Oct 1, 2025 16 min read Superficial Intelligence

Love is Blind: US Season 9 Review Episode-by-Episode

Love is Blind Season 9

What did you think of Love is Blind US Season 9? Share with me in the comments, as I review episodes 1 and 2

After reviewing Love is Blind: UK Season 2 and Love is Blind: France Season 1 (which is getting so many views, I was not expecting that!), it's now time to dive into the brand new Love is Blind: US Season 9!

I have watched all seasons so far and even if the success rate among the couples is low, I am a believer in love and these filmed experiments anyway. That is why I also watch Married at First Sight (should I review those too?).

So let's dive right in, shall we?

Episode 1: A Love That Sparkles

From memes to middle names to family names and past trauma, no topic is off limits as the singles enter the pods. For one pair, love moves fast.

We meet the single men and women in their respective quarters. As usual, they all look gorgeous and they greet Nick & Vanessa Lachey, the hosts (also known as mom & dad in this franchise) as they kick off the opening of the pods. Before doing so, they share what they expect from the experiment and what lead them to apply. I am immediately intrigued by Madison, 26, a UX/UI Designer who divulges she is going blind, so the experiment is of the utmost importance for her and she wants a partner that will go through that experience with her. I am also struck by Jordan, a 29-year-old single dad. I don't remember us having single parents in the American franchise before?

Then the pods open and we see the first dates! Some are immediately sweet and others are just awkward, as dates usually are.

We meet Kacie, a heartbroken make up artist who was on a 10-year on and off relationship. I hope she healed from that experience as she said with emotion that she was cheated on repeatedly. Oh man. She has a cute date with Patrick who is immediately intrigued by both her sister and father singing in korean and for them to be blondes, as she alludes to whilst speaking about her sister.
Patrick is a first-generation Asian-American (I don't know the country yet) and he has only dated white girls. He goes on a date with Anna, 27, a hairstylist who is also of Asian descent (we don't know the country yet either), who also only dated white men. They mention the lack of diversity in Colorado and how it might have narrowed their pull. They truly tiptoe around each other not to mention their origins or which other languages they speak. Comparing to Love is Blind France where they were quick to mention their origins with no taboos, you can understand the difference in both societies just by this immediate reserve or disclaimer.
Anna then mentions - to us, in interview - that she is Chinese. She has a date with Blake, a 32-year-old accountant who was pushed into the show after a conversation with his grandmother and seems to be the sweetest man ever. They have immediate chemistry and it's heartwarming to watch.
Blake then goes on a date with Megan, 33, who calls herself "Sparkle Megan". Any similarity to "Meghan Markle" is a mere coincidence, I guess. Megan is a self made professional who made it in the oil & gas sector. She has metrics of success to her own - such as the car, house, sparkly shoes! - and she wants to find a man who is not intimidated by that. I can relate, as I mention here.
She goes on a date with Mike who, to stay on par with Sparkle Megan, calls himself Sexy Mike. I immediately loved this banter, he was quick on his toes. Mike is also very accomplished himself and has been buying a property per year since 2015. I mean, wow! She then portrays herself as somewhat of a trad wife (what?) and that she would love to have that role with a provider husband. Mike is instantly smitten with that perspective.
Then Megan is on a date with aforementioned Jordan (the single dad), who is a laid back clerk and intrigued by the Sparkle & Bling ethos, but not in a weird way. He is quite funny actually yet they don't seem to have the same lifestyle at all. On a more serious note, he mentions he has had a vasectomy - which he can revert, but kudos for a man who doesn't make women take oral contraception! - and that his son is named Luca and is 5 years old.
We jump to Ali (short for Aline, a very Brazilian name which I figured even before she confirmed she is from Brazil), 27, a gorgeous and ambitious nurse who is tired of pushing her men up and wants that drive from her next match. She goes on a date with Anton, a man with amazing hair from Russian origin.
Halfway into the episode, we meet Edmond, 28, a high energy man who was in the foster care system and infers he wants to change that paradigm in his life. He meets Kalybriah, 27, and is quickly smitten by her social work and how their paths come across in their views about what a husband and a wife should be. He is really vulnerable with her and open his heart and tears about his life situation, but again, I am scared that this might have just been a therapy session and not the building of a relationship. Time will tell.
We go on to meet Joe, 27, a recruiter. I think 27 is too young for a male to be in these experiments. I am not reminded of any man below age 30 who was truly mature in the wedding-on-tv world, and I don't think they should come this young. I don't mind with women as they mature earlier on though. He has a nice date with the aforementioned Madison and asks her about her dream date. He instantly seems to be a lazy guy who lacks creativity as he doesn't come up with ideas of his own and pushes Madison to create all the date on her own. I am truly repulsed by passive men, so this was a negative first impression of him.
And out of the blue, Anton and Ali meet for a date again, exchange I love yous and Anton proposes. Wow... we didn't have... much time to connect with them first but hey! great! one couple done! Can you imagine this blended American-Russian-Brazilian family? Waw, powerful!
We get back with Megan as she goes on dates with single-dad Jordan, I-bought-a-property-per-year Mike and the sweetest man on earth Blake. She bonds with Jordan over diabetes (as her father had diabetes and Jordan's son also has), with Mike over his home jacuzzi for two and with Blake around her ties to her late father. Megan mentions she is more inclined towards Mike and of course she is, they are both quite materialistic and Mike wants the trophy wife she has promised to be.
Anton and Ali close the episode as they are about to meet... and he gets on my nerves because he left his glasses on the top of his head as if it were a headband. Another pet peeve of mine! Let's see how it goes! Exciting!

Why do I feel this episode will be very focused on Madison?

Anton and Ali open the episode as they are about to meet... and he gets on my nerves because he left his glasses on the top of his head as if it were a headband. Another pet peeve of mine! They have a few awkward moments - all these first look scenes are awkward anyways, I don't blame the couples for that! - such as Anton going for the kiss and Ali turning her face away at first, and then she wants to burp (oops! drinking bubbles does that!) and then, as they get away, she wants to look at him one last time and he just wants to have another drink. I feel we did not have that much time on screen with this couple for me to really root for them now so I hope they get along together, aside from the striking physical connection they just found out in each other. Boy, did they love each other's hair!
Joe and Madison are on a date again and we see them talk about cats (yawn) and then get on a deeper level talking about her blinding condition. Joe takes it well and comforts her, saying this doesn't change what he is starting to feel for her. She looks as satisfied as I am when lunch is a lettuce-only salad. Yeay, I guess.
Then we meet Nick, 27, who love bombs all of his dates and some are quick to tell. Again, why are they picking these guys so young, are they just good for TV? We see him on a date with Kait, whom we had never seen before either. They have quick banter between them and then he says she could be his number one. Again, are we supposed to be enthralled by couples with only one edited minute on our screens?
Then we see Nick have the spiciest (and funny) date with Annie, with loads of wet talk. I am sure that if there were no cameras, they would have pushed it to another level. But hey, Kait is his one, right? #eyeroll
Afterwards, Annie meets Brenden on a date. This one seems like a deeper one where they talk about the future yet Annie just seems like a fun girl with a great laughter. Brenden reminds me of Matthew McConaughey at times, with his hearty accent. It must be because I just listened to his audiobook a few weeks ago and still have his voice in my head.
We are back with Edmond and Kalybriah, in another therapy session after he spends the morning kissing the floor of the men's quarters. In my opinion, dates should be a mix of sharing intimate stuff, being funny, flirty and asking the hard questions. But Edmond and Kaly seem to be steering towards a great friendship - which is nice - based on trauma bonding - which can be dangerous. They might focus so much on that and feel an instant connection and then realise none really wanted to go 50/50 at home. Good luck to them!
Sparkle Megan is back, with her triple dates with Jordan, Mike and Blake. She has a fun date with Jordan, another sexy date with Mike and then an accountant conversation with Blake the accountant, about the current price on weddings. And then she gets flirty with him and talks about travelling together to attend a wedding in Lake Como. It reminded me of my wonderful trip in Northern Italy a few years ago.
What I do love is Sparkle Megan's loungewear. It reminds me of Loro Piana's or Lilysilk's. As I don't have Loro Piana money, I bought similar ones for a fraction of the cost last year and have it in every colour.

Trips and clothing aside, Blake is head over heels with Anna and they have the most magical date with camping material in both pods, from the trees, tents, marshmallows, small grills, and questions go back and forth. They reminded me of a Cara Bastone audiobook romance brewing on the phone, it was super cute. Anna is smitten but she mentions in her interview that Patrick is also in her roster.
Speaking of Patrick, he is on a date with Kacie and she asks what is his ethnicity. He gets extremely uncomfortable and he looks for some information in his notebook, but I guess it was out of nervousness. What I can deduct from that moment is that being Asian has set him back in the dating scene, where Caucasian beauty patterns is prevalent. After a moment of discomfort, Kacie reassures him that this information does not matter on her side of things and that her siblings also have girlfriends with several different ethnicities and that her parents, albeit Mormon, are very accepting.
Then Patrick goes back on a date with Anna, who has figured out they are both from Asian descent. The only thing she got wrong was that he could be Korean or Japanese but as a matter of fact, he is half Chinese, half Cambodian. She immediately feels enamoured by that mix - funny, as she never dated Asian guys before? - and he says the same, but I don't believe him. I am sure he will first choose Kacie. Just my feeling, as people come on the pods to forget their types than stick to them furiously. I will stand corrected.
Then we go through a set of fast-forward dates between Joe and Madison, as they share their first I Love Yous. And then he proposes and she says yes, happily. Let's see where it goes! We have a second couple formed, guys!
Then we see Anna bawling her eyes out of love for Patrick, as he shares his nervousness with the other single men. They set up a date, Patrick enters the pods and.... Anna is not there. Where is she? Late? Did she give up on the experiment? We will know on the next episode!

I just can't wait for the girls at Out of the Pods podcast to review this season. I love Deepti and Natalie's insights on the other contestants, their interviews of former ones and their deepening friendship between the two!

Episode 3: Ghost Town

Well, lots of tears and deception on this one!

Anna decided to leave the social experiment abruptly. This is heartbreaking because we don't know what happened - maybe something back at home? she mentioned missing her mother a lot and being worried about her - and we know her dates are left bereft of knowledge on the situation. I hope she comes back at some point, if this isn't unhealthy for her. But I remember on her last date she saying that she never ghosted anyone and then, this? Well, guess now she has ghosted not one but two men at the same time!
We see Sparkle Megan sparkle from the tears in her eyes as she has a date with Jordan. She recognises during the interview that he is not her style and not what she goes for usually but he is surprising her positively. She mentions Mike is completely her style and her usual type - of course he is but that Blake is her number one. Eish... she is a ball of tears hesitating between all of them. I think she needs to let one go so that she goes on to decide for the other two to make things easier for her, but let's see how that goes and who she picks!
And... twist of the reality show heavens, BLAKE ALSO LEAVES THE SOCIAL EXPERIMENT! I mean, what? Wait, did he do that for himself? Did he and Anna decide that together in codes during the pod dates? Omg, what is going on?
Sparkle Megan is devastated as she was going for Blake. But as she says, maybe the decision was made in heaven for her so she will go with one of the other two options, Jordan or Mike.
Joe and Madison meet and they get engaged. But Joe is extremely weird about Madison, I don't think she is attracted to her at all.
Then we are back in the pods as Annie hesitates between Brenden and Nick. But they laugh so much during those dates I honestly zoomed out. Then Nick goes on a date with Kait and I realise I cannot tell between the two women. Unexpectedly, Nick tells a voice broken Kait he loves her. She doesn't reciprocate - yet - but they seem smitten. But I think Nick is smitten by everybody anyway.
Ball of Fire Edmond keeps on running in the men's quarters and jumping the corridors of the pods - he has so much energy, I wouldn't be able to survive a man like that for 5 minutes! - as he heads on a date with Kaly and proposes to her. No therapy session this time. More of a poetry session! We have three couples and I feel connected to almost none! Help! What is happening? Is everything going too fast for me after watching slower paced Love is Blind: France?
He head back to the men's quarters where Mike and Patrick are talking about Kacie. Mike mentions he broke up with Kacie (when? where? did I zoom out?) and Patrick, to save face from Anna's dismissal from the show (and him!), mentions Kacie was only waiting for him to show her she was his number one and he was holding back. During the interview, the producer grills him on what they even have in common and he doesn't even know. It reminds me of their date, when he goes back to his notes nervously. Patrick knows nothing about her unless he rehearses. He went from heartbroken to creepy real quick and I am genuinely scared for Kacie at this point. Is Patrick a fake? Time will tell!
Mike figures out he and Jordan are both dating Sparkle Megan and she tells Mike she is scared he is just like one of her exes. He mentions he envisions a power couple storyline for them. Where will this go? Who will she choose? Btw, even as I am not a fan of Mike's, I loved him pranking Megan as if he were ghosting her too. LOL!
Time for Edmond and Kaly to meet and get properly engaged. And... it's a wrap for episode 3!

Episode 4: The Dangerous Games We Play

This episode had more red flags than a Formula 1 race in São Paulo, eish!

Edmond and Kalybriah meet for the first time. He comes with all his squinking energy and she matches him to perfection with all the baby talk. They seemed immediately enamoured with one another and you know what? They are so awkward that the date isn't awkward in itself, it's endearing. In a Love is Blind first for me, Edmond gives his fiancée a letter he has written so that she can read afterwards. It's all very high energy (with jumps!) and emotion and I don't know how they will deal when together on a daily basis. Let's see how it goes.
Nick and Kait meet for a date, share deep things and she mentions she isn't ready to say I love you yet. But it's all very poised and mature and they both leave the date looking forward to the next.
Afterwards Nick goes on a date with Annie. She shares that she has another connection and I thought Nick would say the same, but he mentions he hopes that them speaking on a date must reassure her enough. What? Didn't he just say I love you to Kait? RED FLAG!!! Is it because he has same religion views with Annie than with Kait? As the conversation goes, this feeling is confirmed. Nick is conservative and he asks Annie how she'd feel if her kid told her he is LGBT. She says she will love them no matter what but she wouldn't be ecstactic. Nick is relieved. I know it's controversial, but this is exactly the type of conversation couples should be having when dating with having marriage in near sight. Having conflicting values lead to divorce and couples should go beyond looks and chemistry when choosing their match. Nick drops that he's be ready to get married to her. Annie. Not the girl he just said I love you too. This will not end well.
Annie goes on a date with Brenden, who is feeling uncomfortable after Nick comes back from a date and says he is spinning. And we then see a date where Brenden asks questions, Annie responds and he only lazily says he agrees with everything. Like she mentions, she doesn't want to go on a vacation that she planned on her own. I do not have good vibes from this duo as it seems Brenden is only being territorial with Annie as he feel he is losing ground compared to Nick. There is nothing worse than feeling like a man's prize and not a man's goal.
Patrick and Kacie are on a date and talk about how they got into the show - this is a weird conversation but okay. Kacie reveals her ex-boyfriend pushed her to get into a dating show while they were together. RED FLAG!!! Then, to not make things better, they go on to talk about skin and body hair and waxing. And Kacie mentions she waxed before the show, for her future man, just like Patrick mentions he is like a seal. This is when you know that Kacie never dated an Asian men to deeply understand that reference. RED FLAG!!!
Mike and Megan go on another date, and he refrains her as she name drops Jordan. Then she goes on a date with Jordan himself and he lies about having tattoos - while he is full bodied - and winks at the camera. I don't know if he was being cheeky but I don't like any type of lying in this show.
Nick and Kait are back on a date and he confesses he has feelings for someone else. She gives him a hard time because he said I love you and she didn't say it back. It was so fast for her, she thought it was love bombing. Her gut is right, but he wraps her around his finger. He just wants to go with Conservative Annie, it's more than clear. Then they diverge again around their relationship with God and as she is firmer that she doesn't walk that path, he abruptly ends the relationship, leaving her devastated. She was right about the love bombing.
Afterwards on a date with Annie, Nick tells her she is the one. She says she needs to talk to her other connection to break things off and they share their I love yous. Cringe.
Annie sets a moment with Brenden and starts with them only having superficial conversations. She just doesn't want to be there but he has mentioned to Joe back at the men's quarters that he is really falling for her. I am scared he is about to get his heart broken. He had prepared a gift for her but asks her not to open as their experience will not get past that date and they break things off with Annie sniffing her tears out. Their dates were boring anyway so there's that.
Patrick proposes to Kacie and they are both expecting to have the most gorgeous person on the other side of the pod. That is too superficial for me. Let's move forward because THAT will be a train wreck bound to happen.
Brenden asks to speak to Annie again and says he was gonna tell her he loves her and she should pick him. O...kay.

I will be watching episodes 5 to 6, that were launched in this first batch, in the upcoming days. Until then, let me know all your thoughts in the comments!