In recent years, Netflix’s flagship dating show,Love Is Blind, has been hit with a series of lawsuits alleging inhumane work conditions and producer manipulation on set. Clearly frustrated by the public narrative forming around the series, creator Chris Coelen invited Vulture’s Kathryn VanArendonk to see how it works during the filming of its upcoming seventh season. In his eyes,Love Is Blindis more documentary than reality show — producers are not master manipulators but mere observers who follow participants without attempting to control the outcome. Kathryn learned — both in her time on set and in interviews with former cast and crew members — that the environment is neither as controlling as some cast members believe nor as free as Coelen suggests. The resulting report is a fascinating study of a fascinating show along with the man who started it, who can’t seem to envision his creation in a way that accounts for many of its cast members’ experiences. “There is both coercion and freedom onLove Is Blind,” Kathryn writes. “The interactions I witness are like a form of influence, making some paths feel easier than others, making some choices feel like rebellion and others like following the rules.”
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