Signs Love Is Blind Season 9 Will Change Its Casting Approach Amid Season 8's Scandals (I'm Convinced The Network Needs To Appease Disappointed Fans)

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Love is Blind Season 5, 7 & 8.As Love is Blindseason 8 comes to a close, scandals have already emerged involving certain cast members, prompting speculation that the production team may reconsider its casting approach for season 9. Although it seems that season 8's fresh batch of singles is genuinely looking for love, allegations and controversial revelations about some contestants’ pasts have surfaced, leaving viewers disappointed once again. However, this is not the first time there has been speculation about singles clout chasing on the show to build a fanbase.

In season 7, I thought that audiences were captivated by the gender-role-defying personality of 35-year-old Ramses Prashad. However, after the season wrapped, questionable actions on his part led many to wonder whether his appearance on the show was merely a ploy to boost ratings. Given the ongoing lack of authenticity, scandals, and controversies surrounding the current contestants, it seems increasingly likely that the production team will rethink its casting approach.

A Slow And Unsurprising Season

Even though Netflix included more pod time of the singles, no new couples, dramatic twists, or exciting moments emerged from these dates. As a result, long-awaited Love is Blind season 8 has fallen flat with viewers before even reaching the finale. In a recent Reddit thread, user @MrsMcCheese1 said, "I would rather less pod time and more honeymoon time vs post honeymoon which felt so forced and confusing (i literally assumed I fell asleep between episodes and missed something)." Yet, the snooze fest doesn't end in the pods—it continues after the couples leave.

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Despite the tense set-ups shown in the trailer, the high-stakes scenes lack the dramatic antics the show promised to its audience. In other words, I'm sure that many of the pairs face the same predictable conflicts that couples from the previous seasons have already encountered. For example, Taylor Haag and Daniel Hastings' storyline—debating whether he knew who she was in the pods—is similar to season 5's Lydia Velez Gonzalez, who recognized her ex's voice, Uche Okoroha, during their time in the pods.

The Dating Pool Is Too Small

Unlike the previous season, season 9 one takes place in the snowy city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, which is considered relatively small in terms of population compared to other Love is Blind locations. Therefore, during filming, many Minneapolis singles who were not a part of the show were unsurprised to find out they had previously dated some of the LIB season 9 cast members. A few of them even took to TikTok to share their experiences and thoughts on the show's decision to film in "The Minnie Apple."

Everyone knows everyone here...everyone has an experience with someone on that show, or knows someone who does also. Everyone knows at least one person.

TikToker Leah (@leah_bergy), revealed that she not only dated two of the male contestants, but also made videos about them. Spoiler alert: one was nice and the other—not so much. She also expressed her doubts about the show's location, saying, "I find it really hard to believe that they found a cast who doesn't know each other at all, or at least have, like, mutual friends." The TikToker had a point, given that the current couple, Dave Bettenburg and Lauren O'Brien's main conflict is Laren's past relationships with a man that Dave knew—on top of Taylor and Daniel's argument.

LIB Casting Needs To Address The Clout Chasing Problem In Season 9

The Show Is Attracting Influencers, Not Soulmates

Love is blind season 8 Ben Mezzenga in a suit smiling during the show's promo shoot.

As mentioned, "clout chasing" allegations are nothing new among the singles on Love is Blind—but are often uncovered during or after the show has wrapped. However, these accusations continue to grow with each season, slowly undermining the authenticity of the show's experiment. In particular, this season's own Ben Mezzenga was recently accused by multiple women of always having ambitions for fame, especially after reportedly handing out business cards with his YouTube channel to women he dated. TikToker Rikki (@storytimewithrikkii), posted a clip featuring a screenshot of this business card, which was sent to her by one of Ben's exes.

Love is Blind prides itself on its casting process, but when allegations go unchecked or aren't taken seriously, I'm certain raises questions about whether the producers' so-called "rigorous casting process" is as thorough as they claim. In a recent Backstage article, the show's casting director, Donna Driscoll, explained the extensive measures taken to narrow down each application, including a 300-question compatibility quiz. She said, "It’s very detailed, and we have a background check and psych evaluation before anyone moves forward to the pod."

However, most season 7 cast members have revealed they were primarily recruited through social media. Such as, A.D. Smith was scouted through Instagram and then at the nightclub where she worked. Meanwhile, Johnny McIntyre was discovered via LinkedIn (shared via E! News). As a result, raising questions about whether the recruitments process is attracting more influencers than hopeless romantics.

LIB Should Highlight More Pod Couples

& Allow More Couples On Vacation

If season 7 taught the viewers anything, it's that not all engaged couples are invited on the tropical getaway—including Brittany Wisniewski and Leo Braudy. Although season 8 is not over yet, audiences only see five couples get engaged by the end of episode 6. However, it has since been revealed that another pair that got engaged, but was not featured in the show at all: Brittany Dodson (a.k.a. B Dot) and Mo Ndiaye. Meanwhile, Brian Sumpton and Kylie Schuelke also seemed to hit it off, but they ultimately didn't get engaged.

In the first few episodes, audiences watched Brittany form a connection with Devin Buckley. However, after she confided in him about the intimate details regarding her sexuality, their relationship took a turn for the worse, and they broke things off. What viewers didn't get to see, though, was that sparks later flew between Brittany and Mo after they bonded over their heritage. Yet, Brittany chose to give up their spot on the vacation getaway so they could get to know each other better on their own.

Unfortunately, their Love Is Blind engagement was short-lived. TikToker @StoryTimeWithRikkii informed audiences that a reliable source had reached out to her, revealing that Brittany had ended her engagement with Mo. According to the insider, "One day on a date, [Brittany] found out that he had exclusively dated white women and said he wasn't sure he would be able to 'get there' with a black woman, so she ended the engagement." Despite their fleeting love story, audiences were deprived of an interesting dynamic that highlighted a real and controversial struggle in modern dating.

Love is Blind season 8 is now available for streaming on Netflix and premieres a new episode every Friday.

Sources: @StoryTimeWithRikki/TikTok, @leah_bergy/TikTok, @MrsMcCheese1/Reddit, Backstage, E! News