Love Is Blind Season 7 Episode 12 Recap

Love is blind

Week 4 (episode 12)

Season 7

Episode 12

Editor's Rating

4 stars

****

Photo: Netflix

It's finally wedding week! We have three pairs left and – wait, what? Oh, Marissa's mother can cut this man's balls off. Cut them off! The fact is, I'll get the scissors!! Okay, okay, I'm not actually advocating castration or violence against Ramses. I'm sure he would tell me that I should demand restorative justice anyway. I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I'm just… it's really, really hard to watch this opening conversation about the breakup.

Marissa is completely taken aback by this. Ramses' family apparently made him aware that his ex was “much more hurt” than he realized after the divorce. I don't know why those conversations couldn't happen before he decided to move on Love is blindbut okay. He says his feelings tell him to move on, but he needs to be more logical about the decision. I'm with her when she asks Ramses to be specific and give her some concrete explanations, because what does he even say? “It's about your energy and my energy, living and coexisting in the same space is what makes it,” he suggests, which sounds like something you'd say during a guided meditation, not when you're with abruptly breaks up with a fiancée.

What really sucks is that Marissa Ramses specifically said in the pods that guys are always into her first and then one day they decide she's just “too much.” Here he uses the exact same expression when ending their engagement. For the record, I agree that these two don't mix well. But they've been sharing space for weeks now, and I just feel like he could have come to that conclusion a little sooner. Marissa doesn't seem like the type of person who would hide part of his personality or his beliefs or whatever was bothering Ramses. At least Hannah and Tim had the decency to end things with their partners before the dress and tux fittings! I guess it's better than this happening at the altar, but still.

Marissa says Ramses shouldn't have come on the show because he needs to date someone for a long time to feel confident enough to get married. Somehow she still looks the same pretty as she cries harder and harder (after all, the Netflix captions say she's “crying”). As they hug, she repeatedly asks Ramses if he is sure. When it becomes clear that he has made a decision, she sinks to the ground crying. She leaves the room without her ring and then makes a confessional while still sobbing? I'd say she's braver than the troops, but given her military background she might not like that. The point is, I admire her for sitting in front of the camera and actively processing the fact that the man who got emotional two days ago while choosing her first dance song has now changed his mind. Marissa calls her mother. (We don't get to hear the conversation, but I bet it wasn't very friendly towards Ramses.)

I have to say, the way they interacted on social media suggests that Marissa and Ramses have found a path to reconciliation. I don't think she'll be angry with him at the reunion or want the audience to be angry because of her. Still, this heartbreak is still fresh for us as viewers, and the sight of her utter devastation makes for a harrowing start to the episode.

And then we go straight to a Washington Wizards game. I don't immediately recognize Tyler and Garrett's friends from last week, so I'm actually confused about what's going on for a second. For example, did I accidentally sit on my remote control? Why is there a basketball court on my screen? But oh, okay, this is the bachelor party. Tyler and Garrett shoot hoops and play musical chairs in front of thousands of people, which they seem to enjoy. Good for you. Meanwhile, Ashley and Taylor host a sleepover-themed bachelorette party. Taylor says they are both such strong women that if it came to a non-negotiable issue, they would dump their husbands in a heartbeat. Ashley agrees, but they also note that they need to show their husband mercy in this timeline. Plus, men just screw everything up. “Hey, hey, hey,” protests the only man in the “I Do Crew” unconvincingly.

Off to our first wedding!

We start with Tyler and Ashley. He tells his friends that he and Ashley will be going “to the baby ward” after the reception; Ashley's friends give her a bathrobe for “sexy time.” Ashley is soooo sure about Tyler, who she thinks is protecting her feelings. Something “catastrophic” would have to happen in the next few hours for her to say “no.” However, her intuition is also “crazy,” so that may just be a weird look on his face as she walks down the aisle. At the moment she trusts him 180 percent and is ready to take this leap of faith.

Tyler's mother (the one he praised during the pods for raising him all by herself) comes to him and we witness the nervousness he didn't show to his boys. She reminds him that he never said he wasn't sure about Ashley. They allude to the fact that his father wasn't invited, but that's his fault. Ashley's father Is invited because she found a way to forgive him for how “he treated women” and her mother. He advises her to hold on to her marriage because “some of us” run away when things get bad and regret it. But he can't give her away – he hands her to her mother in the middle of the hallway.

The ceremony begins, of course, with a prayer. Both burst into tears at each other's vows, which involve God and leaps of faith. The exciting music doesn't grab me. Of course these two say “I do.” They end the ceremony with the African tradition of jumping brooms. Ashley, Tyler and their golden goblets celebrate afterwards… and yes, he expresses a desire to have children. I imagine the producers thought this was so cute before the social media discourse started.

And now it's time for our second and final couple to go to the altar. Taylor is so excited to think about having children and grandchildren with Garrett. He says he examined his feelings every day to make sure he was sure because they had promised each other to only say “yes” if they were “really, really serious.”

Taylor's mother wrote a poem from the perspective of Taylor's baby bonnet, which was repurposed into a wedding handkerchief that could be her “something old.” Taylor puts the little thing on her head and her mother wipes away the tears. On the groom's side, Garrett gets the opportunity to spend some time with Taylor's father, who helps him with his bow tie. Garrett makes promise after promise about how he will care for Taylor, respect her and put her feelings first. When he pauses to take a breath, Mr. Krause assures him that he has his full support. Then Mr. Krause breaks down in tears as he remembers that Taylor was with him for two weeks when his brother – whose tie he is wearing – died, and he tells Garrett that part of marriage is putting yourself through difficult times Support each other at times and through such losses. So far, when anyone has spoken about Mr. Krause, it has sounded as if he was completely beside himself about the wedding and completely undecided about it. But now he just seems excited to welcome a “murderous son-in-law.”

In fact, it's Garrett's parents who still seem a little nervous. Garrett admits that they have concerns about him going to San Diego, but says that if he finds someone like Taylor with whom he feels so compatible, he would be foolish not to act. Ultimately, his parents say they support him. While it may seem spontaneous, they know he's put a lot of thought into it – at least more than when they got married. A fun little reveal is that both Taylor and Garrett's parents got married on the 13th, which just feels right for this cheesy little love story.

The official describes Love is blind as the most important double-blind experiment for these two scientists. They both wrote down their vows. Garrett talks about how perfect Taylor is for him. He makes the audience laugh as he breaks his emotional promises by committing to making every date as hot as the one in Cabo. Taylor tells “G” that he really sees her, praises her, and speaks hopefully about her future. She says this process reminded her of apricot, the warmth of the sun on the skin in winter. And at the end she says that she really caught a big fish. I thought there was one Shrek I found a reference to this somewhere, but other than that it's largely what I expected from them. Not surprisingly, they both say yes!

Garrett then kisses Taylor in their happy private conversation until she pats him on the chest and says, “Okay, okay, okay, you have the rest of your life.” They drive off in a horse-drawn carriage and assure us in the confessional that love is real is blind.

After a few dance shots at her wedding reception and with Ashley and Tyler…that was it! The final is done. I feel like it's been such a strange season that this episode doesn't provide a satisfying conclusion. Is Ashley a happy stepmom? Could Garrett give up his life and adjust to life in San Diego? And what about all the questions about the other couples that could have been answered with more footage or confessionals? For me, the reunion will feel like the true finale. We had to get through this week first. See you on October 30th!

• The mother of Tyler's children posted a five-part series of claims on Instagram that match the rumors that have been circulating on social media, potentially making every single sweet thing he says in this episode seem devilish.

• Marissa explained on her TikTok that she has rheumatoid arthritis and had a flare-up while discussing physical intimacy last week. So it wasn't just PMS, which seems to be important context!

• I had the opportunity to interview Alex and Hannah last week. Since these were short conversations, I couldn't ask everything That's what I wanted, but I think there were still interesting takeaways from both. I'm sure the Lacheys don't need any help preparing for the reunion. But if you do, Netflix, feel free to call me. I'm so serious. I have QUESTIONS!