The Ultimatum: Queer Love Season 2 has had plenty of buzzworthy moments. It’s also been full of more drama than many of the other Netflix romance reality TV shows. However, that’s partly why The Ultimatum: Queer Love has been must-see-streaming if you like romance with a lot of drama. The first seven episodes focus on the couples splitting up and dating their new partners.
Many of them cross some lines before reuniting with their original partners. Then the last few episodes focus on whether these newly reunited couples should decide to continue their relationship, end it, or start something new with someone else. The final three episodes of The Ultimatum: Queer Love Season 2 has so many twists, turns, and shocking decisions.
It’s really the season that keeps on giving. However, like previous Ultimatum series and seasons, it suffers from a happy ending problem. Let’s discuss it.
Warning The Ultimatum: Queer Love Season 2 Spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.
The Ultimatum: Queer Love Season 2 Ends In Record-Breaking Engagements From Original Couples, But I Think That’s A Bad Thing
The Ultimatum: Queer Love host JoAnna Garcia Swisher starts the reunion by announcing that this season broke a record with five out of the six couples leaving engaged. This is a high number, but we have seen many engagements during The Ultimatum and The Ultimatum: Queer Love. Those who really love love may see these proposals as a triumph. They show that love conquers all, including the interference of producers and the instability of a romance.
I do love love, but these engagements don’t often make me swoon. They make me shake my head and wonder if the contestants feel pressure to make a grand gesture at the end. Ultimatums can sometimes be a good thing in a relationship because they force a couple to reevaluate their coupling. It makes them assess whether it’s better to lose this person or change their mind and finally propose. However, they can also show that a couple isn’t on the same page. They may need to end things or separate temporarily to reevaluate themselves and the relationship before making any major decisions. Sometimes, the couples realize that they’re not ready for commitment and either stay together or break up.
The Ultimatum franchise usually plays out the first part, but the couples often decide to stay together and become engaged. All their past problems fade away. I don’t think this is the best direction for the couples because most have a ton of issues that only seem to be highlighted and heightened while participating in this Netflix series. Even if the couples decide to stay together, they definitely don’t seem ready for marriage.
The Ultimatum: Queer Love reunion plays into the idea that these couples are happily together and proud of their decision. Yet, the reunion happens a year after filming ends, and none of these couples have begun the wedding planning process. This has also happened in previous seasons. I just think that most of these couples only decide to get engaged because they want a happy ending. They also believe the viewers want to see them end up together as well. It’s similar to The Bachelor and other romantic reality TV shows, where the contestants and producers think that people tune in for the ring.
They think viewers will feel let down if someone doesn’t propose. However, these actions especially feels disingenuous on The Ultimatum and The Ultimatum: Queer Love, because the premise is problematic in many ways. Then, it’s asking viewers to be happy for couples who spent most of the season talking about the problems of their relationship and how much things work with their new partner. It doesn’t set a very positive tone for the future of these couples.
I Don’t Think The Editing Choices Paint These Ultimatum: Queer Love Stories Favorably
These couples may not have as many problems as are portrayed on the series, but the editing isn’t favorable to these couples. They all seem on the brink of complete relationship destruction. For example, most of the season, Magan and Dayna are portrayed as a toxic couple. Then the reunion acts as if they’re this pillar romance of their community. They’re treated like a beautiful LGBTQ+ love story. The type you would see in a romance film.
However, this feels like a complete 180 shift from what the series had shown us about them in the previous episodes. Magan and Dayna’s relationship could have been happy and healthy, but that was left out of the edit. The Ultimatum: Queer Love Season 2 also shows a lot of these new couples and almost rushes the reunions of the original couples. We saw the stress of their reunion, followed by a quick overview of them repairing things.
If The Ultimatum: Queer Love will continue to end in engagements, the editors need to reevaluate how things are edited. We need to see that these couples love each other more than we see their struggles and obstacles. It’s hard to root for them when the series spends so much time making us root against them.
To Me, The Many Engagements Made Most Of The Season Feel Pointless
Magan and Haley fall in love during their trial marriage. They both express that they have developed feelings, but then Magan decides that she doesn’t actually love Haley. There are so many of The Ultimatum: Queer Love couples who start the season with major problems. However, they fade away.
Every major issue is forgiven, and past mistakes don’t matter. This doesn’t feel genuine and sets the show up to feel like a waste of time. It almost makes it seem like most of these couples didn’t take the experiment that seriously and always intended to end the season engaged.
The Ultimatum: Queer Love is A Revolutionary Dating Show, So I Can Understand The Desire For Positive Representation
Positive queer representation still matters in all aspects of the TV landscape. In general, queer representation has been on a decline over the last couple of years. Therefore, I can understand why the contestants and The Ultimatum: Queer Love producers may want this show to end positively. It shows that despite the complications, love can overcome anything.
This is a great idea in practice, but if Netflix wants The Ultimatum: Queer Love to remain one of the best LGBTQ+ dating shows, a potential Season 3 may need to make some adjustments.
I still love watching this Netflix reality TV show and will gladly watch Season 3. It’s one of Netflix’s best shows to binge right now. I just hope future seasons show a more balanced and healthy portrayal of some of these queer couples.
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