The much-anticipated season two finale of Love is Blind is finally here. Netflix dropped the final episode on Friday, February 25, following the first five episodes on 11 February and 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.
In the season two finale of Love is Blind, fans finally learned which couples said “I do” and which ones were left at the altar.
Spoilers for the season two finale are below.
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.
In the season finale, Natalie and Shayne revealed they had a fight the night before their wedding. “It was a really bad one, and he said some hurtful things to me,” Natalie explained during the episode. When Natalie asked her fiancé if he had too much to drink during the fight, Shayne became even more angry.
Despite their fight, Natalie still loved Shayne but felt unsure about her decision to marry him. She rejected Shayne at the altar, and said they still have really big issues to work through as a couple. Shayne, on the other hand, seemed less than willing to stay together and build their relationship.
While we won’t officially know if Natalie and Shayne stayed together until they make an official announcement, 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.
Despite their doubts and fears, Nick and Danielle both said “I do” at the altar and were excited to start their lives together as husband and wife. Since the finale aired on Friday, the couple has not made a public announcement about the current status of their relationship, but they continue to follow each other on Instagram and tag each other in Instagram stories and posts.
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.
By the season finale, both Deepti and Shake didn’t feel 100 per cent positive in their decision to marry each other. When it came time to make her decision, Deepti told Shake that she could not marry him. She assured Shake that he’s made a huge impact on her life, but in the end Deepti chose herself. “I deserve somebody who knows for sure,” she said as she walked away from the altar. At first, Shake was upset but he told his wedding guests that it was for the best and the two will remain friends. If anything, Shake was more excited about his reservations at the restaurant Nobu that Sunday.
After the Friday premiere of the season finale, Shake took to Instagram to let his viewers know that he and Deepti are still friends, and he even shared his sushi reservation with Deepti. Shake shared photos from their catch-up to his Instagram story, and dedicated a post to his newfound friendship with Deepti.
“‘I have a reservation at Nobu,’” he captioned his post. “Yes. THAT reservation”.
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.
As Iyanna walked down the aisle on their wedding day, Jarrette was in awe of his bride-to-be. The two shared their tearful vows before saying “I do,” and couldn’t wait to spend the rest of their lives together.
While the couple has yet to confirm if they’re still living happily ever after, Iyanna and Jarrette still follow each other on Instagram. On 21 February, 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.”
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 their wedding day, Sal expressed some doubt about marrying Mallory, but he felt that seeing her at the altar would help make his decision. In the end, seeing Mallory walk down the aisle wasn’t enough for Sal. Instead of saying ‘I do,’ Mallory and Sal had an amicable conversation about taking smaller steps in their relationship, starting with a proper date.
While we don’t know if Mallory or Sal ever went on that date, we can look for clues on social media. The two follow each other on Instagram, but haven’t interacted much since season two first aired.
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.
The season two finale confirmed that love is truly blind for some couples. For others, the emotional connection that was built in the pods just wasn’t enough. While we can look to social media for subtle clues, viewers will have to wait until the Love is Blind cast reunion to confirm the current relationship status of the couples. The Love is Blind season two reunion will be released on Netflix on Friday, 4 March, 2022 in the US.
