The Ultimatum Queer Love Episodes 1-4 Review: Netflix is back with another reality show, and this time it is a new take with a new version of the tried and true version of having partners give each other an ultimatum. This version of the show is hosted by JoAnna Garcia Swisher. There will be 5 couples in the show – Lexi Goldberg and Raelyn, Vanessa Papa and Xander, Sam and Aussie, Mildred Bustillo and Tiff Der, and Mal Wright and Yoly Rojas. There will be ten episodes in this season, of which four have been released. The next four will be released next week, and the final two, the following week.

– The Ultimatum Queer Love Episodes 1-4 Review Does Not Contain Spoilers-

Reality shows are so cringy to watch. There are fake fights, staged conflicts and taking people to the side without even having something important to talk about. But in this show, it actually feels like there are stakes for the people coming to this show. First of all, it is really refreshing to see so much self-awareness for the format in this series. We are only four episodes in, but it does feel like the story and the narrative have some legs to stand on.

For eight weeks, these couples will be living together. They will be allowed to switch partners and given the opportunity to talk about their current relationship situation. It was also satisfying to see that all the people in the couple genuinely enamoured us. It only got concerning once parts of their relationships and their personalities started being revealed on screen. It was also refreshing to see that the audience is on the same journey as the viewer to find out how these people work together and who they like or dislike.

The interactions didn’t feel forced. They didn’t feel like there was some show being put on, except for some spots, when it did seem like the producers put them together only so that there would be some juicy content coming out. However, some props must be given to the producers because they had managed to put together groups of people that would elicit the most amount of drama together, whether it be good or bad. We get a first-hand look at the insecurities and the work it takes to make a relationship.

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It has been amazing to see queer relationships presented this way. What is more interesting is that all of them are either lesbians or bisexual. Some of them even use pronouns outside of the gender binary. There is absolutely nothing exoticised about their relationships. It is treated just like one would have any other kind of reality show. If anyone were feeling that they are exploiting the community, then they would be mistaken. It is such a great way to explore how queer relationships function, demystifying them for audiences.

The only thing in this show that doesn’t make sense is the fact that whenever they’re in front of the camera, they only talk about this ‘experience’ or coming together for this show. Rarely has it happened that we were allowed a glimpse into their relationship, and they were talking about something normal. However, that is a pretty small reason. The rest of the show is actually brilliant. Moreover, the series does a great job of making something so serious, and pretty accessible with this format. It also inspires understanding.

Another thing the writer particularly enjoyed was allowing the participants to have their off-camera experiences also brought up in case something needed to be addressed between the two participants. Apart from all this, they also have a great moral compass that includes the values of respect and consent throughout the course of the episodes. At no point, it felt like there was some problematic behaviour excused unless it was a specific relationship trait.

The Ultimatum Queer Love Episodes 1-4 Review: Final Thoughts

If there is some kind of reality show that viewers are planning to get into, then this is a great start. The participants, the host, the concept and the general energy of the series are incredibly fresh. There are very few reality shows that have the ability to balance the line between drama and tension. This series does that extremely well while also providing us with a roster of queer people who are all unique in their own way.

The community wasn’t treated like a monolith or something that could be commodified to sell this content to sell to a certain group of consumers. It was a natural progression of the series to allow a whole range of people to be represented on the screen in front of them.

The Ultimatum Queer Love Episodes 1-4 are currently streaming on Netflix. What did you think of this reality show? Let us know in the comments below.

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