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Date: 4/22/2020
For those of you who frequently read the What I’m Watching column, you may remember that last December I wrote a column about all of the Hallmark–type movies I enjoy. There’s just something about a feel–good show with mild dramatics that put me in a good mood, and help me escape from the toils of reality for a while.
Over the past month or so, I’ve binged a couple of shows on Netflix that are right up my alley. The first show, “Virgin River,” I would say could be mildly categorized under the Hallmarkey–category. There are plenty of feel–good moments, with a smattering of drama.
The second show I feature in this column taps into my reality–tv interested side. I’m a big fan of dating shows, such as The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, as I find them to be a great mental escape that often provides a lot of laughs. The Netflix show “Love Is Blind,” reminds me of The Bachelor in some ways, however the contestants never see each other before they get engaged. More on that later.
Virgin River
Virgin River, a Netflix original that’s first season was released in December 2019, is described as a “romance drama” series that is based on the Virgin River novels by Robyn Carr.
Virgin River follows Melinda “Mel” Monroe, played by Alexandra Breckenridge, as she leaves behind her big–city life and past for small town life in a close–knit, northern California town called Virgin River. Monroe is running from something – though viewers don’t quite know what until the season begins to unfold.
Monroe has a medical background, and was hired to be a nurse practitioner for the small town’s sole Doctor, Doc Mullins, who is played by Tim Matheson. Monroe arrives in town and is quickly shocked by the “everybody knows everybody” feel. Unbeknownst to Doc, Monroe was hired by his somewhat estranged wife – who is also the Mayor of Virgin River – without his knowledge. There is an instant push and pull between Monroe and Doc, as the two struggle to resonate with Doc’s traditional views and Monroe’s progressive practices.
Of course, Monroe runs into a town favorite, Jack Sheridan – played by Martin Henderson – who takes her under his wing. While at first it seems as though Jack is helping her simply to be nice, we quickly realize his interest in Monroe, however standing in his way is the small thin wedding band on Monroe’s finger – which she insists she does not want to talk about.
The first season of Virgin River, which is comprised of 10 episodes, was host to many twists and turns that I didn’t expect. It offered some dark drama, including a local drug heist, as well as deeper subjects such as post–partum depression and abuse. The show left off on a cliffhanger that I felt was mildly predictable but still shocking, and left me instantly googling when season two will be released to Netflix. Unfortunately for me, and other Virgin River viewers, we must wait until November for season two.
Love is Blind
Netflix describes Love Is Blind quite simply: “Singles who want to be loved for who they are, rather than what they look like, have signed up for a less conventional approach to modern dating.”
Nick Lachey and Vanessa Lachey host this reality TV show, which starts with a large group of women and a large group of men in separate spaces furnished with living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms. Vanessa explains to the women, and Nick explains to the men, that they’ve just moved into these spaces for the foreseeable future. Outside the door, leads to a hallway which connects them to “dating pods.”
They continue to explain that the men and women have signed up for an “experiment” to find out if love really is blind. The pods systematically put one woman and one man in separate rooms that are connected so they can talk to one another through a wall. The men and women “go on dates,” where they simply get to know each other verbally. This allows the participants to decide whether or not they like someone for their personality, without physical appearance being a factor.
As couples begin to make connections, they weed out people that they realize that they don’t vibe with. Eventually – or quickly, in some cases – connections are made, and couples propose to one another through the wall.
Following the proposals, the couples are then allowed to meet each other. Initially, everyone seems pleased with their choices – for the most part.
After the couples all meet the people they’re engaged to, they’re told that they will be whisked away to a tropical destination straight into an engagement vacation. The couples all find out that they’re all staying at the same hotel, which provides some awkwardness as some men and women see the other people they dated and connected with.
As real life creeps in and couples are faced with factors such as age differences, finances, intimacy and lifestyle choices, couples are put to the test.
Within mere weeks of knowing each other, the couples walk down the aisle, and at the altar, commit to marrying the other person – or not.
At the end of the season, viewers watch a reunion which shows which couples have made it, and which have not. The participants in the Love is Blind experiment all sit down together and hash out the details of the season – some conversations were positive, while others were downright toxic.
The show was originally shot in 2018 and released in February of this year. If you’re looking for an escape and to watch an interesting experiment, Love Is Blind might be for you. It also poses the question to the viewer: do you think love is blind?