Love is Blind is the reality dating series taking Netflix by storm. The platform dropped the first five episodes of Love is Blind season two on 11 February, followed by the second four on 18 February. The social experiment involves 30 single folks going on several blind dates in the hopes of finding a lasting love connection, all without seeing each other in person. The couples are tasked with getting engaged not based on appearances, but based on emotional and intellectual connection.
The first season of Love is Blind debuted on Netflix in 2020, and became an instant success. The experiment was even a success for some couples too. Lauren Speed-Hamilton and Cameron Hamilton were a fan favourite couple on season one, and were married in November 2018. Since season one, the two have launched a YouTube channel together and even co-wrote a book together, Leap of Faith. Others weren’t so lucky. For Jessica Batten and Mark Cuevas, the two got engaged in the “pods” without seeing each other, until Batten left Cuevas at the altar.
The season two finale of Love is Blind premieres 25 February, leaving fans asking, which couples are still together?
Shayne and Natalie
Natalie Lee is a 29-year-old consulting manager from Chicago, who instantly hit it off with 32-year-old real estate broker Shayne. While Shayne was found to be “annoying” by other cast members like Iyanna, Natalie and Shayne made a strong connection in the pods. The two got engaged on the show after an awkward love triangle between Shayne, Natalie, and contestant Shaina Hurley. Despite a connection with 32-year-old hairstylist Shaina, Shayne ultimately proposed to Natalie.
After the proposals, the newly-engaged couples go on vacation at a resort in Mexico, where they build on their connection face-to-face and meet the other contestants. Then, they return home to Chicago, where the couples live together to get an early preview of what married life will be like.
Natalie and Shayne faced a series of obstacles when they returned home. The two learned they have very different communication styles, and Shaina threw a wrench in their relationship when she told Shayne that she doesn’t believe his connection with Natalie is genuine. Still, Natalie was very confident by the second to last episode that she will marry Shayne.
While we won’t officially know if Natalie and Shayne are still together until the finale, we can look for subtle clues from their Instagram accounts. Since the season two premiere, the two have liked, commented, and even tagged each other in posts. On 18 Feb, Shayne shared a post with Natalie to his Instagram and reflected on his experience in the pods with a lengthy caption.
“To say I had a crazy week is an understatement!” he captioned the post. “As I reflect back on the pods and my time in Mexico, I made some great connections and life long friends. I want to make sure everyone knows that Natalie is incredible woman with a huge heart and I hope everyone stays tune [sic] to see how it all unfolds! I wouldn’t trade my time on this wild ride for anything.”
Natalie and Shayne have also shared behind-the-scenes photos of Love is Blind to their Instagram stories. On Monday, Natalie posted a picture of her and Shayne eating $60 worth of McDonald’s as their first meal in the shared apartment, which Shayne reposted on his Instagram story with two red hearts. The BTS image was followed up by a posed picture of the couple while filming the bonfire scene in Chicago.
Shaina and Kyle
Shayne wasn’t the only person that Shaina hit it off with in the pods. Kyle Abrams proposed to the hairstylist during season two, but after many bumps in their relationship, the two called it quits. Kyle, a 29-year-old construction worker, originally turned Shaina off in the pods when he revealed that he is an atheist. Kyle thought the two could work through their differences, but Shaina — who is a devout Christian — was unable to look past his religious beliefs. The couple broke things off in episode six, but Kyle wished his former fiancée well on Instagram.
“Regardless of the outcome, this was one of the most exciting days of my life,” he captioned the post. “No matter the outcome, this special bond I share with Shaina will be forever kept in mind, until the end of time.”
Nick and Danielle
Nick Thompson and Danielle Ruhl were the first couple to get engaged in the pods on season two. Viewers quickly fell in love with 36-year-old Nick for his quirky comebacks and sarcastic confessionals. Danielle, on the other hand, battled her insecurities throughout the experiment, which caused a lot of problems for her relationship with Nick. The second to last episode showed Danielle, 29, walking down the aisle in her wedding dress, but now viewers must wait until Friday to learn if Nick says “I do.”
Danielle, an associate director of marketing, recently opened up about the inaccurate depiction of her mental health struggles on season two. In an Instagram post shared Monday, Danielle described the panic attack she had that was featured during the couples trip to Mexico.
“The true story is that I told Nick about a traumatic experience I had in college right before I encouraged him to go to the couple’s party without me to represent us as a couple,” she wrote in the caption.
“Nick had no idea what happened, but when he found out what happened behind the scenes, he was more than supportive and we were able to learn from it and get past it,” she added. “I want to reiterate that I am fully aware that I can project my anxiety onto others and it is something I am constantly working on.”
Nick seemed to support her message when he reposted a fan’s praise for Danielle’s vulnerability on Instagram yesterday. “Love seeing their story unfold,” the story read, to which Nick replied, “SAME.”
Deepti and Shake
Things started off rocky for 31-year-old data analyst Deepti Vempati and 33-year-old veterinarian Abhishek “Shake” Chatterjee. Shake and Deepti, who are both of Indian descent, related over similar experiences with dating only white people. Things took a turn when Shake, who is also a DJ, expressed he liked going to music festivals and asked Deepti if he would have trouble picking her up onto his shoulders. Shake initially struggled with the premise of Love is Blind — to get to know each other on a deep, emotional level — but soon proposed to Deepti after several dates in the pods.
During their retreat to Mexico, Shake started getting cold feet when he felt Deepti was moving too fast for him. In Chicago, he shared with Shayne that the two lacked sexual chemistry, and that being in a relationship with Deepti was being with his aunt.
While Deepti and Shake follow each other on Instagram, her profile page features more travel and lifestyle content than it does potential husbands. Or, maybe she’s really good at keeping their relationship a secret. However, Deepti did post an Instagram story of Shake’s family on Tuesday, which he reposted. “Thank you for welcoming me into your home with so much love and support,” she wrote in the Instagram story with Shake’s parents.
Iyanna and Jarrette
Jarrette Jones proposed to Iyanna McNeely in the pods, but she wasn’t his first choice. Jarrette, 32, was drawn to Iyanna, 27, for her strength despite her challenging upbringing, but the project manager also had a relationship with Mallory, a 32-year-old communications manager from Chicago. Mallory rejected Jarrette’s proposal because of her stronger connection with another contestant, Sal. Iyanna had reservations about Jarrette after learning she was his second choice, but Jarrette confirmed to her that Mallory rejecting him only made him feel more confident with his feelings for Iyanna.
The love triangle continued in Mexico when Jarrette and Mallory met face-to-face, once they were engaged to different people. Jarrette poked fun at the ring Mallory’s fiancé picked out for her, and Mallory told Jarrette that she still has a strong connection with him.
On Monday, Jarrette and Iyanna both shared a clip on Instagram of the moment they saw each other the first time after getting engaged in the pods. “Some things are better left unsaid,” Jarrette captioned the post, “But seeing her for the first time truly left me speechless.” The two still follow each other on Instagram.
Mallory and Sal
Mallory had a strong connection with Jarrette, but ultimately her relationship with Salvador Perez, 31, won out in the end. Mallory and Sal bonded in the pods over their shared Mexican descent — Mallory’s dad is Mexican while both of Sal’s parents are Mexican. She was drawn to Sal’s vulnerability, especially when he would serenade Mallory on the ukulele. Even though the Chicago-based executive assistant proposed to Mallory, their relationship had a rough start once they left the pods. Sal felt insecure about Mallory’s relationship with Jarrette, while Mallory was unsure about her physical attraction to Sal.
On 1 February, both Sal and Mel announced they will be cast members on season two of Love is Blind with an Instagram post on their respective accounts. Sal commented “Getting it Mal,” on her post while Mallory commented, “Yassss!” on Sal’s announcement.
Instagram can only tell us so much about these couples from season two of Love is Blind. It seems that we’ll have to wait until the season finale on 25 February for all of our questions to be answered.
