Hey City Cast Denver friends! Deep Singh Badhesha here, taking a break from my usual political takes to talk about something equally chaotic: “Love Is Blind” Denver edition.
Hear me out… I know you’re saying, “Deep, why should I care about this?”... and here’s the thing, this show is MASSIVE, typically landing in the top 5 or top 10 most watched shows in the month it airs. (Which makes sense — me and a groupchat of 30+ friends binged 6 episodes in 4 days). Tens of millions of people watch it, and it’ll largely shape what the rest of the country thinks Denverites are like. Sure, this show likely won’t produce a loving couple (seriously, it’s got like a 2% success rate), but it will produce a crop of micro-influencers who’ll stick around shaping Denver’s vibe for years. Whether we like it or not, whoever hits it big from this show will probably be seen around town as featured guests at clubs, brought up at DJ sets at concerts, and even hosting events.
Regardless of who “wins,” we’re all about to spend the next few months doing PR cleanup to rehabilitate Denver's image to those who watched the show. Let me say this clearly on behalf of the city: We do not claim these people.
Who’s Winning So Far?
I’ve been tracking the real “Love Is Blind” game: Instagram followers. The social clout race tells you who’s actually winning the hearts (and eventual brand deals).
Of the top 12 upcoming social celebs, five of them aren’t even in the final couples. Patrick and Kacie (whose relationship imploded spectacularly) are at #2 and #3 in follower growth. Meanwhile, “Sparkles” Megan Walerius somehow keeps shining despite giving off major Nature Valley granola bar energy.
Theories and Hot Takes
Why is the Denver cast so weird? Simple: They couldn’t find anyone else willing to be trapped in pods for 10 days without access to our 300 days of sunshine. Also, I’ve seen zero Patagonias. Not one! How are these people even from Denver?
In reality, I think it’s an odd group because for this season they screened everyone who had ANY political views at all. From what I can tell from the public voter file, all these folks rarely (if ever) vote and all of them are either unregistered or unaffiliated. In a city that prides itself on activism and one of the highest voting percentages in the country, it is very odd they found people who have no feelings at all about politics. As a progressive political strategist, I’m clearly biased, but it’s probably why I haven’t run into people like this in the city. Another stand out point — where is the Latino representation? Denver has a sizable Latino population and this show misses out completely on casting people with that background. Who will educate America on Denver’s love of green chile?!
Predictions?
If anyone’s going to become Denver’s breakout “Love Is Blind” star, I hope it’s Patrick for the poetic justice and irony of it all.
Patrick’s story exposed the show’s biggest lie: Love is not blind (to at least these shallow people). After opening up about his trauma (growing up Asian in white suburban spaces and being told he was “good looking for an Asian guy”) he got paired with Kacie, whose “open-minded” energy evaporated the second she saw him. What followed was Kacie’s extreme gaslighting dressed up as empathy and one of the most brutal scenes I’ve seen on reality TV. (For those of you who missed the scene, Kacie clearly did not like Patrick’s looks, because she immediately ended things while simultaneously saying to him that he’s fine and they’re not breaking up while jumping on him and wrapping her legs around him… It was quite something. Go watch the clips if you enjoy cringe…)
If Denver has any sense of humor or justice, we should collectively decide that Patrick is our guy. He’s the only one who actually feels like he’s from here. Perhaps because he actually did grow up here: he talks about the outdoors, seems grounded, and was looking to actually settle down. Meanwhile, Kacie literally admitted she wanted to be on reality TV for the clout. So imagine how funny and deserved it would be if the guy she rejected for not fitting her “type” ends up being the one Denver gives the most attention to!
(Disclaimer: I’m writing this after only watching Episodes 1-6. If something crazy happens, I reserve the right to change my mind!)
Want more? Follow @deepnotshallow and @citycastdenver on X, Instagram, and TikTok for more hot takes as we watch the rest of the season.
What Are Your Takes?
Who’s your favorite “Love Is Blind” Denver contestant so far? And more importantly, who makes you want to apologize on behalf of our entire city? I’ll be posting more content about the show on my Instagram, so drop your takes in the comments.
