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And they all lived happily ever after.

So, that's usually an ending saved for fairy tales, not reality TV dating shows. But, in a refreshingly hopeful twist, The Ultimatum's season two finale revealed that all five of its couples ended the experiment choosing to still be together. It was a rarity in the genre, one that even the cast was impressed by. 

"I thought it was cool, I was rooting for everybody," The Ultimatum star Antonio Mattei, who proposed to Roxanne Kaiser, told E! News in an exclusive interview. "I grew to really like everybody and I was just so happy to find out that everything worked out. I knew how bad everyone wanted it and people were determined this season."

His co-star Brian Okoye, who left the Netflix series early after he and girlfriend Lisa Horne learned that she was pregnant, agreed with Antonio's sentiment. 

"It's a beautiful thing," Brian shared, "because at the end of the day that's what you want for people. I was happy for everybody."

But that doesn't mean there couldn't be any surprising splits before the cast came back together for the reunion special, which also dropped Aug. 30. (Proof: The past two seasons featured multiple off-camera breakups.)

However, second refreshingly hopeful twist alert: Everyone was still together.

"It was different because were expecting maybe breakups or people on different couches, and it wasn't like that," Roxanne said. "It is cool to be like, 'Yo, we went through this and we all made it through and we're happier.' We're doing okay and we're in relationships and we're progressing through this really hard experience we went through together."

Still, some couples have progressed a lot further in the wedding planning process than others, with two pairs even revealing their wedding dates during the reunion.

Find out The Ultimatum season two couples' current statuses:

Two episodes into The Ultimatum's sophomore season, no one was expecting a couple to drop out of the process. And definitely not because they learned they were expecting. But that's exactly what Brian and Lisa did, making the decision not to appear at The Choice dinner after she took a pregnancy test. 

So, what happened to Brian and Lisa? "It's been so good," Lisa told E! News in an exclusive interview. "We have a baby boy! He's so cute."

The couple is happily raising their son Mason, who is now 4 months old. 

"This journey as parents together has been a beautiful one," Lisa said. I know that not everyone gets that experience for many different reasons, but it's been a blessing. It's been a really nice, peaceful journey."

Still, there's "no ring yet," she acknowledged, or immediate plans for an engagement.

This couple proved that high school sweethearts can make it work when James got down on one knee and asked Ryann to marry him after seven years of dating. And it's safe to say they won't be taking as long to get married.

"We have a wedding coming up soon," Ryann confirmed during The Ultimatum's reunion special, sharing that they'll wed September 30.

James revealed he staged a second proposal during the couple's weekend trip to the mountains so that they could have "a more intimate" experience. "It was more unexpected and natural," Ryann said. "It took me by surprise."

After the show ended, James moved in with Ryann and her family, marking the first time they have lived together. And now, Ryann shared, "We are currently looking for a house."

While it seemed as though the soft-spoken Kat was possibly too passive for ambitious Alex, the pair ended their journey engaged. And they already have set a wedding date: Alex brought a Save the Date card to the reunion that revealed they will wed on May 10, 2024.

Kat also shared that Alex seems to have more "baby fever" and desire to settle down, including buying a home together, since proposing. When it comes to their future, confirmed Alex, "I'm excited."

While Trey admitted to developing feelings for Ryann during their trial marriage, he and Riah were able to work through their issues and ended the experiment with plans to get married.

"We're thinking about a destination wedding," Riah shared at the reunion. "Spring of 2025. It's going to get here fast before you know it, but I said I wanted a nice wedding, so I want it to be perfect."

However, the pair has had some rocky moments since The Ultimatum ended, with Trey admitting they have struggled because of their work schedules. "Real life hit us again," he explained. "We've still been working on that, as far as getting on the same page."

Still, he said, their relationship is "night and day from what it was before the show."

Everyone on the cast was admittedly surprised when business-minded Roxanne accepted Antonio's marriage proposal—especially Roxanne.

"I did a lot of work on myself with where I am being engaged," she explained during the reunion. "I really never, ever, ever thought I'd get to the place I am, saying I have a fiance."

While Roxanne said yes, she wasn't wearing her engagement ring at the special, but not because the couple had broken up. "I don't get why I have to wear one and he doesn't," she explained. "It feels very possessive...maybe I'm just weird as shit?" But when Antonio admitted it "hurts" that she doesn't sport it, she promised to start wearing it more. Not that they are planning to exchange vows anytime soon, with both Antonio and Roxanne focusing on their careers.

"We're still not where we want to be," Roxanne said, while Antonio revealed he recently bought a car wash in South Georgia and will also be opening two car customization shops in Atlanta.

And when Vanessa Lachey asked Roxanne if she would marry her partner right then, she admitted, "It's not top of mind right now for me."

This family is going to need another cowboy hat.

After welcoming their daughter Josie in May 2022, Madlyn and Colby, who surprised fans by getting married in the finale, announced earlier this year that they were expecting their second child. 

"Baby Kissinger coming Sept '23!" Madlyn captioned a joint Instagram post Jan. 23. "Colby and I could not be more excited and THANKFUL for the blessing we already have in Josie and now for this new little one to come."

"I'm not sure how our hearts can even hold more love but I cannot wait to find out!" she added. "&& to see our little Josephine be a big sister."

In an interview with E! News after giving birth to Josie, Texas-based Madelyn said that she "really loved every minute of being pregnant," adding, "I felt like a champ. It gave me a whole new sense of confidence and love for myself and for Colby. It just totally grew me as an individual and us as a couple."

Alexis and Hunter, who left the experiment early after Hunter proposed, are now husband and wife, getting married in Palos, Verdes, Calif., in June 2022. 

Alexis documented the special day on her Instagram Story, posting photos of the wedding party—which featured 10 bridesmaids and 10 groomsmen—as well as videos of the happy couple dancing the night away at the reception to wedding band renditions of Elton John's "Tiny Dancer," Beyoncé's "Crazy In Love" and more. The couple, who went to Santorini, Mykonos and Athens for their honeymoon, now lives in Los Angeles.

Even though Shanique revealed that the pair broke up for six months after Randall's finale proposal, the couple revealed they later reconciled deciding to hold off on a new engagement. "We are still together," Shanique told E! News. "I'm just working in a different location so [we're] not in the same city together, but we're definitely still working on our relationship and working toward that."

All that effort led to a second engagement this past July, with Randall popping the question to Shanique in front of a heart covered in white flowers with a neon sign that read "Marry me." 

In a word, "Yes!" Shanique captioned an Instagram post. "Today and all of our tomorrows."

Even though some cast members viewed Nate's proposal to Lauren as fake (Yikes!) during the reunion, the pair got married in October 2022 in a Colorado ceremony that was "everything we could have asked for," Lauren wrote on Instagram. "Thank you to all of our amazing vendors, family & friends for making this wedding an absolute dream."

 Since getting married, the pair, who still live in Austin, have shared photos on social media from their travels to Turkey, Switzerland and Japan. 

April's time on the show may not have ended the way she wanted, but that doesn't mean she didn't get her happily ever after. 

The 26-year-old welcomed her first baby with boyfriend Cody Cooper, she shared Aug. 11.

"Baby Girl IS HERE!" April wrote on Instagram alongside photos of the couple in the hospital. "I knew I wanted to go through the experience of our delivery & time at the hospital in private. As hard as it was a secret to keep, I'm so happy to finally share with you guys... Just know it's been a long week for us, but we made it!"

April first revealed she was dating Cody during the 2022 reunion show, though she didn't identify the Texas-based real estate broker and vape entrepreneur at the time. "Mr. Right came along and swept me off my feet," April later told E! News. "While I was supposed to have my hot-girl winter, he interrupted it and we've been dating for six months."

Although Jake Cunningham broke up with April to be with Rae Williams, the 28-year-old revealed during the reunion that he is single. Since then, Jake has remained under the radar (his most recent Instagram post was in August 2022), though Rae revealed on the Zachary Reality podcast that the producers of Netflix's spinoff series Perfect Match had contacted Jake about doing the show. 

 

At the reunion, Rae revealed she'd taken a stab at romance with former boyfriend Rae briefly "tried to fix things" with Zay Wilson and her trial marriage partner Jake to no avail, sharing she was enjoying a "casual" relationship with a woman. "I'm kinda figuring out myself and my sexuality," Rae explained at the time, though she later confirmed to E! News that she was single and had moved to Houston. "After the whole process, I need to heal and take some time to myself," she explained, "to just kind of get through everything."

But Rae has since moved back to Austin and is working as a 9-1-1 operator and bartender. And though she was asked to appear on Perfect Match, she ultimately decided against joining the show because Zay had already signed on. 

"I think ultimately it was just more Zay's vibe," she said on the Zachary Reality podcast. "I think if I had actually been cast for season one at the same time as him that would've just been a mess because him and I just can't seem to get along." 

Not that Rae needed a TV show to find love again as she revealed her new relationship in a July 25 TikTok. Though she declined to confirm her boyfriend's identity, she captioned the clip, "Hard launch?" 

A 4-1-1 to all the ladies: Zay is still on the market. 

After his relationship with Rae ended, Zay was a cast member on the first season of Perfect Match, which featured single stars from Love Is Blind, Sexy Beasts and The Circle. Alas, Zay left the show single after failing to find a connection. He's currently working as a model and splitting his time between Austin and Los Angeles. 

 

The Ultimatum: Queer Love pair Xander and Vanessa chose to end their four-year relationship after Xander developed feelings for Yoly Rojas during their trial marriage.

"I wish I could give you the world," Xander told Vanessa. "I thought I was going to be able to. You deserve a lot more than I can offer you right now."

While they both talked about possible rekindling things in the future, Vanessa revealed during the reunion that they have not been in communication since the experience ended.

Despite Yoly falling in love with Xander during their three weeks together, Mal never wavered in their commitment. 

"It's always been you," Mal told Yoly, before getting down on one knee. "Will you do life with me? Will you marry me?" After a brief pause, Yoly said yes, asking, "What took you so long?"

Still, Yoly had doubts that she made the right choice. "If Xander were to fight for me," she admitted, "I don't know what I would say."

No surprise then that while Yoly and Mal left the experiment engaged, Mal revealed they were "happily broken up" during the reunion, the pair clashing over the exact timeline of their breakup.

"My fear was that as soon as the cameras stopped filming, we were going to go back to our ways that I know of," Yoly explained. "That happened, we spent some time apart. During that time apart, she said, 'This isn't going to work out.' I didn't fight back."

After watching the show and seeing Yoly's interactions with Xander, Mal said she now views their relationship through a completely different lens. "You feel like a dangerous stranger to me," Mal said. "I had your back so hard and all you did was make a complete fool out of me."

After Yoly's engagement to Mal and Xander's breakup with Vanessa, the duo had an emotional conversation where they expressed their love for one another.

"I don't want to let you go," Yoly told Xander. "This isn't a matter of not loving you. It's not from lack of love."

And, it turns out, their feelings didn't go away as they revealed during the reunion they tried to rekindle their romance after Yoly's engagement ended.

"We stayed in communication some," Xander shared, "and we saw each other while we were at Coachella." The pair denied anything physical happening during their time at the music festival, but later admitted they were making plans for Yoly to visit Xander in Hawaii. "I had a great time with Xander," Yoly explained. "I was hoping to reconnect and try in any way possible."

Ultimately, they went their separate ways.

"We were in each other's journey for a little bit, but now we're back to doing our own stuff," Xander said. "I feel like I really needed to commit to myself. And figure out how to change the things I wanted to so I could show up better for myself and any partner that I had.

Learning Rae was physically intimate with Vanessa during their trial marriage, devastated Lexi. But the couple of three years was able to come back together and both proposed to each other in the finale. They then revealed they were moving to Philadelphia together after Rae got a new job. 

During the reunion, the pair confirmed that they are still engaged.

"The last year has been amazing," Lexi said. "Proposal, vacations, we moved back to California a few months ago. It wholeheartedly has been the best year of my life." 

Lexi and Rae were so happy, in fact, that Lexi said she would get married at the reunion if Rae would let her. "I am actually an ordained minister," host JoAnna Garcia Swisher offered, before Lexi revealed they already have a wedding date.

But a title card that aired after the episode ended offered a shocking update: "Shortly after filming the reunion, Lexi and Rae chose to end their relationship. The wedding has been called off."

Following her breakup with Rae, Lexi debuted her romance with photographer Kristin "Zanc" Zancanelli. "Never felt more alive than with you," Lexi told her new partner in a June 8 TikTok for their "hard launch."

So, how did the new romance come to be? "Back during one of the hardest months of my life, I let my best friend do a photoshoot of me wearing my reunion dress," she recalled on Instagram. "It's so incredibly amazing to see the smile that this woman put on my face even as a friend in some of my darkest moments. I feel overwhelmed by how I see myself through her lens, how clearly happy she made me."

After initially presenting a baffled Sam with a heart-shaped stone, Aussie pulled out a very different kind of rock and proposed.

During the reunion, the couple confirmed they are still engaged, but aren't rushing the wedding planning process.

"We're kind of waiting," Sam sad. "It was like, 'How do we explain this to people?' It's just so awkward."

"We're crazy," Mildred told Tiff in the finale after they got engaged. "But we're crazy together." Cut to the reunion and Mildred's tune was wildly different: "We're no longer on speaking terms."

So what happened?

They moved in together after their engagement, but immediately reverted back to their old ways. "There were no plans for the future" Mildred said. "We could never talk about a wedding. There were so many problems."

But, when Mildred described leaving Tiff as "one of the hardest decisions that I ever made ever," Tiff fired back that they were the one to end their engagement. "I just feel like we had an overall unhealthy relationship that was trying our best," Tiff shared.

Mildred then revealed she was arrested after throwing a pet gate at Tiff, who called the police. "They took my engagement ring off and I never put it back on," she said. "I am not proud of what I did, but there was a lot of fighting."

After getting into a heated argument, Tiff walked off the set and chose not to return.

The Ultimatum is streaming on Netflix.