Netflix has released the first ten episodes of the popular dating series, Love Is Blind. The hit reality show is an unconventional take on modern dating, as contestants go on several blind dates in the hopes of finding a lasting love connection, all without seeing each other in person.
The key to forming that love connection? The pods.
The “pods” are perhaps the most important part of Love Is Blind. In order to make the social experiment successful, 30 single folks must get to know each other from behind a wall, in a small room called pods. There, cast members can have themed dates, cozy up in blankets, and drink from Love Is Blind’s famous gold goblets as they get to know the person behind the wall.
Of course, critics might be wondering how it’s possible to form a lasting love connection with someone from behind a wall. But according to Love Is Blind executive producer Ally Simpson, there are secrets to the pods’ design that helps improve the chances of falling in love.
"There’s something about the pods that really just allows people to be incredibly vulnerable," Simpson recently told media and culture site, CNET. Simpson revealed that there’s two main goals when designing the pods: They must be comfortable and they can’t be distracting.
Each octagonal pod consists of one grayish couch, a circular ottoman, and red velvety carpet for an overall earthy and relaxing tone. The walls of the pods have small, bright streaks of lighting to offset the one glowing blue wall, which acts as a barrier between each pod.
Simpson says the tone of the glowing blue wall is supposed to feel inviting and is even meant to symbolise the energy of the person in the adjoining pod. This helps contestants feel closer to each other, and less like they’re talking through a speaker.
"If it was just a blank wall, you might feel like you were all alone in that room," Simpson said.
Another way producers try to make contestants feel closer to each other in the pods is by helping them plan themed dates for their potential love match. In season three, pilates instructor Raven Ross asked for yoga balls in her pod. For Bartise Bowden’s date with Nancy Rodriguez, he asked for a bouquet of flowers and sushi to be sent to her pod.
“We want you to get in there and feel at home, feel like you’re on a date, and just be a comfortable place that you can settle into for a long, long time – they talk for hours and hours," Simpson said. “If you’re going to marry someone, you want to know that you can have fun with them. You want to know, do we connect over the music? When she gets her sushi, is she picky about what sauce was there or wasn’t there? You want to create those experiences to try to learn as much as you can about each other.”
However, cast members only have ten days to find their future partner in the pods. In the beginning of the social experiment, dates tend to last about 15 minutes. As the week goes on, contestants can stretch dates with a particular person for a longer amount of time, totaling around 20 dates with one person before popping the question.
In season three of Love Is Blind, the five couples to get engaged in the pods were Alexa Alfia and Brennon Lemieux, Nancy Rodriguez and Bartise Bowden, Raven Ross and SK Alagbada, Zanab Jaffrey and Cole Barnett, Matt Bolton and Colleen Reed. Once engaged, the cast left the pods for a pre-honeymoon vacation in Malibu, California. Now, they have 28 days to decide if they want to get married.
The first ten episodes of Love Is Blind season three are currently streaming on Netflix. The season finale, which airs on 9 November, will finally reveal who says “I do,” and who will be left at the altar.
