The_Ultimatum:_Marry_or_Move_On
The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On
Dating reality television series
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 Ultimatum: Marry or Move On | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Reality |
| Created by | Chris Coelen |
| Presented by | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Running time | 35–58 minutes |
| Production company | Kinetic Content |
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | April 6, 2022 (2022-04-06) – present (present) |
| Related | |
| The Ultimatum: Queer Love | |
The series has aired for two seasons. An international version The Ultimatum: France premiered in 2022. A spin-off series The Ultimatum: Queer Love premiered in 2023.
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.
| Issuing ultimatum | Age | Partner | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| April Marie | 23 | Jake Cunningham | 26 |
| Colby Kissinger | 25 | Madlyn Ballatori | 24 |
| Rae Williams | 24 | Zay Wilson | 25 |
| Shanique Imari | 24 | Randall Griffen | 26 |
| Alexis Maloney | 25 | Hunter Parr | 28 |
| Nate Ruggles | 30 | Lauren Pounds | 29 |
Season 1 (2022)
| Contestants | Result |
|---|---|
| Jake and Rae | Relationship[lower-alpha 1] |
| Colby and April | Split |
| Zay and Shanique | Split |
| Randall and Madlyn | Split |
| Original couple | Result[7][8] | Status[7][8] |
|---|---|---|
| April and Jake | Split | Split |
| Colby and Madlyn | Married | Married |
| Rae and Zay | Split | Split |
| Shanique and Randall | Engaged | Engaged[9] |
| Alexis and Hunter | Engaged[lower-alpha 2] | Married[10] |
| Nate and Lauren | Engaged[lower-alpha 2] | Married[11] |
Season 2 (2023)
| Contestants | Result |
|---|---|
| Antonio and Kat | split |
| James and Riah | Split |
| Trey and Ryann | Split |
| Alex and Roxanne | Split |
| Original couple | Result[5] | Status[5] |
|---|---|---|
| Antonio and Roxanne | Engaged | Engaged[12] |
| Lisa and Brian | Relationship[lower-alpha 3] | Relationship |
| Ryann and James | Engaged | Married |
| Trey and Riah | Engaged | Engaged |
| Kat and Alex | Engaged | Engaged |
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||
| 1 | 10 | April 6, 2022 (2022-04-06) | April 13, 2022 (2022-04-13) | |
| 2 | 10 | August 23, 2023 (2023-08-23) | August 30, 2023 (2023-08-30) | |
Season 1 (2022)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [13] | Original release date [13] | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Split" | April 6, 2022 (2022-04-06) | |||||||||
| 2 | 2 | "The Choice" | April 6, 2022 (2022-04-06) | |||||||||
| 3 | 3 | "New Bed, New Partner" | April 6, 2022 (2022-04-06) | |||||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Girls & Guys Night Out" | April 6, 2022 (2022-04-06) | |||||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Pushing Boundaries" | April 6, 2022 (2022-04-06) | |||||||||
| 6 | 6 | "The Changeover" | April 6, 2022 (2022-04-06) | |||||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Back to Reality" | April 6, 2022 (2022-04-06) | |||||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Time to Answer the Ultimatum" | April 6, 2022 (2022-04-06) | |||||||||
| 9 | 9 | "Ultimatum Day" | April 13, 2022 (2022-04-13) | |||||||||
| Special | ||||||||||||
| 10 | 10 | "The Reunion" | April 13, 2022 (2022-04-13) | |||||||||
Season 2 (2023)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [6] | Original release date [6] | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 1 | "The Split" | August 23, 2023 (2023-08-23) | |||||||||
| 12 | 2 | "Unexpected Revelations" | August 23, 2023 (2023-08-23) | |||||||||
| 13 | 3 | "The Choice" | August 23, 2023 (2023-08-23) | |||||||||
| 14 | 4 | "Catching Feelings" | August 23, 2023 (2023-08-23) | |||||||||
| 15 | 5 | "Are You The One?" | August 23, 2023 (2023-08-23) | |||||||||
| 16 | 6 | "The Changeover" | August 23, 2023 (2023-08-23) | |||||||||
| 17 | 7 | "Change of Heart" | August 23, 2023 (2023-08-23) | |||||||||
| 18 | 8 | "Time to Answer the Ultimatum" | August 23, 2023 (2023-08-23) | |||||||||
| 19 | 9 | "Ultimatum Day" | August 30, 2023 (2023-08-30) | |||||||||
| Special | ||||||||||||
| 20 | 10 | "The Reunion" | August 30, 2023 (2023-08-30) | |||||||||
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.[14]
Filming started in May 2021 and lasted for eight weeks with the reunion being filmed later.[15]
Season two of the series was filmed in Charlotte, North Carolina from September 2022 to November 2022.[16]
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.[2]
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.[13]
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.[6]
Viewership
Season one of the series reached number one on Netflix in television shows in the United States on April 10, 2022.[17]
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,[18] 58,470,000 during week two,[19] 29,010,000 during week three,[20] and 13,140,000 during week four.[21]
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.[22]
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."[23]
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."[24]
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."[25]
Grant Rindner of GQ stated "critical reception has been mixed."[26] 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."[27] Sophia June of Nylon wrote no one from the series should get married based on the premise and "the manipulation techniques".[28] Morgan Smith of Highsnobiety called it the "messiest reality dating show we hate to love" and stated he loved it.[29]
An international version of the series was released on Netflix on December 30, 2022 (2022-12-30) titled The Ultimatum: France.[30]
Ahead of the first season premiere, Netflix announced a spin-off of the show that would feature an all-queer cast titled The Ultimatum: Queer Love.[31] The spin-off series premiered on May 24, 2023 (2023-05-24) and featured JoAnna Garcia Swisher as the host.[32][33]
- Longeretta, Emily (2022-03-04). "'Love Is Blind' Creators Reveal Spicy New Dating Series 'The Ultimatum' on Netflix: Watch the Trailer". Variety. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- Walsh, Charlotte. "'The Ultimatum' Is Putting Couples to the Test". Netflix. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
- "Meet the Couples Looking for Answers in 'The Ultimatum'". Netflix Tudum. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
- Evans, Olivia (24 August 2023). "'The Ultimatum' Season 2 Cast Is Blowing Up The Internet RN". Women's Health. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- Boyle, Kelli (30 August 2023). "'The Ultimatum' Season 2: Which Couples Are Still Together?". TV Insider. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- Longeretta, Emily (23 August 2023). "'The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On' Season 2 Cast Guide: Who Issued the Ultimatum, Which Pairs Swapped and Who's Pregnant?". Variety.
- Hatchett, Keisha (13 April 2022). "The Ultimatum Finale Recap: Congrats, I Guess — Plus, Who Stayed Together?". TVLine. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
- Woo, Kelly (14 April 2022). "The Ultimatum season 1 finale and cast reunion: Which couples are still together?". Tom's Guide. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
- @randallgriffin (16 July 2023). "Yes! — Today and all of our tomorrows" – via Instagram.
- Goldstein, Joelle. "The Ultimatum's Alexis Maloney and Hunter Parr Marry in 'Traditional' Dream Wedding: 'So Happy'". Peoplemag. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
- Grant, Tamara (16 October 2022). "'The Ultimatum': Lauren Pounds and Nate Ruggles Are Married". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
- Brockington, Ariana (30 August 2023). "Are Antonio and Roxanne from 'The Ultimatum' still together?". TODAY.com. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
- George, Crystal (4 March 2022). "The Ultimatum release date, episode count, hosts, synopsis, teaser, and more". Netflix Life.
- Kranc, Lauren (12 April 2022). "Here's Where They Filmed Netflix's Insane Reality Show The Ultimatum". Esquire. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
- Honore, Pretty (13 April 2022). "When Was 'The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On' Reunion Filmed?". Distractify. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
- Miller, Korin (23 August 2023). "'The Ultimatum' Season 2 Filmed At *These* Trendy Charlotte Spots". Women's Health.
- "The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On TOP 10". FlixPatrol. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
- "Netflix Top 10 - Global". top10.netflix.com. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- "Netflix Top 10 - Global". top10.netflix.com. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- "Netflix Top 10 - Global". top10.netflix.com. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- "Netflix Top 10 - Global". top10.netflix.com. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- "Netflix Top 10 - Global". top10.netflix.com. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- D'Addario, Daniel (2022-04-05). "Why 'Love Is Blind' and 'The Ultimatum' Are the New Standard-Bearers for Romantic Reality TV (Column)". Variety. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- "'The Ultimatum' on Netflix Is Even Better Than 'Love Is Blind'". Glamour. 2022-04-06. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- Whittington, Alexandra (2022-04-09). "Is 'The Ultimatum: Marry Or Move On' Worth Watching? The Best & Worst Parts Of The New Show". Collider. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- Rindner, Grant (April 12, 2022). "The Ultimatum Is Netflix's Latest Crazy Reality Dating Show". GQ. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
- Manavis, Sarah (April 23, 2022). "The ugliness of Netflix's The Ultimatum". New Statesman. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
- June, Sophia. "Nobody on Netflix's The Ultimatum Should Get Married". Nylon. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
- Smith, Morgan (April 17, 2022). "Netflix's 'The Ultimatum' is Messy & That's Why We Love It". Highsnobiety. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
- S, Tamilchandran (31 March 2023). "The Ultimatum France where are they now? Who are they? - News". Fresherslive. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- Longeretta, Emily (March 24, 2022). "'The Ultimatum' Renewed for All-Queer Season 2 Ahead of Netflix Premiere". Variety. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- Donnellan, Sara (2023-04-18). "Ready for More Drama? Everything We Know About 'The Ultimatum' Season 2". Us Weekly. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
- Longeretta, Emily (2022-09-22). "Netflix Renews 'Love on the Spectrum' and 'The Ultimatum,' Brings in New Host for 'The Ultimatum: Queer Love'". Variety. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
