Every ‘Love Is Blind’ Participant Needs a Sister Like Sara's liennhi

In a reality television genre filled with unique dating shows, it's shocking what all of these programs have in common: contestants who aren't ready for hard conversations. In setups where people are meant to find the love of their life, audiences are often surprised at how many contestants are ready to commit themselves to someone without the difficult — but very necessary — conversations every successful relationship has to have. There are many shows with this issue, with one of the biggest offenders being Love Is Blind.

Created by Chris Coelen, this Netflix series sees individuals fall in love "sight unseen" and get married within a month of meeting each other. This season offered another slew of engaged couples who waited until only a few days from their wedding to have vital conversations about things like politics and religion, with one of the most avoidant pairs being Ben Mezzenga and Sara Carton. Viewers have been especially shocked by Carton choosing to ignore these harsh topics when not only did she start the series as a proud progressive, but her fiancée found himself in TikTok drama when they were only days from walking down the aisle! She was committed to avoiding any of the tough topics she knew could break them up, which means the harsh advice she received from her sister in a recent episode was a brutal wake-up call for the contestant — and exactly what she needed to hear.

Sara and Ben Need To Be Honest on ‘Love Is Blind’

Partners don't have to be exactly alike for a relationship to work, but on Love Is Blind, it's startling how many contestants are willing to overlook huge differences with the person they're meant to marry. Nobody has done that more this season than Sara, a staunchly liberal, non-religious woman who found herself falling for the devoutly religious and questionably inclusive Ben Mezzenga in the pods. While Carton made sure to ask him if he'd be "accepting" of her queer sister — with many fans calling out his response as non-committal and vague — it was shocking to see her constantly overlook how much his conservative lifestyle differed from hers. It's what made her sister and her partner, Lisa and Kelsie, so shocked when they first met the pair; Lisa was not only stunned to hear her sister suddenly call herself fiscally conservative when she knew that political alignment is often anti-LGBTQ+, but she quickly noticed how Sara had refused to push further with any deep questions in order to preserve peace. Carton met her sister's criticisms with the assurance that she and Ben were so alike in other ways and that they were happy, with Lisa explaining something that all Love is Blind contestants need to hear: marriages can't live on momentary happiness.

Lisa's harshness towards her sister stemmed from alarm; she was shocked to see Sara suddenly express ideals and beliefs that she'd been extremely against only months before. She reminds viewers that it is essential not to lose yourself in a relationship, that too often a person will overlook their core values to maintain romance with someone who doesn't feel the same way. Not only that, but Lisa rightly recognizes that Sara's refusal to dig into these topics is an attempt to avoid all conflict — an impossibility in any marriage! Because no matter how happy you make each other, a long-term partnership will always entail some strife, with the best relationships being those that experience these issues and get through them stronger. The process is obviously different in an experiment as fast-paced as Love Is Blind, but that's why it's even more essential for these participants to difficult questions and ensure that if there is an issue, they can overcome it. Lisa saw the toxic behaviors her sister was resorting to and sought to put an end to them, knowing that staying quiet to maintain the 'good vibes' could eventually lead to Sara becoming someone she never wanted to be.

Sara's Sister Was Right, and More Family Members Should Follow Suit

While Sara's sister was reasonably alarmed on Love is Blind, some online fans have critiqued Lisa for not being gentler in her approach — but wasn't that the whole issue in the first place? Lisa called out not only her sister, but the many reality contestants who refuse to delve into tough topics because they're more focused on maintaining happiness than actually building a relationship. Lisa saw Sara and Ben's red flags and mirrored the audience's shock at seeing someone who began this season as a proud advocate begin to give up parts of her personality to keep her relationship. This is not only saddening, but it hinders the pair's relationship, as this avoidance means that they won't be able to learn how to overcome conflict until they're already mired in a committed marriage. Lisa was being the older sister that we all need, reminding Sara (and the audience) that while it's always nice to have a relationship, it should never be at the expense of yourself.