Love to See It with Emma and Claire

Before we dive headfirst into the new season of Love Island USA, we knew we needed to catch up on some reality news and gossip. First, we go through all of the updates on the “Perfect Match” season 4 couples, and consider who might be doing couple-baiting purely for PR purposes. Then we get into some “Love Island USA” casting news – including one Islander who has already been kicked out of the villa – and dive into some updates about West and Amanda from “Summer House” and Yvonne Najor from “In The City.”

Netflix has “Perfect Match” on a shorter and shorter leash, from 12 episodes in season 1 all the way down to just 8 this season – and boy, can you tell. In this rushed finale, we squeeze in one last challenge and boardroom, the shakiest couples patch it back up enough to limp to the final vote, and some mild tea about sneaky Spotify chats is spilled. The wildest part of the season doesn’t even happen until filming has already wrapped – and you know Nice Guy™ Chris and his Santa’s workshop of designer handbags has something to do with it.

Episodes 6 and 7 of “Perfect Match” dropped this week, leaving us with just the finale for next week – just as the show is finally starting to pick up steam. Putting the abysmal pacing aside, the drama is heating up as Demari and Marissa’s diametrically opposed communication styles threaten to tear apart their increasingly miserable relationship, one Jimmy does a better job locking it down than the other, and the singles make increasingly audacious plays for a spot in the house. A bait-and-switch kissing challenge brings it all together.

This week, we dive into the utterly depressing drama that has unfolded publicly between Mikayla Matthews, Taylor Frankie Paul, Jessi Draper and Mayci Neeley. We also get into some other news and gossip, including some rumors about “The Bachelor,” a “Love Is Blind” breakup, a “Summer House” pregnancy, and the absolutely wild description of Jenn Tran and Kaitlyn Bristowe’s new crossover reality show. Afterwards, we check in on our favorite soothing little treat: “Farmer Wants A Wife.” Spoiler alert: The ladies are droppin’ like flies.

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Netflix’s reality dating super-show is back for a fourth season, after a near-perfect third season featuring AD and Ollie’s transatlantic LIB love story. The concept, for those who aren’t familiar: sexy singles, mostly from Netflix reality shows, but also from “MAFS Australia,” “Vanderpump Rules,” and just… social media influencing, converge on a luxurious villa. This season features some reality dating icons – Marissa and Jimmy from “Love Is Blind,” Yamen and Natalie from “Temptation Island” – but is it hitting like previous “Perfect Match” season? That’s up for debate.

In this bonus episode, we go deep with Ilana Masad and Stevie K. Seibert Desjarlais on their new anthology: “Here For All The Reasons: Why We Watch The Bachelor.” It’s a book of essays about our first – and truest – love, “The Bachelor” franchise, and (surprise!) we even wrote an essay in it. We had such a fun time chatting with Ilana and Stevie about how this book came to be, where their relationship with the franchise began, why we continue to stick with “The Bachelor” when there are a million reasons we shouldn’t, and what they want to see from the future of the franchise.

Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen received mutual 3-year protective orders, and some interesting comments from the judge, in court last week. We discuss the updates in the ongoing legal battle, including an old voice memo from Jessi Draper being leaked to TMZ and some recent comments from execs behind “The Bachelorette” and “SLOMW” about the futures of the franchises. Whitney Leavitt is leaving “SLOMW,” and while she may be ready, we’re not! More “Summer House” reunion leaks dropped last week, and Amanda continues to come off as combative and willfully obtuse. Lauren Luyendyk took sides in the Alex Cooper/Alix Earle feud. And finally, we recap the second episode of “Farmer Wants A Wife,” in which Farmer Braden questions whether the women will enjoy farmwork, Farmer Brett gets goofy, and Farmer Sean talks about the trials of being a 22-year-old wealthy landowner seeking a faith-based non-golddigger.

Three makes a trend, and suddenly there are not just three, but FOUR former “Bachelor” USA franchise cast members appearing on Bravo casts. With Jasmine Goode on “The Valley,” Salley Carson on “Southern Charm,” Ashley Iaconetti on “Real Housewive of Rhode Island,” and Whitney Fransway on “In the City,” the great Bachelor x Bravo convergence is undeniably happening. Guest Gibson Johns (host of “Gabbing with Gib”) joins us to talk about this once-unimaginable overlap between the two massive reality powerhouses, what the Bravo path has to offer reality stars, what a “Bachelor” star has to offer a Bravo show, and what this is means for the future of reality TV.

The reality TV space has been humming with action this week, and we’ve got a bevy of topics to discuss. First, three new square-jawed farmers are seeking wives – and one candidate is Bachelor Nation’s own Heather Martin! Next, we discuss the wild reunion leak from the “Summer House” taping last week and pick apart just about every line, then check in on “Temptation Island” updates from the two-part reunion. We get into some updates from Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen’s ongoing legal situations, and their futures with “SLOMW,” then check in on Jessi Draper’s rapidly evolving post-separation roster, as well as the cast of the new Orange County spin-off of “SLOMW.”

It’s time to round out our recap of the latest season of “Temptation Island,” and all the accompanying drama. The back half of the season is action-packed. We’ve got dates! We’ve got men doing self-victimization like it’s their god damn job! We’ve got tempters trying to get people into the Temptation Haven and the couples snooping around in each others’ villas! And by the final bonfire, there’s just one couple standing.

“The Bachelorette” may have been put on ice, but related news and gossip is still flowing. We briefly discuss one of Taylor Frankie Paul’s men shooting his shot with another “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star, as well as updates on the allegations and legal proceedings between Taylor and her ex, Dakota Mortensen. Then, we dive into the first four episodes of “Temptation Island.” We meet four new couples who, as usual, should have broken up long before they ever choppered to set. Their issues (again, as usual) stem mostly from the male partners being unfaithful or dishonest, and the women struggling to move past their resentment. (In the world of “Temptation Island,” a woman vocalizing how a man has let her down is an offense on par with his original betrayals.) Will any of these couples make it out? Hopefully not! But either way, we’ll be back next Wednesday with the answer.

Season 10 of “Summer House” was going great – until the next great reality TV betrayal scandal broke. Last week, Amanda Batula and West Wilson finally confirmed growing rumors that they were romantically involved, despite the fact that Amanda is close friends with “Summer House” costar Ciara Miller, West’s recent ex – oh, and Amanda only recently separated from another costar, Kyle Cooke. The fandom and cast have been rocked by the revelation, which some are calling the new Scandoval. In this episode, we give a full primer on this scandal, from the premiere of “Summer House” to today, and all the messy relationships and tangled dynamics in between.

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This week, we’re taking a little break from “Bachelorette” chaos to dip our toes into some other reality shows. We sampled Hulu’s recent yacht-based, class-war-themed dating show “Love Overboard,” as well as HGTV’s Bachelor mansion renovation show, “Bachelor Mansion Takeover.”

(Trigger Warning: Domestic violence and emotional abuse) If you or someone you know has been impacted by domestic violence, you can call 800-799-7233, or text BEGIN to 88788. Please listen to this episode with care.  Jessi Draper and Jordan Ngatikaura’s rocky marriage has been one of the most upsetting storylines on “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” for the past two seasons – especially the public revelation that not only did Jessi have a brief, tepid affair with Marciano from “Vanderpump Villa,” but Jordan had been self-admittedly emotionally abusive to her for years. So the fandom applauded the news last week that Jordan had filed for divorce. Yesterday, Jessi’s interview on Call Her Daddy dropped, and she spared no details, opening up about learning that Jordan had tried to hire escorts, her belief that he attended sex parties, and the chilling moment she realized that he was trying to film her angry reaction to him blackmailing her with threats of revealing her affair on TikTok.   At the end of the episode, we also got into some news updates regarding Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen, as well as rumors that ABC and WBD might be holding out hope that they can air “The Bachelorette” season at some point in the future.

(Trigger Warning: Domestic violence) If you or someone you know has been impacted by domestic violence, you can call 800-799-7233, or text BEGIN to 88788. Please listen to this episode with care. On Thursday afternoon, in the wake of some pretty horrifying video footage of a 2023 domestic incident between Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen, Disney announced that it would not be moving forward with the 22nd season of “The Bachelorette.” In this episode, we talk through the lead-up to the cancellation and the fallout, the era of “messy” women on reality TV, the network’s culpability in all of this, and our own. We tried to be as thoughtful, nuanced and responsible as possible in this discussion, and hold a lot of hard truths at once.

It’s almost time for Taylor Frankie Paul’s journey on “The Bachelorette” to officially begin, which means that it’s time for us to dive into the cast bios. Twenty-two strapping men who fall broadly into the categories of Former Athlete, Surf Guy, Cowboy and self-proclaimed Mama’s Boy (with a side of Dakota Mortensen lookalikes), will be wooing TFP. And turns out, we had a lot to say about them, despite knowing very little. We also discuss the “Bachelorette” reunion / season preview that aired after The Oscars, as well as the social media rollout of the official cast announcements. This season might end up being a trainwreck, but it absolutely won’t be boring.

The latest ‘Love Is Blind’ reunion brought together pod squads past and present, so Vanessa could celebrate “our marrieds” and the growing “LIB” baby boom. But the focus was on this season’s drama – and there was plenty of it. A very red-faced, bob-haired Chris tried to repair, or at least not do further damage to, his image. A polo-shirt-wearing Alex tried to out-lawyer Ashley and the hosts. Amber and Jordan air their grievances. Devonta has some big news – and not just that he’s living with Alex in Austin. But we also do get some bright spots: Jess hard-launches a new relationship, Vic and Christine give the most pure marital updates, and one couple who seemed to break up reveals that they are in fact still together! And perhaps the brightest spot of all: The Lacheys finally learned to ask some follow-up questions.

It’s wedding time on “Love Is Blind”! Five couples are marriage-bound when the day dawns, but by reception hour, just two to four (depending on how you read it) are still standing. We finally get Mike’s answer to Emma’s “I do,” and head into two deeply ominous weddings – including the franchise’s first ceremony fueled purely by mutual hatred – as well as a pre-altar, one-sided break-up. Finally, we get a taste of romance, as the finale concludes with one purely happy marriage. We also dive into some pod squad gossip at the top of the episode, including Alex’s public apology to Tim Howard and more uncomfortable revelations about Devonta’s relationship history.

In this grab bag bonus episode, we dip into some thoughts on the “Traitors” reunion, including Candiace’s dubious insinuation that Rob cheated and Colton’s moment in the hot seat. Then we turn to “Love Is Blind,” catching up with two of our favorite ladies from this season, Emma Betsinger and Jessica Barrett, who each have a lot to say about some of the most controversial and shocking moments from their storylines. Emma weighs in on the (at times harsh!) audience reaction to her maternal ambivalence, and Jess reacts to some post-filming revelations about Chris and tells us what she thinks was really going on when he told her he usually dates women who “go to pilates every day.”

This week, the finale of “The Traitors” season 4 came to its most inevitable conclusion. Johnny and Tara, TWO OLYMPIANS, IN CASE YOU FORGOT, gave it their level best to mount a counter-defense and peel Maura away from Rob and Eric. Maura flirted with critical thinking, but ultimately put her faith in the one man who would surely never ever ever let her down. (Note: Our recap of the reunion will be coming early next week!)

It’s been an eventful week for ‘Love Is Blind’ Ohio! First, we get into some off-screen news and gossip, like the shocking phone call released by Chris’s ex and a very telling interview with Jess, as well as some discussion of the audience reactions to Emma’s sister Hannah. Then we dive into the latest two episodes, which feature the grand conclusion of Chris’s mixer crashout, the dress and suit fittings, and the final dates before the altar.

This penultimate episode of “The Traitors” season 4 was absolutely maddening. Tara wakes up and has a singular great instinct. But, unfortunately, it’s hard to make a ruthless play when you trust yourself less than you trust everyone else. Can anyone stop Rob now? With Maura by his side, probably not.

*This is Part 2 of a two-part recap! If you missed Part 1, scroll back in your feed.* The second drop “Love Is Blind” vibe shift has arrived, and now that the couples are back in Ohio, the masks are coming off. Some of the couples – or at least Vic and Christine – are still gliding smoothly toward the altar. Others have become embroiled in passive-aggressive disagreements about housekeeping standards. Alex and Ashley come out as MAGA, and Chris comes out as a love-bombing misogynist who has complete contempt for any woman who isn’t disciplining her body with daily Crossfit. And we almost forgot Amber and Jordan were even there! Petition to go back to five couples next season?

*This is Part 1 of a two-part recap!* The second drop “Love Is Blind” vibe shift has arrived, and now that the couples are back in Ohio, the masks are coming off. Some of the couples – or at least Vic and Christine – are still gliding smoothly toward the altar. Others have become embroiled in passive-aggressive disagreements about housekeeping standards. Alex and Ashley come out as MAGA, and Chris comes out as a love-bombing misogynist who has complete contempt for any woman who isn’t disciplining her body with daily Crossfit. And we almost forgot Amber and Jordan were even there! Petition to go back to five couples next season?

This week on “The Traitors,” after Candiace’s banishment last week, her Faithful security blanket Johnny is under scrutiny. Time for his secret friendship with Tara to bear fruit – or for the two winsome Olympians to blow their cover in the most adorably unstrategic way. Meanwhile, Rob is continuing to bro out with his dude alliance, especially his new Traitor pal, Eric. Mr. Magic Ears is trying to find his footing as a new Baby Traitor, and production is not trying to make it easy for him.

In the second half of the first drop of “LIB” season 10, it’s time to get serious. One feckless suitor is so indecisive he manages to fumble both of his lovely ladies. But the rest of our ebullient Ohioans sort out their love triangles, pop the question, respond with a hearty “let’s go!”, and jet off to the group honeymoon in Cabo (or, in the case of one fortunate couple, a solo retreat in Malibu). On their luxurious getaways, they can finally get down to business: prolific sex and passive-aggressive conflict!

“Love Is Blind” is heading to the great state of Ohio, and no one is more excited than hometown hero himself, Nick Lachey. And honestly, there’s a lot to dig into in the beginning of this season – especially because we are following SO MANY different characters. We do our best to keep all of the various bearded white men from completely blending together, discuss who we think is this season’s Golden Couple, and explore what happens when you give a man who is incapable of making decisions a choice between two excellent women. (Since Netflix dropped six episodes at once, we decided to split our recap into two parts. The second half will be out later this week.)

This week, a very special guest joins our “Traitors” recap to discuss a big episode for The Housewife Slayer: Peter Shamshiri, co-host of the If Books Could Kill and 5-4 podcasts! We get into the episode’s big Candiace vs. Rob stand-off, the recruitment at the end, and discuss what the future might hold for this season. But first, we spend a little time close-reading the new casting announcement for Chris Harrison’s alarming trad-coded dating show. The vibes… are dark.

This week’s episode of “The Traitors” is rife with Traitor-On-Traitor violence. Seven weeks in, the fragile alliance within the turret has been severed, all because Rob went for his bros over his hoes. As the snake in the turret gobbles eggs and throws shade at icon and legend Lisa Rinna, Candiace is ready to turn the tables. Meanwhile, Colton can’t wait to be the big dude in charge again.

It’s been awhile since we did a news & gossip episode, so we had a lot to catch up on! We start by talking about the deeply heartening wave of reality TV stars who have spoken up about ICE operations in Minneapolis. Then we got into some off-screen drama from “The Traitors,” “The Golden Bachelor,” “Summer House” and “Love Is Blind” – the ongoing backlash against Colton Underwood and the show’s apparent attempt to tamp it down, yet another Mel interview in which he calls Cindy a quitter, some divorces and engagements, and more!

It’s episode 6 of “The Traitors,” and things are really starting to cook. Colton is instigating a full-on war with Lisa Rinna and being extra dickish in the process. Johnny Weir tries to rally a group of Faithful Faithfuls to take control of the game, with mixed success. And Rob Rausch starts to get his game in trouble because he doesn’t want to vote for his sweet bros! Basically…it’s a whole lot of delicious chaos. And nothing is more delicious than ending on a cliffhanger involving a murder in plain sight.

Get in, losers, we’re going to the cottage! Like most women you know, we haven’t been able to stop thinking, dreaming, talking, and texting about the gay hockey romance juggernaut “Heated Rivalry.” And we couldn’t help but wonder: what does the massive success of this show tell us about what women want in relationships, or what healthy masculinity looks like to us? What does it say about the ways women feel about themselves and their own sexuality? And what lessons should reality dating shows take from this cultural moment? We get into all of these questions and (full disclosure) swoon… a lot.

This season of “The Traitors” continues to be action-packed and full of loudmouths getting in their own way! A new Bachelor Nation Traitor hunter has emerged to take command of the Faithful troops, but not everyone is convinced he’s fit to lead. An unexpected laugh piques one player’s suspicion. The unhinged challenges continue, this time with more effigies and spears, and the ravenous players are all jockeying for the most important thing of all: the smoked salmon at breakfast. At the roundtable, things take a dark turn… and Rob gives Michael a much-needed vocabulary lesson.

The latest season of “The Traitors US” kicked off with three banger episodes, packed with scheming and twists. There’s a new Traitor in the castle – a mystery Traitor, whose identity is unknown to even the other Traitors and the audience – and a fascinating group of contestants are chosen as this season’s Traitors. But there is some genuine darkness in the castle: Michael Rapaport’s continued, offputting presence. How many tantrums can one loud-mouthed actor/comedian throw in one season of a social strategy game before getting ousted, one way or another? We’re dying to find out.

It’s officially a new year, which means that we’re hitting the ground running with new reality TV to cover. It also means that we’ll be changing up our release schedule a bit for the next two months in order to cover “The Traitors.” In this episode, we discuss those scheduling changes, our excitement about the forthcoming season of “Love Is Blind” – which takes place in Boston? maybe? – and get into the cast of season 4 of “The Traitors” USA.

You asked and we answered! In this episode, we take a journey through the wild world of YOUR questions. And boy, did our listeners deliver. We talk about our dream ‘Bachelor’ casting, dive into some Bravo topics (like ‘Vanderpump Rules’ and ‘Summer House’), talk about the ‘Mormon Wives’ TV domination, and think about the standout reality TV moments of the year.

We’re just podcast hosts, standing in front of our listeners, asking them to rewatch Notting Hill. Again! Today we’re revisiting our episode breaking down the classic rom-com, Notting Hill – an ideal movie to spend a cozy holiday afternoon with. When a bookstore owner (Hugh Grant) and a famous actress (Julia Roberts) fall in love, we get a charming tale that explores the many pitfalls of fame. Joining us to break it all down is co-host of Vibe Check, Zach Stafford!

In today’s re-release, we’re revisiting the friends-to-lovers film that kicked off the rom-com renaissance of the 90’s: When Harry Met Sally. We wanted to release this episode again with a new segment up top, reflecting on the unbelievable legacy of the late Rob Reiner, and his wife, photographer Michele Singer Reiner. Their love story, which started during the making of “When Harry Met Sally,” forever changed the course of rom-com history. Thank you, Rob and Michele, for making the world a better, brighter, more loving place.

We got the chance to sit down with Cindy Cullers, the runner-up of season 2 of “The Golden Bachelor”! Besides being absolutely luminous, Cindy thoughtfully reflected on her “Bachelor” journey. We discussed what initially drew her to Mel, her thoughts on that infamous podcast, how he handled conversations with her daughters, the truth about the lemon bars, what made her finally walk away, and how she feels about Mel’s… rather harsh post-show interviews. Plus – would Cindy ever consider being the Golden Bachelorette?

It’s been 30 years since Emma Thompson, Ang Lee, and producer Lindsay Doran came together to make one of the greatest Jane Austen adaptations of all time. BFF of the pod Erin Darke joins us to get into the incredible way this film came together, a deeply satisfying behind-the-scenes love story, and all of the details that make this movie practically perfect. Hugh Grant? Alan Rickman? Kate Winslet? Emma Thompson? A divine combination that holds up even decades later.

This week, we’re diving into some reality TV-related news and gossip! And it’s breakup-themed. First, we discuss former “Bachelor” contestant Onyeka Ehie’s viral TikTok series, “The Danish Deception,” and the story’s fallout. Then, we talk about Kat Izzo and Dale Moss’ very expected breakup, some new details about Juliana Pasquarosa and Grant Ellis’ breakup, and Alexa and Brennon Lemieux from “Love Is Blind” season 3’s shocking divorce. Plus, Cassie Randolph is married!

Friend of the pod Arden Myrin joined us for our first rom-com rewatch of the holiday season! We dove into 1994 classic “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” starring Hugh Grant and his slutty little glasses alongside Andie MacDowell, Kristin Scott Thomas, John Hannah and Simon Callow. Somehow the movie manages to work, despite the fact that the central love story is thinly-rendered and unremarkable, and despite the fact that Grant’s Charles is kind of the biggest villain in the film???

Since we have to wait a few months before we watch Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette,” we decided to take matters into our own hands and google the 26 potential men who will compete for her heart! What we found are a bunch of scruffy-faced, cowboy-adjacent men of faith. But a few of them had some shockingly fascinating backstories – including one who has deep ties to former Republican Congressman Madison Cawthorn.

Now that season 2 of “Golden Bachelor” is safely in the books, Mel and his final choice Peg have been making the rounds. We get into their magazine interviews and Bachelor Happy Hour episodes, all of which are drenched in his trademark defensiveness and disdain for quitters. Plus, we discuss some Bachelor Nation news and gossip, including leaked tidbits and photos about Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette,” which is currently filming, and the confirmation of Ashley I.’s role on “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island.”

It’s been 20 years since How I Met Your Mother premiered, and just over 10 years since the finale. Josh Radnor, who played “Ted” for nine seasons teams up with series co-creator Craig Thomas for this episode-by-episode rewatch podcast. For the superfans, HWMYM (listen to the trailer to learn how it’s pronounced) will get into all the secrets, theories, and pineapples, but we'll also use HIMYM – and our relationship to it two decades later – to talk about life and love and art and everything in between. How We Made Your Mother… a flashback podcast for a flashback show.  You can listen to all episodes of season 1 now, and join Josh and Craig as they dive into season 2!

The two-hour “Golden Bachelor” finale actually did bring Mel’s soporific journey to a relatively dramatic conclusion. In large part, this was thanks to Cindy, whose refusal to stay on the field like a good little football player and continue to compete for Mel’s (begrudgingly offered) companionship finally unleashed some real emotion in Mel. And that emotion? Anger and disdain. But this leaves Peg, whose more laidback approach to commitment and peppy personality proved to be a better fit for him Maybe there’s hope for a happy ending for this analytically minded guy after all!

It’s the penultimate episode of Mel’s Golden Bachelor journey, and the final two women are finally ready to ask him the hard questions. Like… “Are you even into me?” and “Are you really afraid of stingrays?” and “What’s wrong with you?” Mel, for his part, is gearing up to finally express his deepest emotions. He’s ready to finally reveal to Peg and Cindy that he thinks they are pretty great. And also pretty good. The only question is… will that be enough for them?

OG Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner’s new memoir is here! “Golden Years: What I’ve Learned from Love, Loss, and Reality TV,” dives into Gerry’s early life and career, as well as his marriage to his beloved Toni. But the lion’s share of the memoir is focused on “The Golden Bachelor”: his casting, the experience of filming, the women he met along the journey, the cursed Golden Wedding, and, of course, all of the ways in which his relationship with Theresa Nist was seemingly doomed from the jump. We go into the memoir’s juiciest claims and explore why Gerry still seems to feel so much bitterness towards his now ex-wife.