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The “Love Is Blind” Season 2 Love Octagon, For Dummies

The finale of Love Is Blind Season 2 came to Netflix on March 4, but the drama didn’t end there. 

Love Is Blind is a reality dating show that puts true love to the test. The couples must develop an emotional connection without ever seeing each other through “pods.” Those who make a connection sight unseen leave the pods engaged and go to Mexico to work on their relationship. At the end of all of this, there is a wedding where the couples must decide if love truly is blind. 

In the first season, there were love triangles, awkward first impressions, and messy breakups, but Season 2 takes the cake. This season, there were so many overlaps between couples on and off the show that it was hard to keep up — it was a love octagon, rather than a love triangle, if you will. I broke down every single couple, so you don’t have to. 

Danielle & Nick

Starting with one of the successes of the season, Danielle and Nick proved love truly is blind. Through balloon animal-making dates (yes, that actually happened) and candid conversations about past relationships and body image issues, the two grew an instant connection in the pods. They put true love to the test and got engaged at the end of the first episode of Season 2.

However, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows during their time on the show. After their engagement and before the wedding looming at the end, the pair had arguments about if they were truly ready to get married and if their lives seamlessly intertwined with one another’s. However, love prevailed! They ended up getting married, and are doing even better after the show. Now, Danielle lives in Nick’s apartment and even sports Nick’s family engagement ring.

Natalie & Shayne

This is where things start to get messy. Natalie and Shayne were an unlikely pairing in the pods. Natalie is a consulting manager who is poised and subdued. Shayne is a real estate agent who is lively and clearly an extrovert. As the saying goes, opposites attract. However, during their time in the pods, Shayne had another connection with a cast member, Shaina. Shayne downplayed their relationship with Natalie. 

Ultimately, Shayne and Natalie got engaged after forming a strong emotional connection in the pods and, surprisingly, were one of the favorites of the season (for a little). Their humor meshed well and they seemed deeply in love with one another. Then, things took a turn. The couple got in a huge argument the night before the wedding that started with Natalie asking Shayne if he had too much to drink and ended with Shayne saying he hated her and she was the worst thing to ever happen to him — yikes!

Their wedding day was a roller coaster of emotions. Shayne declared his love for Natalie at the altar and said that there was no one else he’d rather do this with. Then, Natalie told Shayne she couldn’t marry him because she felt they had a lot of issues to work through. Shayne was literally left at the altar. The two discussed their future together outside of the venue, but Shayne didn’t know if he could recover from the heartbreak.

At the reunion, the two revealed that they tried to make their relationship work, but Natalie found it hard to let go of the fight that transpired the night before the wedding. Now, where they stand with each other is unclear. They aren’t together at the moment, but it is clear the pair had love for one another, so there still might be a chance.

Shaina & Shayne

If you are basing your idea of love off personalities and similar names, these two would seem like the perfect match. However, Shaina got the short end of the stick in the love triangle between her, Natalie, and Shayne. Their connection in the pods was merely surface-level. They lacked an emotional connection, yet Shaina felt strongest with Shayne, despite getting engaged to someone else on the show. She tried to come in between Natalie and Shayne’s relationship and even called it fake, but she had no luck.

When the show wrapped up and it got out that Natalie and Shayne had broken up, rumors were circulating that Shaina and Shayne were now together. Shayne quickly turned down these rumors. He took to Instagram to state that Shaina and he never hung out one-on-one since the show and will never have a romantic relationship.

Shaina & Kyle

Kyle deserved better! Kyle and Shaina did share an emotional connection that bonded them in the pods, but Shaina felt that her partner needed to be someone of the same faith. Kyle was an atheist and Shaina was Christian. However, Kyle proposed to Shaina despite her apprehensions and she said yes. After her engagement, Shaina immediately regretted it. She even went and had a talk with Shayne in the pods saying that her feelings were stronger for Shayne than she had previously let on, but it was too late. Neither Natalie nor Kyle had any idea that this conversation took place till after the show aired.

It was clear that Shaina’s heart was always with Shayne. To add salt to the wound, Kyle even proposed with his mother’s engagement ring. Their relationship was short-lived because Shaina ran for the hills. She wouldn’t even spend time with him in Mexico. Kyle let it all air out on the reunion show and said Shaina should’ve never said yes and it was a waste of his time. He then dropped the bomb that he messed up by not proposing to Deepti. Hold on, I’m getting there! 

Deepti & shake

Another unlikely pairing of the season is Deepti and Shake. Shake was the villain of Season 2. He went on a show that takes away the physical attraction of love to test if love truly is blind, yet all he could talk about in the pods were what the girls would look like, completely defeating the purpose. However, Deepti saw potential in him. They developed a connection based on their shared culture and ideals, which led to them getting engaged in the pods.

During their time together, Deepti always fought to strengthen the relationship, whereas Shake held back because he was still stuck on developing a connection based on superficial ideas. Deepti understood her worth and on their wedding day, she chose herself, not Shake. At the reunion, no one held back when it came to Shake and his character, especially not Deepti. She explained to Shake that it is okay for him to not be physically attracted to someone, but the way he approached the situation was disrespectful and degrading. Deepti deserves nothing less than true love.

Deepti & Kyle

The internet sleuths have done it again! After Kyle declared his love for Deepti on the reunion show, Love Is Blind fans got straight to digging to see if the pair are together now. In a TikTok of Kyle’s posted on March 3, the Love is Blind detectives spotted Deepti in the background — cue the speculations! Fans then spotted them hanging out in Chicago amid the rumors.  

Fans didn’t get to see this on the show, but the two shared a deep connection in the pods that didn’t make it on air. If she hadn’t gotten engaged to Shake, it would’ve been Kyle standing at the altar.  As for now, they have a beautiful friendship and are navigating the connection they share

Iyanna & jarrette

Iyanna and Jarrette are another success story from this wild season, but it wasn’t an easy journey. Yes, this is yet another love triangle. Iyanna and Jarrette had a strong connection off the bat, but so did Jarrette and Mallory. Jarrette was conflicted between the two girls and could see a future with both. His first choice was Mallory and he was ready to propose, but Mallory then shared she had stronger feelings for another cast member, Sal.

Jarrette was truthful with Iyanna and told her how he had planned on proposing to Mallory, but still saw a future with Iyanna as well and wanted to propose. Though hesitant, Iyanna accepted his proposal. Despite the rocky beginnings, the couple proved to be one of the stronger pairings in the show. They said “I do” at their wedding and are still together today.

Mallory & Sal

During the pods, Mallory and Sal bonded over their Mexican backgrounds and felt at home with each other. Mallory had a strong connection with Jarrette, but her emotional bond with Sal proved to be stronger, leading to her engagement with him. However, after the two met face-to-face, Sal felt that her feelings for Jarrette weren’t completely resolved and Mallory wasn’t sure if she was physically attracted to Sal. The two both got in their heads. Nonetheless, after Mexico, their bond grew stronger and they were preparing to get married at the wedding. 

When wedding day rolled around, Mallory said “I do” at the altar with the vows that Sal always felt like home to her and that she was blessed to have him in her life. Sal ultimately couldn’t commit to Mallory at the time and shared that he needed more time to think things through. Though they didn’t get married at the wedding, the two met for a coffee date after the show to see if they could continue dating. The pair decided that due to their differences they couldn’t work as a couple, but they wish nothing but the best for one another. 

There you have it, the love octagon of Love Is Blind Season 2. This season was messy, toxic, and enlightening. It showed that love truly is blind, or maybe just blurry. Either way, I’ll be rooting for Danielle and Nick, Iyanna and Jarrette, and hopefully Deepti and Kyle while I patiently wait for Season 3 to come out on Netflix later this year, so I can map out all the love triangles all over again. 

Hannah Tolley is a contributing writer under the Entertainment and Culture vertical. She covers entertainment releases, fan theories, pop culture news, and more. Aside from Her Campus, Hannah was also a member of the Florida State University (FSU) Her Campus team. During her time with the chapter, she served as a staff writer for three semesters, where she wrote biweekly pieces across campus, culture, and personal verticals. She also was a content editor for two semesters, where she led a team of 6+ writers and oversaw and edited their articles. Hannah was also an editorial intern for Her Campus during her spring and summer term of her second year in college. As an intern, she worked alongside the full-time edit team to curate timely and evergreen pieces across life, culture, career, and style verticals. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from FSU in May 2023, with a Bachelor of Science in Media/Communication Studies with a minor in English. When she's not dissecting the latest pop culture events, you can find her reading a cheesy romance novel or establishing parasocial relationships with fictional TV characters. She loves to rewatch her favorite shows (Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill, and Friends) or spend the day going down a rabbit hole of reality dating shows.