Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
The Washington, D.C., season of “Love Is Blind” has finally wrapped and let me tell you, I don’t think I like anybody who showed up at the reunion episode to share their truths. Not even Marissa, who I was rooting for and who I thought got done so dirty by Ramses — which she did — but to see her on stage Wednesday night caping for easily one of the greatest villains in “Love Is Blind” history was hard to watch. With that said, I watched the entire reunion episode and I have some thoughts. Let’s just jump right in, mmkay pumpkin? Because Halloween? Let’s move on.
1. Save for Taylor and Garrett, it’s hard to root for anybody who was on stage for the reunion.
That even includes Nick and Vanessa Lachey who were not good at moderating since they BARELY addressed the biggest elephant in the room, but we’ll get to that. Nobody seems to have exhibited any real growth from what we saw on television in the year since the filming wrapped. I know we only saw what we saw, but even the “accountability” of folks like Ramses didn’t feel genuine, though Leo was fun. But overall, I can’t root for Ashley and Tyler, Ramses, Alex, Hannah, Marissa, Stephen, Monica, Tim or Nick.
2. I pray that everybody goes to therapy.
This is typically one of my prayers for most people anyway, but yeah, big time in this instance. I’m sure some of them are already there but it clearly ain’t working for everybody.
3. How did Nick and Vanessa fumble the only thing EVERYBODY wanted to know: Are Tyler’s kids in his and Ashley’s lives or nah?!
Listen, Ashley got up there and said what she was supposed to say. She was all “My man, my man, my man” but the defensive “You think I don’t know this?” No, girl, I don’t. I think you found out like the rest of the world. But cool, you decided that’s your man so you gon’ ride that thang out. However, nobody cares. What we all DID want to know is if Tyler is as much of a master manipulator as Kendrick Lamar claims Drake is. Are those kids in their lives or nah? Is Tyler paying child support or nah? You can allege that’s none of our business, and I’d call you a liar and a cheat, Joe Jackson. THEM FOLKS went on television trying to find love. THEM FOLKS decided their love story was for public consumption. It ain’t THEIR relationship, it is OUR relationship. Ultimately, though, I hope the kids are alright, but if I were Ashley, I wouldn’t trust Tyler further than I could throw him. But alas, from what I’ve heard, it’s hard dating out here in these D.C. streets so I suppose 75% of a good dude is better than zero percent.
Point is, I blame Nick and Vanessa for not asking the question we all watched the reunion to hear.
4. Hannah is a terrible human, full stop. The fact that she has defenders is even worse, fuller stop.
If I never hear the words “I’m direct” again, it will be too soon. Hannah isn’t direct, she’s just a bad model of a human. If the situation were reversed, there ain’t a human alive who would even REMOTELY defend any of Nick’s actions. He’d probably lose his job based on his actions on the show. But somehow, Hannah views herself as transparent, honest and direct. The fact that Marissa decided it was worth it to defend her at all, has now made Marissa look terrible. Like all things in life, you have to realize which battles are worth fighting and who is worth fighting for. I don’t care if Marissa and Hannah are besties at this point, them both deciding that Nick was gaslighting Hannah the entire time FORCED her to be this emotionally destructive human. Both of them can go to hell with gasoline drawers on. Marissa could have just been supportive of Hannah behind the scenes and called it a day.
5. Marissa was looking a little funny in the light defending Hannah.
Look, I don’t purport to know what’s going on in folks’ heads on stage. Ramses got up there and said he was sad to have hurt her. Cool. Marissa got choked up reliving it all. Cool. She was over there telling Nick to own his stuff with vigor. She seemed as amped up as Hannah was. Marissa was defending a person who decided to use something that happened at the END of their time together to justify what she’d been doing since day one. She opened up judging him. I was a defender of Marissa and how Ramses did her was dirty. But she was on stage looking funny in the light to me. I don’t like funny in the light lookin’ folks.
6. Alex and Tim — whew chile.
Aight, so boom. Tim was acting up there the way that Alex claims he was acting in the conversation that none of us saw. Any and all goodwill Tim had accumulated seems to have dwindled. Meanwhile, Alex seems to have chilled out a bit. We saw behind the curtains a bit on Alex’s life, and it seemed a bit like a red flag. Tim has also started to look like a red flag and he did himself no favors with his overly talkative defense of himself at the reunion, which really made him seem controlling, unreasonable and self-interested at the expense of Alex. So yeah, I’m glad that didn’t work out folks, and they probably don’t ever need to speak again. Alex looked great though.
7. Stephen was right that nobody cared about his explanation.
I don’t feel bad for Stephen at all. He made a mistake, owned the mistake (it seems) and understood the consequences. At the same time, Monica seemed to have one of those issues that won’t let you truly grow from the thing that you’ve done the work to amend. Stephen is a work in progress, obviously. I hope Monica knows she is too, and that wasn’t entirely evident on stage.
8. I’m glad for Taylor and Garrett and hope they work out forever.
I was VERY surprised to find out that not only did they NOT move to San Diego but that they ended up living in freakin’ Fredericksburg, Virginia. Like, WHAT? San Diego was such a big sticking point for Taylor and it seemed like a non-negotiable. Taylor even cried a little when she was explaining to her parents that home is where Garrett is. That, my friends, is what it looks like to be in love and making decisions as a couple. I hope they find their happy place in D.C.
9. Y’ALL REALLY LET THE REUNION END WITHOUT FULLY ADDRESSING IF TYLER AND ASHLEY HAVE STEPKIDS!!!
“Love Is Blind,” y’all wrong for that.
Panama Jackson is a columnist at theGrio and host of the award-winning podcast, “Dear Culture” on theGrio Black Podcast Network. He writes very Black things, drinks very brown liquors, and is pretty fly for a light guy. His biggest accomplishment to date coincides with his Blackest accomplishment to date in that he received a phone call from Oprah Winfrey after she read one of his pieces (biggest) but he didn’t answer the phone because the caller ID said “Unknown” (Blackest).