The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On Finale Recap: Four Ultimatums and a Funeral

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As a seasoned observer of human relationships and a self-proclaimed connoisseur of reality TV drama, I must say that this reunion was a rollercoaster ride of emotions, laughter, and the occasional eye-roll. It’s clear that these couples have been through the wringer, but it seems like some are better off for it.

In every reality TV reunion, there’s typically one individual who serves as the scapegoat, facing criticism from fellow participants and the production team alike. Normally, it’s clear who will receive a hero’s edit and who will be portrayed as the villain. However, approaching the final episodes of The Ultimatum, I found myself unsure about who would take on this role. Could it be Nick, the passionate artist whose emotions ran high when he discovered his girlfriend might have feelings for someone else? Or perhaps Sandy, the girlfriend in question, who seemed to have overlooked telling Nick about the numerous times she and her trial partner shared intimate moments? Alternatively, could it be J.R., the trial partner, who always appeared a tad too eager, as he put it, “to make the most of this experience”?

In the final analysis, it was J.R. who ended up being revealed, as it appears the producers recorded numerous instances where this pastor’s son seemed less pious than he might have wished. To add fuel to the fire, his former partner, Zaina, had evidence ready – a QR code displayed on her fingernail! Yes, apparently, that’s a modern trend, and I can’t help but feel out of touch.

In addition to the intense drama provided by the show, Netflix added more intrigue when one of the early departing couples, Vanessa and Dave, returned to share their reasons for leaving so suddenly. It’s fortunate that it was them we cared about, as Chanel and Micah, although delightful individuals, didn’t stir up any drama during their time on the show. Interestingly, Vanessa, a partner of Nick in the trial, has turned out to be a surprising ally for Sandy, proving once again that everything is fair game in love, conflict, and The Ultimatum.

Let’s address the main center of confusion first: the romantic entanglement among Nick, Sandy, Vanessa, and Dave. (We’ll delve into the J.R. situation shortly.)

Going into Nick and Sandy’s response to the ultimatum, it was clear things weren’t going to go smoothly. Given their history, I had little doubt Sandy wouldn’t accept his proposal, and I wasn’t even certain he would propose at all. When Nick reached into his coat pocket, the look on Sandy’s face spoke volumes – and she didn’t seem pleased. It seemed like Sandy was trying to spare Nick’s feelings or something, but her saying, “I yearn for nothing more than to walk out of here as your fiancée,” after making that expression when he reached into his coat, left me reeling. Nick wasn’t taking it well either and simply replied, “It doesn’t sound like that.” Indeed!

Nick’s jealousy of Sandy’s connection with J.R. has eaten him alive all season, but at the reunion, Sandy found some support from Vanessa — Nick’s trial partner who left the show early without explanation. It turns out she couldn’t stand living with him for even 24 hours.

It appears that Vanessa and her long-time partner, Dave, attended the reunion primarily to affirm their relationship and confront Nick about his behavior. As Vanessa recounted, their first day as a “married” couple was filled with difficulties. Nick became upset over Sandy and J.R., causing him to behave in an unpleasant manner. When she tried to console him, he reacted negatively. Moreover, Vanessa mentioned some unresolved emotional issues that Nick needs to address, which left even Sandy puzzled without any additional information provided on the matter. No further insights were given regarding this issue.

1) Nick didn’t dispute any of it and acknowledged that he resorted to excessive drinking as a means of coping; following the performance, he sought recovery. Currently, he and Sandy are no longer together, and it would be an understatement of the year to say that this seems like a positive development. It was evident that they were not bringing happiness into each other’s lives, and during the reunion, she struggled to finish a sentence without him displaying signs of annoyance or interruption. Moving on!

From a positive perspective, Dave went ring shopping for Vanessa – perhaps wedding ceremonies could be on the horizon for the pair who previously opted out of such an event together.

J.R. and Zaina

It’s clear that J.R. and Zaina did not become engaged, as J.R. suffered severe criticism at the reunion. J.R. asserted that Zaina was manipulative and sought to prevent him from seeing others, but Zaina countered by calling him a liar. In reality, he maintained an ambiguous relationship with her for months, setting a date for her birthday only to cancel on the day without rescheduling – a move made even more offensive by her claim that she had treated him to a steak dinner and massage at the Ritz on his birthday. J.R. explained his absence as being sick for Zaina’s special day, but this doesn’t account for the lack of follow-up communication. The most peculiar aspect of their situation is that they continued to live in separate residences across the street from each other even after moving out. It seems they didn’t learn from the disastrous living arrangements depicted in ‘The Ultimatum’, or perhaps this is a form of real-estate Stockholm syndrome.

In a rather unpleasant situation involving the “hall pass” topic, the producers appeared to blame J.R. by playing back recordings of his inappropriate comments towards several participants, and even joking about his eagerness for a hall pass. Zaina’s response? “Disgusting.” I find myself concurring; after J.R.’s suggestive comment about salmon being “juicy” to Sandy, I’m having second thoughts about consuming fish altogether.

Furthermore, the situation became even more embarrassing for Zaina, as she displayed advanced technology (the QR code on her fingernail, which left me astounded) to display screenshots of texts with J.R. concerning the “hall pass.” However, much like other incriminating evidence on this show, these messages didn’t serve as the damning proof Zaina anticipated. But they did at least verify that she hadn’t told J.R. that Scotty had suggested he was there for a hall pass.

J.R. appeared clearly upset by everything, and it seemed like he left the stage immediately following the event without bidding farewell to anyone. It seems this is often the case when someone who grew up in a pastoral family is found to be less pious than expected.

Despite numerous hurdles in their romantic journey, Scotty pops the question to Aria during the finale, and surprisingly, she accepts. However, just before giving her answer, a hint of unease or apprehension seemed to flash across her eyes.

Without a doubt, Scaria admitted during their reunion that they had parted ways. It wasn’t long after accepting Scotty’s proposal when Aria came to the realization that she had erred. Reflecting on the engagement video, Scotty acknowledged his own doubts about Aria’s sudden insecurity. After cohabiting for a while, they split up following a sequence of personal hardships (Aria losing her grandmother and suffering a miscarriage). Aria emotionally recounted the persistent pleading it took to persuade Scotty to attend couples therapy – a full year’s worth, to be precise.

At the reunion, Scotty appeared remorseful, yet Aria looked deeply saddened. She wept over her exhaustion of emotions and voiced her frustration about constantly asking him for apologies. This behavior from Scotty is understandable given our observations throughout the season; he often uses the “I’m sorry IF…” apology, a construction that can be infuriating due to its repetitive nature. In agreement, both Scotty and Aria concluded that it would be best for them to remain single for the time being.

At last, a positive turn of events! Initially, it seemed like Caleb was hesitant in the relationship, but eventually, he penned down a heartfelt proposal, knelt down, and popped the question. “If you are prepared,” he asked, “can we embark on an endless journey together?” Awww, so romantic!

At the reunion, it appeared the couple was thriving. We witnessed the mandatory flashback of their “journeys,” and they announced their plans for a summer 2026 destination wedding. Unfortunately for Caleb, Aria arrived at the reunion heated and eager to display evidence of his likes on her Instagram Stories – an act that left Mariah in tears, as watching the show brought back painful memories of seeing her partner emotionally bonding with someone he’d told her was just a friend.

It seems to me that Aria may have pushed things too far in this situation, creating conflict where it wasn’t necessary. Given my experience watching dating shows on Netflix and the subsequent emotional turmoil during their reunions, Aria’s actions of liking Instagram Stories, blocking, and then unblocking someone appear relatively mild compared to what I’ve seen before. Furthermore, labeling Caleb and Mariah as “fake” feels like a stretch to me.

But there was one interesting revelation. Mid-rant, Aria said that Mariah called Caleb daily and that they’d speak for hours — which neither of them disputed. Why did no one mention this earlier in the season? Surely the strife that might have created could’ve been more interesting than those lifeless meet-ups between Mariah and Nick at the gym! This is a growing phenomenon on Netflix dating shows, which seem to increasingly conceal the real drama until the reunion. Yes, it makes for some great shouting matches, but in this case, the “big reveal” felt lackluster and unnecessary. But, hey — all’s well that ends well, right?

Notes for the Divorce Lawyers

It’s quite clear that Dave was fully engaged during the reunion, from mocking the notion that he could be romantically intimidated by Nick, all the way to his clever joke about Vanessa’s gas at the end – it seems he had a plan for every moment.

It’s great that Zaina is preserving her eggs! I wish she’ll appear on the show ‘Perfect Match’ next summer. Her emotional intelligence, flawless fashion sense, and undeniable attractiveness could certainly catch everyone’s attention there.

In my previous musings, I may have given the impression that Chanel and Micah were of little concern to me. However, for those intrigued by their relationship status, a recent influx of Instagram posts suggests they’re still an item, sharing snippets from a romantic evening out together.

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2024-12-18 19:59