Spoiler warning: Spoilers for Episodes 1 to 4 of Perfect Match Season 1 follow. If you’re caught up on the four episodes of Perfect Match that dropped on Netflix on Feb. 14, you’re probably just as shocked by that cliffhanger ending as I was. Francesca and Dom, who matched on the first night at the house and continued to stay loyal to one another, may have broken things off after Francesca set herself up on a date with another guy. Gasp! And not just any guy: Francesca chooses Damian from Season 1 of Love is Blind.
Everyone in the house was shocked by her choice, Dom most of all. It’s not hard to see why: Dom and Francesca even won the most recent compatibility challenge, so why give that up on a show where compatibility is the key to winning? But while Francesca’s choice is still pretty harsh, there is some background knowledge required to understand it. And while Perfect Match does a decent job of showing flashbacks from all the contestants’ previous shows to get viewers caught up on anything they might need to know going in, this whole situation might be confusing without extra context.
If you’re not familiar with how Francesca and Damian know each other — and why it’s so surprising that she’d send herself on a date with him, I’ve got all the info.
Damian and Francesca got their start on different Netflix shows.
OK, first, these two started their reality TV careers on separate Netflix properties: Damian was on Season 1 of Love is Blind, while Francesca was the breakout star of Too Hot to Handle Season 1. Both shows premiered in 2020. Damian paired up with Giannina Gibelli, aka Gigi, during his season, and made it all the way to his wedding day only to say no to her at the altar. They later got back together, and then broke up again in 2021, as detailed in the Love is Blind reunion and After the Altar special for Season 1. Meanwhile, Francesca entered a relationship with her THTH co-star Harry Jowsey, which also didn’t last. They broke up in the summer of 2020, and while there were rumors of a reconciliation in 2021, Francesca ultimately cut things off.
Damian and Francesca met in 2020 and sparked dating rumors.
On Aug. 25, 2020, Damian and Francesca were photographed leaving the Eveleigh, a restaurant in West Hollywood, together. This started up the rumor mill, in part because Giannina (who Damian was still dating at the time) wasn’t with them. However, Damian released a statement to E! News to clear everything up: He and Francesca both work with attorney Alex Ion, who arranged the dinner with them and others who also appeared on Damian’s Instagram stories that night.
“Francesca grabbed onto me in an attempt to shield herself from the paparazzi as our entire group entered the car,” his statement read. “Francesca and I are not dating or romantically involved but remain friends.” That’s that rumor squashed! Well, until…
Damian brought Francesca along to After the Altar in 2021.
Here’s where the flashbacks shown on Perfect Match come into play. When the Love is Blind Season 1 cast reunited for the first After the Altar special, Damian asked Francesca to come with him. Giannina was not happy about this, to say the least. It caused tension between all three of them, with Giannina ultimately saying she couldn’t trust Damian anymore. Francesca ended up leaving After the Altar early, clearly uncomfortable with the situation, and Giannina later told E! News that she was “officially single” and done with Damian.
Some fans have called the whole thing a publicity stunt, which makes Francesca’s choice to reunite with him on Perfect Match extra interesting.
Things between Damian and Francesca have been pretty quiet since then.
Viewers won’t know until next week how Damian and Francesca’s reunion on Perfect Match went, but she did tell Dom she wanted to rip off the figurative band-aid with him and clear the air, since they obviously have a lot to talk about.
Which, like, fair! But leaving Dom behind at the house while she goes on a date with Damian? I can’t imagine this ending well for any of them. What is it with Damian, Francesca and love triangles, seriously? I guess we’ll just have to find out next Tuesday if everything goes up in flames.