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Review: ‘Ultimatum’ is reality TV’s latest attempt at ‘love’

As humans, having a fascination with finding love and our soulmates is only natural. From an early age, we are conditioned to seek out our paramour, other half or perfect partner. 

It’s why we love fairytales as children and why we love romance-driven reality TV series … kinda.

In recent years, shows like “Love Island,” “The Bachelor,” “90 Day Fiancé” and “Love is Blind” have given us messy and dramatic reality TV under the thinly veiled premise of “finding love.”

It’s enjoyable — don’t get me wrong — but no viewer is expecting any contestant to go home satisfied. Netflix’s latest reality series, “The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On,” is no different.

Released on April 6, the show follows six unhappy and ridiculously attractive couples as they are stuck at a defining moment in their relationship: one partner wants an engagement, and the other doesn’t.

In order to figure out what to do, each couple has decided to go on the show and break up for four weeks, dating (and ultimately marrying) the other contestants to see if their original partner is truly the best fit.

Of course, jealousy, infidelity and all manner of mayhem ensue. At the end of the day, we have to ask ourselves: Did we really need this show?

Between the unlikable hosts with painfully unfunny jokes, the often bland personalities of the cast and the intentionally staged drama, this show is a hodgepodge of everything that makes romance reality shows terrible.

That being said, did I still binge the whole series in a state of sick fascination? Of course I did. 

This show is awful, but it’s the perfect flavor of awful. The devil works hard, but these producers work harder, and they know what the people want. 

And I want more of this awful, trashy series. 

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