The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On explained

Genre:Reality
Creator:Chris Coelen
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Seasons:2
Num Episodes:20
Runtime:35–58 minutes
Company:Kinetic Content
Channel:Netflix
Related:

The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On is a dating reality television series created by Chris Coelen and produced by Kinetic Content[1] that premiered on Netflix on April 6, 2022. The show is hosted by Nick and Vanessa Lachey.

The series has aired for two seasons. An international version The Ultimatum: France premiered in 2022. A spin-off series premiered in 2023.

Format

The Ultimatum is a self-proclaimed social experiment that wants to see how many couples will get married when presented with ultimatums.[2] The show features couples on the verge of marriage. Each pair has eight weeks to decide whether they want to get married or split forever. Couples will later be split up as they choose new partners from the rest of the group, and then move in with them for three weeks.

Contestants

Season 1 (2022)[3]
nowrapIssuing ultimatumAgePartnerAge
April Marie23Jake Cunningham26
Colby Kissinger25Madlyn Ballatori24
Rae Williams24Zay Wilson25
Shanique Imari24Randall Griffen26
Alexis Maloney25Hunter Parr28
Nate Ruggles30Lauren Pounds29
Season 2 (2023)[4] [5] [6]
nowrapIssuing ultimatumAgePartnerAge
Antonio Mattei30Roxanne Kaiser31
Lisa Horne32Brian Okoye29
Ryann McCracken24James Morris24
Trey Brunson29Riah Nyree25
Kat Shelton28Alex Chapman32

Season summary

Season 1 (2022)

Trial marriages
ContestantsResult
Jake and RaeRelationship
Colby and AprilSplit
Zay and ShaniqueSplit
Randall and MadlynSplit
Overview
Original coupleResult[7] [8] Status
April and JakeSplitSplit
Colby and MadlynMarriedMarried
Rae and ZaySplitSplit
Shanique and RandallEngagedEngaged[9]
Alexis and HunterEngagedMarried[10]
Nate and LaurenEngagedMarried[11]

Season 2 (2023)

Trial marriages
ContestantsResult
Antonio and KatSplit
James and RiahSplit
Trey and RyannSplit
Alex and RoxanneSplit
Overview
Original coupleResultStatus
Antonio and RoxanneEngagedEngaged[12]
Lisa and BrianRelationshipEngaged
Ryann and JamesEngagedMarried
Trey and RiahEngagedEngaged
Kat and AlexEngagedMarried

Episodes

Season 2 (2023)

Production

Filming

Season one of the series was filmed in various locations in Austin, Texas. The first week the contestants spent dating each other was filmed at the Marriott Downtown Hotel in the city, while the rest of the series was filmed at the Aloft Austin Downtown Hotel.[13]

Filming started in May 2021 and lasted for eight weeks with the reunion being filmed later.[14]

Season two of the series was filmed in Charlotte, North Carolina from September 2022 to November 2022.[15]

Release

A trailer was in the reunion episode of season two of Love Is Blind on March 4, 2022. It was advertised as "the next great social experiment" with the same creator as Love Is Blind.

The first season consisting of eight episodes released to Netflix on April 6, 2022, and later released the final episode along with a reunion special on April 13, a week later.

The second season consisting of eight episodes released to Netflix on August 23, 2023, and later released the final episode along with a reunion special on August 30, a week later.

Reception

Viewership

Season one of the series reached number one on Netflix in television shows in the United States on April 10, 2022.[16]

The Ultimatum Season One spent four weeks in the Netflix Global Top Ten, with 43,710,000 hours watched during its first week of release,[17] 58,470,000 during week two,[18] 29,010,000 during week three,[19] and 13,140,000 during week four.[20]

With a total of 144,330,000 hours watched within its first four weeks of release, The Ultimatum Season One ranked second, after only Love is Blind, as the most watched ongoing nonscripted series on Netflix in 2022, based on a tally of all hours viewed across all programs while in the Netflix Global Top Ten.[21]

Critical response

Daniel D'Addario of Variety writes "Love is Blind and The Ultimatum are the new standard-bearers for romantic reality TV." D'Addario states The Ultimatum "inverts Love is Blind's formula to great success...(creator) Coelen's series occupy a more unsettled place, one that uses the tools of reality (big organizing ideas, people attuned to the dramatic) to create stagings that look like our world."[22]

Jenny Singer from Glamour writes "The Ultimatum on Netflix is even better than Love Is Blind. Yes, really." Singer continues "The Ultimatum feels like an actual attempt at partnership—love, sex, intimacy, friendship, caring for each other’s dogs. The ending is insane, and so is the beginning, and the middle. That just makes it, oddly, realistic."[23]

Alexandra Whittington at Collider says "The Ultimatum: Marry Or Move On is Netflix's wildest reality series yet...If you like reality dating shows then you are going to love The Ultimatum: Marry Or Move On."[24]

Grant Rindner of GQ stated "critical reception has been mixed."[25] Sarah Manavis of New Statesman was highly critical of the show, writing, "The awfulness of marriage shows is on full display here... The premise is shoddy and unclear, especially in comparison to other dating programmes."[26] Sophia June of Nylon wrote no one from the series should get married based on the premise and "the manipulation techniques".[27] Morgan Smith of Highsnobiety called it the "messiest reality dating show we hate to love" and stated he loved it.[28]

Spin-offs

The first international version of the series was released on Netflix on titled .[29] A second international version, based in South Africa, was released on Netflix on 10 May, 2024. [30] Salamina Mosese and Tshepo Howza Mosese are the hosts.[31]

Ahead of the first season premiere, Netflix announced a spin-off of the show that would feature an all-queer cast titled .[32] The spin-off series premiered on and featured JoAnna Garcia Swisher as the host.[33] [34]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Longeretta . Emily . 2022-03-04 . 'Love Is Blind' Creators Reveal Spicy New Dating Series 'The Ultimatum' on Netflix: Watch the Trailer . 2023-02-23 . Variety . en-US.
  2. Web site: Walsh . Charlotte . 'The Ultimatum' Is Putting Couples to the Test . Netflix . 17 April 2022.
  3. Web site: Meet the Couples Looking for Answers in 'The Ultimatum' . 2022-04-13 . Netflix Tudum . en.
  4. Web site: Evans . Olivia . 'The Ultimatum' Season 2 Cast Is Blowing Up The Internet RN . Women's Health . 31 August 2023 . 24 August 2023.
  5. Web site: Boyle . Kelli . 'The Ultimatum' Season 2: Which Couples Are Still Together? . TV Insider . 31 August 2023 . 30 August 2023.
  6. Web site: Longeretta . Emily . 'The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On' Season 2 Cast Guide: Who Issued the Ultimatum, Which Pairs Swapped and Who's Pregnant? . Variety . 23 August 2023.
  7. Web site: Hatchett . Keisha . The Ultimatum Finale Recap: Congrats, I Guess — Plus, Who Stayed Together? . TVLine . 13 April 2022 . 17 April 2022.
  8. Web site: Woo . Kelly . The Ultimatum season 1 finale and cast reunion: Which couples are still together? . Tom's Guide . 14 April 2022 . 17 April 2022.
  9. randallgriffin . Cuxl3Bvuqm7/?img_index=1 . Yes! — Today and all of our tomorrows. . 16 July 2023.
  10. Web site: Goldstein . Joelle . The Ultimatum's Alexis Maloney and Hunter Parr Marry in 'Traditional' Dream Wedding: 'So Happy' . Peoplemag . 1 September 2023 . en.
  11. Web site: Grant . Tamara . 'The Ultimatum': Lauren Pounds and Nate Ruggles Are Married . Showbiz Cheat Sheet . 1 September 2023 . 16 October 2022.
  12. Web site: Brockington . Ariana . Are Antonio and Roxanne from 'The Ultimatum' still together? . TODAY.com . 1 September 2023 . en . 30 August 2023.
  13. Web site: Kranc . Lauren . Here's Where They Filmed Netflix's Insane Reality Show The Ultimatum . Esquire . 12 April 2022 . 17 April 2022.
  14. Web site: Honore . Pretty . 13 April 2022 . When Was 'The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On' Reunion Filmed? . 17 April 2022 . Distractify.
  15. Web site: Miller . Korin . 'The Ultimatum' Season 2 Filmed At *These* Trendy Charlotte Spots . Women's Health . 23 August 2023.
  16. Web site: The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On TOP 10 . 17 April 2022 . FlixPatrol.
  17. Web site: Netflix Top 10 - Global . 2023-02-23 . top10.netflix.com.
  18. Web site: Netflix Top 10 - Global . 2023-02-23 . top10.netflix.com.
  19. Web site: Netflix Top 10 - Global . 2023-02-23 . top10.netflix.com.
  20. Web site: Netflix Top 10 - Global . 2023-02-23 . top10.netflix.com.
  21. Web site: Netflix Top 10 - Global . 2023-02-23 . top10.netflix.com.
  22. Web site: D'Addario . Daniel . 2022-04-05 . Why 'Love Is Blind' and 'The Ultimatum' Are the New Standard-Bearers for Romantic Reality TV (Column) . 2023-02-23 . Variety . en-US.
  23. Web site: 2022-04-06 . 'The Ultimatum' on Netflix Is Even Better Than 'Love Is Blind' . 2023-02-23 . Glamour . en-US.
  24. Web site: Whittington . Alexandra . 2022-04-09 . Is 'The Ultimatum: Marry Or Move On' Worth Watching? The Best & Worst Parts Of The New Show . 2023-02-23 . Collider . en.
  25. News: Rindner . Grant . The Ultimatum Is Netflix's Latest Crazy Reality Dating Show . April 27, 2022 . GQ . April 12, 2022.
  26. News: Manavis . Sarah . The ugliness of Netflix's The Ultimatum . April 27, 2022 . New Statesman . April 23, 2022.
  27. News: June . Sophia . Nobody on Netflix's The Ultimatum Should Get Married . April 27, 2022 . Nylon.
  28. News: Smith . Morgan . Netflix's 'The Ultimatum' is Messy & That's Why We Love It . April 27, 2022 . Highsnobiety . April 17, 2022.
  29. Web site: S . Tamilchandran . The Ultimatum France where are they now? Who are they? - News . Fresherslive . 31 August 2023 . 31 March 2023.
  30. Web site: BBFC . The Ultimatum: South Africa . 2024-05-14 . www.bbfc.co.uk . en.
  31. News: Keteyi . Oluthando . 13 May 2024 . 'The Ultimatum South Africa' has viewers hooked as mean girl Khanya leaves viewers shook . IOL.
  32. News: Longeretta. Emily. 'The Ultimatum' Renewed for All-Queer Season 2 Ahead of Netflix Premiere. Variety. March 24, 2022. April 6, 2022.
  33. Web site: Donnellan . Sara . 2023-04-18 . Ready for More Drama? Everything We Know About 'The Ultimatum' Season 2 . 2023-04-19 . Us Weekly . en-US.
  34. Web site: Longeretta . Emily . 2022-09-22 . Netflix Renews 'Love on the Spectrum' and 'The Ultimatum,' Brings in New Host for 'The Ultimatum: Queer Love' . 2023-06-06 . Variety . en-US.