With Love is Blind season 7 continuing its run on Netflix, and having been hooked on Love Island USA season 6 this summer (with my Love Island USA season 6 report card reflecting high marks), I find myself comparing the two series more than ever. While they each have their own premise, have a drastically different number of episodes each season, typically feature contestants at different stages in their lives and have distinct end goals for the couples, the shows are still in the same realm of a reality TV dating show. As such, placing Love Is Blind against Love Island USA seems rather appropriate.
As a millennial, Love Is Blind feels more reflective of my age group, which should give the edge to the Netflix series. However, I find myself drawn to Love Island USA, as the Peacock mass hit has so much going for it. I honestly surprised myself, but upon close examination, I can't help but rank Love Island USA as the better program.
For starters, Love Island USA has the more appealing format. I admire the premise of Love Is Blind, which asks people to look for love by initially removing the physical component from the process, forcing cast members to bond on an emotional and perhaps spiritual level first. But in the real world, many people are moved by physical attraction in some way during the beginning stages of dating. So Love Is Blind seems a little more unrealistic in that regard.
Conversely, most people aren’t searching for a partner with the beautiful beaches of Fiji as a backdrop in a competition setting like on Love Island USA. However, the show's contestants naturally gravitate towards what they find physically attractive, but as they get to know people beyond the exterior, they weed out those who aren’t a compatible match. A habit countless people practice away from the glitz of cameras and producers.
Then there's the fact that with Love Island USA, viewers get more coverage of all the romances at play with 30-plus episodes compared with Love Is Blind’s usual 10-16. As a viewer, I get the impression there’s a lot less on the cutting room floor with Love Island USA.
The powers that be at Love Is Blind have admittedly not shown all the connections made between cast members over the years, and even recently show creator and executive producer Chris Coelen addressed in an interview with Variety reasons for not continuing to follow the journey of season 7 duo Leo and Brittany. While I'm not disillusioned to think everything recorded by cameras makes it to viewers, I appreciate Love Island USA painting a broader picture.
Now I can’t talk about my preference for Love Island USA without talking about the casting. By and large, the series just seems to produce more likable stars and show couples than Love Is Blind. To the latter's credit, Love Is Blind season 1 couple Lauren and Cameron and season 4 couple Tiffany and Brett are still some of the more popular duos in recent history in terms of the entire reality TV world.
However, their fanfare pales in comparison to that of the Love Island USA season 6 cast. Kordell and Serena as a couple are arguably the hottest new couple of 2024 and have been everywhere from talk shows to red carpets to commercials. And PPG, aka Serena, JaNa and Leah, have drummed up such a fanbase that many of their moves have become a popular topic of conversation on social media weekly, if not daily.
Yes, it may seem unfair to compare OGs like Lauren and Cameron against newly cemented stars like Kordell and Serena, but if you look at each couple and examine their post-show glow-up after their respective series’ wrapped, you’ll see one pair's upward trajectory exploded debatably at a faster and wider rate.
It bears repeating, I actually like both Love Island USA and Love Is Blind. For reality TV buffs, they both fit the bill as far as being entertaining. I just think one is a bit more enjoyable than the other.
New episodes of Love Island USA stream on Peacock in the US and ITVX in the UK, and new episodes of Love Is Blind stream on Netflix.
