When I opened Netflix to finish this dumpster truck fire season of The Ultimatum, I expected the final episode where they make their choices, perhaps split into two parts for the tea. What I did not expect was the reunion episode to be out already?? No foreplay, no edging, no digestion period, just a reunion episode live and waiting to be watched. Every season of The Ultimatum is spicy, as couples just bring so much baggage and aren’t afraid to be their worst selves with each other. That said, this season was particularly juicy as two couples chose to sneak off a few nights in!! Two individuals did the experience on their own in very different ways! And we may have witnessed a man getting a mental breakdown tattoo (literally been there myself)?? Safe to say, there is a lot to discuss in The Ultimatum reunion, so let’s dive in.

The Ultimatum Season 2 Reunion Breakdown

What happened to Zaina and J.R. after the show?

Each contestant gets a lil Real Housewives one-liner as the reunion starts, and Zaina’s is JUICY. Strutting towards the venue, Zaina narrates, “I was fed nothing but lies from the man who claimed to love me so deeply for three years” — J.R. better run! They’re sitting on opposite ends of the room, and she is shooting him daggers.

When it reaches their turn, they’re introduced as the “Fitness King and Toxic Positivity Queen,” yikes. When we last saw them, J.R. decided not to propose, and Zaina seemed ready to walk away. They explain that since filming wrapped, they left their shared apartment… to live across the street from each other. Okay. Zaina tries to discuss how it wasn’t such a clean break, as they spent Christmas together and swapped gifts, but J.R. keeps interrupting her and denying this.

Zaina explains that she has been healing since the show and pointedly states, “I won’t be using yesterday’s pain as today’s perspective.” (Psssst J.R., I think she means you!). She is going on dates and exploring new things. For her 33rd birthday, she treated herself to some frozen eggs — her own! J.R. is apparently not dating but “just living.”

Vanessa asks J.R. if he could see a reconciliation with Zaina, and he says he could, but Zaina says no way, not a chance, nope!

The Hall Pass Mystery is solved

Zaina is clearly holding a lot of resentment and came prepared, because she suddenly asks Nick and Vanessa if either of them has their phone. Yep, she brought receipts! Not only that, but it’s in the form of a chip on her nail! Some nail techs will truly go above and beyond for fashion and truth. Nick obediently scans the chip and gets screenshots of messages between her and J.R.

It’s the Hall Pass Mystery! To remind you: J.R. accused Scotty of spreading lies that he was just looking for a “hall pass” on the show. This led Scotty to savagely confront Zaina and claim she said as much. In the messages, it is clear that Zaina clarified Scotty did not think this of J.R. and it was in reference to a comment Aria made. So why did J.R. say otherwise? Zaina believes he was trying to come between her and Scotty. Wowza. I’m eager to know what else was on that nail chip.

That’s not all!!! The producers clearly decided to have a lil fun or felt triggered by J.R. because they decided to create a montage of all his nasty behavior on the show. Yep, they did him so dirty with those clips, but the camera doesn’t lie. For example, on dates with other contestants, J.R. said, “I’m not seeking sex out of this experience, but I do like challenges,” and “I like a good blow job with the vibrator.” Then, in a conversation with Micah, J.R. said, “I’m trying to be on that vibe for three weeks. I got a hall pass.”

Cameras showed a close-up of Sandy gasping at that last clip, and everyone looked appalled (me included). Sandy tearfully confronted J.R. as she felt this suggested their connection wasn’t real and he was just looking for fun. Again, this makes me wonder if more happened than those three kisses. Zaina also said she fully believes they went further, and Nick agrees.

Zaina thanks the show for saving her from making a huge mistake, aka marrying J.R.

Did Sandy and Nick keep dating?

Okay, now for the others involved in that messy, messy relationship. So the two of them are also on opposite sides of the room, and clearly, there is not much love between them anymore.

Nick explains that in the finale, when he reached into his jacket pocket, he was not going for a ring; he was just going for the speech he’d prepared. But Sandy’s “visceral reaction” caused him to realize she was not nearly ready to commit to him. We never got to hear that speech.

What happened to Nick and Sandy after the show? Nick explains that he “begged and pleaded” for them to get back together and agreed to get help. Nick had been drinking heavily and went into recovery, taken there by Sandy. He then claims that a week in, “she didn’t want to do that, she went on a trip, and she’s been pretty much trippin’ ever since.” Sandy doesn’t discount this and says it’s “pretty accurate.” She said she went through the experience to break up or get engaged but still has so much love for him.

Sandy says, “We got the answers we came here for.” Nick seems to be doing better since the show, having done a lot of soul-searching, and is apparently dating someone new.

Sandy and J.R. have been in touch since the show. Initially they claim this was just messages checking in when episodes went live, but Zaina interrupts to clarify they messaged during the holidays as well. Hmmm…

Why did Dave and Vanessa leave the show?

We can’t take the spotlight off Nick just yet, because his trial wifey is back!! So, this season was unique in that two couples left during the experiment phase. Before couples had left before it started, usually due to getting engaged already or once for a surprise pregnancy, but never after the trial marriages started. Nick noticeably went off the rails after Vanessa left, and fans wondered why she and her partner Dave departed so suddenly. On Instagram, the two had hinted that there was more to it and the reunion would answer questions, so let’s see what they had to say…

When Vanessa and Dave enter, she appears to be entering battle, and Nick immediately looks panicked. She immediately reveals that Nick tested her two days ago and says, “There were a lot of reasons why I decided to leave. Nick you are probably expecting some resolution or answers out of this.”

Vanessa basically explains that Nick is the reason she left. “Once we moved in, it felt like a light switch went off, and there were just things that made me feel really uncomfortable.” She goes on to say that those scenes were cut from editing and that Nick would often take her to rooms or spots with cameras and microphones for these conversations. She says that after they got paired up, Nick began drinking a lot and shutting her down in a rude and cold manner. She emphasizes that she “held space” for him (it’s giving holding space for Wicked) but that he would be combative.

Nick argues that he also “held space” for Vanessa, for example, when she sobbed an entire night about Dave and their relationship. Vanessa simply rolls her eyes at this. She also claims he lied about being homeschooled, as he was only homeschooled for a semester, although he claims it was a full year. Either way, Vanessa said there was no “learning opportunity” in this trial marriage, so she wanted out.

When Nick is asked about his feelings regarding all of Vanessa’s claims, he says, “Feelings? No, there’s facts and fiction.” That’s his next tattoo sorted.

Vanessa and Dave are not engaged but apparently went ring shopping recently. It reminds me of that Taylor Swift lyric, “At dinner, you take my ring off my middle finger and put it on the one people put wedding rings on,” and that relationship did not end in an engagement. The show apparently encouraged them to talk about kids and the future. I also can’t help but notice how tightly Vanessa is holding Dave throughout this, perhaps for comfort, or perhaps in fear he’ll dash at a moment’s notice.

Are Mariah and Caleb married?

Let’s get into the only success story of the season: Caleb and Mariah. Caleb was paired with Aria for the trial marriage, and the pair got along very well but were never physically intimate. Mariah, like Nick, was ditched by her trial partner, although she did the solo thing with a lil more grace and a lil less tattoo parlour.

At the end of the experience, the pair got engaged, and both cried. They shared that they are STILL engaged (a win) but deep in the throes of wedding planning. They’ve hired an event planner, and it looks like it’ll be a 2026 destination wedding. Don’t forget my invitation! They’ve had many conversations since the show about their relationship and just seem super keen.

Why is Aria upset with Caleb?

That joy was short-lived, as then Aria popped up to confront Caleb. During the show, Aria claimed that Caleb was denying their romantic connection, a sentiment both their partners wondered as well. Aria now accuses Caleb of looking at her stories and always liking them, essentially “lurking on [her] page.” Caleb claims he also likes Zaina’s posts, and this is not indicative of anything nefarious. Aria further accuses him of blocking her and then unblocking her, which Caleb denies. “I think you’re capping right now. You’re giving off mixed signals like you’re engaged and happy,” Aria says.

Mariah is not amused by any of this. She turns to her fiancee and says, “Are you fucking kidding me, Caleb? What is going on?” I’m sure the car ride home was a fun one.

Did Aria and Scotty break up?

When we last saw Aria and Scotty, the pair got engaged, and both dressed ominously in red. Well, have the two tied the knot? Nope, they broke up instead.

Aria says, “I realized I made a mistake,” and explains that they called off the engagement a day later. When it came to telling her family about the engagement, Aria recognized this wasn’t what she wanted. They took a few steps back and moved in together instead. Then, in a surprising turn of events, she was the one to issue him an ultimatum: therapy or a breakup.

Despite trying some couple’s counseling, “it didn’t pan out,” in her words. She tells Scotty, “You don’t love me the way I want to be loved.” He takes this with surprising grace and acknowledges that more has happened but that it should be Aria’s information to tell. Tearfully, Aria explains that her beloved grandmother passed away and that she soon after had a miscarriage. This is a tender moment shared between the two exes. He also says, “I’m always gonna love her. I’m always gonna be there for her.”