Poor Nick. Hannah makes him feel like he just shanked a kick that would have won the game.
Love is Blind’s title is a lie. It isn’t, even the show’s participants admit it. However, it’s a fascinating concept, and it makes compelling viewing. In a Love is Blind utopia, couples date without seeing one another for a week or so, pair off, and live happily ever after.
No one cares about that lazy eye, shorter leg, or whatever. If you look closely enough, everyone has something wrong with them, but that’s a story for another day. For the record, through ten seasons, not one contestant has complained about, wait for it, breath. But the cold, harsh reality about the show is this: finding everlasting love on Love is Blind is a Hail Mary.
Love Is Blind has a few success stories, but it mostly delivers trainwrecks, which also make good TV, judging by the high streaming numbers. This season appears to be less of the usual cesspool, but then again, it’s early. Alex Henderson, the former all-American soccer goalie out of Wake Forest, is showing some definite Talented Mr. Ripley tendencies. We’ll see.
Nick Norka (photo courtesy Decider)
Henderson – who played under a different name for the Demon Deacons – was not the first all-American to be featured on the show. Nick Dorka, who was a kicker-punter at William & Mary, coupled up in Season 7. He played or tried to play in the XFL and CFL, but there’s no concrete evidence of this.
Fast forward to Nick’s collision with the Love is Blind cameras. In short, Nick, a recovering athlete, was working his second act. He was living in his loving parents’ basement, trying to get his fledgling real estate career off the ground.
Love is Blind seemed like a viable option to assist with a relationship – and attract more real estate business, not necessarily in that order. Love is Blind participants aren’t compensated much at all. However, these days, they do appear to be better fed. In the past, the show came under scrutiny for not providing its participants with enough food.
Hannah with Nick (photo, PEOPLE)
On the show, Nick eventually pairs off with Hannah, who has a heightened sense of herself. She should’ve worn red because she’s an enormous red flag. She was a cheerleader, dated the quarterback, got the dream job, yada, yada, yada.
Ultimately, she thinks she’s better than Nick, and she shames him at every turn.
If it’s not his height – he’s 5-10 but says he’s 5-11 – it’s his career. Sure, Nick has some work to do – who doesn’t – but Hannah is not helpful to say the least, forget loving. In fact, she treats the former kicker-punter with contempt. During a few of the worst cringe moments, the producers wouldn’t have been at fault for intervening, but, of course, train wrecks attract eyeballs.
Perhaps Hannah learned something on the show and has improved. If we could all play Monday Morning Quarterback and get a do-over, we all would be, right? As far as Nick, last I checked, he’s still in real estate and doing the influencer thing.
Sometimes you boot one right down the middle. Other times, well, you shank it.
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Jon Hart is the author of Unfortunately, I was available.
