There have been quite a few gasp-worthy moments within the newest season of “Love Is Blind.” But from JP mocking Taylor’s make-up and Johnie making a grand entrance with Chris in tow to Stacy’s numerous euphemisms for a golf stick, there was not a single second that got here near the shock and horror that came visiting me when Uche admitted to Aaliyah that he had a romantic historical past with one other contestant on the present and uttered the phrases: “It’s Lydia,” aka Aaliyah’s closest pal.
To sum up the Uche, Aaliyah, and Lydia drama, it is revealed in episode three that Uche and Lydia had dated earlier than each approaching “Love Is Blind” season 5. They reveal their relationship spanned a number of months, and Lydia says they slept collectively only some weeks earlier than approaching the present. Lydia acknowledges Uche’s voice on their first pod date, and after fairly a little bit of prodding, he remembers hers as effectively. However, they determine to not proceed on with each other, protecting their historical past secret from the opposite contestants. Their determination was supposedly made to stay to the “Love Is Blind” experiment, which requires contestants to not know their potential love curiosity’s look and, as an alternative, solely fall in love emotionally.
When Uche lastly reveals all to Aaliyah, she is blindsided, to say the least. She and Lydia had met on the present and grown shut, seemingly spending most of their time exterior of the pods collectively, and she or he’s understandably horrified to study her closest pal is her present companion’s ex. She has been confiding in Lydia about Uche, crying on her shoulder and taking her recommendation, all whereas Lydia withheld this secret. Making issues worst, Uche makes this revelation after beforehand chastising and distancing himself from Aaliyah after she obtained trustworthy and weak about her earlier infidelity with an ex. Why be so harsh when you realize you are withholding your personal main secret?
Uche makes this revelation after beforehand chastising and distancing himself from Aaliyah after she obtained trustworthy and weak about her earlier infidelity with an ex. Why be so harsh when you realize you are withholding your personal main secret?
Uche is equally — if no more — accountable for the lies that brought on Aaliyah’s heartbreak on this state of affairs. But right here, we are going to deal with Lydia’s position, and why she completely represents the hazard of the “good lady” archetype.
When Lydia and Uche each discover themselves on “Love Is Blind,” she means that they struggle issues from scratch once more, asking, “Do you need to begin at zero?” and “You do not suppose it is even price it to get to know one another extra?” suggesting there have been nonetheless emotions on her aspect. But Uche decides this would not be becoming for the experiment, and sooner or later, it is presumed they determine to maintain their historical past personal. This is a call they made, and whereas I’m unsure I’d have carried out the identical, I can see their reasoning for it. They needed the opposite contestants to have a clean slate with each other and never be influenced by this prior relationship.
I take subject with Lydia pursuing a friendship with Aaliyah, nevertheless. Lydia appears to actively hunt down Aaliyah. She is all the time by her aspect — the one to wipe her tears and provides her phrases of encouragement. When Uche harshly dismisses Aaliyah for her earlier infidelity, she’s the one to carry her as she sobs and tells Aaliyah how a lot she is reminded of herself and her previous relationship. Rewatching these scenes, I really feel nauseous that Lydia virtually dropped in Easter eggs for the viewers. On high of that, manufacturing crudely selected a music referred to as “I Got a Secret” to play within the background.
I can not perceive how Lydia may, in good conscience, maintain Aaliyah’s hand all through her points with Uche with out revealing her historical past with him. How are you able to supply all of this recommendation and encouragement realizing the lie that you simply’re carrying? She will need to have identified that the key could be revealed sooner or later. If it wasn’t revealed within the pods, it could be later when Aaliyah met Uche’s associates or when the present finally hit Netflix. Why did Lydia pursue a friendship with Aaliyah? They say that you need to preserve associates shut and enemies nearer, and evidently Lydia did precisely that. She turned Aaliyah’s confidante for all issues associated to Uche, a place of energy I consider she relished.
If I had been Lydia, I’d’ve saved my distance from Aaliyah as an alternative of falsely making a narrative that we’re “sisters,” as Aaliyah describes them in episode 4. Take Stacy, for instance. When she realized she and Johnie had been each courting Izzy, she determined to keep away from Johnie and never talk about her state of affairs along with her. If Lydia had evaded Aaliyah, I’d discover it simpler to beat this deception.
When the reality is revealed, Lydia manages to make herself the sufferer of the state of affairs after which proceeds to make Aaliyah an increasing number of uncomfortable about it. Lydia is an clever lady, so she would ideally have the emotional maturity to acknowledge that Aaliyah would not need to hear about how Uche’s canine and associates all cherished her and all the opposite private particulars she is aware of as a result of they had been collectively beforehand. She basically twisted the knife she caught in Aaliyah’s again after which blamed Aaliyah for not having fun with the ache.
Lydia basically twisted the knife she caught in Aaliyah’s again after which blamed Aaliyah for not having fun with the ache.
A variety of actuality tv revolves round villains, so we’ll discover them in virtually each season of “Love Is Blind.” In season 4, Irina and Micah are the villains of the season. This occurred largely within the pods when the feminine contestants gathered. They could be seen protecting their distance, eavesdropping on gossip, and sometimes mocking others, and whereas this habits was undoubtedly petty and infantile, no less than it was carried out within the open. Irina and Micah did not pretend friendships with different contestants, significantly these pursuing the identical companions as they had been. Perhaps they did not like the opposite contestants or noticed them as threats, in order that they saved their distance and engaged in imply habits. All villainous, sure — however no less than they had been clear.
Lydia performs on the “good lady,” the place she needs nothing greater than everybody round her to be comfortable and claims she’s a really trustworthy and open particular person. But her actions on “Love Is Blind” show she is not that sort of particular person in any respect when it counts. Where is that this transparency and loyalty relating to the individuals she chooses to befriend?
There is far to be stated about apparent villains, however no less than you realize the place they stand. I’ve had individuals who smiled to my face after which stated terrible issues behind my again. I’ve had an in depth pal pursue somebody I used to be romantically concerned with after which declare I used to be paranoid for pondering something nefarious was occurring. I’ve additionally had individuals who clearly acknowledged from the beginning that I wasn’t their sort of particular person, or that we had nothing in frequent. While the latter felt tougher and hurtful within the second, I’m grateful for it now. I’m relieved they might be clear about their intentions quite than lulling me right into a false sense of safety and switching up on me when I’m most weak — a betrayal that’s much more hurtful in the long run.
It’s simple to villainize contestants who make their emotions identified and maybe isolate themselves from different contestants and go for the simpler, smiling figures who grow to be everybody’s finest pal. But in reveals the place they’re basically competing with one another, some with out their data of this, we must always applaud those that preserve their playing cards on the desk.
Ultimately, it goes again to the age-old adage about actuality TV: contestants aren’t there to make associates — they’re there to win. If that is the case, so be it. But do not play good and pretend friendships alongside the way in which, after which cry over the knife you stabbed in another person’s again.