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just wrapped denver This season of “Love Is Blind” may have been the first time the show explored the Mountain West, but Netflix The reality dating show franchise is already famous across the world.
In just five years, the show has aired seasons in nine different American cities and spawned nearly a dozen international adaptations. Based on challenging traditional ideas of love by focusing on emotional connections more than physical appearance, each season reflects the cultural nuances of its setting – whether it’s Dallas or Japan,
Romance aside, the show has not been fully accepted as a fairy tale. It has been the subject of lawsuits over the treatment of contestants and fans and critics alike have noted that internal biases cannot be ignored – something that often rears its head when engaged couples finally meet each other, as was the case with a broken engagement in the most recent season.
Nevertheless, with the international version brazilTaking place in Japan, Sweden, the UK, Mexico, the Middle East, Germany, Argentina and France – and Italy and the Netherlands to come – the show has found a formula for showcasing different cultural norms and the many types of love that exist.
“The duality – local authenticity and global relatability – has allowed ‘Love Is Blind’ to not only entertain, but to subtly shape the way audiences around the world think about love,” says Brandon Reeg, Netflix’s vice president of nonfiction series and sports.
Culturally Conscious Adaptation
From the reserved dynamics of “Love Is Blind: Japan” to the adventurous sentiments of “Love Is Blind: Brazil,” Rigg says each adaptation is tailored to cultural norms and expectations.
“Just as importantly, we are drawn to areas with rich relationship dynamics and cultural nuances, because those stories make the most compelling adaptations,” says Rigg.
When “Love Is Blind: Habibi” — an adaptation filmed primarily in Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates and featuring participants from across the Arab world — was announced, some wondered how the show would portray traditionally conservative cultures, where marriage is a family affair. Participant Safa Al Juboori says she felt the show was ultimately thoughtful in respecting the cultural values of Arab society, including modesty, separate living arrangements, no physical intimacy, and family acceptance.
“In fact, it reflects how our grandparents met – a brief conversation, a meeting, then marriage,” Al Juboori said. “It’s a modern twist on a deeply traditional concept.”
Yet the show also made room for individual choice, Al Juboori said – something that is not always guaranteed with arranged marriages – what she calls “a respectful mix of tradition and autonomy.”
Dallas Short, 37, has been watching “Love Is Blind” since the beginning and says the international versions — many of which also include ethnically diverse casts — really show how love can transcend all.
“I feel like you’re looking at every race or religion and you’re seeing how we can all work together and find love,” Short said.
Kristen Maldonado, 35, another longtime viewer, recently began watching the version set in Japan, a more conservative society. She was surprised that participants were more quiet about meeting each other’s families on camera and that more couples decided to end the experience early instead of having their families sit in on the wedding where they were supposed to say no – she felt this did not happen in the American version.
“I thought it was really respectful,” Maldonado said. “It was cool to see, culturally, how different it was from here.”
At the other end of the scale, she says, is Brazil – where participants are intimate from the start.
“In Brazil, it’s so funny whenever they meet, people — they immediately meet each other and you’re like, ‘Oh wow,'” says Maldonado.
Diversity and representation, an ongoing debate
Since the first season aired in 2020, the fault lines of race and ethnicity have led to tension between families and interactions among fans. During the Minneapolis season, online discussion focused on the lack of diversity – many memes argued that all the male contestants looked alike.
Reeg said the casting is intentionally inclusive, but ultimately the participants — leaving only a fraction of the pods engaged — choose who they associate with, making it look invisible.
Taylor Cruise, who married Garrett Josemons in the Washington, D.C.-set season, waited to reveal that she was half Asian. That choice drew some backlash from those who thought she shouldn’t hide her identity, but Cross says the show’s premise gave her the opportunity to keep the races a little different and have a more authentic experience.
“I’m a very proud Asian American woman, but I also know that my identity can sometimes be fetishized or stereotypical,” Cruz says, adding that she’s glad she made the call.
Laura Crompton, 43, watched the first season, set in Atlanta, when she lived in the United Kingdom. At first, she didn’t understand why the relationship between Cameron Hamilton and Lauren Speed, an interracial couple, was a big talking point – but after moving to Los Angeles, she got a better understanding of the role racial dynamics play in a relationship in America.
But the UK version has also proved that certain factors such as ethnicity and religion cannot be ignored. Season 2, which aired in August, saw the engagement – and wedding – between Kal Pasha, who is half Pakistani, and Sarovar Aujla, who is of Indian descent. On the show, the couple discussed in detail how historical religious and geopolitical tensions may affect their relationship. While their split was ultimately attributed to other causes, Crompton realized that such tensions existed in Britain as well.
Friendship: The Truest Form of Love?
Friendships formed on “Love Is Blind” often take a back seat to romantic relationships — but since not every couple ends up at the altar, the show has recently leaned into showing the participants’ self-discovery and friendship journey, Reeg says.
“Expanding the lens of love to include those experiences makes the show more authentic and meaningful,” Reeg says.
Elena Rothbauer of “Love is Blind: Germany” says that the unique and intense premise gave rise to friendships that made the experience easier, especially since participants had no contact with outside friends or family while in the pods.
“Some of the friendships we made behind the scenes are still strong today,” says Rothbauer, who is married to Elias Pappas. “Those friendships helped keep us grounded during filming.”
Al Juboori said she wanted more friendships to be seen in “Love Is Blind: Habibi”, as it was one of the most underrated parts of the experience.
“The friendships between women and men were powerful,” she says. “In such an emotionally intense place, friendship became a lifeline – and sometimes the purest form of love.”
strange love is blind
As the show’s success continues to grow, fans are advocating for a queer version of the show. Reeg said that while it’s not in the works at this time, Netflix is always looking at new ways to reflect people’s different types of love.
Although he’s not sure how the logistics would work, Short – who is a bit of a weirdo himself – thinks such a version would be an interesting season.
Krause says future seasons should reflect the many ways people experience love by casting adults who are polyamorous, disabled, neurodivergent, or from the LGBTQ+ community.
“Love is not just a story,” says Crouse, “and I think the show has an opportunity to highlight that.”