise, something that’s watched when you can’t find anything else to watch and you force yourself to think that it can’t be as bad as the preview looks. It’s something to have in the background while you play Mario Kart Tours on your phone. If this is the kind of rest that you want during break, then please be my guest and watch the 10 episodes of the show. I don’t know how restful it could be, given that you’re going to see people get engaged to people that they probably had substance-less conversations with. If trash TV is your thing, then please watch the show, because, in that aspect, it does not disappoint.