For a second time, a batch of hopeful singles came on a Netflix reality show to answer one philosophical question: Is love blind?
A week after season two of "Love Is Blind" reached its dramatic conclusion, the even more dramatic cast reunion gave its audience an answer by showing which couples are still together and which have broken up for good, as well as which cast members are still hung up on aesthetic preferences (cough, Shake).
Below, find out what the six once-engaged couples had to say about each other as they rehashed their relationships on air for the last time — or, at least, until the next Instagram post.
Jarrette and Iyanna
Relationship Status: Married
If Jarrette and Iyanna were your faves, you can breathe a sigh of relief. The couple is still together — and were clad in matching red outfits to show their solidarity.
That's not to say examining their relationship's occasionally rocky start during the reunion was easy.
During the reunion, Iyanna acknowledged she was uncomfortable watching Jarrette speak to Mallory, whom he proposed to in the pods, during their honeymoon. "That part was actually hurtful. Everything pre-proposal, I completely understand, but everything after...that was extremely difficult for me to watch." Iyanna said. Jarrette apologized for the tenor of his conversation with Mallory: "That conversation should have never happened."
However, they appear to have put the past behind them. A married man, Jarrette revealed that he has followed through with his lifestyle change and goes out less. Iyanna, on the other hand, socializes more.
"We've been finding our balance. We're hyperaware that we're very different — he's extremely extroverted. This will always be something that we have to deal with, because we're so different. But we have similar values and similar goals," Iyanna said.
Nick and Danielle
Relationship Status: Married
Danielle and Nick are still married. In fact, Danielle revealed that over the Christmas holidays, Nick's uncle surprised her with a family wedding ring. "It felt like I was proposed to all over again," Danielle said.
Danielle (and her cat) moved into Nick's apartment, and audiences got a glimpse into their shared space. Despite his initial reluctance to have Danielle's Rock Band drums in the living room, Nick has compromised — and says he even takes up the drums sometimes, too. The couple also bonds over their shared hobby of dancing on furniture: "He dances on tables more than I do," Danielle said.
The couple was candid about working on their communication issues in couples therapy. “One of the things that we’ve learned...is to listen more and talk less. One of my faults is I’m a fixer — when there’s a problem, I go into fix mode," Nick said. He then continues to say, "She just wants me to understand she’s feeling this way, not fix it."
Shayne and Natalie
Relationship Status: Broken up, but tried to make it work
Natalie declined to marry Shayne — and her decision came down to an interaction not captured on camera. The evening before Shayne and Natalie were set to get married, the couple had a blowout fight. According to Natalie, Shayne said he hated her and that she was the "worst thing" that ever happened to him. She was unable to move past the comments.
At the reunion, Shayne and Natalie revealed that they tried to date after the cameras stopped rolling. However, the fight continued to haunt Natalie. "I held on to that fight for so long. I couldn't move on from it," Natalie said.
Ultimately, Natalie said she was grateful for the fight, because it showed she was not ready to marry Shayne. "That night changed everything for us. It was a wake-up call: We have big issues to work through, and maybe we're not ready for marriage," Natalie said.
Natalie took accountability for her part, too. "I apologize for making you feel like you weren't good enough," Natalie said, tearfully. "You were more than enough."
Discussing his relationship with Natalie, Shayne described his mood at the reunion as "sad." Natalie shared the sentiment.
Shake and Deepti
Relationship Status: Broken up
Despite bonding over their shared values in the pods, Deepti and Shake's relationship faltered once they came face-to-face. Deepti left Shake at the altar, citing her desire to be with a man who "knows for sure" that he wants to be with her.
Since then, fans and family members have spoken out about Shake and Deepti's relationship — specifically, Shake's treatment of Deepti, and his fixation on her appearance. In the pods, Shake placed an emphasis on looks. Then, after being engaged, Shake openly spoke to cast members not being attracted to Deepti.
Speaking to Nick Viall on "The Viall Files," Deepti revealed that the cast informed her about Shake's comments. "Jarrette actually specifically pulled me aside and was like, ‘I don’t think you should marry him. He doesn’t speak highly of you’ ... I’m thankful for the cast," Deepti said.
The reunion focused more on Shake's behavior than on his relationship with Deepti, which is clearly over. Host Vanessa Lachey confronted Shake over his emphasis on looks: "I think you went on the wrong show." To that, Shake responded, "Love is not purely blind to me. ... I want it to be partially blind. I want it to be: ‘Love Is Blurry,’ OK?"
Sal and Mallory
Relationship Status: Broken up, but tried to make it work
Sal walked away from his relationship with Mallory at the aisle. At the reunion, the couple revealed they revisited their connection after the show stopped filming, before ultimately moving on.
"We gave it an honest shot. We met for coffee and we chatted but at the end of the day the connection wasn’t there. We understood that it didn't make sense to continue on," Sal said.
Sal was reticent to speak out about the issues present in his relationship with Mallory. "There were things that happen that I don't feel comfortable saying. It’s pointless now. It’s our history," Sal said. He added, later, there were "many times" he felt "unheard" in their arguments.
Mallory and Sal also revisited Mallory's now-infamous interaction with Jarrette in Mexico, in which Jarrette implied that Sal had gotten her the wrong ring. Sal called the conversation inappropriate. "Either one of you could have stopped that conversation immediately," Sal said.
Mallory responded by saying she was in a "hard situation." To recap: Jarrette had proposed to her in the pods, and Mallory declined; this was the first time they had spoke in person. "I was extremely nervous and anxious. The convo went on longer than it should’ve," she said.
Kyle and Shaina
Relationship Status: Broken up
Unlike the other couples at the reunion, Kyle and Shaina never made it to the aisle, nor did they try to re-ignite their bond after the show ended. They spent the reunion discussion the "drama and mess," as Shaina called it, that transpired in the pods and beyond.
After watching footage of Shaina and Shayne's last conversation in the pods, Kyle said he felt as if he came in second place. "You used me as a backup. You were seeing if he would flip last minute last second and ask you to marry him instead of Natalie," Kyle said.
Shaina said she did "have feelings" for Kyle, but felt pressure to say yes after he presented her with an heirloom wedding ring. "When I said yes, I felt very confused in the pod. I felt a little manipulated by you bringing out your mother's engagement ring," Shaina said. "I could have avoided a lot by saying no. I definitely should have just said no."
Shaina also denied following up on any connection she had with Shayne.
That's all for season two of "Love Is Blind."
And with that, season two of "Love Is Blind" concludes — not with a bang, but with a few reunion fights. Until season three of "Love Is Blind" comes out to give us more couples to analyze, we'll watch the next Netflix dating show hosted by Nick and Vanessa Lachey, "The Ultimatum."