Before we dive into this week’s recap, it’s worth acknowledging some of what has been happening on social media. Usually, I’d be iffy about including this stuff, but starting from the pods, this season of Love Is Blind has felt unique in terms of how open the cast was about being perceived online. People on dates were talking about followers, social-media habits, and whether America would be rooting for them; it’s not surprising that the cast is giving us so much content™ now that the show is airing. Plus some of it feels relevant to know as we keep watching.
So the highlights: Sarah Ann has been posting TikToks from a house that looks exactly like Jeramey’s, while Trevor has been accused of being a clout chaser who fully had a girlfriend while filming. Jimmy is claiming Jessica got a “good edit” and is asking the internet to “be easy” on Chelsea, who has had the likes of Julia Fox and Trisha Paytas in her comments assuring her that she does look like Megan Fox. Meanwhile, Amy has posted lengthy Instagram Stories clarifying that Johnny never pressured her to be on birth control, noting that her own hesitancy was partly because of a genetic disorder that affects her blood vessels. (There are also claims being made about the sexuality of certain cast members, but I personally don’t feel comfortable speculating when the people themselves haven’t addressed it.)
On to this week’s pair of episodes! We’re getting closer and closer to wedding day, and our couples are continuing to meet each other’s family — to mixed results.
Jeramey’s mother is thankfully not the type of #BoyMom who blindly supports all his actions. She understands why Laura was upset about his chat with Sarah Ann. But she also doesn’t seem too devastated. Maybe because this isn’t her first time losing a potential daughter-in-law? (Jeramey recently confirmed on Instagram that he ended an engagement “a number of weeks” before casting reached out to him.)
Chelsea charms Jimmy’s adorable family while clinging to pushing the idea that she and Jimmy have amazing communication. She even describes their fights as just conversations, which is a truly delusional take. Jimmy’s parents, who have been together for 43 years, have a playful dynamic I suspect Jimmy might be trying to emulate. When Jimmy’s dad says he gets along fine with his wife, Chelsea is able to laugh and feel the love behind the statement — even though she seemed underwhelmed when Jimmy said the same thing in a previous episode.
Scheduling continues to be a problem for AD and Clay, but they find time to meet AD’s mom, Jacqueline, who jumps when she sees Clay. Jacqueline’s basically immediately onboard after he introduces himself. “That’s a man,” she tells AD in a way that tells me AD must have dated some true losers in the past. When Clay expresses doubts because of his parents’ divorce, Jacqueline, a divorcée herself, advises him to focus on how great it is that they stayed married for 24 years. I don’t necessarily agree with the approach — their choosing to stay together could have been horrible for Clay — but I respect her overarching message that kids don’t have to take on their parents’ failures. We end this scene with AD and Clay being dubbed “Ghetto Barack” and Michelle, which is truly … something!
When Johnny and Amy sit down with her dad, Johnny outlines a lovely plan about retiring at 50 and never worrying about money. Last week, Netflix seemed to want us to worry that Amy’s dad could be this couple’s big obstacle, but after singing his daughter’s praises, he readily gives his blessing. I’m reminded of the fact that he once begged people at church to come to young Amy’s birthday party because she had no friends. Clearly he just wants his little girl to be happy.
From there, we move to the worst fight of the season. Chelsea is pissed that Jimmy went out for about an hour for a friend’s birthday the night before. She’s embarrassed that girls from the pods saw him and asked her why she wasn’t there. She concludes that he lied in the pods and is actually a party animal.
She also accuses Jimmy of being too close with his girlfriends. He says he’s not willing to take a step back because they don’t have a physical relationship, which leads us to the sound bite Netflix has been teasing for weeks: “You fucked her! I know you did!” Jimmy is upset because that was apparently a onetime thing he told her about off-camera to protect his friend. He points out that it was less recent than her relationship with an ex she’s friends with. Chelsea switches subjects and accuses him of seeing Jess, which he denies. He says she’s fishing for problems, and she scoffs that he doesn’t care about her.
We already know Jimmy gets triggered when Chelsea doubts that he loves her, and when she doubles down on that claim … she might be drunk, but he can’t take that. “It’s not gonna work, Chelsea,” Jimmy says. She comes to the bathroom and softly tells him not to leave, and he ends up spending the night on the couch.
They’re not the only couple to worry about. After helping AD fill out their marriage license, Clay again brings up that he’s scared of infidelity because his dad cheated on his mom seven years into their marriage. He doesn’t feel as mature as some of the men he has seen on Love Is Blind and floats the idea of not getting married but continuing to date. AD explains that she’s committed to the experiment’s timeline and doesn’t want to be a long-term fiancée. If he says “no” at the altar, she can’t keep dating him. “Woof,” says Clay. We’ve got AD telling her mom she’ll follow Clay anywhere, but here Clay is telling her to her face that he can’t lead. Woof indeed.
Back to Jimmy’s escape attempt. He tells Chelsea in the morning that he doesn’t want to get married. He feels he’s giving as much as possible, but it’s not enough for her. Yay! I’m so relieved this toxic pairing is over. But then Chelsea suggests that she shouldn’t have been drinking, argues that marriage means you don’t give up when things get tough, and claims she felt more in love with him yesterday than ever. Jimmy says he forgives her, folding like wet cardboard. “If she’s in it, I’m in it,” he explains. He probably thinks that’s a romantic line. I would categorize it as a one-sentence horror story, and I am terrified these two might actually be stubborn enough to get married.
If you’re hoping for a break from the drama, you’re out of luck. It’s now time for a mini cast reunion in the form of a tense lakecation.
Jessica’s arrival seems to immediately put Chelsea on edge. (This is despite the fact that Chelsea calls Trevor a beefcake as soon as she sees him and insists in a one-on-one that he was her top pick until the last day.) Jess and Jimmy are both attracted to each other, but when they talk it out, it’s clear they both still think the other was in the wrong during their last date. Jessica angles to keep things cordial, advising him to treat Chelsea well. And Jimmy tells Jessica, “You were my No. 1 still” … according to the Netflix captions, at least. His twang did make me initially question whether he said are instead of were. Either way, it’s a weird comment. If he genuinely wants to stay with Chelsea, he should be conscious of the fact that she’s going to be watching the footage back one day.
Laura comes without her ring; Jeramey comes in a Hawaiian shirt. Jeramey tells Johnny and Jimmy that he tried apologizing to Laura, but she responded to his texts with “nasty” answers that made him not want to fight for the relationship anymore. They eventually confront each other. She calls him a con artist who doesn’t know how to process his feelings for Sarah Ann, claiming that he took three days to own up to his mistake and isn’t man enough for her. He has already packed up her stuff. The conversation ends with her telling Jeramey to “go kick rocks with open-toed fucking shoes.”
Meanwhile, AD and Sarah Ann are pretending that they’re not arguing, which stresses me out more than if they were yelling. AD, a self-appointed Team Laura representative, is trying to get Sarah Ann to admit she was wrong for DM-ing Jeramey. Sarah Ann suggests that Jeramey left the door open in the pods and later told her he was breaking it off with Laura.
Sarah Ann and Jeramey eventually have a one-on-one dock chat in which she says it’s not fair that she’s being villainized for being a “realist” and trying to find love. Jeramey declares that he made the wrong choice in the pods. They decide, To hell with everyone else — they’re gonna have fun on the lake. Maybe these two are actually perfect for each other. It’s just hard to feel too happy for them when their Jet Skiing footage is broken up with Laura crying in a confessional. Unsurprisingly, Laura is not one of the women participating in the pre-wedding activity dates, which range from ice-carving (Chelsea and Jimmy) to customizing sneakers (AD and Clay).
We haven’t seen too much of Amy and Johnny this week, though it seems that everyone in the cast — except Jimmy — acknowledges them as the strongest couple. We finally get more time with them when they revisit the birth-control conversation. Apparently they’ve only “touched subtly” on it since last time, which feels alarming given how quickly weddings are approaching. Johnny has done more research and isn’t thrilled with what he’s learned about vasectomies and male birth-control pills. Amy is “definitely” considering birth control, and they agree that they’re going to “figure it out.”
Seven days until the weddings! Our couples meet up with the Lacheys to try on dresses and suits. The women and their guests are emotional. Despite her previous marriage, this is Chelsea’s first time shopping for a wedding dress in person. AD starts sobbing when she sees herself as a bride. Amy’s mom, just like her dad, gives a heartfelt speech affirming her unconditional support for her daughter. I feel like each woman successfully finds a style that matches their personality. Like, of course AD’s veil would say “Till death do us part,” you know?
The vibes on the men’s side are much more relaxed. I am not impressed when Clay describes the fitting as a full-circle moment because he was “getting some of my first girls” with one of the friends he invited. Johnny’s and Jimmy’s friends do seem happy for them, if a little bemused.
Before the episode ends, we squeeze in one more date per couple. Clay and AD have dinner, and he says he’s really looking forward to marriage and fatherhood. Johnny and Amy discuss how right their relationship feels over campfire s’mores. After Chelsea and Jimmy spend the day at a theme park, Jimmy asks where she’s at as far as marriage goes. They haven’t discussed the upcoming decision at all. Is she ready to say “I do”? Cut to black.
Next week, we’re headed to the altar. Lock in your predictions for the finale in the comments!
Pod Goss
• AD mentions making a gift for Clay that includes 25 reasons she thinks he’s amazing. More than two dozen compliments for this man? Who didn’t even come home to read them? I just … we need to see this list.
• Jimmy doesn’t seem jealous or worried when Chelsea is chatting with Trevor. I haven’t forgotten that Jimmy said in the pods that he was dating Trevor just as much as he was dating the women. I feel like the guys this season do seem to have developed some real friendships.
• Brittany and Kenneth didn’t make it to the lake house! I wonder if they’ll be at the actual reunion … speaking of, do we think Matthew will show his face?
• I highly recommend going back to watch episode five, during which Laura comforts Sarah Ann after Jeramey doesn’t pick her. They hug, y’all! Laura calls her a bad bitch that deserves the world! It’s jarring how much things have changed. Now, it actually feels ominous when Sarah Ann smiles and says, “I’ll have my moment.”