TEXAS: If Netflix's 'The Ultimatum: Queer Love' teaches us anything, it's that every relationship is tremendously difficult due to the need for compromise and work at every step of the journey. After all, while attractiveness, communication, and shared basic beliefs are important, no two people can be happy if their lives and future goals aren't flexible enough to sync. The participation of Yoly Rojas (she/her) and Mal Wright (she/her/they) is a perfect illustration of this, so if you just want to discover more about them, here's what we know.
While the cast of 'The Ultimatum: Queer Love' appears to be primarily monogamous, several cast members appear to be more accepting of their partners falling in love with someone else. Some people can cohabit with their partner's new connection, as seen by the Mal, Yoly, and Xander Boger love triangle in Episodes 5-8. The ultimatums must be answered before the conclusion of the season, regardless of their willingness to ethical non-monogamy. Episode 8 concluded with the first proposal, leaving a cliffhanger that will not be resolved until the last two episodes are released on June 7. Before the season finale, we break down the relationship state of the founding duo Yoly and Mal.
Yoly and Mal’s journey on 'The Ultimatum: Queer Love'
Mal was eager to recommit to Yoly after leaving the first trial marriage. Yoly, as previously stated, had a change of heart. The Xander problem became a major source of difficulty for Yoly and Mal, but not for Yoly and Xander, who easily maintained courteous and aware relationships.
Mal, on the other hand, sought to prove to Yoly that Xander wasn't as devoted to her as they were. During the cocktail hour, Mal asked Xander if they had chosen Yoly over Vanessa (both Vanessa and Yoly were mentioned in this exchange). Xander stated that by neglecting to respond, they were selecting themselves at that time, adding that it was not the choice that Mal respected.
Yoly battled with Mal's changing behaviors (in physical labor around the shared residence and other maintenance tasks) throughout the experiment but not previously in their relationship (however, did she not put Mal into the program with the aim of eliciting those changes?). Yoly stated that Xander was already performing all of these things. Mal had a valid point when he asked how their three years together could be compared to Yoly and Xander's three weeks.
Yoly disclosed previously hidden truths about her connection with Xander in a difficult meeting with Mal's buddy, Alicia (whom viewers previously saw meet Lexi). Yoly desired children, and she desired them quickly. Mal was aware of this before appearing on the show, but Yoly never indicated that she and Xander had begun financial preparation for their future family outside the experiment.
Mal had begun saving for family planning but hadn't saved as much as Xander, which led Yoly to evaluate Mal's financial situation. She said she wasn't passing judgment on Mal's finances, but she plainly regarded Xander as a more suitable father due to their greater savings. It brings you back to Mal's original concern: does Yoly want to marry Mal for Mal's sake, or does Yoly want to marry whoever is best prepared for marriage and children? Yoly appears to desire someone who wants what she wants and wants it quickly, whereas Mal would need a few more years to be financially ready for IVF.
Despite everything, Mal chose Yoly. Mal proposed to Yoly at the end of Episode 8, but her response will not be revealed until Episode 9. The final two episodes' teaser depicts Yoly and Xander reconnecting in the engagement pavilions. On what that meeting will signify, TBD.
Are Yoly and Mal Still Together?
Mal may have already revealed the 'Queer Love' ending by revealing Yoly's original partner. She uploaded an Instagram photo with Yoly at a wedding in Tulum, Mexico, in December 2021, the month after the cameras stopped recording. After that, however, there are little hints that Mal and Yoly are still together. Aside from the fact that they follow each other on Instagram, Yoly released an Instagram video that Mal recorded during a Netflix Pride celebration on May 11, 2023. In a subsequent post, the stylist suggested that she "met some new faces, rekindled with some old ones."
They did not, however, pose on the red carpet together at the same West Hollywood event. Xander was actually wrapping her arm around Yoly. However, there are further indications that Mal and Yoly are no longer together. Yoly, as previously stated, resides in Chicago, although Mal's Twitter profile indicates Seattle as her present location. Yoly also referred to herself as "back outside bae" on social media in January 2023, saying that she had "some of my lowest lows in 2021/22." "They say you can’t fully experience highs without knowing the depths of your lows and babyyyy I got to know my darkness," she continued. "I learned to ask for help . . . and leaned on the community I’ve built around me and broke open." Yoly also wrote about solo travel in March.
Mal, for her part, is less active on social media, but she appears to remain close to fellow cast member Lexi Goldberg. Lexi and Mal frequently comment on one other's Instagram postings, and as recently as May 27, Lexi referred to Mal as her "loveeeeee."
The final two episodes of 'The Ultimatum: Queer Love' air on Netflix on June 7.
