On Love Is Blind Season 7, Are Black Women Finally Getting The Love They Deserve?

Spoilers ahead for episodes 1-6. The pods are back! Love Is Blind, Netflix’s popular reality dating show, returned for its seventh season last week and it’s even messier than one would have imagined. Based in Washington D.C., a city notoriously known for its unsavory dating scene, expectations were low for the 15 single men and women on the show. And for the Black women contestants on Love Is Blind (or any reality dating show for that matter), the odds are not always in their favor. Surprisingly, however, this latest season might be the turning point in Love Is Blind’s rocky history of mistreating Black women on the show.

The last season of Love Is Blind reignited previous conversations about the show’s track record of treating Black women unfairly throughout the unique dating experiment. For most of the sixth season, all eyes were on former participant Amber Desiree (AD) Smith as she navigated her tumultuous engagement with Clay Gravesande. Viewers immediately gravitated toward Smith because of her bubbly personality and transparency about her unhealthy relationship patterns.

In the pods, she confessed her history of ignoring red flags for the sake of finding love. Although her awareness was relatable for those watching, her journey quickly became harder to watch as she repeated her destructive patterns with her coupling with Gravesande. Throughout their engagement, Gravesande turned into the show’s villain as it became apparent that he was more concerned with Smith’s physical appearance instead of nurturing their emotional connection. Smith’s unfortunate experience added to the long list of concerns viewers have had on how beneficial Love Is Blind (or any reality dating show, for that matter) is for Black women.

Now, it seems that the show’s producers are listening to viewers’ criticisms as the current Black women contestants are finally getting a fair shot at finding unconditional love. This time, fiancés Ashley Adionser and Tyler Francis, in particular, are the couple fans are rooting for that reminds them of fan-favorite Love Is Blind alumni Brett and Tiffany Brown. One of the most noticeable differences for this new season is that contestants are older than usual. Coming off the success of the newly added Love Is Blind: UK, which received praise for casting an older crowd of singles, the U.S. version includes participants ranging from 27 to 37 years old. Not only are viewers dealing with mostly 30-somethings, but they are also more vulnerable than ever. Vulnerability is at the forefront of this season, and surprisingly, many emotional moments are from the men.

Viewers were first introduced to Tim Godbee and Alexandra Byrdie in the pods. As we all know, Love Is Blind is where deep and challenging conversations are supposed to exist. However, some contestants have held back in past seasons, which defeats the show’s purpose. So, it was refreshing to see Godbee and Byrdie dig deep in their first interaction. After breaking the ice, the pair began describing their ideal marriage. Bydrie explained how she takes “for better or for worse” seriously after sharing how her stepmother stood by her father’s side after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Her vulnerability led Godbee to open up about the passing of his two older sisters and how it taught him the importance of not taking life for granted.

Ultimately, he reassured his stance on marriage, saying, “My word is my bond, and when I say ‘I do,’ I mean that shit until the day I die. I don’t want to get married. I want to die married.” From the start, Godbee and Byrdie appeared to be one of the strongest couples. But it looks like there may be trouble in paradise between the two.

At the end of episode 6, there was clear tension between Godbee and Byrdie as they discussed the events from the evening before. Audiences are left in the dark about what happened since there wasn’t any footage released. Based on the conversation, it seems like their argument resulted from miscommunication, which led to them feeling disrespected by each other. It’s hard to tell if their engagement will survive this bump in their journey. But if their connection is as strong as portrayed in the pods, then there’s hope they’ll make it to the altar.

Luckily, they weren’t the only promising couple from the experiment. Fan favorites Ashley Adionser and Tyler Francis formed an instant connection when they stepped into the pods. But what made viewers admire Adionser and Francis was their compatibility. From the flirtatious banter to Francis publicly declaring that Adionser was his wife before proposing, they quickly became the top couple to root for. Additionally, Francis’ gentle exterior captivated the hearts of many viewers.

Throughout their pod sessions, Francis wasn’t afraid to show his softer side, as there were multiple occasions where cried and expressed his adoration for Adionser out loud. Before they dived into more serious topics, Francis candidly expressed his nervousness about the experiment and opened the door for Adionser to reciprocate the same energy. “Something about him [Tyler] being nervous was attractive,” she said during her confessional. “I just think it’s attractive when guys can be vulnerable and be themselves.”

And she’s right.

It is harder for men to express their emotions than for women. There’s the fear of judgment or the thought that vulnerability is a sign of weakness. But for Black men? It goes deeper than toxic masculinity as they also have to deal with avoiding being stereotyped as angry or violent where society sees them as a threat. Although conversations regarding mental health are more prevalent, there is still a long way to go for Black men to learn not to suppress their emotions. But for shows like Love Is Blind to showcase more instances where Black men are unafraid to cry is a start.

Of course, Love Is Blind wouldn’t be an authentic dating show without a love triangle entering the chat. At this point, it’s almost a rite of passage for one person to be caught between two lovers. Marissa George found herself stuck between Ramses Prashad and Bohdan Olinares at the early stage of her journey. During one of their conversations, Prashad expressed some insecurity about being a more sensitive guy, whereas Olinares is the opposite. Although Prashad admitted to George in episode two that she was his number one, she hesitated to fully commit to him.

With Olinares, it was clear that the two had many things in common. They both shared a military background and were extroverted. On the other hand, Ramses and Prashad were both previously married and formed a strong bond in the pods. While both men were suitable partners for George, she stayed true to the experiment by going after a guy she wouldn’t necessarily match with in the real world. And for Prashad, that’s picking someone who didn’t fit into the typical “masculine” stereotype.

Deconstructing hypermasculinity is a concept that hasn’t been discussed enough despite its integration into society since the dawn of time. So for Love Is Blind to be one of the few spaces (especially on national television) to challenge toxic masculinity was striking to watch – but necessary in the long run. When men are emotionally available, it makes them better partners. For a show like this that ends in marriage, emotional availability is a critical component for the success of a relationship, and especially, a marriage.

While it seems as if Love Is Blind is doing right by Black women so far, we can’t ignore that outrageous remark Stephen Richardson said about Monica Davis’ mixed heritage. During one of their blind dates, Richardson opened up about his recent discovery of his multiracial background. After believing he was primarily Italian throughout his life, a DNA test revealed that he has traces of Nigerian, Congolese, and Sierra Leonean ancestry. In an attempt to connect with him, Davis revealed her Honduran, Black, and Indigenous background.

Stephen and Davis aren’t the first couple to talk about race (AD questioned Kenneth last season about whether his fiancee could raise biracial children), and they certainly won’t be the last. But, nothing could have prepared me for what Richardson said next. In the middle of Davis talking, Richardson interrupted her and said, “Okay, so you really are a mutt, girl.” Out of shock, I paused the show because I was in disbelief at his response. Mutt is a derogatory term (and can arguably be considered a slur) meant to insult people with biracial and multiracial identities.

Even taking race out of the conversation, “mutt” is a description for a dog, and Richardson referring to his fiancée as that is wrong on so many levels. The most disturbing part, however, is how easily he said it – completely unaware of its dehumanizing significance.

As if that wasn’t enough, Davis back upped his statement by saying, “I’m a f–cking mutt.” The two then continued their regular conversation as if the offense never happened. There’s no way to know if the two revisited that comment later because they didn’t bring it up again in the following episodes. By episode 4, the pair became engaged and moved on to the second phase. Although Richardson seems like a good guy and potential life partner, his “mutt” comment needs to be addressed. Otherwise, Davis may be in store for a rude awakening. And she isn’t the only one with drama brewing. Black women deserve ease and honesty when it comes to love and these first six episodes got our hopes up that they were finally going to get it during this season, but if our timelines are any indication, trouble looks like it’s on the way.

While relatively drama-free, Francis appears to be caught in a scandal. Fans have accused the 34-year-old of hiding a critical detail from Adionser in the pods – being a father to three kids. Lovetta Thomas posted a video montage on Instagram, including screenshots of Francis with a woman and three children who resemble him. The video consists of multiple family photos, including a few from Christmas and Halloween.

Francis’ choosing to withhold this critical detail raised a red flag among viewers. Tyler warned Ashley about his past in Mexico and that it could catch up to him. Although the rumors haven’t been confirmed, the trailer hinted that the conversation may come up in later episodes. The clip showed a tearful Adionser saying, “Two weeks before our wedding. This is something I should’ve known.”

Additionally, Godbee is skating on thin ice with viewers of the show. Fans have called him out for trauma dumping on Byrdie in the pods. In their conversations, Godbee consistently brought up the death of his two sisters. Now, it’s not unusual for contestants to bring up traumatic experiences in the pods. In fact, sensitive topics are welcomed. But Godbee constantly focusing on his sisters’ deaths was concerning, to say the least. It was hard to watch the pair interact because it was always heavy, rarely leaving room for light-hearted conversations. However, the moment that raised several red flags was when Godbee gave Byrdie his deceased sister’s bracelet. Although a thoughtful gesture, it was too soon for the exchange, given they just met. Godbee is obviously still grieving and his intense behaviors indicate that he may not be in the right headspace to search for love right now.

From how things are playing out, most couples show signs of being on the right track. But after six seasons, we know how quickly everyone’s relationship status can change. And the madness is already starting. Because Netflix only released the first six episodes, it’s too early to call which couple will say “I do” at the altar. Regardless, we’ll be rooting for everybody Black!