‘Perfect Match’: What Are the Rules of the New Netflix Dating Competition?
Unlike Love is Blind, Netflix’s latest dating reality tv show focuses more on strategy than finding love. The cast of Perfect Match consists of reality stars from various Netflix shows who hook up and fiercely compete to become the most compatible couple in the house.
This binge-worthy competition is cutthroat. The cast of fan favorites doesn’t hold back from ripping other couples apart to get ahead.
‘Perfect Match’ couples solidify their match by bunking up together
Hosted by Nick Lachey, contestants entering the Perfect Match villa in Panema City are familiar faces from Love is Blind, The Circle, Too Hot To Handle, and other popular reality shows.
Each day, their goal is to quickly get to know their housemates and find a match before the end of the night. However, an uneven number of people means two contestants will get eliminated. The pressure to find a partner is high.
After matching, couples spend the night together in one of the villa’s bedroom. This element that left Too Hot to Handle’s Francesca Farago in tears. According to E! News, producers didn’t tell contestants they’d share a room with their match until filming began.
“I was told that we would not be sharing rooms with men,” Francesca explained on a recent episode of the Viall Files podcast. “I was told it would be girls and boys, separate houses. So, I was like, ‘Perfect, I’ll do it.’ But I’m not going to do it if I’m having to share a room because I had to do it with my ex on a show and I regretted it.”
After learning she’d have to share a room with her matches, the reality star broke down.
“When the rules were dropped that we had to match up and go sleep in the same bed, I bawled my eyes out for a day. All that wasn’t shown.”
Despite sharing a room, the contestants keep their bags packed. There’s no guarantee they’ll be with the same person or even in the house the next night.
‘Perfect Match’ gives contestants control over who enters the house
After the contestants pair up, Lachey leads couples in challenges that test their compatibility the following day. Winners earn a romantic date and control over the “boardroom,” which makes them puppet masters of the house. A futuristic touchscreen tabletop presents the winning couple with everyone currently in the house and their newbie options.
After discussing their options, they send their housemates on dates and bring new people into the house. Some couples seem to care about helping their friends find love, while others prefer to disrupt the peace. They shake things up by setting up their housemates with exes, a new potential match, or someone already eliminated.
If they feel particularly cheeky, they might send themselves on a date and ditch their match, just like Francesca did to Dom Gabriel from The Mole.
Many ‘Perfect Match’ contestants know each other outside of the show
#3 on @netflix!! Let’s keep it climbing! #PerfectMatch pic.twitter.com/cfGeKEM7al
— Nick Lachey (@NickLachey) February 20, 2023
Upon the contestants walking into the villa, it’s immediately clear that many know each other. According to the show’s creator Chris Coelen, this factor helped inspire the idea for the show.
“It became very apparent that different cast members from different shows ultimately end up knowing each other,” Coelen explained to Netflix. “They go to events together, and they connect, and they date. Honestly, the idea was rooted in that real thing.”
Much of Coelen’s inspiration came from Francesca’s appearance on Love is Blind: After the Altar. As Damian Powers’ guest, she attended the reunion, stirring up drama with Damian’s then-girlfriend, Giannina Milady Gibelli. The tension between Francesca and Damian continues on Perfect Match after she dumps Dom to go on a date with the Love is Blind star.
The ‘Perfect Match’ villa is full of fan favorites
Unlike other reality dating shows, Perfect Match reunites everyone’s favorite stars from a handful of shows, ensuring most viewers see a familiar face. While some exes get sent on dates and past flames get reignited, fans won’t feel like they’re out of the loop when drama strikes. Most connections are fresh, but the show does a great job clueing in the audience when necessary.
Tune in to watch Joey Sasso from season 1 of The Circle, Kariselle Snow of Sexy Beasts, Shayne Jansen from season 2 of Love Is Blind, Will Richardson from season 1 of The Mole, Georgia Hassarati from season 3 of Too Hot to Handle, and more of your favorite reality stars search for their perfect match. Episodes are now available to stream on Netflix.
