Shanique And Randall Preview Their Experience On The Ultimatum - Exclusive Interview

If you're a fan of dramatic reality TV shows, then you have to watch Netflix's latest dating series, "The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On." As you may have guessed from the title, the series centers around a group of couples who have reached a turning point in their relationship. One member in each pair has issued an ultimatum that they either get married or end the relationship. In the show, the couples go through an intense eight-week period to come to a final decision about how to move forward. While making that choice, the original couples separate and pick a partner from the other couples to live with and explore a different relationship dynamic. As you can imagine, it leads to plenty of jealousy, shocking moments, and big questions.

One of the couples who went through the experience was Shanique Imari and Randall Griffin. In the show, you can watch the challenges and breakthroughs they go through on the journey. During an exclusive interview with The List, they shared some of their thoughts on the show and what made it so challenging.

Starting off for Shanique, as the one who issued the ultimatum in the beginning, how did you feel going into that when you first started dating other people and also seeing him dating other people? Do you feel like you were prepared, or is that something you can't really be ready for?

Shanique: Absolutely not prepared. I probably thought I was prepared, but no, I definitely wasn't ... You can't plan for that. We didn't know who else was going to be a part of the experiment. I didn't anticipate forming the connections I did, especially so early on. I definitely was surprised by that. As the experience went on, it started to click a little bit more [and] made a little bit more sense that this is not going to be something I can control.

Randall, what do you feel like your perspective was going on to the show kind of from the opposite end of it?

Randall: Well, when I first got on the show, I really didn't come in as open as I should've, and that is something that I do regret starting off, because I'm the one that was given the ultimatum. I was the one with the most questions, like "Why, I thought everything was good," [when] obviously, it wasn't. It wasn't until maybe that second or third week where I was thinking, "Okay, maybe I do need to take this seriously, because this is somebody who I really value, somebody who I can see spending the rest of my life with." It was difficult because I was never put in a situation like that, and it was almost like a crash course of you having to grow as quickly as possible and something I've never experienced before, and I am glad that it did happen.

Shanique, in hindsight, do you feel like an ultimatum is something that sometimes has to happen in relationships, or what's your perspective on it now?

Shanique: My perspective on it definitely changed a little bit. Where I am now, it's good to put your foot down and say, "Hey, these are the things that I need from you. This is the way that I need you to show up for me. This is what I have planned for my life, and I want you to be a part of that. I want to build something together." You have to look at yourself and figure out if you are even ready for what you're asking me for. We were in a unique situation where we got to live out the ultimatum, versus giving someone a hard question or prompt on what they need to do. I'm still torn on it. I don't really know if I have an answer for that.

Randall, if you were talking to somebody who's in that similar situation that you were... what would your advice be for making that decision?

Randall: Initially, come in open-minded because everybody else, for the most part, is, and if you're the only one that's so closed off, you're not going to get all of the knowledge from everybody else. You're going to be the one sitting in the corner, trying to be set in your own way. If anybody else was put in this situation, come in open-minded and understand that it's for the better. Some crazy things do go down, but it is for the better, not for yourself but also for your partner. If you are meant to be together, then things will stay [and] stand the test of time, but if not, then maybe it did work out for the better.

Episodes 1-8 of "The Ultimatum" are now streaming on Netflix, with the finale and the reunion dropping April 13.