The Ultimatum, Netflix's new dating series, is almost here

(Image credit: Netflix)

last updated 8 April 2022

As if love weren't complicated enough, The Ultimatum, Netflix's new experimental series, is about to shake things up.

Now that we've bid adieu to this season's Love Is Blind couples, the creators of the popular reality TV hit have another trick up their sleeve with this forthcoming venture.

The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On is perhaps Netflix's most nail-biting dating project yet, and needless to say, the guilty pleasure you've been waiting for. Here's what you need to know if you're looking to fill the void in your romantic TV lineup.

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'The Ultimatum' Netflix: What is it about?

Though most dating shows—Married at First Sight Australia 2022, Love Island season 8, to name just a few—typically focus on partners who've just met, The Ultimatum cast are all lovers who are at a crossroads in their relationship: one is ready to walk down the aisle, and the other is ready to run.

During the Love Is Blind reunion, hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey gave viewers insight into what they can expect from what's sure to be a dramatic watch.

"In this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, these couples will put their relationships to the ultimate test with the hopes that they’ll walk away ended to the person that they are truly meant to be with," Vanessa said.

How will they know if they're ready to say "I do" or ready to flee? Couples will be separated from one another and paired up with another partner they've selected for three weeks, then they'll determine if they're willing to go back to their original S.O.

Our heartbeats are racing just thinking about these three-week trial marriages. Will it bring the original duos back together or separate them for good? Should we just ready the best breakup songs on our playlist right now?

Watch 'The Ultimatum' teasers

"It's weird to see the person that you came here with dating someone else," we hear one contestant reveal in the trailer.

Can you imagine having to watch your S.O. select someone else—someone who might be a more suitable fit, as Nick Lachey suggests? When it comes to matters of the heart, this seems like absolute torture.

Although we're not introduced to specific couples, we do get a sense of the emotions these hopeful and hopeless romantics are going through, and it looks a little dicey.

Then we hear another contestant blatantly state, "The only thing scarier than losing you right now would be to marry you." Ouch!

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Drama ensued with a follow-up teaser.

When is 'The Ultimatum' release date?

The Ultimatum hit Netflix on Wednesday, April 6, 2022. However, The Ultimatum part 2 only drops on April 13, when we'll find out for sure what happened to all the couples after The Ultimatum ending in part 1 (apart from Lauren and Nathan and Alexis and Hunter).

All in all, get ready for a heaping dose of romance—the good and the bad—this spring.

Need a TV show recommendation? Maybe a few decor tips? Danielle, a digital news writer at Future, has you covered. Her work appears throughout the company’s lifestyle brands, including My Imperfect Life, Real Homes, and woman&home. Mainly, her time is spent at My Imperfect Life, where she’s attuned to the latest entertainment trends and dating advice for Gen Z.

Before her time at Future, Danielle was the editor of Time Out New York Kids, where she got to experience the best of the city from the point of view of its littlest residents. Before that, she was a news editor at Elite Daily. Her work has also appeared in Domino, Chowhound, and amNewYork, to name a few.

When Danielle’s not writing, you can find her testing out a new recipe, reading a book (suggestions always welcome), or rearranging the furniture in her apartment…again.