Is “Love Is Blind” a Toxic Workplace?

Thompson, a psychology and self-help buff, was tantalized by the concept. By the time he was cast—after background checks, months of interviews, and an online psychological test—he’d seen Season 1, and he loved it. Contestants were secluded in cozy mini living rooms with sofas and nap blankets, a bit like the bottle in “I Dream of Jeannie.” Between dating segments, viewers got an intoxicating God’s-eye view of these “pods,” which were nested side by side, a golden honeycomb buzzing with romance. A few days in, participants became visibly infatuated, particularly that season’s breakout couple: Lauren, a warm, thoughtful Black model, and Cameron, a soft-spoken white scientist. After a dramatic “reveal,” in which pairs met face to face, those couples who had got engaged took a group vacation to Mexico, and, finally, returned to their shared home town. (In Season 1, everyone came from Atlanta.) The couples met each other’s families, lived together for several weeks, and planned weddings.