Well, Friday was a big day for those who’ve been waiting to see more from a certain bingeable Netflix dating show, as we were finally treated to an update on what happened with our most recent set of participants on Love Is Blind After the Altar Season 2. This three-episode catch-up gave fans a look at pretty much everyone (with the exception of Season 2 villain Shake), to let us in on how the singles and married couples (that we were shown) were faring after making some big decisions in their love lives. Now that we’ve all had a chance to absorb what we saw, I thought it would be a great time to talk about some of the many thoughts I had while watching. Let’s get to it!
I Sorta Don’t Get Kyle And Deepti Being So Afraid Of Dating Each Other
One of the big shocks of the Love Is Blind Season 2 reunion was the reveal that Kyle and Deepti were hot for each other while still in the pods. He even admitted that he regretted not proposing to her, so fans have been dying to know where the two stand. After the Altar started with them on a shopping trip where they were close enough to share a beverage during a pandemic, and during the episodes they each talked at length about their sexual tension and how they spent time together daily, but were both scared of messing up their friendship if they took things further.
This is a common refrain heard from friends who know they could turn said friendship into a romance, but it sorta confuses me. If you trust someone enough to be close friends with them, shouldn’t you also trust them enough to believe that if you have to break off your romance, they won’t be a dick about it? Sure, it might take some time for both of you to feel comfortable just hanging out casually again, but why do so many people assume the day when you can just be friends will never come back around?
By the end of the special, they’d agreed to try dating, but Kyle’s recent words about Deep make it sound like that didn’t really work out for them, so maybe I’m just unaware of the difficulties of going from friends to lovers.
Danielle And Shaina Are Buddies?
What a world we live in! There had previously been no hint that Danielle and Shaina were buddies, but After the Altar showed us differently when the married lady joined husband Nick on a double date with Shayne’s potential flirt friend and her new boyfriend, Chris. The chat seemed genial (and genuine), with Danielle even inviting the couple to her upcoming ‘80s costume party… which she eventually regretted big time.
Uh, Oh!
OK, with the only two couples to marry from Season 2 announcing that both were divorcing shortly before the special premiered, we were all hoping to see more of what went wrong between Danielle and Nick, and Iyanna and Jarrette, and ATA didn’t disappoint when it came to the latter's union.
Before everyone else arrived for their girls’ night, Iyanna admitted to Natalie that she’d moved out of the home she shared with her husband, and it became very clear throughout that he was still having trouble just getting his ass home for the wee hours of the morning, as he’d continued to upset his wife by staying out drinking to all hours. Iyanna had moved back in once Jarrette seemed to be more fully committed to changing his partying ways, but, clearly, it wasn’t enough.
We’re Just Never Going To Know What Really Went On Between Natalie, Shane, And Shaina
Wow. These three will confuse me until, well, until Love Is Blind Season 3 debuts, probably. During the reunion, we found out that the engagement-ending, off-camera fight between Shayne and Natalie wasn’t the final word on their romance, as they’d tried to reconcile later. Natalie said that her lingering hurt from that fight was what made the relationship impossible, but in ATA, she changed her tune.
Natalie told us (and her friends) that Shayne and Shaina sent a number of flirty messages to one another while she and he were dating, but, when word of this came out (via Danielle at the party) Shaina denied it and also denied ever even liking Shayne romantically, with that last part absolutely seeming like a lie. Then, both Shayne and Shaina said that Natalie was the one lying. So, that’s it folks. We’re never going to know the whole story and we’re all going to have to be OK with that!
Sal’s New Girlfriend Is Something Else
Sal did seem to have his heart broken by Mallory’s obvious attachment to Jarrette, even though she turned down his proposal in the pods. So, when he showed up to the couple’s weekend with a new girlfriend it was a bit surprising, especially considering that Jessi appears to be a very different kind of person than his former fiancée. The best example of this? When they get their costumes on for the ‘80s party, and Jessi goes full blown video vixen around a bunch of folks she just met (and cameras) in barely there lingerie and thigh-high boots. No wonder Sal was considering marrying her already. Do your thing, Jessi!
Iyanna And Jarrette Have The Best Parents
I cannot get over how truthful, direct, and helpful Iyanna and Jarrette’s parents were during that dinner with all of them. All four spoke to the younger couple in a gentle but open way about the marital problems they were having, with Jarrette’s dad even trying to get his son to face why he feels he needs to stay out partying all night every night. Any of these folks could be brought into upcoming seasons to counsel the singles/couples and I’d be totally on board for it!
Maybe Mallory Can Fully Get Over Sal Now That She’s Mad At Him
Mallory was clearly uncomfortable with being around Sal and Jessi, despite the fact that she didn’t treat him that well when they were together. But, once the producers revealed to her that he’d told his sisters that after she'd stood him up for a shopping date, he caught her drunk and getting out of a car with another guy while they were engaged (which Mal denied was anything romantic to him and the audience), it pissed her right off. Hopefully, she can finally move on now that he’s made her mad.
Nick And Danielle Seemed To Be Pretty Solid, So What Happened?
Though Danielle and Nick had some baffling arguments before marrying, what we saw of them in ATA appeared like a couple who were pretty solid, firmly on the same page, and able to work through differences a lot easier. Considering that they also recently announced their divorce, this still leaves us with the question of what went wrong. This is another one we may never have an answer to.
Random Thoughts
There are a lot of things that came up for me while watching this special, so here are some additional thoughts that wandered through my head:
- What's going on with dudes with short hair wearing headbands?
- Costume parties are the worst parties.
- If you go to Michigan in the winter, it's going to be cold.
- Is the background for these talking head interviews CGI?
- Did no one help Nick and Danielle clean up after the party? Rude!
As mentioned earlier, Love Is Blind Season 3 is coming up, with it being set for an October 19 release. Until then, you can relive the surprises of the first two seasons with your Netflix subscription.
