Carlton Morton didn't have the ending he was hoping for on season 1 of Love Is Blind, but he'd be great to bring back for season 2. His story was both touching and heartbreaking, and it would be interesting to see how he would approach a second attempt at love.
The show wasn't fair to Carlton's story. He was thrust into an environment that sought only to highlight heterosexual relationships, rendering his narrative of sexual fluidity an outlier. It dominated so much of what we knew about him that his other qualities became footnotes. His connection with Diamond Black hinged on the inner struggle to come out to her. Both he and Diamond mismanaged the entire situation; Carlton was combative, while Diamond wasn't understanding. It was an aggressive push and pull until the rope broke and the two went their separate ways. Thankfully, they rekindled their friendship on the reunion, agreeing to move past the fight. Carlton even got the engagement ring back and re-proposed to Diamond, although this time only as friends. It was a nice gesture, one that Diamond seemed to appreciate.
In reflecting on how he could have done things differently, Carlton admitted that he wasn't proud of all the things he said to Diamond. It would have been hard for him to be open about his sexuality before their engagement, considering how rushed the whole process in the pods truly is. That being said, Carlton would thrive in a situation in which he wasn't the only non-heterosexual person on a large cast. As the cast was whittled down, it was extremely disappointing the lack of diversity that was represented. Lauren and Cameron were strong representations of an interracial couple; beyond that, it was a lot of what we're used to with these shows.
Love Is Blind sought to insert Carlton's story on a show that didn't welcome it. This explains why he was so uncomfortable with being out and open. It wasn't a journey he was sharing with anyone else on the show. It was his alone. In his own community, he struggled being out as a black man. Love Is Blind didn't do him any favors in easing his concerns about being who he is.
This show grabbed the attention of the global Netflix audience, and as we remain in self-quarantine, still continues to draw a crowd. Love Is Blind has been popular, but it was hardly perfect. Carlton's experience on the show is one example of that. If he returns for another season, hopefully this series can fix its flaws and strive to welcome even more diversity, in race and sexuality.