A couple who made headlines during the pandemic after being trapped on their third date for two-and-a-half months in Costa Rica after travel restrictions were imposed have lifted the lid on their unconventional romance in a new Netflix documentary.
New York Matt Robertson and Khani Law, now 34 and 32, met in Hinge in February 2020, and after having a first date at an Indian restaurant and a second at an ax-throwing spot, decided to throw caution to the wind and go on a quick break.
However, a long weekend in paradise turns into a hellish scenario as the duo find their flights constantly canceled and their freedom restricted by a lockdown in place.
Thanks to Matt’s love of vlogging, the entirety of their intense Costa Rican romance has been recorded for posterity, with the candid footage featured in a documentary, Longest Third Date. Pregnancy scares, a car accident, and a bug infestation are revealed as some of the more difficult parts of their journey.
New Yorkers Matt Robertson and Khani Law met in Hinge in February 2020. A month later, on their third date, they decided to go to Costa Rica.
Thanks to Matt’s love of vlogs, the entirety of their intense Costa Rican romance has been recorded for posterity, with the candid footage featured in Netflix’s Longest Third Date
By the fourth day of their vacation, the couple explained, “things are starting to come together” as the Covid-19 virus spreads across the world and travel bans come into effect.
At one point, their rental car got stuck in a lake and the locals had to help them get it out
After a first date at an Indian restaurant and a second at an axe-throwing venue, they decide to beware of the wind and blow on a quick break.
By the fourth day of their vacation, the couple explained, “things are starting to come together” as the Covid-19 virus spreads across the world and travel bans come into effect.
They soon learn that they will not be able to return home on their original journey.
“We’re out of clothes to wear, we’re out of new things to talk about,” Matt recalled in the film.
While they didn’t find the chemistry at first, Matt said that as time went on, it was “definitely intensifying” and “there’s some passion there.”
Cheney, who was adamant about never being in a relationship again, agreed that sparks were starting to fly, noting that “when you’re stuck together, there’s not much to do other than drink and fuck.”
After their hotel closed, the couple moved into a self-catering Airbnb and said it was a surreal experience living together all of a sudden.
Fortunately, Khaani, a publicity worker, had work to keep her busy but she said she refrained from telling her company where she was.
Meanwhile, Matt created “mini-dates” for their spare time, with some of their activities including tango dancing and yoga classes.
Commenting on what it was like to be denied access to friends and family, Khani said, “Being so far away, I felt a little helpless knowing I couldn’t go home if I needed to.”
“We’re out of clothes to wear, we’re out of new things to talk about,” Matt recalled in the movie.
While they didn’t find the chemistry at first, Matt said that as time went on, it was “definitely intensifying” and “there’s some passion in there.”
Meanwhile, Matt created “mini-dates” for their free time, with some of their activities including tango dancing and yoga classes.
“We felt a little too far away from watching the movie, just to be with each other,” said Matt on the subject.
As their relationship accelerated, both parties said at times it was difficult.
In one clip, Matt can be seen running to escape from the apartment. “It could get a little taxing, not ready for marriage anytime soon, that’s for sure,” he says while jogging with a GoPro. “It’s not even a normal relationship… locked in, isolated, out there.”
Khani also reveals that she was worried she was “returning back into old patterns” by living with a man and was determined to “not lose myself as a person”.
“It’s not at all something I want,” she said of destructive relationships she’s had in the past.
When you’re stuck together, there’s not much to do other than drink and f***
While they found it difficult to relate to each other at times when they learned about their habits and behaviors, there were other things that added to the tension.
At one point, Khaani runs out of contraceptives and has to obtain contraceptives from a local pharmacy, which she has been warned may offer counterfeit medicines.
She continued on the medical subject, then found her body covered in insect stings after their apartment was invaded, with her skin swollen and blistered.
To top it all off, when the couple decided to go on a road trip after restrictions eased, their rental car got stuck in a lake.
Footage shows the vehicle slowly descending into the mud with a panicked Khani emerging from a window to flee.
Fortunately, another car came and people from a nearby village came out to help them and took the muddy car to a local garage.
While they had a hard time when they were cooped up together, the New Yorkers said they had higher levels than lows.
While they had a hard time when they were cooped up together, the New Yorkers said they had higher levels than lows.
Summing up their third date of several weeks, she concludes: “It was really bittersweet, it was more than just a vacation.”
Khani moved into Matt’s apartment in Hoboken, New Jersey, a month after they moved back home
Of their situation, Matt said, “It was an amazing opportunity to get to know Khani and discover just how amazing she is… genuine, caring, and thoughtful, I mean the total package.”
Echoing his sentiments, Khani mused: “Being with Matt, he was someone who would take charge of the plans—I really started noticing that quality in him.”
For the duration of their trip, the couple didn’t discuss whether they were boyfriends and girlfriends, and when they found out they could finally go home on a government-sponsored flight after 79 days, Khani said she wasn’t sure if they’d break up. when they came back to reality.
Another stressor for Khaani was the prospect of pregnancy, but when the couple arrived in the Costa Rican capital, San Jose, to her relief, her period began.
While the two weren’t sure where they stood with each other on the romantic front, it was revealed in the documentary that they ended up moving in with each other a month after they got back together.
It was really bittersweet, it was more than just a vacation. It was something I will never forget
They also traveled around the country meeting each other’s families.
While Matt’s family knew where he was all along and who he was with, Khani kept her antics a secret from her overprotective father.
However, when she finally comes to tell her father everything, she says she doesn’t know why he didn’t tell her before because his reaction was less extreme than she thought.
This is another moment captured in the documentary.
Towards the end of the movie, Matt can be seen being greeted by the Khani family, and vice versa.
Another poignant moment is the couple presenting their French Bulldog Banks that they got in June 2021 to celebrate their first anniversary.
The couple’s story first came to light after Matt revealed their ordeal in an Instagram post, describing their quarantine abroad as “crazy times” in a hashtag.
Their story quickly became viral, with dozens of news outlets requesting interviews.
While Khani found the media attention difficult to handle at first, she’s now used to it and Matt’s constant blog doesn’t bother her.
Summing up their third date of several weeks, she concluded: ‘It was really bittersweet, it was more than just a vacation.
It was something I will never forget… He wasn’t ready to go home and pretend it all just didn’t happen.
The third longest date is now available to watch via Netflix
