The Ultimate Love Test: Episode 8, When All is Said And Done

Welcome to the final episode and reunion show. But first, let’s look at last week’s show . You can read my recap from last week, or I can just give you the short version; final testing… Amber gets an art gallery… Diego buys a ring… Heather wants commitment… Franks settles in… players get their checks.

So, let’s get down to it. As we learned last week, the remaining at-home partners are to be whisked off to Los Angeles where they will finally be reunited with their partners. Diego has to fly across the country, while Frank just needs to hop in his truck and drive downtown. Both players, however, get ready for their trips.

Let’s check in with Frank. We first see some old video where Frank is worried that marrying Heather will break up the band. Heather disagrees and says that marriage would not change that part of their relationship. And since I plugged Amber’s website last week, I suppose it’s only fair, this week, to plug Heather and Frank’s website for the band .

Back in the present, Frank drops in at the beauty salon to have his hair cut and at the men’s shop to buy some new clothes. When he returns home, he finds a new video message. This one is different from all the rest. It is Heather only and she’s talking directly to him. She says that, at first, she just wanted him to move in with her, but now she’s decided that she wants the whole package. Frank rolls his eyes and sighs. He’s just spent the last week doing exactly what Heather had asked for and now she’s gone and changed the rules of the game on him. He worries that whatever he does for her will never be enough. She’ll always want slightly more than he’s willing to give.

But, he does get to send her a direct video message in response. Instead of doing the smart thing, and telling her how much he misses her, he starts to tell her how betrayed he feels. I roll my eyes and think, “Geez Frank, you’ll see her this evening and can work everything out tomorrow when the cameras are gone.” Heather seems to agree, because she slams the video player shut. She says that she’s done with Frank.

Okay, one down, one to go. We now visit with Amber and Diego. We see old footage of Amber claiming that love should be enough to sustain any relationship. Diego agrees. But then, she pauses and adds that she really isn’t so sure that it’s enough. Back in the present, Diego is getting all cleaned up for his trip to visit with Amber. He gets one last video message from her. He immediately notices that she looks sad. She starts by announcing that she’s learned so many new things, about herself and life in general, in the last three weeks. She says that she’s not really happy in her relationship with Diego and that Roy has opened her eyes to the other things that are available to her. Diego’s face betrays a mixture of shock, embarrassment, sadness, and anger. He eventually comes to the conclusion that he doesn’t want to stand in her way if she really wants to strike out on her own and explore the world. Diego is allowed to make a video message for her.

He starts off better than Frank, in that he tells her that he misses her. But, instead of remaining completely supportive, he tells her that perhaps she making her decision too hastily and that she should consider that the tables could have been turned and that maybe he’d have been the one with the great adventure. But, he finishes nicely by simply asking her to acknowledge that she loves him. Afterwards, she concludes that he thinks that she may be being a little bit selfish. She declares that she is not being selfish, but that she has discovered that she needs to focus more on herself.

Okay, let me rewind the tape to make sure that I captured her thoughts properly, because that last sentence doesn’t quite add up. Hmm. Yup, that’s what she said alright. She’s not being selfish, but wants to focus more on herself.

As Diego leaves the house for the airport, his father wonders whether he will propose to Amber when he gets there. I guess Diego hasn’t shown the ring to his parents yet. He tells us that having Amber reject him would be the worst thing that could happen to him. He adds that he’s willing to change for her.

His plane touches down in Los Angeles and he’s on his way to the rendezvous. Also on her way to the meeting, is Amber. She doesn’t quite know what to expect. She thinks he may become enraged because of all the videos he’s seen.

Similarly, Heather is getting ready for her meeting and now on her way. She cries as she tells us that she’s a hopeless romantic and an optimist. She adds that maybe she’s stupid for loving someone who will never “come around.” At the same time, Frank worries that Heather will be upset that he has moved into her home while she was away. Sigh. Poor Frank. He just doesn’t get it. He hopes, however, that they both learn something from this experience. Heather tells us that she was pretty upset by his video message and would probably turn him down if he asked her to marry him tonight, not that it’s likely he will ask anyway.

Okay, so the big moment is here. The limousines arrive and the players make their way to the grand ballroom. Diego walks in and Amber is waiting in the center of the room, surrounded by candles and flowers. They meet, hug each other, and kiss. Diego says that she looks beautiful. She barely responds and, instead, says that they need to talk about their future. Things don’t look good. She says that if the relationship is to continue, there will have to be a lot of things that will need to change (all of them on his part). Mainly, she wants the respect and the attention and the romance that he used to give her. He breaks down and apologizes for everything he’s ever done and says that he’ll do whatever she demands. He shows her the ring that he was going to give her and tells her that maybe it’s not the right time for that. He pledges that he’ll spend every day of his life trying to please her.

After a pause, with much crying and sniffling, she relents and admits that she actually came to the meeting tonight intending to give the relationship a second chance. He proposes that they spend the near future concentrating on her art and traveling. And then maybe, in a few years, she’ll consider settling down and having a family. She smiles and says that it’s not all about her, it’s about him, too. They kiss and the camera pulls back as the couple ascends the stairs towards their future. Diego says that he still has big plans for the ring in his pocket.