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People are obsessed with Netflix’s new dating show The Ultimatum: ‘The mess I’ve been looking for’

‘I can’t believe this is reality TV in 2022’

Chelsea Ritschel
New York
Wednesday 06 April 2022 14:56 BST
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The Ultimatum trailer

Netflix has released the first eight episodes of its new reality dating showThe Ultimatum: Marry or Move On, and viewers are already thrilled by the “messy” drama.

The new show, which comes from the creators of Love Is Blind and is also hosted by Nick and Vanessa Lachey, follows six couples who have been dating for a year or more. In each relationship, there is one individual who wants to get married and who has issued an ultimatum, while the other is still unsure about the future of their relationship.

To test the strength of their relationships and determine what they really want, the partners each find another person to date from one of the other couples.

After two trial marriages, the couples face the ultimatum, with the contestants deciding if they want to get engaged to the person they came on the show with, break up forever, or begin a relationship with someone else from the show.

Following the 6 April premiere, viewers have already become invested in the latest reality dating show, with many fans applauding Netflix for the “chaotic” concept.

The Ultimatum is sooo messy, whew,” one person tweeted. “This makes for good TV!”

Another said: “I’m here for the mess. Not even 10 minutes in and someone already picked out their ‘new man.’”

“I’m nine minutes into The Ultimatum and my god this show is unhinged,” someone else wrote. “Sure, what could possibly go wrong putting couples with commitment issues on a show that… gives them the chance to meet someone else and potentially run off and ‘marry’ them. Sounds like a mess. I can’t wait.”

According to another person, while premise behind the new Netflix show may be “really stupid,” they noted: “Am I gonna watch it all? Absolutely.”

The Ultimatum’s concept in itself is wild,” someone else wrote.

There were also some viewers who couldn’t handle the awkwardness of the new show, with one person claiming that “The Ultimatum has got to be the most awkward show I’ve ever seen,” while someone else said that the reality dating experiment had them “on the floor laughing”.

“I can’t believe this is reality TV in 2022,” they added.

Others suggested that the contestants are the issue, rather than the show, with one viewer questioning whether the couples have “considered communication, or maybe therapy”.

While viewers have mixed feelings about Netflix’s latest reality dating show, most were in agreement that it is worth bingeing the first eight episodes.

The Ultimatum on Netflix is the best reality show out now,” one person tweeted.

You can steam the first eight episodes of The Ultimatum on Netflix. The final two episodes, the finale and the reunion, will premiere on the streaming service on Wednesday 13 April.

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