After weeks of runaway brides, gold wine glasses and hot dog costumes, Love Is Blind Season 2 has returned with one more hour of absolute mess. That’s right: The reunion is here, and everyone is determined to weigh in on the drama — even hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey. To celebrate, we’re recapping the scalding exchanges and breaking down the most cringey, messy and WTF moments (and yes, there are a lot). Find out which couples are still happily married and which might be getting together — no, definitely not Shake and Vanessa.
Mess: The Shayne and Natalie and Shaina and Kyle Love Quad The passing of time seems to have made the fearsome foursome only more complicated. Here’s our red-string, conspiracy-board breakdown of the dynamics:
Shayne: Apologizes to Natalie for getting defensive and muddling the truth about his interest in Shaina in the pods, but is interrupted by Shake (more on that below). Expresses remorse for the fight that ended their relationship, but also pushes Natalie to apologize for how he “got to that point.”
Natalie: Has accepted Shayne’s apologies, but says that fight “changed everything.” Apologizes to Shayne for making him feel like he wasn’t “good enough.” Shares that she and Shayne briefly got back together after their wedding, but she ultimately couldn’t get over their fight.
Shaina: Apologizes to Natalie for lying about confessing feelings for Shayne. Also apologizes to Kyle for accepting his proposal, but says in the same breath that she feels “manipulated” that he used his mother’s engagement ring. Shares that she and Shayne have seen each other since the finale, but strictly platonically.
Kyle: Reveals he didn’t even know that Shaina tried to get back together with Shayne after accepting his proposal.
Got it? Good — neither do we.
WTF: Do we have another triangle? While talking to Shaina about their failed relationship, Kyle reveals that his biggest regret out of the show was not asking — wait for it — Deepti to marry him. What now? “I fucked up,” he says. “I should have tried harder for [Deepti]... I wish I saw what was right in front of me.” Though Deepti claims the two are just friends, we’ll be monitoring (gesturing broadly) that.
Mess: Mal and Sal aren’t pals Ex-fiancés Mallory and Salvador also get the chance to talk through their issues. A visibly frustrated Sal calls the beach conversation between Jarrette and Mallory “disrespectful,” which Jarrette apologizes for; Sal also says he felt “unheard” during his arguments with Mallory, which she acknowledges. Ultimately, Sal concludes that they gave their relationship a fair shot, though they did not get back together after their failed wedding.
Cringe: Shake vs. everyone For better or worse (if you ask the cast, probably worse), this reunion was dominated by one person: Shake. Let’s recap some of what he says and does during the episode:
He accuses Kyle and Shaina of staying together to remain on-camera, “off the record” (on camera for millions of people to see).
He brings up Sal’s “ex-girlfriend,” despite Sal saying he doesn’t want to discuss her.
He tells Shayne to “shut up” and says the cast has turned “fake as fuck.”
After refusing to apologize for asking women about their weight, he compares marriage to a “purchase.”
In fact, he refuses to apologize for anything he’s said or done because he believes he’s there to “be honest.”
The rest of the room isn’t here for it: Nick says he unfollowed Shake because he’s so “unbearable,” Shayne tells him he “can’t believe the words that are coming out of his mouth,” and Iyanna recommends he see a psychologist. Natalie even reveals that the season showed a “watered-down” version of Shake’s insults, while Deepti shares that all the women, as well as Jarrette and Shayne, warned her to say ‘I don’t.’
“One of the most shocking things that I learned here today is seeing the amount of personal growth that almost everyone had developed — myself, [Nick], every other cast member, except one,” Danielle tells Tudum after the reunion finished taping. “I was really hopeful that Shake would be able to learn to treat people better, and, unfortunately, he hasn’t, and I don’t know if he ever will be able to after this.”
Shake’s only defense to all of this is saying that he “keeps it real” and even brands himself as a “villain.” The only regret he seems to have is that, because of his “warped views,” he probably went on the wrong show — and that, at least, is something everyone can agree on.
WTF: Vanessa challenges Shake and he responds...by hitting on her? Even the usually calm Vanessa Lachey couldn’t ignore Shake’s attitude, telling him that he “sat there and berated every single one of these women physically…all because you wanted someone that you wanted to fuck.” She further tells him that it’s clear he didn’t grow throughout the process — an assumption he immediately proves correct by saying he’s “doubling down” on his comments about weight.
In a moment that is, essentially, unprompted, Shake says out of all the women in the room, he’s only attracted to Vanessa. It’s...something. “I’ve done nothing but berate you this entire time,” she says. “That’s a messed-up relationship.”
Love: our happy couples Ending on a happy note, we finally got to hear from the couples who said “I do” — Iyanna and Jarrette, and Nick and Danielle — who all remain happily married. Nick and Danielle are better than ever, with Danielle sharing that their fights have become virtually “non-existent” since filming wrapped. Since the wedding, they (and their pets) have successfully moved in together (all the furniture stays intact, and the Rock Band drum set stays out). And over the holidays, Nick’s uncle surprised Danielle with his great-grandmother’s wedding ring.
Iyanna and Jarrette are also enjoying married life. Iyanna reveals that, though it was upsetting to watch Jarrette’s beach conversation with Mallory, Jarrette has since apologized and said it “never should have happened.” And while balancing their lifestyles isn’t exactly easy, Iyanna says the relationship has been so “rewarding.” Plus, she reveals that, while they didn’t share it for the cameras, the couple, ahem, did have sex in Mexico.
And despite all the mess, Iyanna says everyone was glad to reunite. “I was extremely happy to see how supportive everyone was of each other,” Iyanna tells Tudum. “I’m glad the cast has maintained such a close bond, despite any drama that may have happened.”
