What’s Up With the Metal Cups in ‘The Ultimatum’ and ‘Love Is Blind’?
Netflix‘s reality dating show The Ultimatum quickly followed the conclusion of Love is Blind Season 2. And although the two shows are very different, there are two things they have in common: Nick and Vanessa Lachey as wisdom bestowing hosts and those bulky metal cups. Learn why both the Love is Blind and The Ultimatum casts use so many metallic wine glasses.
What’s with the metal cups on ‘The Ultimatum’ and ‘Love is Blind’ on Netflix?
Love is all about consistency. Unfortunately, none of the relationships in The Ultimatum have really proven to be pillars of consistency. However, there is one thing Netflix reality dating show fans can always count on, and that is a shot of the Ultimatum cast drinking from large metal goblets. While April tells everyone how badly she wants a baby (again), those cups are there. While Zay is justifying “getting a boner” while cuddling Shanique, those cups are there. While Madlyn is doing whatever Madlyn does, those cups are there. Those metal cups are there even when the cast is subjecting their family (who didn’t sign up for any of this) to an awkward dinner with their new partners at a public restaurant.
The Love is Blind cast used shiny gold chalices, while The Ultimatum cast uses metallic silver cups. The whole thing is comfortingly consistent yet also maddening. So many questions about these cups are left unanswered. Why don’t they just use the restaurant cups? Whose job is it to keep track of all those cups? What color cups will the next Netflix dating show use now that both gold and silver are spoken for? But the most burning question of them all is why those cups are always there?
The secret behind why ‘The Ultimatum’ cast needs opaque cups
Although Netflix has not officially revealed its reason for using metal cups, the answer is most likely very practical and on-brand: consistency. Film crews are constantly working to ensure that everything on set looks consistent between takes so that all scenes can flow seamlessly together. Although reality shows are not necessarily tied to a pre-written narrative, they still depend on consistency to make sense. By using metal wine cups instead of clear glasses, editors can edit scenes without worrying about continuity errors. Here’s a moment from the show that can be used as a hypothetical example:
Let’s say Randall unsuccessfully tried to get Madlyn to care about Colby making out with another girl at the bar seven times instead of the four that The Ultimatum actually showed. If this were the case, the editors would have had to cut a few minutes from the conversation to make sure the show stuck to its time limit. If the show used clear wine glasses and Madlyn took a few more sips of her wine to keep her buzz going during that conversation, it would have been obvious that the conversation was edited because the wine glass would appear full in some moments and then suddenly empty in others. Using opaque metal glasses allows editors to avoid that headache entirely.
Is ‘The Ultimatum’ Netflix cast in on the metal cups joke?
Stainless steel cups (assuming they are stainless steel) are also considerably easy to wash. They’re stain-resistant and won’t rust or corrode. Also, unlike glass or even plastic, stainless steel cups don’t require careful handling. This makes them the perfect drinking option whenever Zay gets mad about something again.
Regardless of why they are used on the show, The Ultimatum cups have Netflix fans running to T.J.Maxx to find a set of their own in time for their viewing parties. So, is Netflix and The Ultimatum cast in on the metal cups joke?
According to the show’s social media and The Ultimatum reunion episode, it appears that they are. The Ultimatum Twitter account retweeted a photo of stainless steel cups and officially proclaimed them the show’s “shining stars.” Additionally, Nick and Vanessa Lachey gifted Colby and Madlyn a silver baby cup when the couple announced they were pregnant during the reunion episode. All that’s left to do now is wait and see how the metal cup joke evolves for the next Netflix reality dating show.
