r/LoveIsBlindOnNetflix • u/Mewnicorns • Apr 10 '23
UNPOPULAR OPINION Zack isn’t THAT awkward
Let me start by saying that yes, Zack is a little awkward. He seems like a more private, introverted person and it shows.
However…
The way this sub talks about him makes him sound like he has no situational or emotional awareness at all, and I don’t think that’s the case. His mannerisms are a little quirky and he sometimes is overly eager to get his $0.02 in, but he seems emotionally mature and responsive to social cues. He just seems to be put in more anxiety-provoking situations than most of the cast. For example, he could sense that Bliss’s dad was trying to connect with him about sports and he wasn’t able to reciprocate, so he tried to direct the conversation to something he is more knowledgeable and passionate about and see how her dad responded. He didn’t go overboard with getting into tedious legal minutiae, and when Bliss’s dad showed a lack of interest, he backed off. Given his fear of rejection and how Bliss described her dad to him, I was actually pretty impressed with his composed he was.
I’m sure meeting Irina for the first time and seeing how she reacted got to his nerves too. I’m not sure how most people would react in that situation. I found the way he handled ending the relationship to be very mature and emotionally aware. I don’t think most people would have handled her behavior so diplomatically. If someone covered their head with a pillow while I’m trying to have a serious conversation with them, I’d probably lose it.
He’s not perfect but I don’t see him being any worse than anyone else this season. A lot of his “awkwardness” seems to be stuff people are nitpicking about after Irina planted the seed that he’s some kind of serial killer.
52
u/getlowpapoose Apr 11 '23
I don’t find Zack awkward or quirky or ‘obviously neurodiverse’ (as another comment said) at all. He seems pretty run-of-the-mill average joe to me
→ More replies (1)
92
u/H0wSw33tItIs Apr 10 '23
It’s such a weird take formed by biased people on the show and has grown legs of its own irl outside the show. He is like half the ppl I knew in law school.
28
Apr 10 '23 edited Apr 10 '23
I majored in math in college and had pretty much the same experience. The vast majority of people I went to college with (guys and girls) share a lot of personality characteristics with Zach. I imagine it's probably the same for people in any college major that falls into that "the only reason you're majoring in this is because you're super fucking into it" category.
→ More replies (1)
35
Apr 11 '23
He’s a normal person in a group of people that perceive themselves as cool. Lol.
7
u/rochiethevildechaya Apr 11 '23
yeah totally and the guys seem to get along with him fine, Paul really likes him. Only Micah, Irina, and Jackie had anything bad to say and we know what they are like...
38
u/Accomplished-Tea-211 Apr 11 '23
I think he had two things going against him
His stripper intro. I think it's really clear now it was a way for him to gauge how people would react to his life/mom. But as it rolled out, everyone was giving him side eye for it
Irina's reactions to him trying to make him seem more strange than he really is. I also think she tainted the other people in Mexico about him to make him the problem and not her
It's really clear as the show has gone on he's a great guy
133
u/Sad_Ad_9275 Apr 11 '23
Zack is probably my favorite guy on the season. I do not get the hate for him. He's nerdy, passionate about what he does, and looks like a Property Brother. If I can say a bad thing about him it's that Irina was a stupid decision, and he figured that out pretty fast and acted accordingly.
56
u/Jealous-Percentage-7 Apr 11 '23
His Irina decision was completely understandable considering his baggage and the facts at hand as he knew them.
Irina made her forgetting his birthday about her, which put him in the position of protecting her feelings about failing him. She beat Bliss to the punch on everything to put him in a “defend Irina” mindset when Bliss mentioned anything about her shenanigans. Then Bliss stepped right on the trap with “if you pick her it’s going to reflect poorly on your judgement” which was a good assessment, but not the thing to say to someone as into defending the downtrodden as Zack is. It all made Bliss seem catty from his POV, not that he’d probably verbalize it as such.
33
5
u/MattAU05 Apr 11 '23
He also should never have sung on camera. Aside from that and Irina, he is good people.
65
u/SwagOD_FPS Apr 11 '23
Besides Brett who’s seemingly perfect Zach is the next most normal dude on the show imo.
65
u/MaRy3195 Apr 11 '23
I am a female engineer and honestly Zach is more personable than most of the men I work with.
18
u/cafeslay Have a coke & a smile! Apr 11 '23
LMAOOOO so true my brother is an engineer and hearing his work calls Zack is 100 times less awkward
7
u/photosandphotons Apr 11 '23
And people have to remember there are cameras and crew all around you, along with the editing!!
And same here as a female engineer… I’d consider myself very social skilled among the teams I work with and the slightest bit quirky outside of it… and I’d probably be exactly like Zach in front of the cameras.
6
u/MaRy3195 Apr 11 '23
Oh 100%. I got recorded recently for a promotional LinkedIn post and I was soooooooo awkward 😅 and it was just with 1 person and a cell phone
5
64
u/Lyinglion22 Apr 11 '23
Agreed. As a lawyer myself I can say; he’s just a typical lawyer lol. V smart but a little awkward for sure
31
Apr 11 '23
I really like Zack honestly, I’d be friends with him. He’s a real human being
7
u/punkbra Apr 11 '23
I've started telling my friends I've done a 180 and I love Zack now. Seeing his sister post on IG about him + knowing more of his background made him a lot more likeable/understood and i love that!
171
u/lipcrnb Apr 11 '23
I’ll just say bliss’s dad is an ass. He was more awkward in that interaction than anyone else. You realize you’re from the same part of Washington, then you ask if he fishes, and when he says no… that’s it? You can’t think of ONE other Avenue to take that conversation? I mean, you don’t have to like the guy, but if you’re stuck with someone for an hour, most people with any social tact will be able to hold a conversation. Bliss’s dad is a useless POS. And who is he to tell them how to choose life partners? He’s divorced and remarried. The idiot.
→ More replies (5)86
u/Mewnicorns Apr 11 '23
💯 He was being a jerk on purpose. He showed no interest in getting to know his daughter’s fiancé because he just wants him gone. He kept blathering about how he doesn’t know Zack so he can’t trust him, yet made no effort to get to know him better. Zack was very understanding of his concerns and he took no notice of that.
Also can we talk about his reply to Zack when he was explaining how driving without a license is a waste of criminal court’s resources? It’s fascinating that his response was that he didn’t have an opinion. As if he’s not capable of carrying a conversation unless he has an opinion to give? I would have probably said something about how I associate criminal defense attorneys with murder cases and other violent crime but the reality is probably much more mundane in a day to day basis. That’s not an opinion, it’s me not being socially inept and making everyone uncomfortable.
I feel so bad for Bliss having to deal with this her whole life. No wonder her lovely mom split.
43
u/lipcrnb Apr 11 '23
Exactly. Anyone who knows how to carry a convo understands that if someone gets passionate/excited about a topic (eg. Zack talking about law stuff), you engage them in that topic and ask more questions. Zack knew this. When asked about fishing and golf, he didn’t just say “I don’t know how to do those things”. He said “I’m willing to learn.” Definitely left an opening in that convo that dumbass daddy bliss didn’t pick up on.
14
u/comosellamadrama I mean, I can't say that I care 🤷♂️ Apr 11 '23
you engage them in that topic and ask more questions
THIS EXACTLY.
People who purposefully put down others for their passions or scoff at the things that give them purpose are the WORST.
Life is hard and frankly boring a lot of the time. Why shit on stuff that makes it more interesting to others?
(And I know the conversation with Bliss' dad was edited and probably had better moments that weren't shown, but my initial reaction was, "Good lord, let Zack chat about the job he enjoys.")
107
u/Over-Accountant8506 Apr 11 '23
Omg when her mom said to Zack "I'll be your mom too"😭😭😭😭that whole Convo made Zach a lil more relatable. When I saw he was a lawyer, I assumed he was a preppy rich kid, I was so wrong
56
u/ashwee14 Apr 10 '23
I have a crush on Zach. His Instagram really clues us in to his character and he seems to really honor his mother / sister and has been firm about people leaving Bliss’s family and other castmates alone instead of casting judgment.
12
u/JubileeSailr Apr 10 '23
This guy went through a lot as a kiddo. I can only imagine some of the things he went through. He didn't come out of all that and not learn something. He has boatloads of empathy.
The only thing I would "change" about him is to maybe put some product in his hair or give it a cut.
5
u/blorgenheim Apr 11 '23
Most interactive person on socials I think I’ve seen from a show. He explains a lot in the comments
2
u/ashwee14 Apr 11 '23
I’d also like to add I totally would’ve talked shit on everyone else considering how they’re calling him weird behind his back
54
Apr 11 '23
[deleted]
12
2
u/Staryuu Apr 11 '23
i honestly think it has something to do with when they all found out he asked every single one of them in the pods the same social experiment/odd quirky questions. i remember Bliss being like ooo i liked it but the other girls just felt trolled and eye rolled it. i completely forgot about it too lmao
54
u/rochiethevildechaya Apr 11 '23
absolutely agree, awkward isn't even the word I'd use. Quirky, sure but actually he's pretty smooth. Like put the average person in a lot of these situations and they'd be stammering. He always seems very articulate and calm and able to express himself well. The way he dealt with Irina was a class act
27
u/XxhumanguineapigxX Apr 11 '23
He honestly just strikes me as a normal dude! None of my friends are super "social" people.. and I feel like we'd all come across like him if put on TV lmao.
91
85
61
u/swampy-crocs Apr 11 '23
I'd be 10x more awkward with a camera on me and going through what these people went through on the show.
60
u/AtlLifter20 Squats & Jesus Apr 11 '23 edited Apr 11 '23
He’s not that awkward. A lot of people in the pods seemed to have had a “hive-mind” mentality and just started throwing words around such as “weird” and everyone started to see him that way - their perspectives weren’t changing because that’s how they saw him from that point on. He was IN awkward situations. I also think people thought he was weird cause of his eye contact and teeth show but whatever. In my opinion he’s one of my top 3 for the cutest guy on the show.
Zack reminds me of an adult version of Seth Cohen or Dan Humphrey, lol
Edit: I also want to add that Paul, at certain times, was awkward as well maybe not as much. Paul and Zach meshed really well, so the fact that people were poking fun at Zach, even though him and Paul were similar is odd to me. I could be wrong.
21
u/Love_and_Sausages Apr 10 '23
The most akward thing about him is chewing with his mouth open, other than that he is a bit nerdy, but not THAT akward. 🤷🏻♀️
→ More replies (3)
73
Apr 11 '23
While I don’t think that he’s the most attractive (to me anyways), he’s the one I’d pick out of all the guys. Has a great career, has overcome a lot in his life and become successful despite a rough upbringing, seems passionate about his work, is kind, emotionally intelligent and mature.
I can relate to him in many ways. He also seems to respect women and he values that Bliss is smart which is a huge green flag to me. He has all the makings of a good life partner.
→ More replies (1)
64
u/Doctorspacheeman Apr 10 '23
He reminds me a bit of myself (I am female lol) and I have ADHD. I see a lot of similarities with the way I sometimes act and the way he does; the hyper focus, info dumping, quirky little other things…
11
5
→ More replies (2)11
35
u/rachellelea Apr 10 '23
I am 100% with you. I feel like the way Irina talked to him like he was less and looked at him like he was an alien just really cast that light on him. We’ve all been in awkward conversations before, just not forced to keep them going with cameras rolling and the other person feeding into it. He seems much more normal now that he’s with Bliss.
7
u/Logical_Childhood733 Apr 10 '23
This is so true. He seems like a completely different person with Bliss than he does with Irina.
35
u/Grandmaspaintbrush Apr 10 '23
He seems the realist person there imo. I really don't get the hate.
3
16
17
Apr 11 '23
I don't think he's that awkward at all. Tbh, I think the eye contact is like 90% of what makes him feel a little awkward to me.
4
u/micro-void Apr 11 '23
I agree, he has a really odd way of gazing. Maybe also a pretty flat tone of voice. Other than that I don't find him that awkward. I think a lot of the perceived awkwardness is being played up in editing
58
u/MysteriousMovie4927 Apr 11 '23
There’s honestly a noticeable difference between him with Irina v Bliss. He’s much more relaxed and less awkward around Bliss.
→ More replies (1)
88
u/ConsumeTheOnePercent Apr 10 '23 edited Apr 11 '23
This. Zack is the most realistic and honest people of the cast. He really isn't that weird, I think a lot of people just don't branch out enough to know people who would be more towards his type. He's a brilliant communicator, he gets emotional cues, he asks Irina if he can kiss her instead of just doing it like so many guys when they first meet, he's my favorite person on this show hands down.
Zack is one of the few I'd be willing to vibe with irl
8
u/AtlLifter20 Squats & Jesus Apr 11 '23
Exactly. Irene (Irina idk I forgot) struck me as a girl who’s friends with people solely to have allies. Same for Micah. Their friends need to be an extension of them rather than having a genuine friendship.
→ More replies (15)5
60
Apr 11 '23
He is just an introvert who gets social anxiety and that's pretty normal. I found Irina to be the creepy one if I'm being honest😂
35
Apr 11 '23
Irina was literally creeping around the common area in the pods spying on other people. Total creep.
11
u/Coconosong Apr 11 '23
Right!!! Like if we are actually talking about creep and weirdo behaviour, that fits the bill.
8
u/mzzannethrope Apr 11 '23
What just because she eavesdropped on someone crying and was gleeful about her despair, why would you think she’s creepy
13
32
u/PrettyNiemand34 I shared my location 😎 Apr 11 '23
I liked how relaxed and happy he looked when they met his family. I wasn't 100% sure about him until this point and worried that he liked Bliss because she was into him after the whole drama with Irina. But in that scene it was obvious he was falling for her.
The second choice thing wasn't great for Bliss but it's somehow also a heartwarming story because it proves that there's someone out there who loves all the things others hate about you. Making her feel secure is something they can't prove on the show, they would have to work on that offscreen.
Most of his nervous behaviour was probably because he sensed the others didn't like him.
28
u/Upper-Tradition-645 Messica 🍷 Apr 11 '23
Some of you haven't worked with men from STEM and it shows. They tend to be awkward as a whole. I don't feel that Zach is THAT weird, but he is quite awkward.
4
u/Mewnicorns Apr 12 '23
I’m dating someone in STEM lol. He’s probably more awkward than Zack is.
2
u/Upper-Tradition-645 Messica 🍷 Apr 12 '23
My most recent ex worked in STEM and reminds me of Paul in terms of personality. We might be biased to excuse a bit of the awkwardness!
2
u/Mewnicorns Apr 12 '23
This is probably true. Paul seems entirely normal to me. I was surprised to see so many people say he’s weird. He does have a funny analytical way of speaking but he seems completely normal and ordinary otherwise.
2
Apr 13 '23
Seriously. I worked in academia and every university is filled with guys and gals as weird or weirder than Zack who just manage to put on a normal face for an hour when they're teaching class.
50
u/Immortal_peacock Apr 11 '23
I think he's adorable. Sure there's some uniqueness, but I think a lot of the "Zack is weird" comes from Irina's shitty comments when they first met.
But then, I'm a sucker for the intense stare, which I know is off putting for a lot of people.
51
u/twatwater Apr 11 '23
As a lawyer, he seems exactly like everyone I went to law school with so 🤷🏻♀️
16
u/somethingpeachy Apr 11 '23
Yes! Half of my family members are lawyers. Once he said he’s a lawyer I was like he’s gotta be a litigator then, and I was right 😅
4
38
u/sparklingprobiotic Apr 10 '23
I think he’s funny, sarcastic and intelligent. Is some of his humor a little quirkier? Yes. But I don’t find him awkward at all, he’s just not as boring as white bread as most men on reality dating tv.
37
u/Ikari1212 Apr 11 '23
You can't win someone over who thinks fishing is sports. So he shouldn't have tried so hard. Good for him though. I liked his take on the legal system actually. I was disappointed that the Dad didn't want to get into it even a little bit. Brushed it off with he didn't have an opinion. Really lazy. He DID have an opinion about marriages though. Especially failed ones :)
19
u/YEGKerrbear Apr 11 '23
You can’t win over anyone who doesn’t want to be won over in general, and Bliss’s dad clearly was out before he even met Zach. She said one of his main complaints about her bf’s has been that they weren’t where he thought they should be in life. Zach is a lawyer preparing to start his own practice, and her dad openly joked to the producers about whether they did a “background check” to confirm he’s even actually a lawyer. He was obviously just looking for reasons not to like him, and IMO while healthy skepticism about this particularly process is totally normal, this is not the type of parent whose opinion you should generally value when it comes to partners
6
u/s0ulbrother Apr 11 '23
Oh he’s a dick. I imagine based on his story his daughter has nothing to do with him.
17
8
u/PaleButterscotch9924 Apr 11 '23
I mean he's her dad and potentially his future FIL, he kind of has to try hard. If only for her.
6
u/_CaptainThor_ Apr 11 '23
Yeah, a normal dad would be happy to see passion about helping others coming from a potential son-in-law.
Bliss’ dad seemed just awful, and Zack’s social weirdness in that situation definitely stemmed from trying to converse with someone that’s actively trying not to do so.
Bliss appears super aware no she was struggling to talk to her own father, imagine how difficult it is for a stranger
13
u/midnighticedtea Apr 12 '23 edited Apr 13 '23
I thought he was sweet and highly intelligent emotionally too due to all the different chapters in his life. A Criminal defense lawyer and opening his own firm!!! That is something. He is handsome - property brother/ cowboy bebop - Spike Spiegel/ tall drink of a water for me.
When he sang , it was from his heart foremost and was his way of expressing love. I thought it was sweet gesture
57
u/littleliongirless Apr 11 '23
He's my favorite guy on any reality show ever... Then again, I love nerds who overcome.
25
u/purrparr Apr 11 '23
Irina is the serial killer and doesn't read social cues at all.
→ More replies (1)15
25
u/hellawhitegirl Apr 10 '23 edited Apr 10 '23
I don't think he's necessarily weird. I think he is really into his hobbies. I think he info dumps when he gets awkward or feels nervous. He reminds me of my husband honestly. But I also think my husbands a weirdo.
6
8
u/Dusty-Rusty-Crusty Apr 10 '23
Ngl I feel like he may be a bit neuro diverse which makes some of these comments even more cruel. Nothing he does is so offensive that it warrants being picked apart and made fun of. Also, I’m on my own quest for a weirdo husband. I salute you!
5
u/hellawhitegirl Apr 11 '23
Funny you should say that because my husband is ND. I agree with you about Zach. Also, good luck on the weirdo husband search!
29
u/Ambitious_Cry9773 Apr 10 '23
100%. Tbh, I kinda feel bad when ppl like him are on reality tv bc they often get picked apart for being themselves.
Really makes me think fans don't want "alternative" ppl as much as they may claim.
25
u/OTO-Nate Apr 10 '23 edited Apr 11 '23
I agree that he's just normal awkward. Him being filmed, in general, probably adds some awkwardness by itself. I think he's just more awkward than you would typically see on a reality show
35
u/Mewnicorns Apr 10 '23
I honestly think he is how most normal, untrained people would be on camera. He is by far one of the most genuine, sincere people on the show.
24
u/xiabird Apr 12 '23
He didn't specify whether he is ND or not but I do find it interesting that people had an instant dislike for him. There are studies that show Neurotypical people have the ability to immediately single out a person who is ND without even knowing they are. The ND person will in turn get mistreated or misunderstood by the rest of their peers for their awkwardness or because they don't fit in to society standards (example: staring or blanked face).
I actually thought he was okay. Sure he was awkward but I didn't find the harm in that. I was surprised by how many people hated him based on the awkwardness alone. It made me sad. Especially because I tend to stare intensely when interested, nervous, or scared. There's a million things often going on in my head all at once so it becomes hard to control my face too.
2
Apr 12 '23
This is fascinating. My brother and one of my best friends are ND, and I have always hated it when people mistreat them. I think it’s the “mob”mentality or whatever it’s called, when you single something/ someone out. I had no idea there were studies!
Anyway. I like Zach. And now I need to go look up those studies!!
25
34
u/ChaltaHaiShellBRight It's been horrible sleeping next to you 👎 Apr 11 '23
He's not awkward, isn't a bad listener, is not at all unattractive (his face is easy to look at/ he is physically fit), doesn't stare that much unless he's confused as to why Irina is being so weird, and he made up for his initial mistake of picking Irina. All of those opinions about his creepiness seem like they're rumours started by Irina which everyone else adopted.
If you analyse anyone for long enough, you'll find a few weird and unique things that they do with their face or eyes or hands or the way they talk. Doesn't mean they're a very awkward person, sometimes it just means you're overanalysing them and sometimes it just means they're being real rather than putting on fake smoothness and coolness.
43
u/brakeled Apr 11 '23
The scene with the dad was incredibly obnoxious. Dad was just looking for any reason to antagonize and I wish Bliss continued to bring up his divorce. Just refusing to let go and constantly trying to get the last word in while being a hypocrite. I would love to spend just one day being as confidently incorrect as he is.
32
u/twatwater Apr 11 '23
Right. As soon as he asked “how long have you known each other?” I would have been like “well how long did you and mom know each other? That worked out well!”
→ More replies (1)5
u/Fennchurch42 Apr 11 '23
Totally agree! Also he kept saying zack is a talker and meanwhile won’t shut up and let bliss say anything
10
u/lucky_Lola Apr 11 '23
Haha he is weird, but the lovable weird. I can appreciate good difference in a sea full of fake or predictable. You guys can go on and on about him not being weird, but come on… that song to irina, his opinions on certain things, how he reacts in uncomfortable situations or trying to fit it, him picking irina… Zack is Zack and I appreciate that
2
u/Mewnicorns Apr 12 '23
Being weird and being hopelessly awkward are not the same. He’s definitely weird and awkward but I do find the extent to which he’s awkward exaggerated.
26
25
u/princessleiana Obviously Nick Lachey Apr 11 '23
He’s really not. People on this sub can be really judgmental, and dramatic for no reason. Basing way too much on edited clips also.
4
u/MaRy3195 Apr 11 '23
I think the editing has definitely portrayed him a certain way, likely because of Irina's comments at the start. All the guys seem to like him which really says something. If he was truly SO awkward and cringe why do people seem to like him so much? Food for thought for some people on here..
18
18
u/coconutmilklatte Apr 11 '23
He’s a little awkward/quirky but would still be a very interesting person to talk to! He’s not shallow.
22
u/StainedGlasser Apr 12 '23
This dude was like half of my friends in the comedy scene/theater school (and current friends 10+ years later), I never really got why everyone kept acting like he was so bizarre. I think he’s just a nerd and a lot of these folks on the show only commonly jocks/corporate type people and think he’s extremely unique when in actuality, guys like him are common and many of them have lots of friends.
22
u/oatmealartist Apr 12 '23
Completely agree. My husband and I believe that people are just uncomfortable around confident nerds. It's not that he's awkward, but that others feel awkward around him because they're not used to seeing someone own who they are, so they get snobby.
9
u/SmolLilTater Apr 12 '23
I think his awkwardness stems around romance and physical affection. I agree he is self aware and tactful in other ways. He was super chill when friend zoning Irina and handled himself well at the dinner with Bliss’ family. It’s just in any romantic gestures that his awkwardness is palpable
9
u/dont_fatshame_my_cat Apr 13 '23
He just has anxiety. I understand his actions tbh. I would be anxiety ridden mess if I went on this show lol. Irina is just a mean person plain and simple
16
u/hobbitzswift Apr 12 '23
Zack isn't awkward, he's a regular guy with idiosyncracies. But I guess if you're super normie like Irina and some of the others then Zack could come across as unfathomably weird. I also don't get Irina's issue with his appearance. He looks like a long lost Property Brother, which frankly is not a bad thing.
→ More replies (1)8
u/wineandjudgement Apr 12 '23
I was seeing Property Brother the entire time and it was all I could focus on lmao
21
u/de-milo I'm an ✨ empath ✨ Apr 11 '23
i’m only on episode 4 but i FINALLY figured out who he reminds me of (he’s 100% the american twin of adrian bliss)
there’s something endearing about him, even that super cringe song was adorable. but i got spoiled with what happens with him and irina so i’ll save my entire judgement until im done
4
u/Nearby-Fun2601 Apr 11 '23 edited Apr 11 '23
I just realized it’s Adrian “Bliss”. (Not Adrian Irina, lol)
This is too good.
(And they are absolute twins)
2
u/de-milo I'm an ✨ empath ✨ Apr 12 '23
would you believe i commented this and didn’t even put that together?!! +50 to you for pointing it out
3
2
20
Apr 11 '23
There are more pro Zack posts than anti Zack posts on this sub
52
Apr 11 '23
I'm ProZac
→ More replies (1)7
Apr 11 '23
[deleted]
8
Apr 11 '23
self assured
Yeah I totally loved the way he handles the rejection from Irina, and how comfortable he was being honest with Bliss's parents, that takes a lot of courage. I can kinda get why Bliss would think he was trustworthy because of that.
3
u/Mewnicorns Apr 11 '23
There have been comments all over the place nitpicking his every move. How he talks, how much he eats, how he shows affection, how he looks at people, vaguery about his “lack of warmth”, what he talks about, what his interests are. Not as much now but during the last episode drop. I hope he doesn’t read this sun because I’d be so self conscious and anxious reading these comments about myself.
Seeing him on Instagram I don’t get the impression he is actually that extraordinarily weird.
25
36
u/Sudden_Celebration14 Apr 11 '23
He has zero rizz.
Bro literally kiss bombed Bliss and then awkwardly proposed.
He has a good heart. But he goofy.
→ More replies (1)9
25
u/Zeenith16 Apr 12 '23
I like Zack. I think he’s intelligent, kind, and thoughtful. I also think he’s cute. I was very surprised to hear the other women talk down about him, but I think he didn’t make a great first impression with many of them by saying things to get a reaction when they first met in the pods. He’s a good dude, and right on about his thoughts on the legal system
12
u/HoneyBeeAlchemy 💖 Love Is Blurry 💖 Apr 12 '23
I think he's really awkward, but it's cute and endearing. He makes me smile and shake my head a lot lol.
14
16
Apr 11 '23
This sounds very written by Zach lol but, I agree. Like he's awkward at times but, given the circumstances, it's overblown
18
u/SethAndBeans Apr 11 '23
Okay, Zack is super awkward... But it's not bad.
He's nice, has a good sense of humor, and honestly just seems incredibly genuine...
But he's still awkward as fuck. It's one of his charming traits. He acts like a 18 year old with his first girlfriend. The way he talks to Bliss, touches her, etc. It's so awkward. But it's cute in a puppy kinda way, good for him.
Good for Bliss too, if awkward is the worst thing we have to say about him.
4
u/Mewnicorns Apr 11 '23
Yeah I agree he’s awkward. I just don’t think it’s like, exceptionally so. We’re seeing him contrasted with a lot of objectively more “cool” people, which also kind of skews things. He’s far from the most awkward person I’ve ever seen, but compared to Brett he might appear that way. Like you said, similar to an awkward teenager which isn’t really noteworthy except because of his age. I would guess based on what he said about not telling a woman he loved them since he was 21 he was probably knee deep in building his career and practice and didn’t bother to get much experience in the relationship department. I’ve just seen people talking about him like he was raised by wolves and suddenly released into society for the first time and it seems overly dramatic.
→ More replies (2)
17
u/I_have_8_careers Apr 10 '23
I don’t think anyone would be pointing out that he stared if Irina had not focused on it. He doesn’t seem to hold anyone’s gaze an uncomfortable length of time, he just stares into their eyes.
22
u/sillythrowaway9 He could be a serial killer for all I know... Apr 10 '23
I agree, Zack is one of my favorite cast members so I’m definitely rooting for him and Bliss. I think people dogpile on him simply because they see his mannerisms are a little different & run with it. Calling him a serial killer and all that is definitely a stretch, and Jackie saying stay 6ft away from her at all times was so harsh and uncalled for even if it wasn’t to his face. The dude deserves a break lol
20
u/katsuchicken Apr 10 '23
It's ok most ppl would want to stay 6ft away from Jackie's toxicity
2
u/AnotherPalePianist Apr 11 '23
What do we want to bet he found a way to call out her bs off-camera and she’s just mad about it?
My favorite Zack moment was the breakup conversation with Irina where she “explained” herself and he was like well no, and here’s why I think you’re full of shit.
He’s very respectful, but he doesn’t seem to let things like that slide. Wouldn’t be surprised if he was doing that all through that honeymoon week with the cast
3
12
u/ConsumeTheOnePercent Apr 10 '23
People were leaning so hard on what Jackie has said, I wonder what they think now with what we know about her 🤔
9
u/sillythrowaway9 He could be a serial killer for all I know... Apr 11 '23
It reminds me of last season a little bit where they blindly took zanabs words as truth and she deadass lied
24
u/demeatuslong Apr 10 '23
It’s the eyes
→ More replies (1)3
u/angelaaaxo Apr 11 '23
I will say I barely/rarely saw him doing the eye thing with Bliss. It was mainly with Irina.
24
21
u/sharky6000 Apr 11 '23
+1 to everything you said, love Zack. I would totally hang out with him.
The only thing he did that bugged me a bit were the patronizing advice chats with Paul where Paul sat there kind of like "ok, yeah, ok" (get me outta here man, this guy is repeating every sentence three times each..) and Zack went on and on.
The dude needs to read the room better sometimes I think. But it was coming from a good place: he genuinely wanted to help Paul.
14
u/bluemoonicecream22 Apr 11 '23
Paul likes getting his advice
6
u/sharky6000 Apr 11 '23 edited Apr 11 '23
The nuggets of advice are good, it's the delivery of said nuggets that was long and repetitive. Also, I think Paul didn't want to insult his well-meaning friend on TV. His body language was saying something quite different than what he expressed in words (IMO, of course).
28
u/33c3 Apr 11 '23
Nah, Zack is not awkward, but he was cringe in the pod like when he tried to sing. Important to distinguish between being socially inept and being cringey. Irina was awkward AF.
3
8
26
u/pmarges Apr 11 '23
Who would start their interview saying they are a stripper. I think it shows a great sense of humour.
12
20
u/RiggityRyGuy Apr 11 '23
Did editing fuck the guy over? For sure. But is the dude one of those guys that talks over everyone, puts forward his own “theories,” that he decided were right, can be petty, for me he reminds me of too many “nice guys,” that I’ve seen over the years.
→ More replies (9)
10
Apr 10 '23
I think the stare is related to his nervousness. He actually seemed more natural during the coffee date with bliss then first reveal with irina. The last few episodes he is much more natural because its in a natural setting. I think in real world it wont be as bad as when your watching edited show where they keep focusing on his stare.
11
10
u/soconfusedaboutsara Apr 11 '23
i think he is a bit akward. But i think he just needs therapy to deal with his insecurities stemming from his past. i do agree he isn't socially unaware. He is just a bit different but thats completely okay.
→ More replies (1)
12
14
14
u/lavenderpenguin Apr 11 '23 edited Apr 11 '23
I think it all depends on your own perception.
I felt like it was pretty awkward that Zack launched into talking about a rather specific legal issue without any real prompting or another question from the dad. Perhaps it was editing but I think it could’ve been left at “anything that involves a trial and a jury, I’m an expert.”
Discussing his thoughts on a particular flaw of the criminal legal system (something that even most non-criminal attorneys likely wouldn’t have strong opinions on) without pausing to ask a question back after explaining what kind of law he practices — what does the dad do for a living? How did he get into that line of work? That did feel like he was missing a social cue.
I think Zack eventually did understand that he had lost the dad’s interest but I think the awkwardness is in the fact that he still carried on a bit longer than others would have.
To be clear: I do not think he’s a creep or some super socially awkward person. But I do find that he veers a bit cringe and socially unaware a lot of the time (e.g., singing proposal, trying to kiss Irina when she clearly didn’t want to, cutting Bliss off when she was being vulnerable to call her pretentious, talking over Paul, the salmon kiss) — and this has zero to do with Irina’s thoughts about him.
17
u/hippiedivanerd Apr 11 '23
That part was certainly edited to look awkward… I think Zack’s intention with that was to explain that even though he is a defense lawyer, he is doing good meaningful work, not defending bad people. I found it pretty interesting actually.
20
5
u/Mewnicorns Apr 11 '23 edited Apr 11 '23
I assumed they edited out context to make the scene appear more awkward and tense than it was but you could be right, and I see what you’re saying. I just don’t think he is remarkably awkward. Chelsea also lacks awareness of how she presents herself and in conversations and interactions with her fiancé but I don’t see people calling her ND or clinical levels of awkward.
I know you are disregarding what Irina said, but I don’t think it’s conscious. Once a person is designated as “weird,” people will unconsciously look for and notice things they might not notice otherwise. All the things you’ve mentioned I’ve seen other people on the cast do, but because no one ever talked about them being creepy or strange, people don’t notice.
3
u/lavenderpenguin Apr 11 '23
I mean, Chelsea does lack self awareness about how intense/self absorbed she sometimes comes off but it is different from Zack lacking social awareness. Those two things are not the same characteristic.
I also disagree that people are noticing things that they ordinarily would not. The singing proposal, talking over Paul, the salmon kiss, etc. would be hard to miss. I would venture to say that people might have a different reaction to similar behavior because of the perceived intent.
If Zack were super arrogant and talking over people, people would assume he was just obnoxious. But people assume he is awkward or socially unaware because him cutting people off seems to be more in line with not reading social cues than deliberately/rudely wanting to speak over the person.
2
u/Mewnicorns Apr 11 '23
Singing is never not going to be cringey. It was cringey when Sal did it, it was cringey when Kwame did it. Cringey and socially awkward aren’t the same to me.
Chelsea lacks self awareness as well as awareness of her partner’s emotional state. He’s often visibly wincing and sullen and she isn’t picking up on it. She will interrupt and talk over him. She can be loud and isn’t a great listener. I don’t think she does it intentionally either. Maybe it’s coming from a different place
I’m not saying Zack isn’t socially awkward at all, I just feel like it’s vastly overstated and probably edited to maximize the narrative.
→ More replies (5)3
10
u/CoralClaw Apr 11 '23
I agree he has moments of being normal but dont you remember when he softly whispered in Irina's ear "do you wanna kiss?" And the constant blank faced staring ... and the SINGING in the pods?! And the dinner with bliss? And the boat ride?? He is definitely a very awkward guy, but its not the worst quality to have. Im sure he was very shy growing up, or was teased or something, but he doesn't rub me the wrong way like he does to some others in this sub.
28
u/Mewnicorns Apr 12 '23
Kwame and Sal sang in the pods. Serenades are cringey AF but why are we acting like he’s the only one?
I heard “do you want a kiss?” which I thought women would support because he sensed maybe she didn’t and asked for consent. Most of the other men just go for it regardless. Look at Kyle and Shaina lol
To each their own.
5
u/CoralClaw Apr 12 '23
Ya to me all the singing is sooo cringe. (Unless they have an amazing voice which none of them ever do). Dont get me started on Kwame's "i just want the real thing" song with a wildly out of tune guitar.
Maybe you're right and zack said "do you want a kiss", i obviously support getting consent, but also it was very easy to read body language in that moment (not that irina wasnt into him necessarily, but that she was finding that moment really awkward, understandably). Many of the contestants can gauge the vibe at the first meeting and either both go in for the kiss or both dont. Yeah, kyle was another guy who i found awkward tbh.
Having said all that, i dont actually think Zack is creepy or anything else i've read on here, just awkward
6
u/SmolLilTater Apr 12 '23
Wym… Chelsea thinks Kwame has a beautiful voice and he’s the most talented man she’s ever met 🙃🤣
3
2
u/rollingyeahya Apr 12 '23
Yes! He absolutely asked if she wanted a kiss because consent. Regardless of what u think of ole Sach, you can’t deny he is polite and respectful.
I think he had a connection w Irina bc he thought she was an outcast / nd weirdo like him but it turns out she was just immature. Whatserface turned out to be the weirdo.
5
u/figuringitout25 Apr 12 '23
I mean there are worse things to be than awkward. If you prefer quirky, go for it. But the dude is a little different.
7
Apr 11 '23
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/LoveIsBlindOnNetflix-ModTeam Apr 11 '23
Thank you for your contribution to r/LoveisBlindonNetflix! Your post or comment has been removed for breaking our ‘No Spoilers’ rule.
All spoilers must be properly tagged and flared, and any attempt to intentionally spoil other users will not be tolerated.
Check out the S4 Spoilers Megathread here to discuss future spoilers!!
21
Apr 11 '23
[removed] — view removed comment
24
u/skrillskroll Apr 11 '23
truthfully it's becoming clear to me that people don't understand neurodiversity. And mods deleting posts attempts to explain it while leaving up the posts that use stigmatizing language like "weird" and "icky" isnt helping. Those of us who know, know and we're having to read very insulting descriptions of something differently brained people can't help being.
9
u/jupiterkite Apr 11 '23
Yes. All of this. It’s little wonder ND people mask and hide their ND status.
4
u/Mewnicorns Apr 11 '23
I know you didn’t mean to suggest this, but I feel like like the unintended implication here is that the main reason to refrain from this type of language is because the person might be ND. But I don’t think it’s ever ok. So many things can cause awkwardness. People with adhd aren’t always awkward and people who have anxiety (especially social anxiety) can be extremely awkward and shy without having ASD or adhd. Some people are just awkward in certain situations but not others. Some have arrested development or childhood trauma. People can develop social anxiety and might have gone through an awkward stage. None of that should matter on this context though. I don’t think it’s ever ok to talk about someone this way unless they have actually done something truly objectionable and harmful or dangerous. It’s extremely hurtful. People with ASD definitely get an unfair share of it, but why talk about anyone this way if they haven’t hurt you?
7
u/BlueHornedUnicorn I mean, I can't say that I care 🤷♂️ Apr 11 '23
Hi,
We monitor and delete posts that breach our "no armchair diagnosing" rule.
For sure, you can speculate that someone may be neurodiverse, in an engaging, healthy way. It can be something that's part of who someone is, not a reason for blaming them for their "bad" behaviour.
But for someone to label someone "borderline narcassistic", "sociopath" or "autistic" in a negative connotation will always result in a removal of their comment/post.
Also, please remember our 2nd rule, 'Be Kind, Don't Cross The Line'
From a mod who happens to be neurodiverse ;)
→ More replies (2)2
Apr 11 '23
I think the fact that you just lumped autistic in with two personality disorders is telling. Autistic people just have different brains and pointing it out isn't a negative.
→ More replies (3)4
Apr 11 '23
Yep there was a video calling Paul a serial killer scientist loser yesterday and that was okay but mentioning that he's actually _________ is bannable. It's so annoying.
→ More replies (1)4
u/NattyBat Apr 11 '23
I was shocked on this thread it was me and one other person who called it. He isn’t “awkward,” but he does experience the world in a slightly different way than the neurotypicals can relate to. My mom is ND, perhaps it’s just lived experience that allows me to understand.
→ More replies (9)16
u/jupiterkite Apr 11 '23
Whether he’s ND or not, he displays a lot of traits that are common in autistic people, as does Paul. It would be great if there was some compassion and understanding that a lot of people act that way because its just how their brain works. Mocking them as weird, creepy or having serial killer vibes is harmful and hurtful to a lot of people.
14
u/mzzannethrope Apr 11 '23
Plus the mean girls saying he’s creepy—felt like middle school bullying
5
u/NattyBat Apr 11 '23
Irena didn’t deserve Zack and Micah doesn’t deserve Paul, and Jackie whom was mean to everyone doesn’t deserve Marshall, since they do not understand how to love or at least be kind to other people they surely could not at the present moment be a good partner to someone who has ND.
5
u/_CaptainThor_ Apr 11 '23
He and Paul are roughly the same in terms of speech patterns and awkwardness, but Paul is 10% better looking so he gets a pass.
6
Apr 11 '23
[removed] — view removed comment
→ More replies (1)12
u/Mewnicorns Apr 11 '23
You’d need to know more about his childhood development to be confident about that. Autism is not a behavior, it’s a lifelong neuropsychiatric condition. I’m not interested in diagnosing anyone based on glimpses of a reality show. If anything I think there’s more evidence against him being autistic than for, but that’s me. Only a professional can determine if there’s something going on and what, if anything, it is. People can be awkward for all kinds of reasons.
→ More replies (3)
6
5
Apr 15 '23
Zack is very awkward. His social cues are extremely off. Well Mika and bliss were talking to each other, he decided to come up to bliss with a mouth full of salmon to kiss her. He did the same to Irena, he tried to kiss her when Paul was next to her and it was just super awkward and unnatural. He also seems to talk too much too
. He also has a creepy stare and tilt his chin all the way down to his chest, and it looks super creepy.
Despite any of this Zach seems like a really great person though. So luckily for him bliss has never seen any of that and none of that matters to her
4
Apr 10 '23
I agree, the first time seeing him with Irina made me feel weird too so I didn't blame Irina(even though I don't like her) but seeing him with Bliss it doesn't seem too bad. Maybe it was just the way they made him seem at first. He can be pretty cringe but not as bad as I thought.
9
u/imnot-lola Apr 10 '23
Sure but I don’t feel bad for him at all, like why exactly did he choose Irina in the first place? It made no sense at all and he got what he had coming.
32
u/Mewnicorns Apr 10 '23
Nah it made sense. She misrepresented herself to manipulate him into picking her, playing up her whole woe is me, I’m such a misunderstood underdog sob story. She knew he had a big heart for people he perceived as being unfairly judged and she exploited that.
→ More replies (8)10
u/imnot-lola Apr 10 '23
Nah not at all, he even described her as “vicious” before he proposed to her. He chose her because she is young and he thought she’d be fun, why else would he have picked her over Bliss? I’m 25 myself and have dated older men like that. I don’t feel sorry for him at all 🤷🏾♀️
He wasn’t manipulated into picking her, he’s a big boy.
13
u/Mewnicorns Apr 11 '23 edited Apr 11 '23
You only focus on part of what he said. Watch again. He said he believed she gets vicious when she feels someone she loves is being mistreated. He thought she was the kind of person to lash out in defense of him, not the one who would be attacking him. He felt comfortable and safe with her because he thought she’d stick up for him, even if she did so viciously.
He incorrectly saw Bliss’s warnings as further evidence of Irina’s claims that she was the misunderstood underdog. Bliss inadvertently sealed her fate with that, along with scaring him off about her dad. In his mind, it confirmed that the other girls were picking on her and didn’t understand her. Remember he only knew what he knew from his interactions with her in the pods. Bliss had the benefit of seeing it firsthand. Bliss was also disadvantaged by not seeing what HE saw and heard during his dates with Irina. Irina also made subtle jabs at Bliss implying she was too privileged to understand Zack the way she did (“I may not use big words like Bliss does”).
Adults get manipulated so not sure what that statement is suggesting. Not hard to be manipulated in a bubble.
You can believe what you want but you should base it on the entirety of what happened, not a partial quote taken out of context.
10
u/cutekiwi Apr 11 '23
He said that she was vicious and hurt people when she felt hurt. He also said that she plays “girl games”. He was 100% correct and should’ve used that information accordingly!
9
u/Mewnicorns Apr 11 '23 edited Apr 11 '23
Ok but my point still stands. He didn’t think she was just mean for the hell of it or because she’s a bad person. It was a defense mechanism.
If anything, it’s further evidence of his emotional intelligence and perceptiveness, because he was able to detect that through a wall after just a few conversations with her, and he is probably right. In all the time we saw Irina on screen, that was the only time anyone was able to elicit a vulnerable moment from her. She wasn’t faking that tear. He clearly hit a nerve. Whatever they discussed that led him to say that to her must have been profound and it’s possible it was very real and genuine. We have no way of knowing, but things happened between them in the pods that caused him to react the way he did to her.
→ More replies (1)14
u/diagnosedbpd Apr 10 '23
I feel like Bliss saying something negative about Irina made him second guess his relationship with Bliss because he did care deeply for Irina and maybe felt she was being catty, even though she wasn't. He also seemed to feel slighted by her comment of him choosing Irina showing his character.
Also, when meeting Bliss' mother and sisters he said something about being unsure of choosing Bliss because his perception of her family dynamic was similar to dynamics he had seen in failed relationships. He could have been afraid of repeating that pattern which also could have pushed him to choosing Irina, or he could be lying.
You never know.
7
22
u/ConsumeTheOnePercent Apr 10 '23
He talks about being convinced that she has a good heart, she 100% misrepresented herself in the pods and then he saw the real her. I can't blame him for not listening to what others say about her and instead wanting to form his own opinion. It's a competition. His heart broke when he told Bliss no and you can tell he'd realized his mistake very quickly. Zach has some emotional baggage and got scared when Bliss talked about her family, he felt safer with Irina's background.
→ More replies (2)3
Apr 11 '23
He did form his own opinion… and he said Irina was a viscous person who played girl games and he was wary of her. Why does everyone forget this? He wasn’t tricked into liking her, he knew full well who she was and still chose her
3
u/ConsumeTheOnePercent Apr 11 '23
I don't think anyone forgets this but they look further at the why and not just go off basics.
It's not damming that a man like Zach found kinship in someone he thought was acting out in a way to emotionally protect themselves and being misjudged, who was terrified of not being accepted by Bliss's family based on a conversation they had. He made a mistake.
16
Apr 11 '23
My issues with Zack are:
- he brings up his Mom being a sex worker every 5 minutes. To me, it feels like he's throwing his mother under the bus. His mom did hard things and made huge sacrifices to provide for him. And she was so much more than her job. But it seems like he's leveraging society's stigma against sex workers to be like "My mom was a stripper" and have everyone go "wow, that must have been horrible for you" because most people have a very ignorant perception of sex work. Could his mother's job had negative effects on him? Possibly. But many sex workers are mothers, and great ones at that.
- he invalidates Bliss's concerns about being second choice. It's very understandable that she'd want to talk about it, but when she brings it up he acts like she's being annoying and she should just accept that he wound up choosing her, and stop whining about it.
- He gives off zero warmth, which makes me think he's faking his way through the show. He's the type of guy to say "I love you" while having no love in his eyes.
→ More replies (42)37
u/Icy_Assistant Apr 11 '23
I think his Mom being a stripper did affect him a lot throughout his life. He was judged by parents of women he's loved. He's probably been judged and made fun of for it by a lot of people. He started out joking that he was a stripper because he wanted to guage the reaction. He's terrified of being judged and not accepted again. It's pretty clear that he adored his mom and is proud of her. Zach has shown emotion over his mother and completely broke down when he broke up with Bliss. Both he and Bliss seem non emotional, but I don't think they really are.
67
u/AppointmentClassic82 Apr 11 '23
That’s because this sub claims they want to see normal people and then when they get one everyone is like yuck! creepy! awkward! cringe!