Spoilers for the first nine episodes of Love is Blind season 9 ahead. While the saying is that opposites attract, it’s often our similarities with someone that really make them feel like our soulmates. This is the case for Love Is Blind season 9 stars Ali Lima and Anton Yarosh, whose early conversations in the pods on the Netflix reality hit about immigrating to America as children seem to draw them together. And their similarities didn’t end there; they also expanded to their visions of the future. Nine episodes into the latest, Denver, Colorado-set installment of the reality series, here’s a recap of Ali and Anton’s journey on Love Is Blind so far, as well as what we know about their current relationship status.
What happens between Ali and Anton on 'Love is Blind' season 9?
Nurse Ali and transportation/logistics manager Anton’s (both 29 years old) connection is quick in the first batch of Love is Blind season 9 episodes. The pair immediately connect over their heritages—she’s Brazilian and he’s Russian—and the way people have struggled to say their full names throughout life. Their bond strengthens as they discover more similarities: Ali and Anton both learned English at the age of 8 after moving to the U.S., they’re both children of divorce, and they both want to be examples of a healthy relationship for their future kids.
Things move fast in the pods after Ali first admits that she loves Anton. When he says it back, he admits that he dreamt about her and their life together. Soon, Anton is down on one knee—becoming the first proposal in season 9. The day of the proposal, Ali says she woke up five minutes before her alarm at 5:55, which she read as a sign and a good omen. After the in-person proposal, Anton is overwhelmed by his attraction to Ali, saying she’s “stunning…it’s shocking how good she looks.”
As is often the case in Love Is Blind, their relationship begins to be tested while traveling together. In Baja, Mexico, Ali comments on Anton’s penchant to kiss with his eyes open, which he waves off, saying he wants to admire her while kissing her. Another potential bump in the road comes when Anton offhandedly mentions that he spent $5,000 on her ring, and she thinks he should have spent at least $10,000. She argues that it’s an act of appreciation for the future mother of his children, and Anton takes it in stride, but it could be a sign that money will be an issue for this couple in the future.
Sex was a topic of conversation amongst the couples in Baja. While many of the other women were boasting over their physical connection with their fiancés, Ali didn’t offer much besides saying she “couldn’t wait” to be with him. Another couple later privately explains that Ali was on her period and therefore a little less affectionate to Anton.
As the couples move into the real-world phase of the experiment in episodes 7-9, things are going well for Ali and Anton. When they meet up with the other Love is Blind season 9 cast members, KB calls them “lovebirds,” and Ali reveals that she’s waiting for them to have a disagreement. Anton similarly agrees when someone calls theirs a “perfect relationship.”
Their similarities even extend to their work schedules, as both of them work nights. Anton says having someone to come home to is “the highlight of his day,” and they make dinner together with post-work mimosas. Ali and Anton seem to have a playful rapport as he calls her grumpy and she says he’s passive-aggressive, but neither seems to take these jabs to heart.
While they seem to be aligned on shared responsibilities in the home (if she cooks, he’ll clean—and vice versa), money might become an issue down the road. She jokes about getting a private chef, but it opens a larger conversation about joint and separate bank accounts. Ali wants separate accounts in addition to a joint account so that he can’t judge the amount she spends on cosmetic products and procedures (like Botox), while he thinks they should just have a joint account and work on sticking to a budget.
The closest they get to a fight comes when Ali meets Anton’s best friend Joseph and his girlfriend Melissa. When Ali gets a moment alone with Melissa in the bathroom, Melissa says that Anton wasn’t the marriage type before going to the pods and mentions that he has a penchant for strip clubs. Both Joseph and Anton were partiers when they were single, and it worries Ali that this was the lifestyle he was living just a few months ago.
When they return to the table, Ali tells Anton that he’s in trouble, but doesn’t get into the details there. The conversation apparently happens off camera, as Ali later tells the girls during the Pod Squad reunion that Anton said he hasn’t been to a strip club in over a year. She is also concerned about how often he drinks, saying he has one to two drinks every morning after returning from his work shift. The second batch of episodes ends with Anton asking Ali what she’s been telling the Pod Squad because he’s been keeping it tight-lipped. Ali ominously answers with two words: “the truth.” Unfortunately, it seems like the formerly solid pair are on thin ice moving into the final stretches of the season.
Are Ali and Anton from 'Love Is Blind' season 9 still together?
Netflix tries its hardest to keep details of its reality contestants’s current relationship status a mystery until the finale hits streaming. However, there are some potential clues about Ali and Anton’s romantic fate. The two do follow each other on Instagram. However, like other season 9 couples who follow each other, they don’t have any photos together or intriguing comments to dissect. Still, the fact that they are in each other’s social media orbit suggests that they might still be together after filming. We’ll have to see how the rest of the season and post-finale reunion shake out!
