May 2020 Issue-A&E

Check the left drop down menu for other articles from this issue.

---

Scroll down for articles on this page covering these topics::

• “On my Block” Season three’s ending is dull and disappointing
• “New Journey to the West” is the Best Choice for Relaxation
• “Rip and Tear Until It Is Done; A “Doom: Eternal” Review”
• “Hospital Playlist” is a dark horse korean drama exceeding expectations
• “Itaewon Class” is an engaging drama that dives into societal issues of the 21st century
• The Strokes’ latest album is a surprising return to form
• “Love is Blind” is an interesting experiment on the state of love in today’s society

---

“ON MY BLOCK” SEASON THREE’S ENDING IS DULL AND DISAPPOINTING

By: Sage Leverman

“On My Block” squad looks seriously annoyed because they all know that what the future holds is extremely tiring and dramatic.”

Photo courtesy of: Netflix

 

“On My Block” is a Netflix Originals web series that gained popularity for its teen melodrama following a group of teenagers growing up in inner Los Angeles. The show is great, with an entertaining storyline following the characters, Ruby, Monse, Jamal, and Cesar, who are dealing with growing up, starting high school, gang drama, and  being a teenager. The show, “On My Block,” is fantastic, but the ending of season three is a major disappointment. 

   

The season starts where season two left off, with the group of friends being kidnapped by the gang leader of the Cuchillos (a fictional gang in the show) and they’re told that if they want to live, they have to find a man named Lil Ricky, who's been hiding from the gang for 30 years. If they succeed, they get granted their freedom, and if they don’t, they get punished. The reason this group is chosen for this task is because they found money that was hidden for years in the last season, and the leader of the Cuchillos figured if they can solve the mystery and find money, they can find Lil Ricky.

 

At first, the group doesn’t feel threatened; for the most part, they’re passive to the situation, until the leader of the Cuchillos shows up to Monse’s house. When she plans to leave the city to clear her mind, she’s told she has to stay. She realizes that they’re all in deep danger and, until they find Lil Ricky, they’re all going to be monitored. This fear scares them to work together, and the friend group goes out of their way to find Lil Ricky, which leads to them realizing that finding this man is impossible. When worse comes to worst, the kids have a solution, and when they execute their plan, they get a happy relaxing ending. 

 

Spoilers ahead for the ending:

 

The kids ally with a neighboring gang to kill the leader of the Cuchillos. Now that the leader’s dead, they all can live their lives normally. The ending is happy, seeing that all that stress is gone. However, in the last few minutes of the last episode of the show, there’s a jump cut to four years into the future! The audience is robbed from the events that occur during this four year time frame. Netflix makes us disconnect everything we witness and we just see the kids as adults.

 

“On My Block” is a favorite for most people because of the dramatic but relatable comedy and the show's ability to create a realistic depiction of what being a teenager is like in some extreme circumstances. When Netflix did this jumpcut in the finale, it seemed like a cheap ending for the show, and it erased the specialty of being a teenager. A lot of fans are upset. It sucks how you build a story so well for three seasons and then just end it with a … “4 years later, to be continued.” No one knows why it was done and that’s why it’s so dull. 

One example of why jump cuts never work out is that we don’t get to see what happens to the characters within the gap years; it's just awkward re-introductions to the characters we already knew. “Pretty Little Liars” did a five year time jump, and the show ended an already well-written story with a dull ending. Growth is good, but why ruin a good plot hole?

 

The show “On My Block” is terrific; even season three was entertaining to watch, but after this jumpcut, the majority of the audience were disappointed. The kids we watched grow up are going to be adults in season four. The spark of “On My Block” is how the protagonists are all teenagers growing up, and now we don’t get to see them grow; they’re just adults.

 

“NEW JOURNEY TO THE WEST” IS THE BEST CHOICE FOR RELAXATION

By: Andrea Zhang

(From top left to down right) Eun Ji-won, Kang Ho-dong, Lee Soo-geun, Cho Kyuhyun, Song Mino, and P.O dress as the character they choose for season seven and Kang Ho-dong is holding the dragon ball with Na Young-seok director’s face on it.

Photo courtesy of tvN

 

Nowadays, we cannot travel due to Covid-19, and during quarantine what we miss the most is the outside world. I believe after staying at home for a couple of weeks, it’s also hard not to get bored. “New Journey to the West” is the best choice for relaxation under this circumstance.

 

“New Journey to the West” is a South Korean travel reality show that started in 2015 and has seven seasons. It is a perfect combination of travel and game; the travel part is really relaxing and the game part is very funny. It not only brings the outside world to you but also provides a variety of entertaining games that make you laugh out loud and meanwhile can be played at home or on phones with friends. 

 

First of all, because it’s a typical Korean reality show directed by Na Young-seok, it might be confusing if you’re watching this kind of reality show for the first time. The biggest difference is that there’s no official host in this show. All the members that appear in the show are participants of various games. When they play games, the director is the host and he will announce everything without appearing in front of the camera. While they’re relaxing, waiting, or having dinner, members will take the host's job to lead conversations and hold games that they want to play. There are many more differences to regular reality shows, but I’m sure you will get used to it and become addicted to it after a few episodes.

 

The plot story for this show is related to the Chinese novel “Journey to the West.” There are four main characters in this novel: Tang Sanzang, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing. Each member would take one character and dress up as that character during their journey. Their aim is to go to the city where dragon balls fell off and complete various missions to collect all seven dragon balls which can grant their wishes.

 

In each season, dragon balls fell off in different cities in China, Japan, or South Korean thus their journey would be in that city. Also, members are always changing and expanding; until season seven, there are seven members: Kang Ho-dong, Lee Soo-geun, Eun Ji-won, Song Mino, P.O, and Cho Kyuhyun. After the number of members expanded, more and more characters from other novels or movies appeared. It’s hilarious to see them dressing up during the entire trip. 

 

Even though “New Journey to the West” is a travel reality show, their trip is not easy at all because every step in their journey is being decided by the result of games. They use different ways of traveling as prizes or punishments; such as winners can enjoy the view on the boat but losers need to climb a high mountain to see the view. What they can eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner are also decided through the games. These rules add a lot of fun to the show and bring amazing landscapes and awesome cuisines right in front of you that really makes you feel like you’re traveling. 

 

“New Journey to the West” creates lots of amusing games, such as “Cone Hat Game”, “The Zombie Game”, and “Guess Who Game.” These games show members' personalities, demonstrate their friendship with each other, and also lead to funny accidents. Every member of this show has its own characters and strengths; those games give them ground to show themselves. For instance, Song’s drawing skills, Lee’s ability to change clothes in ten seconds, and many others are all very impressive.

 

Even though in most of the games, they are opponents, when it’s group missions, they collaborate and unite like a big family together. I really like their spirit and friendship but it’s not always a good thing. Song and P.O. have been friends for more than ten years and they know each other so well, if one of them is hiding something in a game, the other one would know right away where it is. It’s a lot of fun to see their competition. 

 

Most of the games in this show have simple rules and what you need for the games can be found at home so you can definitely try these games at home with your family and friends. Besides, these games can also be played on your phone

   

In addition, “New Journey to the West” has made many spin-offs. “Kang’s Kitchen," "Three Meals in Iceland," and “Youth Over Flowers” are all created as prizes for members in “New Journey to the West.” For instance, in season four, members successfully collected all seven dragon balls and Song says he wants Na director to create “Youth Over Flowers” for him as his prize. Those reality shows are also very funny and have the same members as “New Journey to the West” but with different backgrounds and rules. I recommend watching them after “New Journey to the West.”

 

“New Journey to the West” is my key to another world. When I’m watching it, I won’t think of anything else, it helps me relax and makes me laugh. It leads me to a world that I can get rid of all my worries and depression and just enjoy the happiness it gives me.

 

“RIP AND TEAR UNTIL IT IS DONE; A “DOOM: ETERNAL” REVIEW”

By: Joseph Sarabia

A screenshot of a hell ravaged earth moments after doom slayer returns to the planet

Gameplay credit to id software

 

“Doom: Eternal” is the latest installment in the Doom franchise developed by Id software and released on March 20, 2020. The story follows our protagonist Doom Slayer as he travels between various worlds to stop the progressing demonic invasion on earth. He must defeat the four hell priests and  a celestial entity known as the Khan Maykr to put an end to the demonic invasion of earth. “Doom: Eternal” is a great game that vastly improves upon the previous installment with various adjustments here and there to enhance gameplay and boost the player experience.

 

“Doom: Eternal” is like “Doom 2016” but with greater scope and clearer intent. “Doom” had infamously fallen into development hell, with the game developer Id Software spending years reimagining and reworking the entire project. “Doom: Eternal”, on the other hand, feels purposeful, like every team member had strived for one goal: to turn the magic of death-metal album covers into a video game.

 

Id Software's return to the “Doom” franchise in 2016 was a phenomenal update of the franchise's classic shooter formula. It was fast and intense, full of huge monsters and scorching metal tracks, modernizing the feel of the 1990’s original while adding some new-school flourishes. Where “Doom 2016” brought the original “Doom” into the present, “Doom: Eternal'' feels like a big step forward in making the franchise something new: It's a master class in demon dismemberment after the introductory course to ripping and tearing of four years ago. Like its predecessor, “Doom: Eternal” makes you feel like a monster-shredding badass not just because you're the strongest Doom Slayer, but because you're also the smartest.

 

“Doom: Eternal” offers that power fantasy in spades but is always ready to check your first-person-shooting ego around the next corner with a bigger, faster, nastier demon from Hell. This evolved followup takes everything fascinating about the fast and punchy 2016 reboot and improves upon the already amazing combat of the previous entry. 

 

This game is all about effectively using all your murder weapons to their fullest potential. Each of the weapons  have a purpose that helps keep you alive in the most desperate hour. Health, armor, and ammunition pickups are at a minimum in Eternal's many combat arenas, and the game instead forces you to earn these essentials by massacring monsters in a variety of different ways. Stagger an enemy and you can tear them apart with a brutal glory kill, which refills your health; douse a demon with the new flamethrower and they'll start to sprout armor pickups; or cut them in half with the chainsaw to grab some much-needed ammo. 

 

Combat in this game rarely allows you moments to breath as you are constantly barraged by hell's unrelenting army. Demons of all shapes and sizes flank you from every corner of the game. Beasts such as the Arch-Vile; very tall skeletal-looking humanoid figures that seem to lack any flesh around their abdomens revealing some of their rib cage and spinal column, are difficult beasts to slay. As well as the Marauder; a shotgun wielding, axe holding, horn wearing demon that resembles the Doom slayer is another prominent and fairly difficult enemy in the game. These demons can make any of your combat engagements difficult and force you to play differently and strategically. 

 

Although for the brief moments you aren’t decimating demons, you are free to explore the world around you. The graphics and set designs in this game are amazing and help immerse the player in a world they had never seen before. From the ravaged ruins of Earth engulfed in flames to the ancient and holy city of sentinel prime; the player is always left to explore the world around them in search of hidden collectibles, or even to just admire and take in the breathtaking settings they are in. 

 

All in all, “Doom: Eternal” is an amazing game that I highly recommend playing. It's a major improvement upon its previous installments and provides the players with a fresh experience the FPS gaming market. The improved combat, the new demons, and the amazing graphics accompanied by the awe-inspiring locations of the game helps shape “Doom: Eternal” into a must have for Doom fans or anyone wanting to try something new and exhilarating.

 

“HOSPITAL PLAYLIST” IS A DARK HORSE KOREAN DRAMA EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS (NO SPOILERS)

By: Yuqing Qiu

"Hospital Playlist" portrays a group of friends as they learn to find the positivity of working in an intense hospital environment.

Photo credits to @hospitalplaylist on Instagram

 

Although “Hospital Playlist” started as a mediocre television drama in the Korean entertainment industry, it rapidly gained ground and rose to become one of the most popular dramas to be aired in the first half of 2020. The first episode aired on March 12, 2020, and the finale of the season is set to air on May 28. I’ve always been captivated by dramas with hospital themes, such as “Good Doctor” and “Descendants of the Sun,” and “Hospital Playlist” hasn’t disappointed, either. 

 

The main cast in “Hospital Playlist” are Jo Jung-suk, Yoo Yeon-seok, Jung Kyung-ho, Kim Dae-myung, and Jeon Mi-do. The drama is a collaboration between Korean entertainment distributor TvN and Netflix. “Hospital Playlist” was produced by Lee Woo-jung and Shin Won-ho, who were widely known for producing the comedy series “Prison Playbook.” 

 

It incorporates traditional Korean values and dramatic plots, as well as some western styles. What makes “Hospital Playlist” so unique and interesting to watch is the way the drama feels so realistic, along with the drama’s outstanding original soundtracks.

   

One of the most unique features of “Hospital Playlist” is how realistic it feels. The storyline, the characters’ personalities, the interaction between doctor and patient, every element is realistic. 

 

The writer doesn’t downplay the helplessness medical professionals feel when a patient passes away, and the anguish of family members as they watch their loved ones leave is present, too. There are also disagreements between doctors and uncooperative patients, as there often are in real life. 

 

The producer shows a lot of each main character’s conflicting emotions and daily habits, which contributes to the drama’s realistic feel. The storyline doesn’t understate or over-exaggerate the daily struggles of doctors and a group of friends, which makes “Hospital Playlist” such a charming drama.

 

In the Korean drama industry, the original soundtrack (OST) of a drama is  one of the selling points that producers and directors use to capture viewers’ attention. “Hospital Playlist”’s OSTs certainly didn’t disappoint and are contributing factors to the drama’s rising popularity. The drama has 12 OSTs, the same as the number of episodes that will be aired. These OSTs are used as background music during the episode, and also illustrate the plot of “Hospital Playlist” in different melodies and lyrics. 

 

What is unique about these OSTs is that some of the soundtracks are sung by the main cast of the drama and help bring the drama to life even more. The melodies can be heard during different parts of the drama, such as during a surgery, a hangout between old friends, and the final moments of a patient as they succumb to death. 

 

My personal favorite OST is “Aloha” by Jo Jung-suk, who plays Lee  Ik-joon in “Hospital Playlist.” “Aloha” is a Korean pop ballad that lyricizes the importance of having someone to trust and rely on in life. This emphasizes the drama’s theme of friendship and how, in the darkest times, light can still be found, as long as you try hard enough.

 

 In “Hospital Playlist,” the main characters struggle with the difficulties that come with being a doctor. Meeting terminally ill patients for the first time and overseeing patients about to take their final breaths have become normal for them. That type of environment is depressing to work in and is detrimental to their mental health as well. 

 

However, the main cast is always supportive of each other and always try to find positivity in being a medical professional. They try to focus on the joys of working in a hospital, such as helping patients recover after successful surgeries or bidding patients farewell as they discharge. The OST binds well with the drama and knowing the story behind the lyrics Jo sings makes the song even more brilliant.

 

The finale of “Hospital Playlist” will air on May 28, and with the shelter in place order, now is the best time to binge this drama before the finale airs. There is no room for disappointment after watching “Hospital Playlist,” only room for hope and confidence that no matter what, everything will be okay.

 

“ITAEWON CLASS” IS AN ENGAGING DRAMA THAT DIVES DEEP INTO SOCIETAL ISSUES OF THE 21ST CENTURY

By: Nicole Chan

The cast of “Itaewon Class” did a phenomenal job portraying each character’s personality.

Photo Credits to @itaewon.class on Instagram  

 

The hit Korean drama, “Itaewon Class” (ee-tay-won) aired on January 31, 2020, on Netflix, and in my opinion, it was love at the first episode.

 

Based on a popular webcomic, “Itaewon Class” follows the story of an ex-convict who opens a pub, “DanBam,” in Itaewon district of Seoul, South Korea, with a group of newly-found friends and seeks vengeance on the wealthy man who wronged him in the past.  

 

“Itaewon Class” falls under the typical theme of “the wealthy, higher-class tramples on the poor, lower-class,” but what makes this drama so unique and well-written is the fact that it dives into modern-day societal problems that are so rarely mentioned in South Korea, like wealth/status gap, gender identity, racial acceptance, and corrupt justice systems.  

 

[Spoilers ahead, so read at your own discretion] At the beginning of the drama, a bully can be seen tormenting a student as the main character–Park Saeroyi, enters the classroom. The bully turns out to be the son of the CEO of Jagga Co., a large restaurant franchise where Saeroyi’s father works. This stands for abuse of power and status. Throughout the drama, the CEO of Jagga Co., Jang Dae-Hee, does everything in his power to ruin Saeroyi’s hopes of opening a successful pub because he is worried about having a huge competitor, and he’s afraid that Saeroyi has a vendetta against him. He buys out locations, bribes people, and hires spies to discreetly follow Saeroyi and his friends around. This signifies the CEO’s display of wealth and the power that he holds. 

 

Gender identity is considered to be a sensitive topic in South Korea. In the middle of the drama, Saeroyi is able to open a pub, but only had two employees: a waiter and a chef, because that was all he could afford at the moment. Later on, it is revealed that the chef, Hyun-Yi, is a transgender woman. She struggles with intense criticism from people around her, but with the support and comfort from Saeroyi and her friends, she overcomes her insecurities and gains confidence in herself.  

 

A new employee at “DanBam,” Toni, was introduced as a half-Korean and half-African American citizen. In one of the episodes, he faces discrimination as he is not permitted to enter a club with the rest of his friends. The club’s bouncer didn’t believe him when he said that he was a Korean citizen, just because of his skin color. “Itaewon Class” shows that there is still discrimination amongst foreigners or residents of different ethnicities in South Korea. 

 

“Itaewon Class” also depicts how there are issues with South Korea’s justice systems because of how corrupt the system is. In one of the earlier episodes of the drama, Saeroyi’s father suffered a hit-and-run accident that cost him his life, and when the police went to investigate, Saeroyi was convicted and sent to prison for three years. Later on in the drama, it is revealed that Jang Dae-Hee had bribed the police on the case to frame Saeroyi instead of his son, who was the cause of the accident. South Korea’s prison sentences are very lenient and oftentimes, the punishment does not fit the crime. It indicates that some South Korean officers are easily bribed into curving the evidence.

 

All in all, not only did this drama put a unique spin to the typical theme of “the higher class preying on the middle-lower class”, but it addressed some of the ongoing racial issues that occur in South Korea. I personally enjoyed watching the drama because of the romantic aspect between Saeroyi and Yi-Seo, the manager of “DanBam”. I also enjoyed how throughout the drama, it shows you the struggle, hard work, and the long process it took for Saeroyi to finally be able to open and expand his pub franchise. 

 

The cast of “Itaewon Class” did a phenomenal job portraying each character’s personality. Although each episode is almost an hour-long, it is definitely worth the time.    

 

THE STROKES’ LATEST ALBUM IS A SURPRISING RETURN TO FORM 

By: Valentin Wanderkauven

The Strokes performing live at SXSW in 2006

Photo courtesy of Matt via Wikimedia Commons

 

There are only a select few bands that we can call major influencers of their respective genres. One of these groups is The Strokes. Since their groundbreaking first album “Is This It”, the band has remained consistent but has never truly shown a return to the same level of creative excellence. However, with their latest album, “The New Abnormal”, they were able to match their previous form on a regular basis throughout the runtime. 

   

This album brings an interesting development to the alternative rock they’ve been known for since 2001. For example, they managed to find the perfect blend between the early 2000’s alt rock that they helped pioneer with the alternative/pop rock of today. Unlike many leading bands in today’s rock industry such as Imagine Dragons or Maroon 5, I don’t find myself suffocated by any formulaic instrumentation or lyricism. There’s an actual feeling coming from the lyrics and their delivery. It’s most felt by the band’s lead singer, Julian Casablancas, giving emotional deliveries that powered their past projects and maintaining that same emotion to bring some of the best performances of his career. 

The best example of this is on the song “Bad Decisions”, a song who’s theme entails the complexities of a back and forth relationship and the tension that it brings to the person’s mind as they feel the relationship falling apart. On this song Casablancas blows my expectations out of the water by sounding like a 22 year old version of himself at 41. He was able to channel the very same emotion in 2020 as he did in the early 2000’s while showing very little aging in his voice. This was a return to form, 20 years into a historic career.

   

Now I can’t forget the sound of this project. The band used a very garage rock style, as they have throughout their career, that hasn’t aged very hard. They used incredible synthesizers to create eerie sounds that would be otherwise corny without the perfect tuning. The methodical placement of synthesizing is what makes this combination of modern pop and early 2000’s rock so perfect. Without the synthesizers we wouldn’t find organ sounds that represent the end of an era on a song like “Ode To The Mets” or the fantastic backing by the rhythm guitar on songs like “Why Are Sundays So Depressing” that make you feel like laying back and listening for hours on end for how relaxed they are despite having depressing undertones. I believe that the band brought the style from their first album “Is This It” and mixed it with their modern style to kill two birds with one stone. They combined what made them famous and what keeps them famous with the speculation that this may be the band saying goodbye as this is speculated to be their last ever album, especially when “Ode To The Mets” sounds like a farewell to New York, their home city,  and the 20 year career that has been their lives.

   

Overall, I feel that this album was meant to exemplify a farewell to the music industry that changed their lives. Although there is a weak song like “Eternal Summer” in the album, the album is still solid and maintains its narrative. This is a goodbye to music, from what I can tell, and this is the perfect way of saying goodbye. After 20 years the band has come to their final moments and is signing off. This album represents their long battle with the industry, the fans, and themselves. This is the end of the road for the group and an exit with style. From their genesis,  “Is This It” to their finale “The New Abnormal”, this is the end. 

8/10

 

“LOVE IS BLIND” IS AN INTERESTING EXPERIMENT ON THE STATE OF LOVE IN TODAY’S SOCIETY

By: Gordon Liang

The “Love Is Blind” cast reunites one year after the weddings to speak about their experience

Photo Courtesy of Netflix

 

In the hookup culture that we live in today, marriage is in the back of many peoples’ minds. Marriage is sacred and that it comes with a lifetime of commitments. It is usually not to be toyed around with, but that’s what Vanessa Minnillo and Nick Lachey, the producers of “Love is Blind” did when they decided to experiment with love. In “Love is Blind,” contestants are put in small rooms to go on blind dates with other contestants of the opposite gender. They talk for a week until they either get engaged or leave the show. Then, the couples spend time in Mexico for a vacation together, move in with each other, and do the usual pre-wedding ceremonies that most couples do. Spoiler alert: six couples get engaged, two end up in marriages.

 

The only couple that gets engaged and doesn’t make it to the aisle is Carlton and Diamond. The relationship ends on an ugly note with a big fight at the pool during the vacation in Mexico. The argument stems from Carlton telling Diamond that he’s bisexual. Diamond isn’t upset that he was bisexual but that he came out after they got engaged. Carlton thinks she was being intolerant and thus the big fight occurs. I agree with Diamond, and I think that, especially since marriage is a lifelong commitment, you want your partner to be completely honest with you. Carlton's sexuality is part of who he is and, by hiding that, Diamond can’t help but wonder if he's hiding anything else. However, this relationship could’ve still survived had they not been on a reality television show. Carlton and Diamond needed a private setting where they could put all cards on the table and allow each other to be fully honest and come to an understanding. One can’t do that with cameras all around you, but that relationship had some potential.

 

The surprise of the season was that Kelly and Kenny don’t get married. Kelly and Kenny are the model couple. Every other couple on the show thinks that, if any couple would get married, it’d be them. Kelly starts having doubts as the season progresses; she says that Kenny has a perfect personality but isn’t her type in regards to looks. They are one of the only couples to refrain from intercourse because Kelly isn’t comfortable yet. I think it’s good that Kelly doesn’t jump into a marriage that she is having doubts about but it’s sad nonetheless to see Kenny do all he could do and still fall short. I saw this as a paradigm of the ugly truth that looks do matter and that, just like the “nature vs. nurture debate” points out, one can do everything right and still fall short. However, in the reunion, Kenny has the last laugh, as he is in a new relationship and Kelly is still single.

 

Jessica and Mark are the most infuriating couple. Jessica doesn’t deserve Mark and Mark is too much of a hopeless romantic. In the pods, Mark and Jessica seem to have a healthy connection. However, because everyone dates each other at some point in the pod phase, Jessica also builds a relationship with a playboy: Barnett. Barnett constantly flirts with Jessica and it seems like she was aroused, though it was clear that Mark was the better fit. Barnett, who was dating three girls concurrently until his engagement to Amber, tells Jessica that he is thinking of proposing to her soon. From there, Jessica cuts things off with Mark but when Barnett chooses Amber, Jessica comes back to Mark and asks for a second chance. I was pissed off as it is clear that Jessica just wants to get engaged at that point and that she has no lasting intentions with Mark; she clearly has no feelings for him. I was hoping that Mark would be stringent and walk away, but they get engaged after all. During the period between the engagement and the weddings, Jessica still tries to get with Barnett despite him being engaged to Amber. There’s a feud between the two but it’s clear that the affection between Mark and Jessica is unilateral and it’s unfair of Jessica to continue leading Mark on. The audience saw Mark continuously get played as he does nothing about it. Jessica finally gets the courage to do the right thing when she rejects Mark at the altar, and while Mark was heartbroken, the marriage would’ve been detrimental in the long run.

 

Amber and Barnett are a wild couple. I didn’t expect them to get married at all as it seemed like their relationship was centered on amatory actions to say the least. Scientifically, intercourse stimulates the reward pathway in people, but it’s also temporary. Similar to the high that people feel from cannabis, it wears away eventually. On top of that, while Barnett is stable financially, Amber is unemployed and in debt. While finances shouldn’t be a huge factor in love, the conversation that they have when Amber brings up her debt is uncouth. Knowing this, my prediction was that they’d start off strong but eventually fall out. To my surprise, the two got married, but Amber admitted in the reunion that at one point, they were thinking of a divorce, however they have managed to maintain a stable marriage for the most part.

 

All in all, “Love is Blind” was entertaining and sparked many questions about love. Appearances only messed up one relationship so the audience can draw the conclusion that love really is blind. I think the show put more of an emphasis on speeding up the relationship and getting married quickly than on seeing if looks mattered in a relationship. The contestants are supposed to get engaged, spend time together, and get married all within a span of 38 days.Timing was more of a detriment to the relationships than looks were as engaged couples were still learning more about their partner by the day of their weddings.