It’s no secret there’s a bit of a rivalry between Seattle and the city a couple hundred miles south. If anyone doubted the friction before, Kwame Appiah made it evident in episode 11.  Appiah, who lives in Portland, was having trouble coping with the fact that a move to Seattle was likely inevitable in order to make his relationship with Chelsea work. Expressing his feelings on the matter, he said, “I know Seattle’s going to hate me for this, but like, Seattle you’re overpriced. You are Lamar Odom with Michael Jordan prices. You’re not that great.”

After returning from Mexico, the couples were set up with apartments to put their cohabitating skills to the test. In addition, some of the cast members visited their own places to show their partners how they were living. The consensus? Every space was slightly underwhelming. Aside from Brett’s spot (which, may actually be in Portland) many lacked character, which—if we’re being fair—can be expected given the cost of rent thirtysomethings are paying. Hmmmm, does Kwame have a point?

It’s hard to see things with fresh eyes if you’ve been living in or accustomed to a place—but Seattle is beautiful. From Nick and Vanessa’s very first Space Needle shot, to the countless aerial views and city back drops, Zack’s Lake Union proposal to Bliss on a boat, and Tiffany and Brett’s seaplane date—they even snuck a cherry blossom scene in—there no shortage of beauty; day or night. 

That’s the kind of loaded question, that inherently garners a subjective answer. Whether you liked the restaurants/bars/venue that cast were seen meeting at, it’s fair to say the producers did a good job at mixing things up. Some of the dates/meetups included Bliss and Zack’s rainy day (shocker) first date at Smith, Paul introducing his mom to Micah over pretzels and beer at Rhein Haus, another meet-the-parents scene at Olympia Coffee, and Chelsea’s birthday celebration at Elsom Cellars. But we’re all on the same page that the most swoon-worthy plate was Marshall’s perfect homemade pancakes, right? Right.

Click here for our favorite Seattle restaurants and bars.

We’ve touched on the fact that the Seattle dating scene isn’t exactly the best, but how does Seattle compare to the other cities featured on the Netflix show? Well, pretty much the same. They were some trash moments à la Irina and Zack’s crash and burn, and Jackie and Marshall’s demise. However, there were hopeful moments too, where a couple united, sight unseen, and made it look like they were made for each other (Tiffany and Brett). The healthy mix of both scenarios has proven to be a recipe for good TV, whatever it says about the Emerald City.