REVIEW: ‘Love Is Blind’ Season 11 Episodes 9-11

There’s plenty to unpack in Love Is Blind Season 11 Episodes 9-11. As wedding pressures, future planning, and family and friend tensions rise, the five couples face their toughest challenges yet. This may be one of the most turbulent Pod couples and friends hangouts in Love Is Blind (US) history, but it doesn’t particularly involve any flirtations or cheating. One couple is tested the most in this third batch of episodes for Season 11. 

Love Is Blind Season 11 Episode 9 begins with a major step for Michaella and Rob, as they visit Michaella’s family. Michaella’s mom seems to support Love Is Blind and the Pods because she calls it a process that’s “free from corruption,” referring to bypassing physical traits. Whether it was the production or not, it’s a touching moment when Michaella and her mom get to have a one-on-one conversation about how much her mom supports Michaella being with Rob. It’s not as heartbreaking as hearing the conversation Rob and his mother had in Episode 8, but this draws a nice parallel. 

Later on in Episode 9, Michaella meets Rob’s friends for the first time. To say the least, Rob’s friends are the most guys-guys—in that they banter a lot. At first, Michaella can keep up with the banter and fire shots back at Rob’s best friend when he tries to make snide comments about her. Just like Rob, his best friend also sounds rowdy and a bit of a bully. Rob’s best friend mentions how the boys go out to the golf course and “pull out their c***s out on the golf course.”

Rob and Michaella sort of agree to disagree in Love Is Blind Season 11 Episodes 9-11.

In an openly joking way, Michaella retorts, “I’ll come play then,” as a means of going along with it to not be awkward. Rob’s best friend is wild enough to blatantly ask Michaella if she’s ever done OnlyFans, something many would find incredibly rude to ask someone they just met. All of Rob’s friends let his best friend mouth off, and it becomes reflective of who Rob is and who he allies himself with.   

The worst part of this night out between Michaella, Rob, and his friends is that Rob starts getting pissed off that someone in the restaurant cut off drinks for his best friend. Rob yells at production and the restaurant staff about how he’ll pay them to keep the drinks coming. He goes on to tell the cameras, “I’m not Hollywood or anything” and how he “doesn’t fake anything.” Rob’s brother is also there and tries to calm Rob down, telling Rob: “Stop being tough, stop being tough, just ten more minutes.” It’s quite clear that Rob becomes more rowdy as the drinks keep flowing. 

The rough part to watch for Michaella is how she still defends him through it all, and even brushes off a comment Rob’s friend makes about how “she’s like a new watch” in reference to how fragile she looks. After Rob’s belligerent yelling tantrum, he proceeds to air his grievances about Michaella right there.

Allegedly, Rob tugged on Michaella’s earrings too tightly and slightly hurt her one night. After some verbal back-and-forth, Rob and Michaella sort of agree to disagree, and everyone cheers the night away. This is where the issues start to show for Rob and Michaella, specifically more for Rob. 

As Michaella and Rob get ready for the party with the other couples and the other single Pod members, Michaella reveals in the confessional and with Rob that she’s socially exhausted from the other night with Rob’s friends—telling Rob she prefers to stay home rather than go to the party. In the confessional, Michaella points out that Rob was coming after her after that night out with his friends. Michaella says that Rob said the worst thing ever about how Michaella has a lot to gain from this show.

Within this confessional talk, Michaella says the most profound line of the season: “I think he’s blinded by the show on finding love.” This is a big thing to say on Love Is Blind, since the whole point of the show is finding eternal love, sight unseen. Despite Michaella’s efforts to convince Rob to stay at home, he wants to go to the party, and Michaella goes along with it. 

At the Love Is Blind Season 11 group party, all the couples arrive first before the other single people come in. Surprise, surprise. The first single guest is Matt the beekeeper, Michaella’s number two guy she was dating in the Pods. There wasn’t much footage of Michaella connecting with Matt, but their conversations sound really nice, and they’re hitting it off. Of course, Rob lets Michaella talk to Matt, but he continually butts in to say, “I don’t give a f**k,” every time he passes Matt. It’s like a mosquito that keeps buzzing by every once in a while, but making snide comments as well.  

Love Is Blind Season 11 Episode 10 picks up with Rob and Diana.

To be fair, Michaella says out loud that Matt is the smartest guy here. To which Rob goes, “Okay, there.” Michaella pulls Rob aside, and they talk like grown adults about whether they should both leave if Rob is on edge. Michaella continues to reassure Rob they’re a team, and they even dap each other up. The communication is there, and Rob isn’t a brick wall like many men, but he stays loud and obnoxious all night. He begins chanting by himself: “Where is Morrey?! Where is Morrey?” and everyone ignores him. 

Interestingly, Diana says hello to all her girlfriends from Pod like Wilnie and Sarah. As Diana was Rob’s number two in the Pods, Diana does the right thing by asking Michaella if she’s comfortable talking to Rob. Michaella calmly lets Diana know that it’s for Rob and her to connect. Meanwhile, Rob is being loud again, and Michaella says to Diana, “That’s what you missed out on.” Ooof! The episode ends with Rob and Diana about to go speak one-on-one. 

Love Is Blind Season 11 Episode 10 picks up with Rob and Diana, who shockingly have a calm conversation about their Pod dates. The conversation isn’t deep or enlightening for Rob, but Diana slightly tempts Rob by saying, “I’m always into hot a******s.” It’s as if Netflix and Love Is Blind paid Diana to say that so unabashedly. After some light conversation, they both rejoin the rest of the partygoers.

Rob and Michaella’s relationship comes to a halt in Love Is Blind Season 11 Episodes 9-11.

For some reason, Rob keeps eyeing Michaella and yelling, “So who’s gonna f**k who now, huh? I’m gonna get canceled because I disrupt this whole thing.” Cam slides in a small comment for Rob to “get the f***k out of here,” as Rob continues yelling how much Netflix will spin his story. Eventually, Michaella breaks down and runs to the bathroom with Erika. The mic audio picks up Michaella saying to Erika, “I don’t deserve this childish behavior. I feel like [Rob] hates me.”

The producer checks in on Michaella too, and Michaella tells the producer, “I cannot marry this man under any circumstance.” During all this, Sarah is crying too about the whole ordeal, and Rob is like, “Why are you crying?” to Sarah. Sarah explains to Rob how it’s not fair, and it’s sad to see Rob and Michaella’s love turn to this outburst. Blake tries to calm Rob down and explain how Rob should fight for Michaella, but Rob continues to say, “I don’t give a f**k,” and how his boys would find this all ridiculous too.  

And as crazy as it sounds, Michaella comes out of the bathroom willing to leave to go home with Rob, and they can talk through the problems. Sadly, Rob and Michaella leaving together is the last time they’re seen together again. Later in Episode 10, Rob explains in a confessional that he feels bad about letting Michaella down.

The bottom line is that it seems like Rob is dealing with a lot of trauma and also has a lot of unlearning and working on himself to do. He explains how it’s the pressure from his mom not knowing Michaella well enough, his dad dying a few months ago, friends who died about a year ago, and another relative currently in the hospital. Of course, this doesn’t excuse his actions, though, and maybe he should’ve canceled coming on to the show sooner. 

Michaella’s last on-camera moment is visiting Erika and talking through the breakup. Michaella explains to Erika that when she and Rob made it back to their place that night coming home from the group party, Rob immediately packed his stuff and went all the way back to Rhode Island. She texted Rob to talk about things, but he essentially ghosted her. Erika and Michaella go on to say that Rob probably would’ve struggled to deal with big issues like marriage and kids down the road—which is a little unfair.

Ultimately, Michaella recognizes Rob needs to work on himself, and she just wants to get back to being herself. With four remaining couples by Episode 11, Erika explains how Michaella and Rob break up, so that’s why Michaella is not with the other brides shopping for a wedding dress. 

It’s bittersweet because Michaella looks like she came out of this experience falling deeply in love with Rob, and tried to make it work as best as she could. But sometimes, one partner can’t be saving the other one all the time, especially if one partner is always bullying and berating others under the influence. Who knows, maybe Michaella will end up with beekeeper Matt. Love Is Blind Season 11 Episodes 9-11 isn’t just the Rob and Michaella show, though. 

Clearly, Aneha wants a wealthier partner.

For Aneha and Cam, they keep having hard conversations about money in Episode 9. It’s always either the race or finances with these two! Aneha points out that Cam’s sister says Cam isn’t always the best initiator. Cam’s sister and Aneha agree that Cam tends to hear people bring up a topic and agree to go along with it. When Aneha meets Cam’s parents for the first time, their main concern is that Aneha doesn’t want kids anytime soon, along with the fact that Cam can’t meet Aneha’s parents. 

Aneha becomes questionable when she describes herself as “the traditional modern woman.” Cam admits he can’t pay Aneha’s $3,000 rent for her, and Aneha doesn’t like that. He even breaks a little, saying, “What do you want me to do? To go make $100,000 by tomorrow?” Later on in Love Is Blind Season 11 Episode 9, Aneha and Cam meet up for a workout at a local boxing gym. After the workout, they have an in-depth conversation about kids and how Aneha doesn’t want kids before she turns 35.

She brings up some good points about not wanting to raise kids without being financially well off and owning a bigger home than her $3,000-a-month condo/apartment. Aneha also brings up how tough it would be if she moved in with Cam, who lives farther from her job. She breaks down the commute struggles and how much time she sacrifices out of her workday to try to spend time with Cam.

Strangely, Cam doesn’t acknowledge the time Aneha says she’s sacrificing by taking half days at work, and brings up how many times Aneha hangs out with him but then separates and heads back to her condo. As the episodes progress, it’s becoming clearer that Aneha wants her ideal partner to financially take care of her to reassure her that they’ll be a strong, wealthy couple. At the group hangout where Michaella ends things with Rob, Aneha complains to Erika that she’s used to guys buying her things. Clearly, Aneha wants a wealthier partner. 

With Love Is Blind always trying to seek out the romance in every engaged couple, Aneha and Cam look way happier together at their bachata dance lessons. Whoever does the camera work for this class does their job well, making it feel like a romantic dance class. Aneha admits in the confessional that she’s making some small living compromises, like staying at Cam’s place a bit more often. 

Despite this, Aneha and Cam don’t seem convincingly happily married by the time Episode 11 ends. They both happily complete their wedding clothes fittings, and Aneha looks stunning in a lehenga. Aneha has plenty to say at the wedding dress shopping, explaining her thoughts in the moment. She wishes her mother could be there and talks about how she would’ve made her mother cry if she did come. Aneha is evidently very vocal about her opinions, going as far as saying to the other brides and their moms, “If Cam isn’t stunned by me in this, f**k him.”

But Aneha and Cam’s issues keep centering on how Aneha can’t accept Cam for being white, and she doesn’t like that Cam doesn’t have enough money to take care of her the way she wants. At least Aneha’s sister can meet Cam, but Cam does it off-camera. Aneha says she doesn’t know why, but maybe because he wants to ask more personal questions that he believes shouldn’t be disclosed to the public. 

With John and Sarah, Love Is Blind Season 11 Episode 9 shows them visiting John’s apartment. John’s place is a bit disgusting, with no clean fridge, sink, or bathroom. Sarah’s face says it all, as this looks like a red flag for her. Most impressively, John’s Berserk and Invincible book collection looks immaculate and organized. That’s one point for John’s cleanliness. 

The heart-to-heart moments across Love Is Blind Season 11 are stellar.

At the Love Is Blind Season 11 group hangout in the bar/restaurant, John and Sarah don’t have any drama—other than dealing with Rob’s drunken nonsense. The next day, John finally meets Sarah’s family, along with Sarah’s twin sister Samantha. Sarah’s family likes John, and even asks him the hard-hitting questions about whether he believes in women’s health. Sarah’s mom asks this to see whether Sarah’s family politics align with John’s, since Sarah has three sisters and her mom as female family members. John explains that he does, but considers all sides of the arguments. 

The heart-to-heart moments across Love Is Blind Season 11 are stellar, selling the emotional moments between children and parents. Sarah has a private chat with her mom, and her mom basically approves of John—based on what John’s said so far.  John and Sarah appear content with their respective wedding outfits, which is good; they get their fittings done quick and easy.

Afterward, John and Sarah visit Sarah’s father and stepmom, which happens off-camera—per Sarah’s father’s request. After the meet-up, John and Sarah reveal that her dad approves of John and gave him his blessing. John says he’s glad he can prove he’s not just “some reality TV guy.”

John and Sarah’s third batch of episodes on Love Is Blind Season 11 ends on a bittersweet note: John learns his dad suffered a collapsed lung and will not be able to be his best man at the wedding. Prior to this news, John and Sarah go on an aquarium date that looks very fun for both of them.

It’s great to see John thank Sarah for being there with him and his dad in the hospital. In a confessional, John comments about how he’s sad about his dad but happy that Sarah was there with him at the hospital. Being in the hospital reminds John about how he received his MS diagnosis all by himself, so it’s nice he has someone now.

John and Sarah’s main red flags are almost everything about each other’s views on life.  From their opposite political views and John being easily agitated to Sarah not liking that John doesn’t clean up his messes, these two are trying to prove opposites attract. John and Sarah look like they like each other, and Sarah has been explaining and compromising. However, John continues to look bad for his conservative viewpoints that clash with Sarah and her family. As the finale looms, they appear like they’re fifty-fifty on actually getting married at the altar. 

Blake and Erika are in the spotlight throughout Love Is Blind Season 11 Episodes 9-11, as much as Michaella and Rob. In Episode 9, Blake and Erika visit Blake’s family, who don’t want to be on camera. Blake speaks in the confessional that his parents are skeptical about Love Is Blind, and think he’s been brainwashed. The debrief at a restaurant tells a different story, where Blake said his parents seem excited for the wedding—his father is just concerned about protecting Blake’s job.

Fast forward to the Love Is Blind Season 11 group night hangout. Blake has a final conversation with Benita—clearing up the bad blood they left in the Pods. Overall, Blake and Benita smooth things over, with Benita apologizing to Blake for being dramatic. However, Benita informs Blake that if he messes things up with Erika, she’ll get all the women to “get him.”

Blake and Erika have to decide whether to raise their kids in St. Thomas.

Blake and Erika act as mediators for their respective genders between Michaella and Rob at the party, trying their best to keep them together. Blake tries to tell Rob to go fight for Michaella after Rob keeps crashing out, but Rob can only continue to say, “I don’t give a f**k.” After the group party night, the main issue Blake and Erika keep facing is figuring out how Erika fits into Blake’s work schedule. 

Blake’s close friends, Cameron and Sarah (not related to the similar names of the other Love Is Blind Season 11 participants), are some of the realest friends on this show. Cameron and Sarah show Erika what Blake’s travel life is really like, and what it could be like if Blake and Erika decide to raise their kids in St. Thomas. They break down the risks of tropical storms and the high cost of living on the island—with Cameron also thinking about Erika’s position, since Blake will be working around attractive women. 

When Erika heads to the bathroom, it’s insightful to see how Blake loses it with his friends a bit. Or rather, he speaks plainly to Cameron, whom he believes is scaring Erika. However, Cameron is right in thinking about Erika’s position as Blake’s partner. Cameron explains how if Erika comes to Europe, she can’t come aboard the ship and would be stuck at the Airbnb by herself for three months.

Blake brings up how Erika will bring her dogs along, but his friend Sarah explains the dogs have to quarantine for at least three months too. Just from this detailed conversation alone, it could spell Blake and Erika not working out in the end. 

The takeaway for Blake and Erika is that they still have to figure out how to live together.

To make matters worse, Blake looks like a deer caught in the headlights when Erika mentions how Blake will be 40 years old in three years. Erika initially asks what Blake thinks about having a kid at 40, and the man has no poker face at all. It’s written all over him that he’s never given kids a serious thought, especially considering his age. Blake’s friend Cameron even drops a bigger truth for Blake about how men don’t really have a biological clock like women do, so that’s important for Blake to consider. 

Another problem arises when Blake and Erika visit another set of Blake’s friends off-camera, where one of the friends is so disappointed in Blake participating in Love Is Blind that the friend doesn’t even want to meet Erika. This friend leads to another issue between Blake and Erika because Blake decides to have a chat with that friend and his family separately, without Erika being there, and comes home late. Thankfully, Blake and Erika talk about how the whole situation is a miscommunication on Blake’s end, and he promises to do better. 

The takeaway for Blake and Erika from Love Is Blind Season 11 Episodes 9-11 is that they still have to figure out how to live together in working conditions that fit both their needs. Even three days before the wedding, Erika still brings up how she “finds it hard to envision” them living together with Blake’s job conditions. Overall, it appears to be in Erika’s court, if she can see a compromise somewhere on this topic. 

Last but not least, Wilson and Wilnie seem to be along for the ride at this point because they’re another couple who remain misaligned about what each partner expects from the other. Countless conversations from earlier episodes in Season 11 suggest that Wilnie doesn’t live a traditional woman’s life, or care to live that life in marriage. Similar to Aneha, Wilnie mentions how guys tend to buy her gifts. 

In Episode 9, Wilson and Wilnie have a conversation about how Wilson expects his partner to do fifty-fifty on house chores; if not, more than what he’s used to. Wilson expects his partner to cook and clean, but if Wilson is paying attention, Wilnie clearly doesn’t want anything to do with cooking and cleaning. 

At the group hangout night, Wilson is the only one with a number two pick there, Malaine. Wilnie lets Wilson talk with Malaine about what happened in the Pods. Malaine essentially ghosted Wilson in the Pods, and she explains that he didn’t reassure her. Malaine also says she didn’t like how torn Wilson was between her and Wilnie. Malaine took it as Wilson loved them both equally, but he tries to clarify that it’s fair for him to love two people in different ways—not exactly equally. By the end of their short conversation, Wilson works it out with Malaine and returns to Wilnie.

For a social show like Love Is Blind, Wilson and Wilnie are the most mellowed couple because there isn’t much drama. By Episode 11, Wilson plans a spontaneous romantic dinner on the rooftop of the Prudential Building, which is truly romantic-looking.

The date seems nice at first, but the two talk about how Wilnie doesn’t feel nurtured and loved enough—and doesn’t enjoy being asked to be more traditional. Wilson denies asking Wilnie to be more traditional, but he certainly implies it. There are also implications that Wilson doesn’t find Wilnie physically attractive if she mentions at the dinner date that they have physical intimacy issues. 

Love Is Blind Season 11 Episodes 9-11 are a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

Love Is Blind Season 11 Episodes 9-11 are a rollercoaster ride of emotions, especially surrounding Michaella and Rob. This leaves four couples who must decide whether to say, “I do,” at the altar. It’s even more telling when the ones having the most fun look to be the daters-turned-best friends, Jax and Stew, simply laughing at the chaos occurring around them at the group hangout party.

This third batch of episodes didn’t disappoint from an entertainment standpoint, with full points on the wildness. Unfortunately, it looks like romance is dead—at least in Boston. With so many major rifts between the remaining couples, this hints at another season with no final commitments at the finish line. 

Love Is Blind Season 11 Episodes 9-11 are streaming now on Netflix.

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