Love Is Blind Season 8: I’m Convinced Sara & Ben’s Political Stances Will Tear Them Apart (Ben's Been Called Out On TikTok)

Love Is Blind season 8 dropped a whopping six pod episodes on Valentine's Day, and I'm convinced couple Sara Carton and Ben Mezzenga won't last due to their differing beliefs and Ben's TikTok drama. The fifth anniversary season, which takes place in snowy Minneapolis, Minnesota, already has some chilling drama afoot. The six-episode drop ended on a cliffhanger in which 32-year-old colonoscopy nurse Taylor Haag couldn't shake the feeling that Daniel Hastings, 30-year-old account executive and self-proclaimed "short king," already knew who she was.

It's no surprise the Love Is Bind season 8 cast is messy. After five years, eight seasons, and multiple international spin-offs, the Netflix reality dating series has taken the culture by storm. David "Dave" Bettenburg and Lauren O'Brien appear to have issues in the previews, exacerbated by his other match, former Timberwolves' dancer Molly Rose Mullaney. Trouble in paradise is also brewing for the less problematic couples, Virginia Miller & Devin Buckley and Monica Danus & Joey Laveille. However, Ben and Sara are set to be the biggest issue in Love Is Blind season 8.

Sara Is Strongly Progressive

She Needs Someone Who Aligns With Her Values

Sara, a 29-year-old oncology nurse, cut to the chase with Ben in the pods about her political beliefs, and the response was less than encouraging. When Ben opened up about his religious beliefs, Sara immediately rushed to her sister, Lisa Carton's, defense, saying she could consider herself spiritual but viewed the church as hypocritical about the LGBTQ+ community. Sara's sister is gay, and she made it clear to Ben that being married to someone who was open and accepting of her was of the utmost importance.

Ben stated that he had "made [his] faith [his] own" and "had friends who are that way," giving Sara the answer she wanted to hear without passing the ally test with flying colors. While this seemed to satisfy Sara for the time being, she was less encouraged by his response to her question regarding racial violence in the United States. George Floyd's murder notably happened in Minneapolis, and Ben basically said he didn't care about it. Understandably, this was a red flag for Sara, whose feelings for Ben were conflicting with her strongly held values and beliefs.

Sara's struggle is, unfortunately, quite familiar for American women today. According to Gallup and numerous other sources, American women are becoming more politically progressive, while American young men are increasingly leaning towards conservative beliefs, especially among white Gen Z men. While Ben didn't come right out and say he was a Republican, his wishy-washy answers were evocative of a man trying to protect himself and his reputation on reality TV.

Ben Has More Conservative Beliefs

He's Deeply Religious

Netflix dropped a preview of Ben and Sara's religious conversation before the Love Is Blind season 8 premiere, stoking the fire during an especially fraught political time for the United States. Ben is deeply passionate about his faith, going to church every Sunday. He defends his beliefs, saying, "There's a lot of things I believe about, like, the Bible, and I believe, about, you know, the Christian faith." A strong moral base is an important facet of his character, but it could become an issue with Ben's family and Sara if they don't align on their beliefs.

"important convos will be had… LOVE IS BLIND: SEASON 8 returns THIS FRIDAY!"

The American people are at a crossroads, and while Sara and Ben have polite and charming Minnesotan accents, this conversation perfectly encapsulates the communication issues arising between political parties today. Again, Sara and Ben never explicitly say who they voted for or if they're registered with a particular party, but the important conversations happening here in the pods could give a hint of whether Ben and Sara can make it work in the real world.

Ben’s TikTok Drama Explained

He's Been Called Out For Bad Behavior

Sara and Ben's potentially differing political and religious stances are only one piece of their problematic puzzle given the TikTok drama surrounding Ben. TikTok user Andra, under the username @hopeyoufindyourdad, has posted several videos calling out Ben for previous bad behavior. However, it was sleuths in the comments who parsed through her cryptic language to realize she was talking about Ben.

The TikToker was purposefully vague in her videos, and Ben deserves the chance to defend himself. However, it's not looking good for the former University of Minnesota baseball player.

According to the TikToker, Ben has been manipulative and dishonest with women in the past, evoking the classic playboy mentality of college athletes. Additionally, she claimed he's been bragging in Minneapolis bars about appearing on the show since filming ended, essentially a spoiler. While nothing has been corroborated, it's not looking good for Sara, who has probably gone against her better judgment to try and make things work with Ben on Love Is Blind season 8. I'm convinced it's not going to work out, but it sure will be an interesting ride.

Love Is Blind season 8, episodes 7-9 drop on Friday, February 21 on Netflix.

Sources: Gallup, Netflix/Instagram, @hopeyoufindyourdad/TikTok