Netflix's Love Is Blind and The Ultimatum are refreshing anti-Bachelors of dating reality shows

Variety

While i franchise thrives on cast members bringing normalcy to extreme situations with the goal of a proposal, the Nick and Vanessa Lachey-hosted Love Is Blind and The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On embrace the chaos of dating, says Daniel D'Addario. Both shows, created by Chris Coelen, "both feature high-concept premises and an aptitude for casting individuals who exist outside conversations about relatability," says D'Addario. "Coelen’s shows escalate from relatively simple set-ups to wild heights of human behavior, all because contestants are (or appear to be) left to their own devices." He adds: "Coelen’s series occupy a more unsettled place, one that uses the tools of reality (big organizing ideas, people attuned to the dramatic) to create stagings that look like our world." Having Nick Lachey as co-host also is a brilliant move since his path to a stable second marriage included a messy personal life.