The women on Love is Blind this season are problematic.

Most seasons of Netflix's blind-dates-on-steroids experiment Love Is Blind are dominated by men behaving badly. 

Yes, there was Irina and Micah's 'mean girl' clique on season four, but that only lasted one episode. Every other episode, every other season, it's typically the men who are making questionable decisions. 

Season three was the worst example, with Bartise's gaslighting, Cole being accused of body-shaming, and Matt just acting straight-up controlling and emotionally manipulative. 

But season five is different.

Watch the trailer here. Post continues after video. 

In the latest season, the women are not okay. 

First and foremost, there's a contestant named Lydia. 

There's something off about Lydia from the very beginning. She is, err... rather intense! 

In an early episode, she spills her feelings for Izzy out in the pods, feelings he clearly does not reciprocate (he replies "thank you"), and then when he inevitably breaks up with her, she is distraught. 

But this could be forgiven. After all, this show is about strangers forming bonds from the sight unseen safety of pods, then either falling in love and becoming engaged, or being brutally dumped for well... their personality. 

Embarrassment is inevitable. Putting yourself out there is embarrassing.

It's Lydia's 'friendship' with Aaliyah that gave me an instant ick. In every interaction, she is condescending and overbearing and gets way too involved in Aaliyah's blossoming relationship with Uche. 

And then the penny drops.  

Lydia and Uche used to date, a fact they both kept secret from Aaliyah. It has since been confirmed by production that they instructed the pair to not tell anyone at the beginning, instead waiting for the right time to spill this series-topping tea.

This means that every time Lydia gives Aaliyah relationship advice, every time she blabbers in Aaliyah's face "I see myself in you", she potentially has ulterior motives. 

The scene where Lydia and Uche first reunite was played, and it became evident that Lydia is still invested in this relationship, even telling her ex "Do you want to start at zero?" suggesting they restart their relationship, an invitation which Uche declines. 

After Uche tells Aaliyah about his ex, Lydia makes the news worse by practically rubbing her prior relationship in her friend's face. As Aaliyah expresses her hesitation about learning any details about their relationship, Lydia reels off facts about Uche's dog, friends, and car, before confessing they slept together three months ago. 

The whole scene is painfully uncomfortable. 

After God, fear men. After men, fear Lydia because you can’t tell me she didn’t know what she was doing here !!!#LoveIsBlindS5 #LoveIsBlind pic.twitter.com/wUZVrC3rYp

— n. (@enteekaay) September 23, 2023

Soon after this conversation plays out, Aaliyah quits the show. Given what she just endured from Lydia, it's fair enough. But given her connection with Uche and their plans to get engaged, a conversation with him first was probably the right thing to do. 

But I don't think we've seen the last of Aaliyah.

Let's move on to another divisive woman on this season: lawyer Johnie. 

Johnie spends the experiment dating Izzie and Chris. Izzie is dating Johnie and Stacy. Johnie decides that she's meant to be with Izzie so she dumps Chris, only for Izzie to turn around and choose Stacy. Awkies. 

Johnie does not take being dumped gracefully, exiting the pod while Izzie is still explaining his decision.

"Once again, I'm choosing someone who is emotionally unavailable," she vents afterwards in her confessional. So far this season, Izzie has proven himself to be one of the more emotionally intelligent men so this comment just felt like she was weaponising therapy speak to avoid facing rejection. 

Then she makes disparaging comments about Stacy. "He was scared, and he made the safe choice," she tells the girls after the breakup. 

After Izzie proposes to Stacy, Johnie makes more snarky remarks. "Izzie told me he had a bad credit score," she snipes. "He doesn't seem ready for commitment." 

And then despite referring to her connection with Chris several times as the "safe choice" and "boring", she comes crawling back to him. But so far, he's not buying it. 

Johnie dumping Chris for Izzy then being dumped by Izzy and running back to Chris and getting rejected by Chris is an interesting turn of events #LoveIsBlind #LoveIsBlindS5 pic.twitter.com/ds4J3BRzLB

— ♉️ alien superstar 👽😈 (@RobynDMarley_) September 23, 2023

The first batch of episodes end with a measly three couples getting engaged, which is a record low for a series that in its first season ended in six proposals. 

So far, this season is high on drama but low on genuine love stories... but with chaotic women like Lydia and Johnie, we're not complaining.

Feature image: Netflix.