This was the most infuriating version in the entire history of queer dating reality shows!!

As I sat down to watch the finale episode, there was only one thing on my mind- “Finally this deal ends today.” I have never felt so relieved watching the finale of a dating show. Everything from the base concept to the location screams opulence. Sadly that didn’t add to the quality. After going through three seasons of “His Man”, we can pretty much expect lots of melodrama and hysteria on this Korean dating show. While the earlier installments solely depended on casting gay or bisexual men, “Stand Bi Me” decided to go for a mix of bisexual men & women. So, we have an odd mixture of four men & women pitted against each other. Initially, the concept seemed innovative, but as weeks passed by, the show became less about queer representation. This piques the biggest question- is this queer drama or not? Because out of the two couples who walked out in the end, one was a straight one. Did loyal BL fans sit through fourteen excruciating episodes to witness this kind of letdown?

Before we dig deeper into different scenarios, let’s get acquainted with the eight contestants first-

Kim Seung Ho (21), Former Idol Trainee

Tae Eun Chae (22), Freelance Model

Go Su Jin (22), Majoring in Applied Music & Vocal Performance

Kim Hye Yeon (25), Majored in Fashion Design

Park Jin Woo (25), Beauty Blogger

Lim Chae Be (25), Food Industry

Jung Hee Jin (30), Graphic Designer

Koo Yong Kyu (32), Food Industry

Now that we are well acquainted with the contestants, let’s move on to the frustrating love triangles in this season.

The “Seung Ho- Jin Woo- Hye Yeon” Love Triangle

Park Jin Woo will certainly remind you of Lee Jun Sung from Season Two. His persistence was that solid and unwavering. Unfortunately, his love interest, Seung Ho was nowhere similar to Seong Ho. He is quite impatient and, despite Jin Woo’s repeated attempts to win him over, Seong Ho spend a major portion of his time comparing between his choices. Since Jin Woo & Seong Ho first met before entering the Bi-Live house, they were certainly each other’s first choice. But then Seong Ho decided to go on multiple dates to widen his scope and ended up getting involved with Hye Yeon. Coincidentally, Hye Yeon’s personality is quite similar to Seong Ho, so they seemed to get along well. The more Jin Woo tried to bridge the distance, Seong Ho grew wary of his intentions. At times, I felt sorry for Jin Woo, because Seong Ho always keeps comparing him to Hye Yeon. These two felt more like pawns, that he enjoyed playing with. Despite his indifferent attitude, it was obvious that Seong Ho had deeper affections for Jin Woo and yet, he chose Hye Yeon in the end.

The “Jung Hee Jin- Tae Eun Chae- Go Su Jin” Love Triangle

Jung Hee Jin was initially interested in Hye Yeon (like many others inside the house). Shockingly, they had differences of opinions and Hee Jin seemed uninterested in the other contestants, despite having a fun date with Go Su Jin. Su Jin was quite persistent in her pursuit, though, she single-mindedly pursued Hee Jin, who remained oblivious to her affections or more like, she didn’t care about it much. It wasn’t until the eleventh episode when she went on a date with Eun Chae, that Hee Jin got serious about the dating business. Frankly, Eun Chae seemed like the most unpopular contestant this season. Her reserved nature didn’t win her any points. But her mature demeanor won over Hee Jin. Even though Su Jin tried her best till the end, Hee Jin chose Eun Chae.

Final Impressions

Frankly, I couldn’t care less about the final couples!!

I was only invested in Chae Be & Jin Woo. They seemed innocent & sincere. And yet, their love interests gave up on them. I wasn’t shocked when Seong Ho chose Hye Yeon, it seemed like a petty act of revenge against Jin Woo. I’m wondering if they are dating in real life, because given Seong Ho’s flighty nature, Hye Yeon won’t survive his mood swings for long. Eun Chae is sweet and shy, but I’m unsure if Hee Jin is the right choice for her!

Rating- 2 out of 5

Streaming on- IQIYI