The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On returns to Netflix for a third season and while I imagine its audience overlaps with Love Is Blind, The Ultimatum's premise is a tougher pill to swallow for its participants and fans. The season starts with six couples. One person gave the other partner an ultimatum to either get engaged or break up. The couples figure out their answer by breaking up and dating the other cast members. Then they announce who they want to enter into a "trial marriage" with — which means living together — in a ceremony right in front of their former partner. It's always full of tension and drama. After a couple of weeks, the original partners reunite for their trial marriage. The finale shows who gets engaged and who breaks up.Â
Love Is Blind starts full of hope with optimistic singles open to finding unconditional love. The Ultimatum starts with couples full of insecurity and pessimism who believe that if this decision isn't answered now, then it'll never happen. This makes for a miserable situation to watch, but our curiosity keeps us from stopping the next episode from automatically starting. It seems like producers are aware of this and want to give hope that if you watch all 10 episodes, then you'll get a happy ending.
Hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey are more open about their experience with marriage as they talk to Season 3's cast in the premiere. That type of vulnerability grounds the shocking premise more than in previous seasons. The hosts then announce producers will gift them with engagement rings if they choose to propose in the end. The cynical part of me who has covered television for years couldn't help but see this as a carrot dangled to keep the cast to stay. After all, every season — except for The Ultimatum: Queer Love —had at least one couple leaving before the process ends. This could completely throw off the careful balance of the experiment.
Season 3's cast is an attractive one, which prepares you for a mess. Sparks are flying almost immediately for some people. The trailer already revealed that Sandy Gallagher and J.R. Warren have a trial marriage and they kiss. I can't help but see Sandy as the next Jessica Vestal from Love Is Blind Season 6. She was dumped in the pods, but became one of the leads of Perfect Match Season 2. They have the same look and make bold claims. If you were a fan of Jessica, then you'll enjoy Sandy.
There are many other interesting characters this season as well. There are some sweet men, but once again it's the women doing the heavy lifting to keep viewers invested. They're open with their feelings and desires. It often feels like there is more for them to lose in this situation because of societal and biological pressure to become mothers one day.
Casting did find at least one couple to root for, and in my opinion that's the 28-year-old Micah and 27-year-old Chanel. She gave him the ultimatum after dating for two and a half years. Micah wants to marry her one day, but not right now. Their communication seems great, and they're protective of each other.
Sadly, Micah and Chanel are a rare find for this type of experiment. Every season of the show has had some form of domestic violence involved without warning. I can't confidently say whether Season 3 will be any different. Emotions certainly run high the further we go into the process and every time they cut to the apartment cameras I get on edge.Â
Despite this, I — like most of the audience — do want to know how this season ends. But can the cast overcome the insecurity and pessimism that is at the base of the show and give us a couple The Ultimatum is proud of, like Love Is Blind's Brett and Tiffany Brown? That's what the finale and reunion will reveal.
The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On Season 3 premieres on Netflix on Dec. 4
