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Whether you’re a fan of reality television or not, there’s a good chance you’ve heard about the latest season of “Love Is Blind,” the Netflix dating show that is one of the most-watched streaming series of all time. The show’s ninth season follows a group of single men and women from Denver as they look for romantic connections with their fellow contestants.

The singles begin their dating journey in individual “pods”—small rooms where they get to know each other by talking via speakers. Couples don’t meet face-to-face unless they decide to get engaged. From there, they spend several weeks together in the real world, planning their wedding and deciding whether to say “I do” at the altar.

As the show nears its conclusion—the final episodes will be released on Oct. 15 and Oct. 22—DU psychology professor Galena Rhoades about its popularity and the unusual circumstances it sets up for participants. We asked her to shed more scientific light on this pop-culture phenomenon.

What do you think makes “Love Is Blind” so fascinating and appealing to viewers?

“Love Is Blind” taps into a universal curiosity about whether love can transcend physical attraction. It’s a kind of social experiment that viewers can project themselves into—asking themselves, “Would I fall in love if I couldn’t see the person?” It’s also high-stakes and emotionally intense, which mirrors the thrill and unpredictability of the early stages of relationships. For many, it’s entertaining because it dramatizes processes that we all navigate—like commitment, conflict, and vulnerability—in a compressed and visible way.

Does “Love Is Blind” reflect real relationships or is it pure fiction?

It’s not entirely fictional, but it’s far from an accurate reflection of how relationships typically form or evolve. The emotions participants experience are genuine, but the environment—total isolation, time pressure, constant filming—creates conditions that heighten intensity and speed up bonding. In reality, relationships develop more gradually, with space for reflection, social input, and conflict resolution over time. The show captures real feelings in an unreal setting.

Does the show touch on anything that you’ve explored in your research?

Absolutely. My research focuses on romantic relationships, sexuality, and how people form and maintain healthy connections. The show highlights how quickly people make deep commitments based on emotional connection alone, which is something we see in real life under certain conditions, like high stress or novelty. It also reflects what we study in relationship science about attachment, self-disclosure, and idealization—the ways early bonding can both strengthen and distort the perception of a partner.

How does “Love Is Blind” upend the usual order of relationships, and is that a good thing or a bad thing?

The couples form emotional intimacy first—before any physical or contextual factors come into play—and then face the practical realities later. That’s the reverse of how most relationships unfold. This out-of-order sequencing can be illuminating: It strips away visual bias and pushes emotional vulnerability to the forefront. But it can also be destabilizing when the relationship transitions into everyday life. Compatibility isn’t just emotional—it’s logistical, sexual, and situational. The show dramatizes that collision between idealized love and lived reality.

Can people actually find love on reality dating shows?

It’s possible, but it’s unlikely in the long term. Some couples succeed because they happen to be well-matched and can adapt to real-world conditions after filming. But lasting relationships depend on skills that reality TV doesn’t test well, like conflict management, empathy, and shared life goals. The accelerated timeline and artificial structure work against those deeper processes. Still, for a few, it serves as a catalyst to find genuine connection and self-awareness, even if the relationship itself doesn’t last.