warning: Spoilers Ahead
The long-awaited season three of Love Is Blind hit Netflix on Oct. 18 and it has not left the Top 10 Shows in the US Today category since. By now, viewers know what to expect. Thirty single men and women entered the pods and this time, five couples emerged. There was drama, tears, love bombing, and a lot of millennial humor. But of course, I’ll eat it up every time. Without further ado, here is my ranking of the couples from this season, from best to worst.
Alexa and Brennan
This pairing was my favorite because they were the least problematic. Alexa and Brennan were smitten with each other by day three and rode the honeymoon phase all the way to marriage. The only conflicts present were the lack of space for Brennan’s belongings in Alexa’s closet and Alexa wanting Brennan to sign a prenup. Neither of those issues prohibited the couple from sticking together.
Raven and SK
I went back and forth on my love for Raven and SK a lot. SK comes from a traditional Nigerian family that Raven had some trouble coping with. His family emphasized the need for a woman to always put her husband first, feed him, and place his needs above all else. This might be a difficult standard to grapple with as an independent person entering a new relationship. Although, one thing I love about the couple is that they fell in love on their terms and always stayed loyal to one another. Ultimately the two didn’t make it down the aisle for a multitude of reasons. SK will be attending grad school across the country and they would have had to navigate a long-distance relationship as newlyweds. However, it was revealed in the reunion episode that Raven and SK have stayed in contact and are now dating. I am fully rooting for them.
Bartise and Nancy
Fair warning, it goes downhill from here. I am a Bartise hater. First of all, he made a commitment to Nancy in the pods, and then after all the couples met in person, he starts slipping. He flat-out tells Nancy how beautiful he thinks another contestant is and how he thinks they are more physically compatible— making Nancy feel like she isn’t good enough. Then, the topic of abortion is brought up and he and Nancy have a private conversation about being pro-life v pro-choice. He felt so strongly about being pro-life that he brought it up in front of his parents, putting Nancy on the spot. I think these situations were both handled horribly and show a real lack of maturity in the relationship. However, Bartise is 25 and Nancy is 31 so that’s not a shock to me. In the end, Bartise ends up saying no and leaving Nancy behind. In the reunion, multiple contestants exposed him for being pictured rebounding with a new girl the day after he left his fiancé at the altar. He is literal garbage and I think Nancy deserves so much better.
Matt and Colleen
My biggest problem with this pair is that they are never on the same page. Through every conflict they have, Matt completely blows up and makes the situation so much worse. In their first conflict, not even a full 2 days after their engagement happens, another contestant approaches Colleen and says she is beautiful and that they would be a good match (visually) “in the real world”. She agrees and that’s the end of it. Later that night, she tells Matt what happened verbatim and he completely erupts in a rage. She ends up in tears and the whole thing is a mess. What bothers me the most about this is that it’s continuously brought up throughout the entire show by Matt, other contestants, and the hosts. Each time it’s rehashed the wound reopens. Additionally, Matt attributes a lot of his behavior to being hurt in the past by a previous marriage, but I think a big part of being in a relationship is processing your trauma and growing as an individual before you can grow with another person. Shockingly, this couple did end up getting hitched on the show. While I am not a supporter, I do wish them the best.
Cole and Zanab
I could write a whole essay on why I hate this pairing. Nearly all of them start with Cole. He was extremely immature and honestly didn’t seem like he was ready for marriage. He flirted with other contestants after getting engaged, he was extremely messy and had flies growing in his bathroom, and he continuously body-shamed Zanab, and called her Bipolar as an insult. He was truly the king of red flags. On the other hand, though, I do think Zanab was passive-aggressive and talked down to Cole which created a lot of tension on both sides. Thankfully, this pair did not end up getting married, as Zanab left Cole at the altar. Viewers did get some closure in the reunion episode though where they were able to confront each other and move on.
All I have to say now is that I can’t wait for the After the Altar episodes to air next year.