The Ultimatum: Queer Love has finally landed. Meet the 5 couples at the heart of the show
Meet the five couples cooking up a storm in Netflix series The Ultimatum: Queer Love. (Netflix)
Netflix’s first LGBTQ+ dating show, The Ultimatum: Queer Love, has finally dropped – and it promises plenty of chaos as five queer couples search for their happily-ever-after.
When Netflix announced that the second season of their hit reality show The Ultimatum would be focused exclusively on queer women and non-binary couples, our interest in the series grew rather dramatically.
Why? Because the series, hosted by JoAnna Garcia Swisher, not only marks Netflix’s first LGBTQ+-specific dating show (about time!) but joins a wave of game-changing queer reality shows such as the BBC’s I Kissed A Boy.
It comes alongside a swathe of Netflix reality stars coming out as queer, including Selling Sunset‘s Chrishell Stause and Too Hot To Handle‘s Chloe Veitch.
From the creators of Love is Blind, The Ultimatum: Queer Love follows five couples made up of women and non-binary people who are at a crossroads in their relationship. Over the course of eight weeks, each couple must decide if they want to get married or choose a new potential partner with whom they feel more compatible.
“For these queer couples, marriage is an absolute deal breaker,” according to Netflix’s fandom site Tudum. “One partner is ready to walk down the aisle, while the other is dragging their feet. So, to decide whether to marry or move on for good, one half issues an ultimatum, kicking off a potentially relationship-shattering experiment.”
As the couples mix and match, will someone else catch their eye or will we be hearing wedding bells by the end of the series?
The upcoming season promises love triangles, scandalous hook-ups and all the chaos you’d expect from queer couples undergoing a “trial marriage”. So, who are the couples bringing their relationship dramas to the small screen?
Yoly (she/her) and Mal (she/her/they)
Yoly, 34, gave the marriage ultimatum to her partner Mal, 36, after a three-year relationship. The couple met at Chicago Pride and have since broken up, got back together and made a major move to Seattle. Although Yoly is ready for the next step, Mal doesn’t want to rush into tying the knot and wants to make sure the couple are financially stable and ready for kids.
Lexi (she/her) and Raelyn (she/her)
Lexi, 25, gave the ultimatum to her partner Raelyn (Rae), 27, saying she is “ready 130 per cent” for marriage. After meeting on Bumble then IRL , they have been together for three years, but while Lexi – the daughter of a wedding planner and an engagement rings salesman – wants to get hitched, Rae’s tendency to over-analyse the negatives may be this couple’s downfall.
Xander (she/her/they) and Vanessa (she/her)
Xander, 30, gave the ultimatum to high school best friend turned lover Vanessa, also 30. Having been going strong for four years and living together in Hawaii, Vanessa is not sure she believes in the institution of marriage and doesn’t want the “permanency” of a partner. However, Xander is ready to start a family – leaving the couple at odds.
Sam (she/her) and Aussie (pronoun: Aussie)
After 18 months together, 31-year-old Sam gave the ultimatum to Aussie, 11 years her senior, as she is ready for the “ultimate commitment”. The two met at an online LGBTQ+ social club during the pandemic and have been romantically involved ever since. Unfortunately, Aussie has thrown a spanner in the works by wanting to have had a live-in-partner for five years before making the big decision. Not ideal.
Tiff (they/them) and Mildred (she/her)
Mildred, 33, gave the ultimatum to Tiff, one year her junior. The lovebirds first met when Tiff slid into Mildred’s Instagram DMs during the latter’s painful divorce. Now Tiff is a firm part of the family, alongside Mildred’s teenage son, and Mildred is ready to take the next step but her partner worries their constant fighting and miscommunication could spell the end of their relationship.
The first four episodes of The Ultimatum are now streaming on Netflix. Episodes five to eight will drop next Wednesday (31 May) and the two-episode season finale will hit screens the following week.
