Arguably, the biggest loser from the Love Is Blind Season 7 reunion is the viewers. The segments dedicated to the biggest controversies of the season were lackluster and seemed designed to frame the participants who had either lied or cheated in the best light possible. Stephen Richardson‘s inappropriate text exchanges and fetishes were barely even discussed, for instance. Instead, hosts Nick Lachey and Vanessa Lachey allowed the problematic participants to say their prepared statements, and barely allowed any interrogation after.
The reunion opened with a discussion of Tyler Francis‘s paternity scandal, where he was allowed to clarify his inconsistent statements during his time on the series. Viewers who have paid attention to the paternity drama know that there are photos online that contradict Tyler’s tactic of pretending he had nothing to do with the children he fathered to assist his friend with starting her family. Tyler clarified he had attempted to deny knowing the children as a way to protect them, as there was a period where he was involved with the family’s daily routine when he stepped in to assist his friend when she was left as a single mother. Tyler pointed out there is no playbook when it comes to this kind of modern family, and he was doing his best to protect the children involved.
The situation was messy and Tyler had been caught in several lies, so taking him at his word was a big ask of the viewers. But with his wife Ashley Adionser firmly standing by her man, there really was no room for anyone to request further clarification. This is why, when it comes to which participant in the Love Is Blind social experiment was actually the biggest loser of the reunion, it has to be Nick Dorka, because his situation couldn’t be more different than Tyler’s. Instead of a supportive woman standing beside him, and arguably shielding him from criticism, Nick D had to face the wrath of a woman scorned. A woman who happened to have an extremely clear memory of each of his transgressions from when the season was filmed, and after.
Nick D’s Lies Weren’t the Most Scandalous, but Hannah Still Wanted Them Addressed
While hosts Nick and Vanessa dedicated significant time to addressing how “direct” Hannah was in her relationship with Nick D, they spent comparatively little time allowing Hannah the opportunity to address the lies and contradictions that brought out her critical nature. Even the lover-boy of the season, sexy scientist Garrett Josemans, was given the opportunity to chime in with his opinion about Nick D’s incredible patience with Hannah, describing him as a “good dude.” At least Hannah acknowledged her faults in this segment, claimed to be working on them, and apologized to Nick D for the way she treated him. On Nick D’s side, he deflected criticism and allowed his friends to shield him with this “good guy” narrative throughout the reunion.
Nick D took every opportunity to imply Hannah was the problem in the relationship, while also trying to come across as a “good dude.” For instance, Nick D gave a speech about Hannah receiving too much hate online for being a transparent person and praised her while deriding online trolls. Hannah jumped in to ask him why he would be “liking” the hateful comments if that’s how he really felt. Nick D stumbled over his words before acknowledging, “Yeah, no, I get it.” But he still did not apologize for the inconsistencies in how he was trying to portray himself on the series, versus his behavior in real life, which was the cause for Hannah’s anger.
Nick D Lost Control of the Narrative, Even If He Kept His Cool
Nick D kept his cool throughout Hannah’s precise list of reasons he had been faking their relationship, even when she revealed she had found a notebook where he had set the intention to become “the most famous person on Love Is Blind.” Nick D sidestepped this issue with ease, as well as the accusation that he had made disparaging comments about Hannah’s appearance after he had proposed to her. In a strange twist, hosts Nick and Vanessa directed their questions to Hannah and her best friend Marissa George, instead of interrogating Nick for the lies he seemed to be telling.
So many people from the Love Is Blind cast confirmed Nick D had been lying with a poker face that he still came away looking like the biggest loser from the reunion. Nick D’s boys had his back, but Hannah and Marissa had the opportunity to prove the lies that he was bold enough to try to pass for truth. Marissa eventually outed Ramses Prashad for covering for Nick D, and under pressure, he confirmed the truth and urged his friend to do the same. Nick D was outed as a liar on the reunion stage, and since his goal was to become the most famous Love Is Blind cast member, the way he missed that opportunity is his biggest loss. He’ll have to settle for Love Is Blind infamy instead.
