‘The Ultimatum’: Hit or miss?
Published:Monday | April 18, 2022 | 12:07 AM
The Netflix reality series, The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On, hosted by Hollywood duo Nick and Vanessa Lachey, made its first appearance as a trailer at the end of everybody’s favourite pod journey to ‘I do’, Love is Blind. So there were high expectations going in. Six couples shared one interesting thing in common: each was facing the ultimate relationship ultimatum: marry or move on. This either sounded like a disaster waiting to happen or a blessing in disguise for those partners looking for love.
The celebrity couple explained at the start of The Ultimatum that their own union faced that life-changing decision before they got married. It was taking the unexpected detour, detailed with dating another person, that helped to solidify the love and got Vanessa the wedding ring she deserved.
The series sought to experiment with that structure, pairing six sure with six unsure persons, raffling them into the unknown with a fresh partner of their choosing for three weeks, then ‘re-pairing’ them with their original partner to see if their relationship could weather the storm and be strengthened, or weakened, by the process.
Going in, those who offered the ultimatum appeared confident but were soon living to regret the decision, after seeing their girlfriends or boyfriends walk into the arms of another. Watching the casual dates proved to be painful for some, but there were others who bonded with potential partners, anticipating the three-week experience.
By the selection table, Hunter stunned viewers when he decided to forgo the trial run and propose to his girlfriend, Alexis. Although he was hesitant to marry, the week apart revealed that Alexis was who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. She, of course, said yes and the pair is currently planning their nuptials for this June.
Another couple who chose each other was Lauren and Nate. Seeing Colby as a threat, Nate intervened by asking Lauren for her hand in marriage. While it was a brave move, many questioned the chess player’s intentions, since it was obvious that he had been threatened by the presence and subsequent role of another man in his girlfriend’s life. Additionally, their issue had not been resolved: he expressed strong desires for children and Lauren didn’t see herself being a mother. So where would they go from there? Nate said, in the end, that he preferred having long and lasting love with Lauren over children, but we’re not buying into that theory one bit.
Going all the way
Who saw Madlyn and Colby going all the way? I know for sure I didn’t. Even though he said he was ready to go all the way, he seemed lost along the way, and his immaturity reared its ugly head too often to count. Madlyn, who was feeling Randall from the beginning, wasn’t receiving the satisfaction she was hoping for out of the trial run. After giving it some thought, she not only surprised viewers by saying yes to Colby’s proposal, the two eloped then and there for the world to see. Everyone, cast included, were amazed when a glowing Madlyn graced the reunion stage, alongside Colby, with a baby bump. The couple is expecting a girl. They seemed quite at ease and in love with each other, so who are we to argue with that?
Call me biased, but here’s a couple I was genuinely rooting for: Shanique and Randall. How could I not be cheering on Shanique? We spotted her Jamaican roots immediately at her family dinner. Surely, they had things that they had to work on individually and as a couple, but he was doting on her and she always fought for what was best for him, and best for them. It was interesting that he started out by speaking on financial stability and the argument slowly shifted to something else: communication.
It’s great to put your two cents forward, but it is equally important to listen to your partner, which Randall received while courting with Madlyn. It’s just as imperative to appreciate the value that your partner is bringing to the table. In a bout of jealousy, Shanique did the unthinkable by going all the way with her trial boyfriend, Zay. Randall proposed to her and she said yes. We were so hopeful, but they parted ways for six months. Now back together, they are hoping to strengthen their union bond and pick up where they left off, sans engagement.
April and Jake had all the making of a solid relationship, or so it appeared. Despite being the one who gave the ultimatum, April was convinced that their love could withstand anything. But then Rae entered the chat. It went from zero to trouble real quick when she saw that the two were hitting it off from the start. There was no hiding that instant connection and that chemistry. And viewers might have switched sides to accommodate this new playmate. When it came time to switch back, tension and awkward conversation jumped from the screen, and while they reconciled after April violated Jake’s privacy, Jake chose not to propose to her. He instead proposed to Rae: two tickets to a destination of their choice.
Many looked forward to hearing more about the trip on the reunion. After all, they were seated together. Disappointingly, the new duo hadn’t taken that trip. They took a break, returning to their original partners to tie up loose ends. The plot thickened when Rae revealed that her last relationship was with a woman. Meanwhile, April is now happily in a new relationship, and she is happy to be with someone who sees a future with her.
That leaves us with Rae and Zay. Rae might have given the ultimatum, but Zay was feeling just as conflicted because, for some reason, she was unable to communicate and express her feelings to him, a problem which disappears completely on her ‘sojourn’ with Jake. But he was not without fault. He had a tendency to walk away from situations and blame his circumstances for his behaviour. Staying out all night and coming in at 8 a.m. without so much as a call or text, or response to same, is highly irresponsible and an absolute no-no. Everyone is grown, so it’s time to face the music and get the therapy needed to move forward, beyond your pain. They separated before the show ended. The plot thickened at the reunion when it was revealed that Zay had not mentioned his encounter with Shanique to Rae - she found out, like the rest of us, while watching the show. Their exchange was a messy display of broken people in need of healing.
Though the show is aimed at seeking clarity as far as finding love goes, (which was achieved for some couples), it seemed to rely heavily on the unfolded drama, rather than assist these partners with the professional help needed to truly uncover the real reason behind the stances taken. Maybe adding a psychological arm to the mix could give a greater assessment of the situations at hand and offer advice that will help to navigate the couples in the direction of having relationships, free of ultimatum.