Things Heat Up On 'The Ultimatum: Queer Love'

Sam and Aussie need to break up, but probably won’t. They’ll probably delay the wedding and still not be married by the reunion, though. Mildred and Tiff need to break up ASAP, but history shows that even if they did, they were probably walking dogs and having make-up sex a week after cameras cut.

I hate to say it, but Yoly and Mal probably will break up, too. Yoly will choose Xander, but it’ll be too late because she drank Vanessa’s Kool-Aid. Xander will continue to DM Yoly on the side and Vanessa will become even more of an atrocious partner so the engagement will end up called off.

Rae is going to choose herself and walk away from Lexi because she’s tired of being controlled. — Taryn

Here are my predictions: Yoly and Xander will choose each other, Mal will go home alone, Aussie and Sam won’t make it, Tiff and Mildred may say yes at the engagement — but won’t make it long-term. I pray Rae chooses herself. No shade to Lexi, but she needs a moment to figure things out. — Ruth

I think that Xander will choose Vanessa, leaving Yoly brokenhearted and Mal alone. I hope Sam and Aussie break up, but honestly they seem like they’ll just keep going because why not? Same with Mildred and Tiff, they’ve broken up about fiftyleven times and I think it’s going to take more than the experiment to change up their dynamic. At the reunion, we’ll hear about how they actually broke up several more times before they finished filming it, but they’re still engaged! I’m with Taryn and Ruth — Rae will realize that maybe she could date around a little bit before settling down and so she’ll break up with Lexi and sail off into the sunset. — Nathalie

Mal or Xander really is the core question here, as I think all of the other duos are doomed. At the end of it, I’m just not sure if Xander will be able to kick the Vanessa habit, which will obviously break Yoly’s heart. Mal deserves to be loved wholeheartedly, though, and I’m sure as genuine and charming as she is, she’ll have zero problem finding that person.

Rae needs to do Rae, but Lexi will act like she is the victim of the experiment. Sam and Aussie won’t get engaged, but probably won’t break up either. And Tiff and Mildred’s hot-cold thing seems like a recipe for a broken engagement. -– Kelby

Honestly, I don’t think any of these couples should get engaged with the exception of Xander and Yoly. I think their connection is special — and I think Xander knows this, regardless of how they feel about Vanessa. Xander continuously surprises me throughout the series. It always seems like they’re buying into Vanessa’s BS, but their feelings for Yoly are so potent and Xander is so eager to express them whenever Yoly’s around. I think they’re going to get engaged! I’m looking forward to bawling my eyes out when it happens and scrawling “Yoly + Xander 4eva” in a public bathroom stall in the very near future.

Although I don’t think any other couple should get engaged, I think Aussie and Sam and Mildred and Tiff might, but it won’t last. I think Rae might choose herself, and if so, I’m looking forward to Lexi’s eventual and likely epic meltdown. — Elyse

I think these two need to go their separate ways. Watching Aussie completely shut down each time Sam dared to show an emotion was really painful to witness. I don’t know what either of them is getting out of this relationship and it seems like this experiment SHOULD be the nail in the coffin. Hopefully Aussie can get some therapy to work through some of their issues because I bet Aussie would make a great partner for someone after some work, you can tell Aussie really wants to love and be loved. — Nathalie

A lot of things came into place when Aussie revealed they aren’t out to most of their family. Since Aussie has so many steps to make in their personal journey, I don’t think Aussie is able to show up in a relationship in any meaningful way for Sam. And agreed, it feels like untangling those things in therapy is the best (only?) option. — Kelby

I want better for Sam and I want therapy for Aussie. There’s so much to unpack emotionally within their relationship and I think a lot of that burden is falling on Sam right now. — Taryn

Honestly, I don’t quite understand why Sam wants to marry Aussie? Aussie isn’t Vanessa or Lexi, and other than Aussie's knee-jerk reactions to confrontation — which are alarming — Aussie seems like a pretty delightful person. But Aussie is clearly so traumatized by her past that Aussie doesn’t know how to deal with her emotions in a healthy way. I don’t understand why Sam wants to sign up for a life of that? The only thing I can think of is something that we haven’t really discussed yet, which is women who want to be mothers feeling like they’re running out of time in their 30s. It isn’t necessarily true, but it’s definitely something a lot of women at that age feel. I’m not sure if Sam has spoken about wanting to have kids, but if she does, she may want to start trying before that ship sails, which may be why she’s tolerating this behavior. I feel like that’s one of the reasons Yoly proposed to Mal, to be honest. — Elyse

Lexi resents Rae. She resents her because she chose Vanessa and had sex with Vanessa but I do think this runs deeper than Vanessa. I just think these two just aren’t compatible for each other to be together long term. Lexi needs someone who’s on the same page as her in life and she’s burning herself out trying to force Rae to get there. Rae doesn’t even know if she wants marriage right now, which is fair.

What’s unfair is the way Lexi is treating Rae. I feel bad for her, to be honest. It feels like Lexi hangs every misstep and off moment over Rae’s head. And for her to bring up Rae and Vanessa having sex in front of her parents, almost expecting them to gang up on her, was one of the ugliest things I’ve seen on this show. More than marriage, these two need solo therapy because they’re hurt in their own ways and traumatizing the hell out of each other. — Taryn

Hot take: If not for Vanessa, Lexi would’ve been the villain. I think she became so fixated on Vanessa and Rae’s relationship that it seems as if she didn’t spend enough time working on the one with the person she came with! If Rae is even more apprehensive about their future together now, it’s because all she’s learned is that if she does something Lexi doesn’t like, it could completely derail their relationship. — Nathalie

Oh my. I’m going to co-sign that, Nathalie. Once Lexi’s obsession with Vanessa-hating really began to take hold, it became clear she was more focused with how she was wronged than how to go forward with Rae. In another world, that outlook would have probably translated into another feud. — Kelby

I honestly think Lexi is more in love with the idea of getting married and feeling validated than Rae herself. No wonder Rae is so hesitant. Rae throughout the series seems to constantly question why anyone would love her, and if someone wants to marry her, she shouldn’t question this. Also, is it fair to say that I like Lexi’s parents way more than her? I’m so glad they didn’t decide to gang up on Rae family-style when they were all at the restaurant together. — Elyse

These two seemed like they were almost on the same page and definitely could have benefited from some therapy to work out their differences in terms of marriage and having kids. But what really stuck out to me was that Mal pointed out that Yoly had a bad habit of falling in love quickly and with everyone and Mal wasn’t sure if she was just the next person in line. And then Yoly goes full wife mode with Xander, and I just knew it had to feel shitty to have your fears realized like that. — Nathalie

Ding, ding, ding! The reason I’m a Mal apologist is because I knew there was some truth to her concerns. The “growth spurt” analogy showed me that there were some underlying issues, though, with regards to Mal’s consistency. These two have me on edge, because with the way that Yoly and Xander were stuck like glue at the final group outing? Sheesh ... — Ruth

When Mal said, “Do you want n***as to die over you, Yoly,” I yelped. She’s reaching a breaking point that it seems like she knew was coming all along. She’s being very patient with Yoly in a way that makes me want to root for them to come out of this together — though watching her keep her cool at the party while Yoly canoodled with Xander made me realize how much that just could be me. That love is real and you can tell Mal has read her bell hooks.

Mal really does love Yoly, and I do think she wants to marry Yoly. But Mal’s right to want to be chosen without a doubt like she’s chosen Yoly. — Taryn

Oh, I hurt for these two because as in love as they are, Mal knows she deserves her “hell yes” and not someone whose heart is torn, like lovergirl Yoly’s. It’s totally unfair for Yoly to be upset that Mal figured out what she wants after the trial, too. Isn’t that what we’re here for, folks? — Kelby

Watching their relationship play out post-Xander is so painful to watch. Could we get some therapists for the cast to talk to during shooting? Having these couples switch from relationship to relationship without letting them digest what just happened seems emotionally cruel. — Elyse

When these two were trying to figure out how many times they’d broken up in the span of two years and landed at FIFTY, I screamed. They had mentioned they had broken up a lot, but I didn’t think it was like a 9th-grade style break-up every week. Tiff’s friend, Natasha, was looking at them like, “You’re talking about getting married but you can’t even stay together long enough to celebrate monthaversaries!” — Nathalie

To be honest, they need to make it 51 and leave each other the hell alone FOR GOOD. — Taryn

Time to pack it up over here, honestly. These two need to call it quits. — Ruth

I don’t even want to start on Mildred using “I’m a Latina” as a blanket explanation for anything. You two, please, go in the opposite direction. – Kelby

I thought it was interesting that when they were shown reuniting again the first thing they did was have sex. No talk, just sex. They seem to do that well; the talking part, not so much. — Elyse

Every time they were in a group setting and Xander tried to get everyone to stop ragging on Vanessa, I wanted to be like, “Sweetie, there’s a reason why everyone thinks you can do better.” But they had been together for four years, Vanessa literally said she couldn’t see herself getting married, then when you come on this experiment and meet someone else, she’s suddenly ready!! I mean, Vanessa’s dad said it all when he basically called her out for wanting to win, not necessarily wanting to commit. — Nathalie

Vanessa’s ego swept in for its grand finale when she and Xander got back together. It was sad, really, to see the sudden “realization” that she was ready to get married all of a sudden after seeing Xander fall in love with Yoly. The love bombing, disingenuous compliments and demands for Xander to tell Vanessa “I love you, too” made me sick. Vanessa is toxic, and I fear that her manipulative claws are going to sink right back into Xander and suck the life out of them ... again.

Also, look at that shoe on the other foot. How’s it feel to get your girl taken, Vanessa?! — Taryn

Come on, Ms. Steal Yo Girl! Demanding your partner says “I love you” back is actually wild. I remember just looking at Xander’s face in that moment, like, “Girl ... you don’t have to say it…please don’t say it. Blink twice if you need help!” Watching them made my stomach churn. — Ruth

Literally queasy seeing Vanessa scramble to win Xander’s attention back. And almost as soon as they reunite, Vanessa is now setting the rules? Her inability to comprehend that actions have consequences and that things have changed is MINDBLOWING. But yikes, Xander still seems to fall prey to her oh-so-transparent manipulations. — Kelby

The part that really made me cringe with these two happened before Vanessa’s superficial grand gestures of love. When the two initially reunite, Vanessa hounds Xander about whether or not they had sex with Yoly, and Xander is clearly uncomfortable sharing. But they finally open up and say they decided to ultimately “let go” and just surrender to the experiment, and that it felt “good to be real with myself” and “figure out” what they wanted. And Vanessa’s response to that vulnerability is: “I’m going to sit in your lap, OK?” WHAT?

Vanessa seemed to assume while she and Xander were together that anyone and everyone would shower her with the same kind of respect and kindness that Xander gave to her. That’s a rarity, girl! You had four years to figure out that you had a rare gem, and you just tossed them aside like they were a freakin’ pebble. Have fun hitting the mines, Vanessa! — Elyse

LMAO. Lexi, let’s be real. You think Mal is your soulmate? Bruh. I’m calling bullshit for several reasons and most of them were summed up by Mal’s best friend, Alicia. Alicia and her immediate side-eye when Mal and Lex sat down was the reality check this goof troop of a duo needed.

Lexi is really showing her age. I mean the girl is gone. Despite spending most of their trial marriage complaining about Vanessa, she’s somehow found herself making a connection with Mal that doesn’t seem reciprocal. Mal is decisive, has open communication and is overall just generally a good person that we can tell. Lexi’s ex, Rae, can get easily blown away in the wind and is a lot more needy. Lexi has built up a resentment toward Rae that has led her to jump the gun with Mal. On top of that, Mal comforted Lexi when she needed it the most (Vanessa, body image issues, etc.). Lexi has not given to Mal what Mal has given to Lexi. It honestly feels more like a big sister-little sister dynamic more than anything that could truly be romantic. Even Mal’s body language on their last night together shows how disconnected she is from Lexi as she lies on the very edge of the bed, ready to get out of it and get to Yoly. — Taryn

OMG, when Lexi asked Mal if she believed you could be in love with multiple people. Like … y’all are essentially Sam and Tiff except you hug each other. Lexi was too distracted by her hatred of Vanessa to even invest in getting to know Mal, and Lexi’s parents were like “Mal seems nice, but what’s going on here?”

When Mal was like “I love that she didn’t ask to touch my hair.” MA’AM. That is basic respect, not marriage material. STAND UP!! — Nathalie

I loved these two’s connection at first, because it seemed like they communicated so well. But when Lexi stayed wrapped up in Vanessa drama, I think she confused a solid friendship with instant soulmate. I guess that was the 24-year-old in her really showing. — Kelby

Big sister, little sister is a great way to articulate it, Taryn. And yes, I agree, Kelby. *Sighs* Lexi was way too fixated on the Vanessa drama to allocate appropriate energy and investment into the trial relationship with Mal. As Taryn said, it was a bit one-sided. Sad my fellow Gen Zer lost sight of the prize here.

What sent me was Mal having to tell Alicia, “This isn’t ‘Get Out’ or anything.” I YELPED. To me, Alicia seemed more concerned with her own comfortability with Yoly, however, if this was as unexpected as Alicia let on, I get it. I genuinely wonder how or why people are able to go on these series without telling their loved ones. Do people have to sign an NDA? ’Cause if I’m on a show that results in marriage, it’s as simple as just saying, “Hey, I’m participating in this experiment. You may need to be on camera, blah blah.” — Ruth

I actually thought Alicia saw through Lexi’s grand platitude that she wants Mal to be “part of her life forever” regardless of whether or not they end up together. Alicia actually summed up the Lexi-Mal dynamic pretty well when she said: “I feel like a lot of people confuse Mal’s kindness for something else.” I think that’s what happened to Lexi here; it wasn’t that deep for Mal. — Elyse

I need the friends and family to be at the “I told you so” portion of the reunion because the way they’ve been showing up and showing out on this show should be applauded. — Taryn

I feel so bad for Sam. Like, it’s not even funny. The fact that Tiff’s friend Natasha had to basically yell at them to hold Sam’s hand? Egregious. While it’s nice to see that these two have relatively mended fences, the sexual attraction & intimacy just doesn’t seem to be there. If we can recall, in the beginning, when Mildred paired up with Aussie, Tiff burst into tears — and was certain they wanted to quit the experiment right then and there. Sam was their second choice. I feel like she got the short end of the stick, and I’d be really surprised if either of them said yes to a proposal. — Ruth

Sam looked like Tiff’s Uber driver when they were in the car. As if Tiff had opened the door and said, “Hey, is it cool if I sit up front?” So yeah, that’s what I think about them.

So happy Sam is feeling more empowered to speak her mind, though. — Taryn

Shoutout to Natasha for calling them out for half-assing the vulnerability of it all. When she reached across the table for Sam’s hand, I screeched. While both Sam and Tiff seemed to grow from their time together, their utter lack of chemistry needed to be discussed. Natasha was on point and *spoiler* she just gets better after the original couples reunite. — Kelby

Speaking of Natasha, I love how to-the-point she is. Could we petition for her to be the host of this show next season? I loved JoAnna Garcia Swisher in “Reba” but she’s giving nothing as the host of this show! — Elyse

Am I outta pocket to say that they were giving BFF but I liked it? I think they learned a lot from each other and maybe Tiff was the first person to tell Sam that you don’t actually have to let people talk to you any which way they please. I hope they end up with a text thread going where they can share memes and life advice. — Nathalie

Nathalie, the name-game in the car was pretty cute banter, though super platonic. I like how Tiff thought the name Gertrude wasn’t that bad, which makes sense because it seems pretty akin to a name like Mildred. — Elyse

These two just need to get married already. When they confessed their love for each other, I knew it was a wrap on any type of smooth sailing for the duration of this show.

And I’m not gonna lie, they’re cute as hell together. When the cast all links back up after moving back in with their original partners for a final group outing, Xander and Yoly couldn’t get enough of each other. They were literally at that party longing for each other, sneaking caresses and “I love yous.” These two have been planning out what their lives could look like if they got married and it’s not for play play.

The fact that Xander showed Yoly bank statements is still a wild concept considering this is a reality TV show. It honestly has the potential to get so much messier and I just hope they don’t let their love for each other throw practicality completely out the window. But anyway … *grabs popcorn.* — Taryn

Taryn, I thought they were going to run away together after the group outing. You could see those goo-goo eyes from 100 miles away. It’s a little wild to fall in love after three weeks, but they’re so cute together that I’m going to go ahead and support it! — Nathalie

I love them and I think Xander’s reaction to the Rae-Vanessa thing was so telling as well. While you can see her heart sink after Yoly reveals the hookup, Xander also seems calm. After years of Vanessa-ing, was this a moment of making peace with who her ex is and what she is capable of as a person? — Kelby

YES, great point, Kelby. The way Xander was so placid! But I also think Vanessa’s reaction when Xander shared that she and Yoly were intimate was really telling. It’s as though Vanessa realized that she no longer had power over her. I really wonder if Xander will be able to stand their ground, because that hot air balloon stunt at the end of Episode 7 was peak love-bombing. — Ruth

I agree! I love this La Croix-loving, ring-pop-gifting and tie-dye-making couple. They have so many cute moments together during their trial marriage, but the thing I like the most about them is that they have chemistry and compatibility. It’s not just attraction, it’s also that they want to lead the same kind of life and share a lot of the same values. I often found myself in awe of their innate ability to speak so frankly but kindly to each other. They had so many conversations in which their complicated feelings could have derailed their intentions, but they always spoke to one another with kindness on the forefront, and it was just a pleasure to watch. If they don’t get engaged, love is dead. — Elyse

Mildred has a very direct approach when it comes to bringing up her issues. I have to give kudos to her for acknowledging that she may have to try a different approach when bringing up issues with Aussie. And for a second I thought Aussie would engage instead having another conniption. Silly me, chile.

Mildred brought up their issues after the group date, yet again, and Aussie had enough. Aussie stormed out the door and didn’t look back until it was time to come collect Aussie’s things for a smooth and quick early checkout. When I tell you, I was in SHOCK. Aussie needs to go to therapy BADLY. Conflict is healthy and important to any relationship but I don’t think Aussie sees that. Aussie’s non-confrontational demeanor is actually a form of gaslighting and it’s disrespectful as hell. Aussie isn’t ready for a healthy, romantic adult relationship, let alone a marriage. Aussie needs to learn how to deal with deeper emotions before traumatizing anyone else, us included. — Taryn

I just can’t do it with these two, but really with Aussie. I’m at a loss for words. My mouth was agape when Aussie began packing up. In the words of Taraji P. Henson, Aussie said, “I gotta put me first, Lucious!” — Ruth

Also, not to go too therapy-talk on everyone, but that whole Mildred-Aussie relationship dynamic seemed like textbook anxiety and avoidant attachment styles thrown in together. Mildred is terrified of someone leaving her and becomes passive-aggressive in her desperation, and Aussie can’t stand any kind of confrontation. Am I totally off base? — Elyse

I totally agree, Elyse. Though Mildred can be aggressively direct, it’s clear she’s desperate to be honest and communicate how she feels. Aussie literally only has the capacity for five minutes of that before fleeing? I kind of sympathize with being that terrified of your feelings, though, if you’ve gotten all the way to 42 without cracking into that. — Kelby

Hey, in Aussie’s defense, I’m 41 and just cracking into my issues. Growth can occur at any age! So, I got a little empathy for Aussie not quite being there yet, but she needs to be in therapy and not thinking about marriage. I think Aussie knows this, and that’s why she doesn’t want to get engaged to Sam. — Elyse

I figured Mildred and Aussie would be a mismatch but I didn’t expect Aussie to have a meltdown at the mere implication of conflict. I felt really bad for both who clearly have a lot of personal issues they need to work through before they can really be a quality partner, but Aussie packing their bags and fleeing the scene because Mildred was like, “We need to talk” really soured me on Aussie. — Nathalie

Everyone was horrified that they had essentially one night stand as this is supposed to be about marriage, but they were both the ones given ultimatums and seemed down to have some fun before going back to their original partners. *shrug* — Nathalie

The lunch with Vanessa’s dad told us everything. His key takeaway? Literally “be selfish.” — Kelby

I have nothing for these two, to be honest. Vanessa already said she doesn’t like Rae. Rae said she’s cool with their friend dynamic, but also it feels like she might’ve wanted to take this process more seriously but was robbed of that opportunity because of how Vanessa acts. But whatever, I guess. You like it, I love it girl. Y’all here for play play anyway. — Taryn

I agree with you Taryn, in regards to Rae seeming to want a little more out of her trial marriage with Vanessa. I think she wants to know why someone would love her in the first place, and Vanessa’s indifference towards her kind of just reinforced those negative feelings. I also agree that they shouldn’t have been shamed so much for simply experimenting with sex during a literal “experiment.” (Y’all were on a break when it happened, Lexi!) But I do have a little something for these two — call it a tiny slice of empathy. I think Rae struggles to express herself, and feels overwhelmed by Lexi’s domineering personality (which is probably why she felt so much guilt hooking up with Vanessa and told Lexi right away). I think Vanessa struggles to even identify her own emotions, which is probably why she comes off so selfish and inauthentic, which honestly makes me feel sad for her. — Elyse

While intimacy is paramount to marriage — data even shows that sex and money are the top two reasons for divorce — I really didn’t love how their hookup came about. Or rather, the aftermath, I should say. I agree that Rae shouldn’t feel so much shame and guilt, but I also wonder what boundaries the couples set before entering the experiment. (Example: I think Mal said that she didn’t want to cross that line, but Yoly did with Xander) I was so puzzled and annoyed by Vanessa saying so explicitly that she wasn’t attracted to Rae — but somehow fell into the coochie?! That was so madenning to me. Like, Vanessa, what are you here for? For tomfoolery and more Instagram followers? — Ruth