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You may think Love Is Blind’s appeal lies in its ability to spin emotional love stories between strangers turned immediate soulmates — and you’d only be partially right. There is that part of it (Brett + Tiffany), but we really watch Love Is Blind for those shocking, WTF moments. Jackie ditching her fiancé for another pod person! Andrew pulling out eye drops so he could fake cry! Shake casually dropping that he has “reservations at Nobu” after getting left at the altar! Carlton chucking his engagement ring into a pool! Season after season, Love Is Blind delivers — and Season 5 has the most shocking revelation of them all. SPOILERS for the first three episodes of Love Is Blind Season 5 ahead.
So — let’s talk about Uche and Aaliyah. These two were clearly made for each other! He’s a lawyer and she’s an ICU nurse. They’re two smart, beautiful, professional people — and both of them also love spoken word poetry. These two live in Houston, Texas and they found likely the only other person in the pods, maybe even the county, who is eager to go to an open mic poetry night. Just go ahead and have a preacher and a witness on hand when these two meet for the first time. Everything seems perfect… until Aaliyah asks Uche about dealbreakers.
That question leads to Uche asking if Aaliyah has ever cheated. Turns out, yes, she has, once, two years ago. And when Uche hears that, he replies, “Oh boy, you’re a recent cheater.” It’s kind of dehumanizing, especially as Aaliyah continues to explain and tries to save a relationship with a guy who is throwing shade at her for something she already feels terrible about.
All of this ends with Aaliyah crumpled on the floor outside of the pod, sobbing, and being comforted… by Lydia. When Aaliyah says that this is because of Uche, Lydia responds — hold on:
“Look at me. Listen: this is something that gives you the clarity of how Uche reacts… I love you baby. I love you more. There’s nothing wrong with you. But do you know what I believe? He’s not the one for you. Is this the guy that you really wanna marry? A guy who’s gonna judge you this easily? And I don’t wanna say this — you’re so like me that I could see this happening. I’m pretty sure you told him all the truth. You gave him details, didn’t you? Telling Uche the truth was not a mistake. He does not get to judge you. He has his own thing that he needs to resolve. Believe me when I say this: if he doesn’t have the capacity, as smart as he is, to put things aside? That’s on him. He needs to resolve those traumas. He needs to figure out what the fuck he does really want. He needs to stop blaming others and start taking accountability for his actions. You’re so much better, and I know this because I see myself in you. Look at me: he might have a blind spot ’cause you’re me. You are so much like me. You and I are so similar. Believe me. And that might be it.”
We didn’t see Lydia and Uche’s pod date, but we probably don’t see even a second of 90% of the pod dates. But between whatever Uche told her on that blind date and whatever vibes/intuition Lydia has, she’s really going in. It’s a little creepy how Lydia keeps saying that Aaliyah and her are the exact same because they’ve known each other for maybe 48 hours and have spent most of those hours isolated in pods and talking to men. What Aaliyah can’t hear, because she’s not a viewer of Love Is Blind, is that the editors have inserted a song titled “I Got a Secret” underneath the monologue, and the titular lyric blares when Lydia finishes. Uh, okay…!
Lydia continues to comfort Aaliyah the next day, saying, “He’s too smart to not know better. Whatever he’s doing now has to have affected a previous relationship. His past doesn’t define who you are. Those are issues that he has to work on. He cannot get arrogant. He cannot get cocky. He cannot be superior for you. He knows better. He’s a lawyer. He has his own business, his own career. And this motherfucker, we’re gonna fight!”
Lydia has Aaliyah’s back, and maybe that’s what gives Aaliyah the confidence to go on another date with Uche. To Aaliyah’s surprise, Uche actually apologizes for his behavior. He says that it actually speaks favorably of Aaliyah’s character that she would risk their relationship for the sake of honesty. These two are good — so good that they spend a date talking about how Aaliyah snacks on spoonfuls of honey and sugar packets (separately). By the end of Episode 2, Uche and Aaliyah are marching to the altar, baby!
Back in the living quarters, Aaliyah and Lydia cuddle up on a couch under a blanket. Aaliyah gushes about Uche, saying that she’s never felt loved by anybody for who she is. Lydia’s response as she gazes off into a void: “I have never been loved.” Aaliyah, who can’t see Lydia’s deadpan face, keeps talking about how Uche said he can’t picture a future without her. Lydia gulps and says, “Wow. He said that?” Lydia keeps comforting Aaliyah, though. She is Aaliyah’s best friend in the pods, after all.
Not much later, Aaliyah and Uche have another date. It starts with Uche giving Aaliyah a journal with a poem in it that he wrote for her. Aaliyah says that she knows Uche will always be honest with her… which is essentially her casting a spell to conjure up a major reveal. Sure enough…
“So, speaking of trust and honesty, there’s something I have to tell you,” says Uche, cautiously. “I haven’t been completely honest with you. One of my dates on the first day, I walked into the pod and it is a girl that I have dated in the past. And it’s Lydia.”
It’s Lydia.
It’s LYDIA.
Aaliyah’s brain malfunctions and then, BAM, credits.
The woman, the pod sister, the sudden best friend who has been by Aaliyah’s side the entire time she’s struggled with Uche not only knows Uche, but she used to date Uche. Suddenly, everything makes so much sense — but in a Sixth Sense reveal kinda way, and almost as scary TBH.
At the end of Episode 1, how did Lydia immediately react when she found out that Uche made Aaliyah sob uncontrollably? She let out a loud, exasperated “Oh my god, okay,” with a very “Ugh, of course it’s Uche” tone. Then that fucking speech — ! Can we talk about the speech because I’d like to talk about the speech! Look at the highlights!
- “This is something that gives you the clarity of how Uche reacts.”
- “You’re so like me that I could see this happening.”
- “He does not get to judge you. He has his own thing that he needs to resolve.”
- “He needs to figure out what the fuck he does really want.”
- “You’re so much better, and I know this because I see myself in you.”
- “He might have a blind spot ’cause you’re me.”
- “You are so much like me.”
- “You and I are so similar. Believe me. And that might be it.”
Is Lydia comforting Aaliyah or is Lydia comforting Lydia?! No wonder the show put a song called “I GOT A SECRET” under this speech! There are too many hidden clues pointing to the horrible truth — is this Love Is Blind or The Shining? And the very next day, Lydia flat out said, “Whatever he’s doing now has to have affected a previous relationship” Oh, are you speaking from firsthand experience?
Hauntingly, though, the scariest scene to rewatch after knowing the truth (well, the first sliver of the truth) has to be that scene on the couch after Uche and Aaliyah’s reconciliation. Lydia’s face — which Aaliyah cannot see — shifts from palpable disappointment, despair, and heartbreak. You can see what looks like her fighting back tears and steeling herself to comfort Aaliyah. What is going on??? Why didn’t Lydia tell Aaliyah about this? How broken up are Lydia and Uche? Does Lydia still have feelings for Uche? Did Lydia expect to reconnect with Uche via Love Is Blind? Does Lydia want to marry Uche?? What is going on???
This entire storyline packs some Lifetime, ripped-from-the-headlines level drama into the start of Season 5. After all these years, it takes a lot to shock a Love Is Blind viewer, and I have to give it to Lydia, Uche, and Aaliyah for truly delivering a reveal that will go down in Love Is Blind history. As for where this thrilling story goes next… well, Love Is Blind Season 5 is only warming up.
