Yahoo Movies Love Is Blind 's Bliss says watching Zack choose Irina over her was 'heartbreaking'
Warning: This article contains spoilers about Love Is Blind season 4, episodes 1-5.
The other side of Love Is Blind's season 4 love triangle is ready to set the record straight.
In the first five episodes, five couples got engaged in the pods and headed off to Mexico to get to know each other better. But one of those couples was doomed from the start. In the pods, criminal defense attorney Zack Goytowski was torn between two women: Bliss Poureetezadi, a senior program manager, and Irina Solomonova, an event-planning business owner. While the right choice in this love triangle seemed obvious to viewers, Zack proposed to Irina... and their engagement was short-lived. They broke up on the last night of the vacation, and episode 5 left off on a cliffhanger where Zack meets up with Bliss and admits he made a mistake in picking Irina over her.
Below, EW spoke with Bliss about watching the episodes a year after filming and how she felt watching Zack choose someone who had been acting like a mean girl towards her in the pod living quarters.
Monty Brinton/Netflix Bliss
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What was your reaction when you learned that the woman you were competing against for Zack's heart in the pods was Irina?
BLISS POUREETEZADI: I don't think I like the word "competing." I don't compete for men or relationships. I'm competitive when playing sports, but otherwise, that's not really my thing. In this scenario, when you're in the pods, and we're all dating each other, that's just to be expected. It wasn't the easiest thing in the world, I don't think it's the easiest thing in the world for anyone to hear that someone that they're really interested in is also really interested in someone else. But I was also dating other people in the pods too, so it was just like, "Okay, good to know," and I just tried to move forward and be respectful and create boundaries where I feel like I needed to.
What was that like for you in the pods, dealing with Irina while also trying to take the high road in your interactions with her?
It was really an opportunity for me to practice what I preach. I'm always giving advice to my friends, "You just need to take the high road. You need to do your best and try to stay in your lane." And I really tried to communicate those needs to her. Even off-camera, we had multiple conversations about not talking about him and just respecting each other because that creates more chaos and drama and feelings start coming up. I really tried to draw those boundaries and when things would happen, I tried to remember, "What am I here for? This is not a competition. This is about what I want and exploring what I want."
It was upsetting at times, obviously, when things turned dramatic, because that's just not my thing. I'm not a person to be involved in drama. I tried to take it in stride and in the moment, take a deep breath and be like, "How am I going to handle this? I'm going to try to do my best and give grace and kindness in the scenarios that I was presented with." It wasn't the easiest thing, but it was a really good growing experience for me, too.
What went through your mind when you learned Zack chose Irina over you?
I was surprised, honestly. Zack and I had built such a strong connection and I feel like I knew that he was my person. I felt like I had this knowing that this is my match, so I definitely was surprised. This is just my perception of it, maybe there was some fear around that, some fear around being out of the pods and getting into the real world with the pressure of my family and just different things like that that might come into play. So when I heard him say that, I was like, "I'm going to choose to be okay with this. If this is the journey that he needs to take, I'm going to be okay with that and I will be okay too. I'm not going to try to force anything or try to convince someone." And even though in my heart, I feel like he knew that I was the right person to go with too, I just needed to let him go and do his thing.
Netflix Zack and Irina
You had already told him that choosing Irina would affect how you viewed his judgement and his character. Did knowing that he proposed to Irina change the way you thought about him?
That's one of the moments where I wasn't so graceful and forgiving and pious; that was definitely an emotional reaction. Obviously, what I was seeing was completely different than what he was seeing from her. This doesn't necessarily get shown, but I never told him in detail what she did. I spoke very vaguely around it because I didn't want to try to convince someone or try to manipulate the situation, so he didn't have examples. He maybe felt like this was coming out of nowhere.
I really, really respect him as a person, and he is such a brilliant person and he also is extremely forgiving and full of grace, even more to the point where I am on some levels. I think through our pod experience, I even learned that from him. I would not have continued on going through with this process that became very challenging at the end if I didn't respect his judge of character and if I didn't respect him as a person. I think you hear me say prior to our breakup, right before we end things, that I apologized and that I reiterated that I did respect him as a person.
What was it like watching the episodes and seeing how Irina lied to Zack about you "mistreating" her?
I wasn't really surprised that she said that. I think it's just disappointing and I genuinely do hope that she's taking this opportunity to have growth. I felt very prepared going into this and knowing what I saw on my side of the pods and in the lounge, so it just didn't really surprise me.
Do you think that had any influence over his decision to propose to Irina over you?
I'm not sure. I really can't speak to that. That would be a good question for him.
What was it like watching the episodes where Zack and Irina go to Mexico for their post-engagement trip, all the way through their breakup?
Heartbreaking. Honestly. Even though Zack and I had ended things in the pods, I still believe he's such a good person and seeing it just was really heartbreaking and it made me feel really bad for him. No matter what, people don't deserve to be treated so poorly. I think it just spoke to maybe even some potential insecurities on her side or just lack of acceptance of herself that maybe she can't accept other people. That wasn't easy for me to see him being treated that way.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Episodes 1-5 of Love Is Blind season 4 are now streaming on Netflix. New episodes drop Fridays.
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