One thing about me? I’m always rooting for the Black contestants on these reality dating shows. So I quickly fell in love with quirky Edmond and self-assured Kalybriah. He makes for good television because he’s always laughing and showing his true self; she’s looking for real love and I’m always in support of Black women being vulnerable on TV. Everything seems great between them in the pods, but then things get a little awkward in person. In the pods, she says she’s tired of being the tough one in a relationship. So when she asks Edmond what he’d do if a man approached her aggressively in public, his answer likely wasn’t satisfying. She wants someone who will protect her — which I get — but he’s very much a peacemaker in all senses and probably didn’t ease her mind about that. I both get what she’s saying about wanting to feel safe but also don’t think she actually wants a partner who’s going to go around physically assaulting men who step to her. — Erin
Erin, I’m right there with you — *cues Issa Rae’s “I’m rooting for everybody Black” meme.* I already wasn’t thrilled about “Love Is Blind” setting this season in Denver because I knew that meant we weren’t going to get a lot of Black contestants. And sure enough, Edmond and Kalybriah are the only Black couple who made the final cut, so they automatically made it to the top of my list of people to root for. And at first, they really had me. I feel like the show purposely chooses a “strong, down-to-earth Black woman” type to follow every season, which I’m not complaining about, so I was naturally drawn to Kalybriah when I saw her in the pods. You can tell she’s sweet but doesn’t tolerate nonsense, and is actually there to find love. And Edmond, being his goofy, quirky self, seemed like the opposite of an f-boy, so these two felt like they made sense. I love how they bonded in the pods, especially in the moments when they were able to get vulnerable with each other about their parents. They both seemed to bring out a softer side of one another, so their connection felt genuine from the start.
However … things always change after the engagements and those first in-person interactions. Kalybriah’s energy is a little more chill than Edmond’s, so I knew that clash was going to happen at some point. Also, you can tell that some of those tough conversations they didn’t get to have in the pods revealed new traits that they probably didn’t consider before. We, the viewers, could tell from the pods that Edmond isn’t a very assertive person, so, while his response to Kalybriah asking what he’d do if a man ever approached her in public wasn’t surprising, I think he should’ve considered what she was really asking him in that moment and answered accordingly. To your point, Erin, I don’t think she’s looking for some hothead man, but she wants to know she’s choosing a partner she can feel safe with at all times.
That situation and Edmond’s little crash-out are probably going to open her eyes, so I don’t know if these two are going to stick it out through the season. Guess we’ll see if they make it to their wedding day. — Njera
