08x02 - Open Hearts, Open Minds, Can't Lose

[bunniefuu]

-[pop music playing]
-[vocalizing]

♪ Keep up, don't stop… ♪

Getting real, man. [laughs]

Taylor Swift's on vocal rest.

Also, never dated


-I feel like you need a good coating.
-Some whiskey.

[laughing]

♪ Give me all you got ♪

-[man] Look at you. Cupid over here.
-You have little hearts on your shoes.

-[laughs] Come on. Unreal.
-Yeah, I love 'em.

-I didn't even make the connection.
-Oh, you liar.

You packed those,
like, "These have hearts on 'em."

Open hearts, open minds.

-[man 2] Can't lose.
-Can't lose.

-[Virginia] Have fun.
-[Taylor] You too.

Guess who.

[laughs]

"Guess who!" Oh, my goodness.

-[Taylor] It's me!
-It's you.

-Oh, this is Daniel, in case you needed…
-I know.

-I never told you my dad's name is Daniel.
-It is?

[laughs] It is.

Oh, no! [laughs]

-I don't think that's a bad thing.
-[Daniel] Okay.

-I love my dad.
-Okay. Okay, good.

-[Taylor] He's a good man.
-Yeah.

[Taylor] And if anything,

it made me a little excited
when you said that your name was Daniel.

[laughs]

He was diagnosed
with a rare type of cancer in September.

Dang.

[Taylor] So he's been doing treatment,
and the doctors are all very confident

that everything's headed
in the right direction,

and he's gonna be fine,
but when you get that initial news…

-Uh-huh.
-[Taylor] I think as a nurse too.

My mind goes
to worst-case scenario immediately.

Of course.

[Taylor] A very real thought

was the thought
of not having him next to me…

-[Daniel] Yeah.
-…to walk me down the aisle.

-I love my dad.
-Of course.

He's had, like, you know,

an extra piece of my heart recently.

It's unfortunate that it takes

an illness or something
to make you realize those things.

Wow.

Sorry.

No, you don't have to-- don't apologize.

-It's just that that's real life.
-Yeah.

[Daniel] I remember playing catch
with my dad.

-I'm so thankful for my parents.
-Yeah.

[Daniel] There's so much stuff
that I would take with me into a marriage.

I haven't had very many
long-term relationships.

And I'm looking forward to a marriage

where I get you flowers

or, like, just randomly
write you a little note.

I love the little things.

Something as small as,
you know, I say I'm hungry,

and there's a knock on the door


and it's my favorite food
or something, like Taco Bell.

-That makes me happy. [laughs]
-[laughs] I love Taco Bell.

I got a tattoo
that says "Taco Bell." [laughs]

Where is it?

It's inside my bottom lip.

Shut up.

-Yeah.
-Is that your only tattoo?

It's my one and only. Yeah.

[laughing] Why…

Why does that make me
more attracted to you?

It was the one place I could get it
where my mom would never know about it.

[laughs]

And I finally got brave enough
to tell her about it this year, so…

-Oh, my gosh.
-Yeah. [laughs]

So I don't know
if you know anything about lip tattoos,

but they fade really quickly.

-[Daniel] Yeah.
-So it only says "Taco B" now. [laughs]

-[Daniel] Which is almost cooler.
-[laughs] Yeah.

If things work out here,
I will get a matching Taco Bell tattoo.

No, I want you to get
the fast food that you prefer.

I'd probably do maybe Chick-fil-A.

[Taylor] Good choice.

-[Daniel] I will literally do that.
-[laughs]

I'm not even kidding.

And I've never even met you. [chuckles]

I know! I know! [laughing]

Oh!

[laughing]

-["Belong Together" by Mark Ambor playing]
-♪ This love is all we need ♪

♪ Oh, we've got so much ♪

♪ You and me, oh! ♪

-♪ You and me belong together ♪
-[sweet pop song fades out]

It's more important to you of
who they are versus what they look like.

Oh, for sure.

-Yeah, which is really good.
-If they make me laugh…

-I know, right?
-Immediately they're attractive.

-It's the best, right?
-The best.

And, like, just your banter that you have.

-Yeah.
-Yeah.

-Right. Yeah.
-I like, we talked about this, dad bods.

-I know. I know.
-[laughs]

-I love a dad bod. I don't care.
-[Amanda] Mm-hmm.

I do not have a type at all,
like, physically.

Jawline, baby face,

blonde, brunette, brown sugar, cinnamon,

muscles, dad bod,

everything. [laughs]

It's been all over the board,
but they've all been pretty much funny.

Ooh! Pods are open.

Working as an oncology
and bone marrow transplant nurse,

it's totally changed
my perspective on life.

You just can't sweat the petty stuff.
Like, life is so beautiful.

Of course, there's gonna be
bad days, bad things,

but there's just
so much to be grateful for.

Hello.

I have so much optimism, enthusiasm,

you know, spunk.

I have a lot of love to give.

And I want someone
to want me for my heart.

Sara?

-[Sara] Oh, my gosh, Ben!
-[laughs]

-Hi, Sara!
-[Sara] How are you doing?

I've been thinking about you today.

-Have you?
-[Sara] Yeah, of course.

-[Ben] Are you telling everyone this?
-No, I really haven't.

[Ben] Okay, 'cause this is putting
a huge smile on my face.

-Oh, is it now?
-[Ben] Yeah.

And I can't say
that I haven't been thinking the same.

-[Sara] Oh, really?
-Yeah.

That makes me feel good too. Oh, my gosh.

-Very exciting.
-That's what I'm here for.

Oh, really? Do you
have any snacks with you right now?

[Ben] I got some Snickers.

Ooh, I might do some monster trail mix.

-Oh, that's the best.
-[Ben] It is really good.

Aww, just kidding.
I'm doing a Rice Krispie bar.

[Sara] Oh, I had one earlier.

[Ben] Would you say
your eating habits are more healthy?

-[Sara] So if I'm--
-Or are you, I should say…

'Cause we wanna keep, like,
any look-innuending answers…

-Right. No.
-I would say, "Are you a health nut?"

I love food. I'm a huge foodie.

If I'm gonna be going out to eat,
I'm gonna order what I want.

Yeah. Love that.

It's probably something I need to work on.

[laughs] Is there a special dish
that you're really good at cooking?

Everything is just,
like, so easy in my air fryer.

-Yep.
-Steak in the air fryer does not work.

I don't know. I've never tried it.

I've tried it.

-[Ben] You have?
-Twice.

Oh, okay.

I mean, it tastes like steak,
but it doesn't look good.

So, like, if I'm gonna go out to eat,
I'll order a steak, sure.

But I'm not gonna make that
in my air fryer.

Yeah, I don't really
order steak usually going out to eat

because my dad makes
the most amazing steak I've ever had.

-My dad also makes amazing steak.
-[Ben] Okay.

-We'll go to our parents' houses.
-[Sara] Yeah.

That's perfect.

I can't wait for you to try my dad's steak
and can't wait to try your dad's steak.

Then our dads will meet,
and they'll just have a steak-off.

Then they'll try each other's steak.

And then we're one big, happy family.

-[laughs]
-[Sara] That's perfect.

[Ben] Okay, are there any questions
that are on your list for me?

[Sara] We talked about your religion.

-Mm-hmm.
-[Sara] I wanna hear more about that.

[Ben] I grew up
in a very strong Christian household.

There's a lot of things
that I believe about, like, the Bible,

and I believe about,
you know, the Christian faith.

[Sara] Mm-hmm.

It's all hard
to obviously know for certain.

[Sara] Mm-hmm.

I believe that, you know,
there's the one true God that loves us.

[Sara] Mm-hmm.

And that's pretty much it.

I'm not religious. I was raised Catholic.

I do think there is a higher power.

But the main thing for me

that's really tough
about religion is my sister Lisa.

-She's my best friend. She's g*y.
-[Ben] Okay.

[Sara] And she is my absolute number one.

-Like, she's just the best person ever.
-[Mason] Mm-hmm.

And there's so much hypocrisy.

And I'm not saying all the time,
because there is good.

But for me, I find it really difficult

to go to a church and, like, practice

when it's like, "love thy neighbor,"

but then it's also like,
"LGBT is gonna go to hell."

[Ben] Yeah.

While the priest maybe
has, like, sexual allegations.

-[Ben chuckles] Yeah.
-I'm sorry, but no.

[Ben] I hate the word "religion."

I like using the word "faith."

[Sara] Oh, I love.

So would you feel comfortable
being around my sister?

-100%. Yeah.
-[Sara] Okay.

So, like, would you go to Pride Weekend?

Yeah.

No discomfort
around that community at all.

Yeah, some of my closest friends
are that way.

That's why I had
to make my faith my own, right?

Because I come from,
you know, the background of Catholicism,

where that was a sin.

And then I dealt with that in college,
where I'm like, "I don't know if it is,"

because of the people I've met.

I hadn't been around
people like that growing up.

And so it was like going to college
kind of opened my eyes to it.

And I'm like, "Wait, like, this is love."

It shouldn't be something that people,
you know, call out as a sin.

-Yeah.
-That's why I call it faith, not religion.

Okay, yeah. I like that.

-Sounds like you thought about it.
-[Ben] Yeah.

So, like, do you go to church every week?

-[Ben] I do.
-Okay.

So would you want
your partner to go with you?

-I would prefer it, yes.
-[Sara] Yeah.

I am open to finding a church

that accepts all people and others.

[Ben] I'm not gonna try and convert you.
I want you to be comfortable

that you're not being pressured
on anything in that way.

Yeah. Okay, well, thank you so much.

-Wow, Ben, that's so nice of you.
-[Ben] Oh!

[Sara] Thank you! No, I really do.
That's very comforting of you.

Yeah, it's a tough conversation, for sure,

but don't ever have any filter
on questions that you ask me.

-Yeah, I never hesitate to ask questions.
-Perfect.

["Going Somewhere" by Grande playing]

My parents' divorce
definitely had an impact on me.

That's probably why I was single

for a lot of the time
through high school and college.

And then seeing
my two older brothers get married,

and then my parents remarry,

really pushed me

to reevaluate my headspace on marriage.

I want to find a wife.

The qualities Sara has, that's something
I want around me all the time.

[music continues]

[vocalizing]

[women chattering]

Dave was, like,
so validating in our last conversation,

how he felt about me and us.

Then to walk in today

hearing Molly tell me that her,

like, number one person is Dave…

Hearing her say his name

was like a dagger to my heart. [laughs]

I feel pretty good about my number one.

-[Amanda] Now I wanna know.
-[Molly] Yeah.

[whispers] Dave.

Dave.

Only 'cause we know for sure
ours are not the same.

-I get it. I get it.
-Yeah.

I have no idea if Molly knows that, like,

I'm another person that he's talking to.

[sighs]

If she does, I, like,

I'm sad that that's, like, something

that she would be
so casual about bringing up to me.

Oh my God.

Does she want me to know

where her connection is at
and start to doubt my own?

I don't know the answer to that.

This would work better
if you don't talk. [laughs]

She's trying to date the person
that I want to marry. [chuckles]

That f*cking sucks. [chuckles]

I want to, like, run back

into the pod and be like,
"Dave, explain yourself." [chuckles]

[chattering]

[Lauren] Now I'm in this situation
where I'm like, "Oh my God."

"This person can really get to know me

and really figure me out as a person

and still, like,
pick someone else." [chuckles]

[chuckles, sniffles]

[sighs] I had
kind of a tough day yesterday.

Like, there was a moment
that I just started to get so in my head.

It's kind of crazy how different
my fears about all of this have changed

in the last, like, 24 hours.

Yep.

[Lauren] I think going into this,
I had a fear

that I wouldn't be able to fully,

like, feel some of these feelings
in a setting like this.

And now I'm here, and I'm like,

"Oh my God, I might be really vulnerable

and open with someone,

and go all in

and really want a future with them

and then not be chosen
at the end of this."

And I'm like, "Oh my God, this…"

There are very real outcomes

in this that could leave me very hurt.

-And, so…
-[Dave] Yes, I totally agree.

I thought about that a lot today.

Did you hear what I said last night?

[Dave] I didn't.

We were joking
about you having another date after that.

Oh, I did hear that.

[Lauren] Heard me tell you
to cancel your date?

[Dave] Yes, I did hear that.

-[Lauren] What was your response?
-I don't remember. [laughs]

-I'll give you a little context, I guess.
-Okay.

So yesterday, you,
like, completely changed my day.

-[laughs]
-[Dave] You really did.

And then after it ended last night

and, like, I got back into the pods,

and one of the girls I was,
like, pretty high on…

[Lauren] Mm-hmm.

[Dave] She, like,
is just so fun and funny.

-Which is super weird to say right now.
-[Lauren] Yeah.

I know deep down that, like, I want

you and me to, like,
explore every possible option.

I want that for you,
but I also don't wanna hear about it.

I totally agree.

I don't get you.

-In a good way.
-How?

I feel like I can tell you anything.

It just feels like at home
when we're doing this.

Like, right now from last night,
I feel like we haven't left.

-I agree. We're diving right back in.
-[Dave] I know.

So you are at home,
you're cooking yourself dinner.

What do you wanna put on
in the background? A playlist?

I have a playlist for everything.

I have a sex playlist.

-Wow!
-[Dave] Yeah.

Can you make a new one for--

-I don't wanna use your old playlist.
-[Dave] For you?

Yeah, we can totally change that.

-Specifically one for your wife, maybe?
-Yes.

-I love Cat Stevens, the '70s, chill…
-Yeah.

I feel like you would connect
with my sister on music, probably.

-Really?
-'Cause, Cat Stevens, that's something.

-I don't know who that is, but she might.
-Love that.

My sister-in-law and I
wanna open up a little bookstore.

And we could do live music
on Friday and Saturday nights.

-Would it be a bar too?
-I would love-- yeah! Ooh, yeah.

-Yeah.
-Oh my God! I like it.

[Lauren] Okay, tell me
your deepest, darkest secrets.

[laughs]

-sh**t.
-[Dave] Deepest, darkest secret?

I actually, like, have feelings for you.

I, like, actually
have feelings for you too.

-["Lost in Love" by Michael Mott playing]
-♪ Lost in love, gambling on a feeling ♪

♪ Go for broke… ♪

My head is, like,
spinning 'cause I'm just…

I never thought
this was gonna happen to me.

-[Lauren] Yeah.
-Um…

My sister's gonna be mad at me.

And here you are.

[Dave] She's like,
"You said you wouldn't do that."

"Yeah, I didn't think I would."

"But I met this girl Lauren,
and, like, I don't know."

I don't think
what I'm feeling right now is, like, fake.

-Right.
-[Dave] And I didn't want to say that.

[Lauren] I just don't get excited
about guys that often.

So my, like, heart is beating fast
right now saying that.

[Dave] So is mine.

You just kind of made me nervous
in a good way.

Oh my God.

Lauren, you're awesome.

[laughing]

♪ Lost in love ♪

♪ We all just wanna be lost ♪

[Dave] Hello.

[Molly] Hello.

[Dave] It's Dave.

This is Molly. [sighs]

-[Dave] Molly.
-Hi.

Last night, it was fun.

Very fun.

One of the things
that's really important to me

is being together
and someone making things fun.

-[Dave] Yep.
-I feel like that is someone you are.

-I think you're right. [laughs]
-[Molly laughs] Yeah.

[Dave] We both like to do these things
that are fun,

not, like, super overwhelming.

That's just, like,
huge for me, I've discovered.

-Yeah.
-I've never had that in a relationship.

-It's like, "Have you ever had a bad day?"
-No-- [chuckles]

Well, I have, but not here yet.

-[chuckles]
-[Dave] Yeah, like, me and you…

[sighs] Me and you, from the start, like,

I love that natural chemistry
that we have.

-Well, thanks.
-[Dave] Yeah.

-Yeah. [laughs]
-[Molly] Love it.

I think it was the first time we talked
where you said that

you didn't have
the same integrity growing up.

-Or that your mom taught you to have.
-Oh, yeah.

[Molly] And that you really worked
to get that integrity back,

and I love that you realize that.

There's pretty much
nothing short of murdering someone

that would bother me,
because we all have a past.

-[Dave] Yeah, for sure. Okay.
-We all make mistakes.

-[Dave] I'll take that.
-Yeah, so did you m*rder someone? [laughs]

-I can't say.
-[Molly] Okay, great.

Then I'll go to jail,
and we can't get married.

[Dave laughs]

I'll find out later. If they deserved it,
maybe I'll be okay with it.

-Wow. That's love right there.
-[Molly] Yeah. Yeah.

[laughs]

What about life stuff?

-[Molly] I do love my house.
-Ooh, you bought a house?

Yeah! It's just so small,
but it works well for me now, so…

[Dave] Yeah.

I mean, good for you.
I mean, I don't own my place.

Instead of doing that,

I started my own business on the side.

What kind of business?

A medical distributing thing.

I wanna have, like,
five different businesses

that I can just kind of manage

and just be my own boss for all of 'em.

Like, my dad has his own business.

My sister is, like, a badass.

It's a lot more expensive
than I thought it was gonna be

to maintain and, like, keep it going.

Absolutely.

But especially when it comes
to work and stuff,

I don't like
when people tell me what to do.

-[Molly laughs] Yeah.
-Man, graduating college.

I did not apply myself academically

like I probably should have.

I didn't either. That's why I dropped out.
Don't forget. [laughs]

-[Dave] Oh, I forgot that!
-Yeah. [laughs]

[Dave] I have a funny school story.

You know, you could take,
like, regular class

or honors class.

Honors English,
you got a 5.0 if you got an A.

-It really weighted your GPA better.
-[Molly] Yeah.

There was this teacher
that had a bunch of couches.

They would read poems.

-And everybody would get A's.
-Really? Oh, cool.

Our first assignment was, like,
you have to read The Scarlet Letter

and then, like, write this thing on it.

-And I didn't read it.
-[both laugh]

-[Dave] Just read the back of it.
-Yes, yep. [laughs]

-[Dave] Winged a paper.
-Classic.

Get my paper back

and I just had a six.

A six?

-It was out of 100.
-[Molly] Six out of 100?

I'm sitting there like,
"Okay, maybe she forgot the zero."

-[Molly] Yeah.
-[laughs] "Maybe it was a 60."

I leaned over to my friend Sam,
like, "What'd you get?"

He's like, "Ugh, got, like, 82."
I was like, "Oh."

He's like, "What'd you get?"
I go, "A six!" [laughs]

[laughing] And there's just
X's through the entire page.

-Oh my God.
-[Dave] Like, it's completely wrong.

-And it was actually a six.
-[Dave] Yes.

-[Molly] Congrats. That's funny.
-Congrats.

So we are both not academically inclined.

-Perfect.
-[Dave] We're not.

If we have kids, we might have to--

[Molly] Our kids are gonna need
to figure something else out.

[Dave] We're gonna
have to pay attention to that.

[both laugh]

Hmm. I was kind of
having a tough time yesterday.

And then after our date,

I was just extremely giddy

and, like, I don't know,
just kind of happy.

I finally figured out,
like, that's exactly what I want.

We're gonna have so much fun together.

And, like, there's ups and downs,
but I'm just not worried about the downs,

'cause I feel like
we're just both positive.

[Molly] Yeah.

-I don't know how to explain it, but…
-[Molly] Yeah.

Do you feel that?

-I do feel that, for sure.
-[Dave] It's weird.

I know.

I do-- yeah. I've never quite had this.

-[Dave] I've never had this.
-So…

-Love that for us. [laughs]
-[Molly chuckles] Yeah.

I like that it's mutual.

Yeah, it really is.

[Dave] Gosh.

I just feel like I can tell you anything,
and I don't know.

You're not gonna, like,
judge me or hold it against me, really.

[Molly] No, I won't.

You got anything to tell me
that you're scared of? [laughs]

I mean, kind of.

I'm trying not to talk about this too much

because it's not really that relevant.

My last serious relationship,

it ended 'cause I cheated on her.

-Okay.
-It was just stupid.

-Like, I completely regret it.
-[Molly] Yeah.

[Dave] And I would never,
ever do it again.

Well, that's great to hear.

When you said that integrity line,

I felt like it was probably
something with a past relationship.

Yeah, and I'm not gonna lie.

Like, when I go to, like, bachelor parties

or something in Vegas or just, like, out,

I definitely have girls
that come up to me.

Yeah.

When I go to that stuff now in the future,

I'm just not gonna even entertain it.

-Unless I'm single.
-That's good to hear.

[laughs] Yeah, yeah, of course.

Well, I think that shows
a lot about your growth.

I don't ever judge
what someone's done in the past.

'Cause I've made mistakes as well.

I haven't necessarily cheated on someone.

-'Cause I've never been in that…
-Yeah, not really had that.

[Molly] …fully serious relationship,

but I did participate in someone else
cheating on their girlfriend.

-Oh, yeah.
-I had a lot of guilt about it.

And I had to try
and figure out, like, why I did that

knowing they were in a relationship.

-I know. Doesn't that suck?
-[Molly] It sucks. Yeah.

And in that situation,
it was someone that I had,

you know, past history with.

-And I really did care about him.
-[Dave] Mm-hmm.

[Molly] I was hopeful for something
in the future

and, you know, lines got crossed.

Yeah, I can relate.

And I would never do that
going forward as well.

If I'm in a relationship,

you know, we're a team.

-We're trying to win the game together.
-Oh!

[laughs] What is winning
the game? Dying together?

-Yeah. I guess.
-[both laugh]

Yeah, I guess in marriage
that's kind of what it is.

[Molly] Yeah.

Okay, well, I was really nervous
about telling you that.

So, thank you for being understanding.

For sure.

And, yeah, that actually means a lot.

[Molly] Yeah, of course.

[Dave] Gosh.

Molly, Molly, Molly.

-[pop music playing]
-[vocalizing]

[laughs]

♪ … rhythm of my soul ♪

♪ Oh! Oh ♪

♪ I'm taking a chance
And letting my heart go… ♪

Yes!

[Dave] I feel like
I'm kind of freaking out

when the feeling is, like, reciprocated.

-[Joey] You're like--
-Where she's like, "I'm really into you."

I don't understand
what's going on right now.

I don't either. [laughs]

I kind of like it though.

[laughs]

-[Monica] You wanna hear one of my songs?
-Absolutely.

[Monica] Okay.
This is, like, my family's song.

-[Joey] Okay.
-[dance music playing]

[Monica] This one song
is just, like, childhood.

I just remember this being blasted
when we're cooking dinner.

My dad, he has a signature dance move.

-Can you please do it?
-Okay, stand up.

Okay, I'm standing up.

Put your arms in front of you,
bent at the elbows, 90 degrees.

-90 degrees, okay.
-[Monica] Yep.

Take your right hand
and go all the way to the left.

Put it in front of you.

All the way to the left in front of me.

-And then your left hand, like, up.
-Okay.

-All the way up?
-[Monica] Yep.

And then you just shake your hips.

-[Joey] Okay.
-[Monica laughing]

It's just like this.

Just shake your hips.

-"It's just like this."
-[both laugh]

[Monica] Yeah, so this is,
like, the family jam song.

-[Joey] I love that. That's amazing.
-[laughing]

I will say, okay,
you're pretty amazing, Monica.

[Monica] You're amazing too, Joey.

[Joey] I've never had this experience.

-I have a lot of personality.
-Mm-hmm.

[Joey] And someone
that matches me on that,

that is, like, sometimes
a little more difficult to find as well.

[Monica] Yeah, me too.

Your personality is, like, very bright
and very uplifting, which I love.

[Monica] Thank you. Thank you!

Yeah.

I love it.
Oh, my gosh, you're making me cry.

-I'm blowing my nose. Plug your ears.
-No, I love it.

[Monica blows nose]

Just going through all this,

it just shows me
how important finding your person is

and, like, family is and my grandma.

We talked about, like,
I stepped away from my job to help.

-Right?
-[Joey] Yes.

Just seeing how her mind's not all there,

and, like, she still loves my grandpa.

-And she forgets his name.
-Aww.

But every night when I'm like,
"Okay, Grandma, time for bed,"

"Let's get you ready for bed,"

and she still says,
"I need to go kiss my husband."

And she has to walk over there,
and she, like, kisses my grandpa,

and he just kisses her, and she doesn't
even really remember him. [sobbing]

-[Joey] Aww.
-And it's just-- it's amazing.

And it was hard for me to be like,
"Yeah, I am technically between jobs."

And that's uncomfortable for me to say,

'cause that's not something
I'm proud of necessarily,

but, like, I am able to help my family.

I'm able to really spend time with them,
like, as much as I can,

and that is worth more
than just a stupid job.

I am so glad
you feel comfortable sharing that,

and, like, that is super important to you.

-I can tell, for sure.
-Yeah, oh, yeah.

[Joey] And then I just wanna say

I hope you let that feeling go

of feeling, like, guilty
of your job situation.

Like, I hope
no one makes you feel like that

is something you should be prioritizing
over your family.

Yeah.

I 100% think that that is what--

I mean, that is
what you should prioritize.

Yeah.

[Joey] Especially with it
being as important

as you are describing it to me.

No matter what anyone says,
you're doing it the right way.

Yeah.

This has been by far,
like, the best date I've had.

No, I can confidently, yeah, say the same.

Not even just in here either.

-Really?
-[Monica laughing] Yeah!

I am glad you said that
because I was thinking the same.

In the feels, man.

-Yeah, I definitely am. [laughs]
-[shouts]

-[pop music playing]
-♪ I've never seen something ♪

♪ So beautiful ♪

Hello. Hello.

Is this Madison?

-[Madison] Yes! Is this Alex?
-Oh!

Yes, it is! Madison!

I'm so happy
to be here with you right now.

I'm here just for you.

-Yeah, I mean, you're flattering.
-[Alex sighs]

[laughs] But are you being honest?

[Alex] I really am, actually.

I come in here,
and instantly, like, I'm just so calm.

You have such a good voice.
Voice of an angel.

-[laughs] It's so comforting.
-[Madison] Oh my God! I love that.

I feel the same way about your voice.

-It's very good.
-Aww, I'm glad you like it.

I feel like I'm constantly
smiling with you in this pod.

Yeah, I know.

-Madison.
-[Madison] Yeah?

Are you a cuddler?

-I'm a big cuddler.
-[Alex sighs]

-Are you?
-Cuddling is my favorite thing ever.

I am just, like, a heater though.

-Like, I'm a furnace.
-[Alex] Oh, no.

-We're gonna be sweating!
-[both laugh]

-[Madison] Are you also a furnace?
-Yes, I am!

Oh, no.

I'm constantly hot.

You know what?
We gotta keep things spicy, sweaty.

-Yeah, okay.
-Yeah, no, I'm a big cuddler.

Lately, I've just been
cuddling with my dog.

Well, actually lately,
I haven't been cuddling with anyone.

-Not even my dog.
-Oh.

I brought my little stuffed animal
with me.

That is adorable.

So it's a bear alien,
but it's called a "bearlien."

Okay. That's genius.

-Isn't that so cute?
-[Alex] That's so cool.

-I've been cuddling with a bearlien.
-Do you sleep with it every night?

I do. I, like,
literally cuddle it all night long.

I would love to cuddle right now.

[laughs]

You're the first person that I wish you
were right here next to me on this couch.

I know!

I need a bear now!

A bearlien!

[laughs] Oh my God. I would love that.

Oh!

[pop music playing]

Things are getting complicated
in the pods.

I have basically narrowed it down
to just two boyfriends,

both Mason and Alex.

And I'm not ready to…

[chuckles] …decide between the two,
which is the weirdest thing to say.

I mean, you know,

I guess it's not too weird. [laughs]

-This is Mason. Who's this?
-This is Madison.

-It's Mads.
-[Madison] Yes!

-Aww, "Mads."
-This makes me--

You're the only one
who calls me Mads here.

-[Mason laughs] I love that.
-Yes, me too.

Are you a night owl?

No, I am definitely a morning person.

Are you?

I have a bit of insomnia at times,

but I wouldn't say
that makes me a night owl.

Like, I really love getting into bed
at ten p.m., reading a good book.

-[Mason] Reading a book is great.
-Yeah.

-Are you a big reader?
-I am not a big reader at all.

I really wish that I could read.

-I can read. Let me rephrase that.
-[laughs] I was gonna say.

-Do we need a reading lesson?
-[Mason laughs] No, no, no.

-I just…
-'Cause I got you.

-I'll be your teacher.
-I love that.

[Madison] Put on
a little teacher outfit for you.

Oh my God. Okay.

-Just get in a teacher outfit, please.
-[laughs]

Speaking of outfits, what's the best
Halloween outfit you've ever had?

-Are you the sexy girl at the party?
-[exhales]

I can be.

And then sometimes
I like to do, like, funny ones.

So, last year, I did both.

-I was, like, the sexy ninja.
-Ooh, okay.

I had on these, like,
really tall boots and, like, fishnets…

-Oh my God, okay.
-…with, like, kind of a leotard on.

And then I also had this,
like, Stitch onesie.

-[Mason] Oh, yeah, you did.
-[laughs]

I'm kind of a crazy dog mom,

and, yeah, he just
looks like Stitch sometimes.

And so I bought him
a Stitch costume for Halloween.

And so me and my dog
had matching Halloween costumes.

-[Mason laughs] That's adorable.
-[laughs]

I love that you're a Stitch.
That is my favorite Disney movie.

-Period.
-[Mason] Have you seen the movie Her?

[Madison] No.

[Mason] Oh, man,
that's one of my favorite films.

It's a guy who has--
his phone is just an AI bot,

and the whole premise of the movie

is, yeah, this guy just falls in love
with a voice in his head.

[Madison laughs] Am I the voice
in your head?

[Mason] You are the voice in my head.

I was really, really happy
when I heard your voice coming in here.

I like to think that I am

at the top of your list
or something like that

because I really enjoy
hanging out with you.

No, literally, I was like…

Not that you're my number one
or anything, but I was just saying

I just have this, like,
effortless comfortability with him…

-[Mason] Yeah.
-…that, like, I just love.

-It's my favorite.
-I feel the same with you.

Well, now you can go home,
no matter how many other dates you have.

-[laughs] Yeah, f*ck the rest, right?
-[Madison laughs]

Yeah.

-Oh, I will definitely consider that.
-[Madison] Yeah.

I mean, don't let me
pressure you into anything, but…

I mean, you could
probably pressure me into a lot.

I love to hear it.

Madison, you never disappoint me.

Always a pleasure.

[Mason] With Madison,
there's so many times where I just wanna

burst through the wall
and just start cuddling,

'cause that's some
of the stuff we talk about.

When I'm in the pods

and trying to sleep at night…

[chuckles] …she's always on my mind.

I really, really

envision myself with her a lot.

Okay, Mads, I'll talk to you tomorrow.

-Okay. Bye, Mason.
-All right. Good night.

-Good night.
-[laughs]

But I've never connected with anyone
the way that I've connected with Meg.

-It's Meg.
-This is Mason.

I get really excited
whenever I hear your voice.

[Meg] I get really excited too.

There's so much chemistry there.

It's unreal, honestly.

-[Meg] Mason.
-What's up?

-What's your last name?
-[Mason] Horacek.

-What is it?
-Horacek.

-Horacek.
-[Mason] Yep.

That's so cool.

You're one of the only people
who knows that "Margaret" is my real name.

-Really? That's awesome.
-[Meg] Yeah.

What is your favorite pet name?

Pet name?

So what do you call
your significant other?

No, what do you wanna name your dog?

-Oh my God! Okay.
-No, I'm kidding! Of course, yeah.

I like "babe."

Babe? So not "Daddy" or-- no, I'm kidding.

-I'm kidding! That's kind of weird.
-I was gonna say.

I was gonna say,
yeah, if you wanna call me "Daddy…"

-[Meg] "Zaddy."
-Yeah.

-[Meg] "Zaddy Horacek."
-[laughs]

What about you?

I like "baby girl."

-"Baby girl"?
-Yeah, it's just cute.

Okay, I actually have a question.
Do you like forts?

Oh, yeah! I haven't done
a fort in so long.

I love making forts and just getting it

real cozy for, like, a movie night.

Like, making forts with my nieces
and nephews is so much fun.

-Oh, how could it not be?
-[Meg] Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Ever bring Christmas lights in there

to really, like,
make it super cool and chill?

Oh my God, I would love that.
What a fun date night

to do a fort, get some pizza.

We can do a movie marathon.
Like, how fun is that?

-Meg, why are you so cool?
-[Meg] Straight out of a rom-com, no?

I've never lived with a partner. Have you?

-No, actually.
-[Meg] No? Okay.

My fantasy of when I buy my first house

with my partner, like,
move in, is everything's in boxes.

-Yeah.
-[Meg] We're exhausted, sweaty, tired.

We're like, "Let's just order Chinese."
We get in our little silky pajamas

and eat Chinese together
just, like, with boxes all around us

and then have sex on the floor.

-[Mason] That is--
-And then sleep in a fort.

That is such a good fantasy to have.

Okay, would you be down, like, truthfully,

to move, like, 45 minutes out of the city

to where you have land,

and, like, we can do a garden,

and we're a little bit more removed,
but can drive into the city if we want to?

[Mason] You say things that,
I swear to God,

they just, like, created this AI bot

that is just saying the things
that I wanna hear.

I feel the same about you!

When you said you like Moulin Rouge!

and things that are more underground
or not super mainstream…

I love when people are,
like, with you on that wavelength.

[Mason] You're not real.

You're an AI robot
that is talking to my brain.

-Have you seen the movie Her?
-You're kidding me!

-You're not real.
-I'm Scarlett Johansson right now.

Yeah, you are!
Do you know how much I love that movie?

[laughs]

I can't believe
that you brought up the movie Her.

Oh my God.
It's one of my top ten for sure.

[Meg] Is it your top ten?

-Yeah. I cry.
-What else is in your top?

-Oh, top three for sure is…
-Okay.

-Inception is number one.
-No! No!

-[laughs] What?
-[Meg] No!

-No! That's my number one favorite movie!
-[Mason] What?

You're kidding me!

-This is not real then. Okay.
-I love Christopher Nolan.

That's my favorite director.

We'll just add that
to the movie marathon list.

[Mason] I really,
really enjoy talking to you.

I swear to God you're not real.

-No, I'm over here.
-Okay.

There is a person over here.

Oh, I love that.

-[pop music playing]
-♪ 'Cause what we've got ♪

♪ Is no ordinary love ♪

[Mo] You're beaming over here.

Every time I talk to somebody,
I just go back and forth on my list.

[Mo] Your favorite is
who you talked to last, right?

-Whoever's freshest in your memory?
-Mm-hmm.

[laughing]

It's so bad, dude.

Man. No.

When it finally comes down
to picking the one, it's gonna be so hard.

Quit playing!
I can't wait to tell my boyfriend

to break up with his girlfriends.

[laughing]

-You better have something good to say.
-[laughs] Right.

[woman] Bye, ladies.

-[Devin] I gotta ask you…
-[Virginia] Oh, Lord.

[Devin] You know I'm all about the fit.
I just wanna know what's up.

Okay, so I look real cute today.

-Oh, "real cute"?
-[Virginia] You're missing out today.

Of all days, today's the day
that you really…

-I'm missing out.
-[Virginia] Missing something.

I have this light blue dress on.
It's really low-cut.

-[Devin] That's my favorite color.
-And it's, like, fitted.

And it, like, goes down
to right past my knees.

-Heels?
-[Virginia] Yeah.

I was the girl in high school
that wore heels every day.

You was running around Park Center
in high heels?

Yes, ask about me.

[laughs] No, I'm just kidding.

What about me is different
from what you have dated in the past?

Well, it's more of like sporty,
basketball player type… [chuckles]

…is what I have typically gone for.

-Really?
-[Devin] Yeah.

[laughs] I don't know.
I just like similar to me, you know?

No more athletes? No more…

Are you saying you're not an athlete?
I feel like a dancer is an athlete.

Oh, well--

-Well, thank you for recognizing that!
-[Devin] Yeah, of course.

How about you? I'm sure younger.

Yeah, you're younger, for sure.

I mean, their profession,
a lot of times they were creatives.

[laughs] I'm trying not
to bash these men. Um…

-No, go for it. No, I'm just kidding.
-[Virginia laughs]

Um, they were just
a little bit more, like, self-centered.

[chuckles] And you
don't really seem that way.

-Oh, you just wait. No, I'm just kidding.
-[Virginia] That's so funny.

I came here really
to date somebody completely different.

So I don't wanna continue to date
the type of guys that I've been dating.

-Okay.
-For sure, so you are quite refreshing.

-[Devin] Aww, thank you.
-Yeah.

-You're full of compliments. I love it.
-Yeah. No, I'm serious.

I'm really not even laying it on thick.

I like that you're passionate
about coaching and stuff like that

and giving back

and that you're passionate
about basketball, like, all those things.

But I think the biggest thing is, like,

I can feel that you're just,
like, a very kind person.

And that's, like, most meaningful to me.

-Well, thank you. I appreciate that.
-[Virginia] Yeah!

I don't think I've ever dated
a nice guy in my entire life.

[Devin] You deserve a nice guy,
someone that should treat you right.

-I appreciate that.
-[Devin] Of course.

I appreciate that. I love that.

-[pop music playing]
-♪ There are moments ♪

♪ When I'm all torn up ♪

Virginia is just such a kind,
loving, genuine person.

And every time I speak with her,

I feel like I can just lay down

and close my eyes
and listen to her for hours.

I hope you have a good rest of your day.

I appreciate it.

[Devin] But between Virginia and Brittany,
it's very even right now.

Just teeter-totter up and down.

-Hi.
-Hello.

[Brittany] Okay, Dev.

[Devin] I don't feel like,
if I had to choose today,

I could pick between the two.

I think they're both really amazing women
in different ways.

I feel like me and Brittany
have an instant connection.

We both are interested in the same things.

We were both basketball players
throughout, like, our whole life.

And she also coached basketball.

How you doing? sh**ter.

[laughs]

[Devin] When I come into the room,
she kind of just brightens my day.

And, honestly,
I didn't think I would say this,

but I do think I can fall in love
and get down on one knee

and propose to someone.

So I wanted to ask you,

your parents, what are
their thoughts on you being here?

Well, my-- I didn't tell my dad.

-He doesn't know at all?
-[Brittany] My dad doesn't know at all.

But he talks so much.

The whole eastern seaboard
is gonna be aware.

-"Willie, I'll tell you after the fact."
-What did you just say?

His name is Willie.

-My dad's name is Willie.
-[Brittany] What?

[laughs] Is it William or just Willie?

-It's Willie. It's just Willie.
-[Devin] Mine is just Willie.

-That's so crazy!
-[both laugh]

Yeah, and it's so crazy,
'cause his dad's name was Willie too.

-He's a junior. So he's--
-No, stop!

-Yes!
-My dad is a junior.

I hope our dads don't got the same dad.

It's not the same dad!
No, no, it's not. It's not.

Unless your dad's last name
is my last name.

-Which I don't think it is.
-No. Willie Pete with the stinky feet.

[Devin] That's funny.

You talked about your dad not knowing.

-I don't remember if you said--
-So I did tell my mom.

My mom, her jaw dropped.

-She was like, "What?"
-Really?

Her reservations
were more so about, like, reality TV

and protecting me from,
like, weird things.

[Devin] That makes sense.

[Brittany] My mom,
she didn't want me to play basketball.

She's like, all the basketball players
she's seen dress like boys, you know?

So she didn't want me to do that,

and she didn't want me
popping my butt and twerking

as a cheerleader. I was really sheltered.

So my mom had us listen
to gospel, like, my whole life.

-So we really--
-Yep, yep, gospel too.

-I love gospel.
-Fred Hammond, Marvin Sapp, Kirk Franklin.

-[Brittany] Okay, stop!
-Yeah, yeah.

[laughs] I love that God's Property album,
Kirk Franklin.

Like, I listen to that
in the mornings all the time.

But my mom didn't let us listen
to a lot of, like,

hip-hop growing up.

Me, and my brother, sister,
all of us put, like, Lil Wayne, Carter,

on our Christmas list.

[laughs] And I guess my mom…

I don't know if you remember
in Best Buy where you can

listen to the song,
the albums before you, like, buy 'em

with the headphones there.

She must have done that
and heard all that cursing.

-[laughs]
-[Brittany] We opened up that box.

And it was Willennium.

-Will Smith, "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It."
-Oh, no!

We were so disappointed!
And I got Dixie Chicks too.

And I'm like, "What, Ma? Dixie Chicks?"
But I'm not mad at it.

-I would have been.
-[laughs] Who's your favorite artist?

I can listen to Giveon,

all of his music
from top to bottom and not skip a song.

Have you heard "Unholy Matrimony"?

-Sing some of the words.
-Not doing that.

-What?
-I'm not that good of a singer.

Well, it's a safe space.
You can bellow to the mountaintops.

-I'mma sing with you, 'cause I'm not…
-Okay, good. That's what I want.

-[Brittany laughs] Yes!
-In the car listening to music?

-Yes!
-[Devin] I want us singing in the car.

I love it. I love it. Yes.

And I think that's a big part

of why I wanna be married.

Right? That partnership.

They may not wanna drive
an hour and a half

with you to go pick up
an outfit or dress or something,

but they're like,
"All right, I'mma come with you."

You know? That's such a beautiful thing

to know that you have the comfort

and just peace in having partnership

and know you have a person
that has your back for the rest of life.

-Wow. That was beautiful. [laughs]
-[Brittany] Oh.

Thank you.
You're making me smile. [laughing]

I love that.

-[pop music playing]
-♪ Wherever you go, I wanna go ♪

♪ Wherever you, wherever you wanna
Wherever you go ♪

-[Monica] Do you have a favorite animal?
-[Joey] Penguins are my favorite animal.

I've always wanted to go on a cruise

to, like, Antarctica
or something or Alaska.

They have cruises
that you can actually go penguin watching.

-Yeah, they do.
-I think that would be amazing, so…

The babies and they're so fluffy.

They're just so cool.

[Monica] They are so cool!

-They waddle around.
-[Monica] They do!

They're so fast at swimming.
It's a unique thing. I just like 'em.

One of my favorite things about penguins
is they're one of the, like,

only monogamous animals.

-And they give a rock to their partner.
-They are. I know!

[Joey] I think
that's one of the coolest things.

On our first date,
do you remember what you said?

-[Monica] No.
-I do.

You said, "I'm gonna
take a nap." [laughing]

-[Monica] No, I didn't! No, I didn't!
-Yeah, you did!

Yeah, I said,
"What makes you feel comfortable?"

-And you're like, "I need to take a nap."
-[laughing]

Please do not nap.

[laughs]

It's been absolutely incredible
getting to know every part of you.

I've had, like,
an incredible time falling in love

with who you are as a person,
your laugh, your voice,

and I would love
to take the next step with you.

[Monica laughs]

♪ Forever can never
Be long enough for me ♪

♪ To feel like I've had long enough… ♪

-Would you get engaged with me?
-[laughs]

Oh!

Yes!

[laughs]

-Absolutely.
-Wonderful.

[laughs] Oh my God!

[shouting]

Holy sh*t!

[Joey laughs]

[Monica] Oh, I'm so excited to see you!

I know. I'm excited too.

I'm so friggin' excited to see you!

Oh, my legs are Jell-O. Okay.

-Okay.
-Oh my God! Okay, see you tomorrow.

-[Joey] Okay. Bye, Monica. Bye.
-Bye!

Oh my God! [shouts]

[laughing]

[women shouting]

♪ Say you will ♪

[vocalizing]

What up?

-[men laughing]
-[cheering]

♪ Marry me ♪ [vocalizing]

[Madison] I woke up thinking about you.

I was thinking about you last night
in the dark hotel room.

-Just silent, no phone.
-[laughs]

[Alex] I was doing a lot of thinking.

Dark in a bed thinking? Or… [laughing]

Whoa now! [laughs]

No, I'm kidding.

[Alex] So how are you feeling today?

I feel like today could be, like,
kind of a turning point for things.

You know, you kind of either just
stay on the surface or you get deep.

Okay, I've got a deep question for you.

All right, hit me.

[Alex] What are you like
when there is conflict in a relationship?

You ever get upset and yell

or say anything,

like, hurtful?

No, no.

First of all,
I can't physically yell. [laughs]

-Okay.
-Also, I grew up with a really angry dad.

And that's never who I wanna be.

Instead of getting, like,

mad or violent,

I get very logical.

-I like that.
-Yeah. What about you?

I've been in some pretty brutal situations
that I'm really proud of myself

that I handled in, like, a very calm way.

Um, like, I was cheated on
with someone that I was living with.

[Madison] Oh, sh*t, I'm sorry.

Yeah, we lived together for two years,
and I saw some texts.

It was really bad, but we figured it out.

-[Madison] You guys stayed together?
-No, no, we didn't.

Have you ever cheated before?

-[Alex] No, I have not.
-Wow.

-That's unusual. [laughs]
-[Alex] Yeah.

Unusual?

[Madison] I feel like
I ask that question a lot.

-Uh-huh.
-[Madison] A lot of the times I get a yes.

-Really?
-[Madison] Yeah.

I've also been cheated on multiple times.

-What?
-[Madison] Yeah.

This is kind of one of the reasons,
like, I came on Love Is Blind.

People can kind of look at me

and, you know, initially want me.

Once people start getting to know me,
they're like, "Wow."

"I didn't think that you would be cool,
smart, funny, whatever."

"Like, I just thought
you were just this pretty girl."

I've been single for two years now.

I don't take
that kind of bullshit anymore.

[Alex] Mm-hmm.

But, yeah, I've been really hurt
over these past few years.

Well, first of all, I'm sorry
that you have been hurt in the past.

-I know how traumatizing that can be.
-Yeah.

Do you think that that
is going to affect a future relationship,

or have you worked through those issues
of, like, trust and all that?

I'm gonna trust you
until you give me a reason not to.

[Alex] Do you know
the different attachment styles?

-I do.
-Do you know which one you are?

[Madison] I am an avoidant.

Uh-oh! Uh-oh, Madison!

-[laughs]
-[Alex] Let's talk about it!

Yes.

-[Alex] Avoidant.
-Yeah. [sighs]

I think that's my natural inclination,
right, is to be avoidant.

When I feel someone's energy
start changing towards me,

I get scared, and I kind of run.

It's in a sense of, like,
"Well, don't need them anyway."

I don't know
if that's out of a healthy place or not,

but there's just certain things where
I'm just like, "That's not my problem."

"That's not my problem."

-Do you know what I mean?
-I do. Yeah.

And I think that's maybe
a little bit of a trigger for me,

because past relationships,

I dealt with that,
but on the extreme end of it.

Yeah.

I'm more anxious.
I feel like I'm not good enough.

And so I want you to show me that,
yes, you care about me.

-And that you are not abandoning me.
-[Madison] Yeah.

And for you, it's like,
"Let me get away and be on my own,

because I don't need you
to show me that I'm good enough."

-Yeah.
-[Alex] That could lead to some issues.

I don't know.

[Madison] Obviously, I never
wanna make you feel anxious.

It's actually not even on the radar.

Ultimately, that's what
I've noticed in myself.

I've recognized those patterns.

Just for, like, some context,

I think I told you, like,
my mom's a drug addict.

Yeah.

I remember when I was, like, 12 years old,

my stepdad had, like,
taken too many pills or something,

and I had to make sure that he was,
like, still breathing on my birthday.

-But that was, like, my norm.
-Wow.

So I wrote them this letter,
and I was like, "It's either drugs or me."

[Alex] Mm-hmm.

And they didn't choose me.

Wow.

And so I've just had
to really rely on myself for everything.

[Alex] Yeah.

[Madison] For a while,

I thought not needing anyone
was, like, a really good thing,

but it's not.

And I've learned
that I'm ready to have someone in my life

that I can rely on,
and, like, I can trust fully.

-[Alex] Mm-hmm.
-It's lonely not having that.

And so I don't know
if that helps give you context.

-It really does, yeah.
-[Madison] Yeah.

I really got emotional when you were
talking about your parents like that.

-That's really sad.
-I know. I'm tearing up. [chuckles]

I'm sorry about that.

But it's really good that you have
recognized that about yourself.

-And it shows a lot of growth.
-Yeah.

Even on your side of things,

the fact that you're asking me about that,

like, I think that says so much
about you as a person.

Like, we all have things
that we have to grow in

and, like, do better in.

And I think as long
as we can commit to doing that,

like, that's the best that we can do
for each other, you know.

I don't expect you
to never hurt my feelings.

[Alex] Yeah.

But I do expect for you
to tell me when I hurt your feelings.

-[Alex] Mm-hmm.
-So we can work through it.

-[Alex] Yeah.
-You know?

I'm not perfect,
but I feel like you and I,

it seems like, have gone through a lot
and are very self-aware people.

And I'm in a place in my life

where I know
I can be a very good partner to someone.

-[Alex] Hmm.
-And I'm ready to be that for someone.

Well, I'm really glad to hear that.

-You sound scared over there.
-[Alex] I'm not scared.

I just think I have been

in relationships with people like that,

not like you, but, like, a very
extreme version of an avoidant person.

-Yeah, like an unhealed person.
-Yes, yes, exactly.

-[Alex] That scares me a little bit.
-[laughs] I'm sorry.

I don't mean to scare you,
but I just wanna be honest.

-Yeah.
-[Madison] That's the whole point of this.

I don't want you to get into this,
then be like, "That terrifies me."

-Yeah. Yeah.
-After being married.

Are you the type of person that
needs emotional connection with someone

before you can have a physical connection?

-Probably. Yeah.
-[Madison] Yeah.

[Madison] I would say I'm that way too.

-That's good.
-[Madison] Yeah.

Like, I'm not
a first-date kisser. [chuckles]

[Alex chuckles] I like that.

-[Madison] Yeah.
-That's good.

[Madison] No, I'm really not.

[laughs] I do think

physical affection and sex
is an important part of a relationship.

[Alex] Mm-hmm.

I really enjoy that part of a relationship
'cause I think it's just, like, fun.

And I feel like

it's a really good, like, connection.

But I come from,
like, a very religious background.

-I think I've talked to you about that.
-Yeah.

So the topic of sex
has always been really taboo… [chuckles]

…for women and girls in the church.

There was just a lot of shame around it.

And very embarrassing to think about,
very embarrassing to talk about.

Like, you just were not allowed to, like,

you know, be,

you know, a human in that regard.

Unless we're talking
about sex after marriage.

-Yeah.
-I didn't have sex until I was 22.

-Wow. Really? Hmm.
-[Madison] Yeah.

Anyway, I feel like

I've done a lot of work
to not have, like, shame around it.

Because there was a lot of shame
around it for a while.

[Alex] Yeah.

So, yeah, I think it is

an important thing for me to talk about
before getting married, you know?

[Alex clicks tongue]

[sighs] Um…

[chuckles] Maybe we can wait.

Maybe that's, like, a few dates from now.

-You think so?
-[Alex] Maybe.

[Madison chuckles]

I'm just putting it
all out there, honestly.

Yeah.

Okay.

That's fair. I'll warm up
to it quickly, I think.

-[laughs] It's okay. I'm not judging.
-All right.

When I came here, I thought
that you were the strongest connection.

-[Madison] Mm-hmm.
-Um…

So I'm trying
to really think about it though.

I don't wanna make the wrong decision.

-I want to make a very informed decision.
-[Madison] Yeah.

I'll have to think about
the attachment style conversation.

[Madison] Mm-hmm.

And maybe we are initially attracted

to people in here

that are similar to people
that we have dated out in the real world.

I don't know if that's why
I'm initially attracted to you is because

you are similar to them
or if it's just because

I like you, you know?

-[Madison] Yeah.
-There's a lot to consider in here.

And it's just a lot.

-Yeah.
-[Alex] Yeah.

Well, thanks for being honest.
I hope I didn't scare you off.

I do understand if that is scary for you,

but I hope that I can prove you otherwise.

You were the person that
I wanted to talk to the most, probably.

[Alex] Mm-hmm.

[Madison] I love the way that you think,

and you just seem
like such a sweetie boy. [laughs]

Which is just very opposite
of what I have normally gone for.

Yeah.

I really do like talking to you.

-[pop music playing]
-♪ The sun is coming our way ♪

[vocalizing]

♪ And it feels amazing ♪

♪ The sun is coming our way ♪

[Mason] All I can do
is think of questions for you.

Oh, it's like, "I should probably

think of generic questions
for other people,"

but it's like
everything just comes back to Mads.

I love that, actually.

It's kind of crazy.

I was in bed
putting a pillow under my arm.

-Yeah.
-[sighs] And I was like--

Did you wish it was me?

I really was like,

"I wonder how it feels to have
Madison here instead of this pillow."

I'll smell really good.

Ooh, I like that.

Do you like talking
about, like, what you're wearing?

-[Mason] Yeah!
-Okay.

Today, I'm wearing
this, like, baby blue slip dress

that's, like, pretty short.

Oh my God.

And then I'm wearing
these, like, brownish kitten heels.

Kitten heels. I love that.

I'm gonna have to step up my game
if I'm gonna be seen next to you.

[laughs] Okay, you see that little box
that has a question mark on it?

-[Mason] Yeah.
-Let's do those.

"What character would I play in a movie?"

-It'd be a rom-com.
-Okay.

The girl is like,

"Oh, you're my best friend."
You're my best friend."

And then at the end,
she realizes that she's in love with you.

Okay, so I'm the hopeless romantic hero.

-Yes, that gets the girl of his dreams.
-[chuckles]

-[Mason] Hey, happy ending!
-Yeah.

I think you would be definitely a villain.

[both laugh]

But someone who's not a bad person.

It's just they've been

in a shitty situation
that made people, like,

"Oh, maybe she's not evil."

"Maybe she was just treated wrong."

I'm dead. Now you're calling me a villain.

It's not a bad thing. [laughs]

No, you're right.

A very, very sexy villain
that everyone wants to be for Halloween.

-You're not wrong.
-[Mason] Okay.

[Madison] I've dealt
with a lot of, like, jealous

or insecure people.

If I know that they don't like me,
I'll probably make it worse.

[laughs] I would love to never cross you.

[laughs]

[Mason] Please, don't wrong Mads.

-Good.
-[Mason laughs]

Do I seem more of a creative

or "anacalytical" type? [laughs]

-"Anacalytical"?
-[Mason] "Anacalytical."

[Madison] Just the fact
that you said "anacalytical…"

[laughing]

…is crazy.

-I think I just answered it for you. Yep.
-Yeah.

Okay, we can come back to these.
I wanna listen to the music.

-[Mason] Okay.
-Hey, DJ, play number four.

-["Live in the Moment" playing]
-♪ So live in the moment ♪

♪ Trying to find the words to say… ♪

[Mason] I feel really happy right now.

Me too.

I like you, Mads.

-What's that?
-I like you.

-You like me?
-[Mason] Mm-hmm.

Really? How much?

Um, you know. A lot.

I like you too.
We're not wild about it though.

[sighs]

This putt-putt thing is hard. [laughs]

You gotta have
some athletic skills, right?

Yeah. I grew up playing
tennis, volleyball and soccer.

Do you still have your volleyball uniform?

[Madison] No, I don't.

I was gonna say
that's the biggest turn-on ever.

[Madison] Well, I have better things, so…

You're driving me crazy
when you say things like that.

You'd like the dress I'm in now.

-Yeah?
-Yeah.

[Mason] Mini skirts are, like…

You could be wearing that,

and I would literally
do anything you tell me.

Did I tell you when I was wearing
my micro mini skirt?

"When"? As in I was talking to you
while you were in that?

-Yeah!
-[chuckles] Oh my God.

So badly wanna see it.

I'd come over
and just give you a little lap dance.

Oh my God, yes.

[Madison] Was twerking when I said that.

-You can twerk?
-[Madison laughs] Yeah.

Okay, well,
this is gonna work just fine, then.

[Madison] I can shake my a*s.

Do you wanna know something
about my n*pples?

[Mason] I do, yes.

[chuckles] Okay, they're pierced.

All right! Cool!

[both laugh]

[Madison] No, I have
the most fun with you.

The thing that I look forward to the most
is, like, spending time with you.

I was thinking about that with the pillow
last night and stuff. It's like…

Just crazy to think about.

I like that a lot.

-I'm blushing.
-[both laugh]

I am too.

I like how you aren't afraid
to, like, express your feelings.

I'm glad you say that
because I have a big fear

of how I can't really
articulate myself well.

I say, like, wrong words and sh*t,
and it's like,

with you, I can actually talk
and feel comfortable.

-So…
-Anacalytical.

-[Mason] Anacalytical, that's me.
-You know what word I can't say?

-[Mason] What's that?
-"Infuriarated."

"Infuriarated"? [chuckles]

-It's a hard word!
-[Mason] I was infuriarated.

[laughs] Why can't I say that now?

[Madison chuckles] My bad.

[Mason] God damn it.

[laughing]

[pop music playing]

I haven't felt this giddy for a long time.

You have a crush!

[Meg] What do you think "Horacek" is?

Horacek is his last name.
What the hell is "Horacek"?

I heard from Madison
that's Czechoslovakian.

Hearing that is just,
like, a punch to the gut.

I just wanna talk to my boo.

We have so much more to talk about.

I really like Mason.

But I have not explicitly said,
"You're my number one."

"You're my favorite connection."

"You're the only connection that I could
see something with outside of this."

I feel like I'm
kind of playing this coy game,

where, like, I'll drop subtle hints
and say things,

but I don't wanna scare him off too.

I don't wanna be like,
"Hey, I'm really feeling this."

But truthfully, I feel so strong and sure

about this connection.

And, like, how could it get better
than this for somebody?

It's Meg!

Baby girl?

-[Meg] Yeah! Say it again!
-[chuckles]

Baby girl. [laughs]

The fact that you said the movie Her.

-Yeah.
-That's insane.

I feel like there's synchronicities.

It does make me, like, pause
and kind of think about our connection.

Do you still have questions
you wanna ask? What are they?

-I do. Some things I really wanna know.
-Okay.

Hit me.

[Mason] What was the best
Halloween costume you've ever had?

-Gwen Stefani.
-[Mason] Ooh!

[Meg] The blue hair,
the black leather skirt

and the blue, fuzzy bra.

-Really?
-Yeah, it was fire.

I've never looked so hot
in my life, honestly.

Do you usually get the sexy outfits?

Sometimes I'll go sexy.
Sometimes I'll go goofy.

-I really like dressing up for Halloween.
-That's awesome.

I love that question.

I was expecting some deep sh*t,
and you're like,

"What's your best Halloween costume?"

[laughs] Well, that's important to me.

[Meg] I feel like have so much
I wanna know about you, Mason.

[Mason] Whatever you wanna know, Meg,
you let me know.

-[Meg] When was your last relationship?
-Two years ago.

-Okay. mine was too.
-[Mason] Okay.

[Meg] I was gonna go to college,

find my man, get married
and, like, do life with them.

When that didn't happen,
I was like, "Oh, sh*t."

I was like, "What am I gonna do now?"
I thought that was my future.

-[Mason] For sure.
-But I wouldn't change anything.

Like, I'm so glad I had my 20s
to explore and be in California

and build my friend group
and be a flight attendant

and kind of go crazy
after how I was raised.

And now I feel like in my 30s,
I'm kind of, like, settling

into who I am a little bit more.

-Yeah.
-[Meg] Settling into my career a bit more.

But I really still want to be in love.

How do you feel
about being married in a few months?

If I met my person

and I'm 100% confident
it's my person, I'd feel ecstatic.

-[Mason] Yeah.
-What about you?

A big fear of mine coming into this

was, like, people
who are gonna just utilize this

for all the wrong reasons.

Yeah, I agree.

It's just crazy to actually meet people
who are actually genuine.

-[Meg] I know. I know.
-Care about this process.

And really actually
looking for their partners.

[Meg] Honestly, Mason,

I've never even asked these questions

to someone I've been
in a relationship with.

Like, "Where would you wanna live?
What would our house look like?"

"Do you wanna have kids?
Could we travel with them?"

Almost building a future and thinking
if you have similar dreams together.

-Yeah.
-[Meg] Never done that in a relationship.

And so I love doing this,
because I'm like,

"Oh my God, like,
there are actually men who want this."

"There's men who, like,
genuinely want to get married

and start a future and buy a home."

It makes me excited, because
even if I don't find my person here,

I'm excited just to be like, "Okay,
these men exist. They're out there."

"Like, I totally will find it."

Just learning the stuff
about myself being here…

-[Meg] Totally.
-…is mind-blowing.

Because I never got a chance
to, like, actually think about

all the things that I want in a partner.

Yeah.

[Mason] This is
just such a good experience,

regardless if you come out
with someone or not.

[Meg] No, totally!

My hope is I find my soulmate,
and we'll just be madly in love,

and even if it's hard, like,

I have no question
that this is my soulmate,

and I will find them again
in every single lifetime.

That's what I'm holding out for.

My soulmate, my person, my lover.

That is perfect. That was poetic. [laughs]

I mean, I want that.

Do you believe in reincarnation?

-[Meg] Yeah.
-Okay.

I definitely think that
there is something to that.

Because I don't believe energy dies.

That kind of plays
into that question, "soulmates."

I do think there is, like,

soulmates that you can, like,

just if not be with
in a different lifetime,

just kind of energy being matched
in some kind of form essentially.

-[Meg] Yeah.
-So, I do believe in soulmates.

-Okay.
-[Mason laughs]

[Meg] Sames. If reincarnation is real,

I feel like I've had quite a few lives.

You are definitely an amazing spirit.

Please just let me go into the earth
and become a little mushroom or something.

You can be anything. You can go
into the universe and be something else.

No, I'd be a butterfly.
I love butterflies.

I would probably be a dolphin.

You'd be a dolphin?

I think swimming around
and just being, like, the OG…

-[Meg] Yes!
-… good guy of the sea.

Plus, sex is still enjoyable.

-Exactly.
-Not a downside.

I don't know about butterflies,
but you know…

I'll fly over to the ocean,
and I'll let you know.

-[Mason] Oh, man.
-Are you scared of getting hurt in here?

Like, one of my core wounds
is not feeling good enough.

So thinking about a man that I like

choosing someone else over me,

it is really scary.

Like, putting yourself literally
in the situation you've been in

in the past knowing that
that could happen.

[Mason] Yeah.

-Meg, I am terrified.
-[Meg] I'm petrified. I'm petrified.

-I'm so f*cking scared about that.
-[Meg] Me too!

I'm really enjoying our connection.

[Mason] Yeah.

Yeah, I get really,

really, really excited
every time I leave our pods

and get a lot more confused.

That's for sure.

-Really?
-[Mason] Yes.

Okay.

-Well, let me keep confusing you.
-Okay, go ahead.

-I'm up for the challenge.
-Confuse me all you want.

-[Meg] I would love to.
-[chuckles]

-["Trapeze" by Marina Bennett playing]
-♪ We move high ♪

♪ To fall in pieces ♪

Excuse me! Rude! Rude!

Dude, I just saw my number one,
and, like, the energy was different.

-[Vanessa] Oh!
-Different!

Okay, so my number one just now,

like, he's-- I'm not his top.

I know after that I'm not his top,
which is fine,

but it makes me switch my energy up

to where I'm like,
"It's not what I thought it was then."

'Cause he was like, "Every time I see you,

I get excited, but it confuses me."

[Vanessa] Oh.

[shouts] I was like…

I said, "Let me keep confusing you."
But, also, I'm not confused!

[Vanessa] Yes.

But now I am.

-I am confused as f*ck!
-Yeah.

That energy just threw me for a loop.

-It's a little shifty, shifty.
-[Vanessa] Yeah.

Like, "Give me something!
Tell me you like me!"

[laughing] God!

[sighs]

This whole experience
reminds me of playing the lottery.

When you're waiting to hear the numbers,
you daydream. It's like, "What would I do?

"Like, if I would move,
like, what house would I buy?"

"What would my life look like?"
And you let yourself daydream.

And it's like, "Of course."

Who wins the Powerball?

You know, no one wins the Powerball.

This is insane. [chuckles]

But with Joey, I won the lottery.

It's like the lottery!
It's crazy. [laughs]

And he asked me to frickin' marry him!

Oh my God!

[laughs] Just, like,
saying that out loud is insane.

I've chosen Monica to be my wife.

And I haven't even
met her yet, so… [laughs]

When I start to picture
what he looks like, it's terrifying.

That's terrifying to think
about like actually seeing Joey's face

and seeing what he looks like.

To see…

someone who's, like, foreign to me.

You are a stranger.

[laughs] Like, your looks
are a stranger to me,

but you have this voice
that, like, I know so well.

Oh, that's gonna be weird.

-[dramatic music playing]
-[vocalizing]

Oh my God.

[Joey] Monica might
not like my style, my hair.

She might not like these bright shirts
that I love to wear.

Of course there's fears in that.

The absolute worst-case scenario
would be I go out there to give a hug,

and Monica turns around and runs.

[dramatic music continues]

♪ Every second that goes by
I can see it with my eyes ♪

♪ Then it's dark again ♪

♪ Oh-oh! Oh-oh! ♪

♪ 'Cause when we're born into this world ♪

♪ Nobody can take what's owed to us ♪

♪ 'Cause we are holding the keys ♪

♪ To all of our potential ♪

♪ In this universe ♪

♪ I looked inside ♪

♪ And I saw my destiny ♪

♪ I saw my destiny ♪