‘Vanderpump Rules’ Finale: Is the Show Broken Beyond Repair?

How will this season of Vanderpump Rules be remembered? Coming off the soaring high of the Scandoval, Season 11 has been one big hangover, neither matching the unrealistic expectations set by the scandal nor sinking under pressure.

It’s been a haze, a real-time look into how a reality show adapts to a completely new world. It’s easy to forget that the original Season 10 finale served more as a swan song than a promise of many seasons to come. Renewed attention gave the show a second life, but what is Vanderpump Rules without SUR? Can the show successfully spin off into a modern rendition of The Hills? Will good ratings keep the gears turning, even when the cast stops?

After 15 episodes, those questions largely remain unanswered. VPR is stuck in an unsustainable purgatory, further complicated by the fact the current star of the show is holding it hostage. That’s how we ended up here, at a season finale that wants you to know production is ready to blow everything up to move forward.

The villain of this season isn’t Tom Sandoval, nor is it Ariana Madix, despite compelling arguments on both sides of the fan spectrum. Rather, it’s reality itself. And that leads us to the real question the finale proposes: Is Vanderpump Rules broken beyond repair?

The simple answer is yes. But if this season has shown us anything, it’s not to toss the show into the garbage, but to allow it to adapt naturally to its new environment. Despite a narratively unsatisfying arc, Vanderpump Rules has still turned out solid, if inconsistent, TV, and has surpassed the hardest hump in its history.

The season began with the story that seemed perfect on paper: The women united under the guise of hating these loser men, while Sandoval clocked into his shift as the community punching bag. Very quickly, real feelings and nuance got in the way of this hope, leading to a finale in which Lala has defected from Team Ariana, while Scheana finishes her season-long arc strictly in the middle.

Reality isn’t black and white, and reality TV certainly utilizes each and every shade of gray. The finale surrounds Scheana’s performance at Kyle Chan’s party, but the real plan is for Sandoval and Ariana to finally have a one-on-one chat—except, that doesn’t happen. As Ariana concedes the match, the swarming vipers finally bite, leading to a shaky future for the head sandwich sister.

The episode starts with Lala already planning her escape, as she questions Ariana’s boyfriend Dan’s intentions to Katie, who shares none of the same concerns, at least on camera. Meanwhile, Scheana and Brock sit down to discuss the complicated feelings Scheana has for Sandoval. Brock feels that, when push comes to shove, Sandoval is the one who has been there for Scheana, not Ariana. Although Scheana disagrees, she doesn’t want to write off Sandoval, and she essentially says as much when the group goes out to lunch.

Here, we see the division between the two leading women duos, as Lala and Scheana advocate for grace, while Katie and Ariana see things much more cut and dry: Sandoval cheated on Ariana, so all her friends should cut him off. As is the case the entire season, there’s also a fight between the faction of ladies who feel they have to keep the show moving, and the other two, who would have no issue letting it crash and burn.

What further complicates things is that Sandoval isn’t just Ariana’s ex to Scheana. Having had separate bonds with both halves of the couple, Scheana’s understandably conflicted, and it’s odd to see everyone negate that, especially as Katie and Ariana claim to advocate for Scheana. The entire Scheana/Ariana friendship is something that is all tell, no show at this point. It’s hard to see why Ariana would expect devout loyalty from someone who she seems to find bothersome most of the time, and it’s no secret Katie actively loathes Scheana.

It’s not that Ariana’s some machiavellian villain. She’s not that calculated or deceptive, but rather, laser focused on her disdain for Sandoval to the point she has no interest in reason or strategy. That’s something Lala hits at in a confessional, noting that Ariana has put up a wall so she can avoid truly digesting this situation. It’s a compelling route to take, no doubt, but one that distinguishes Ariana from the voice of reason role she sought after in her years as a side character.

It was easy to seem like the perceptive moral center when Ariana sparred with Jax Taylor, but it’s much less effective as she takes the reins of the series. Case in point: Ariana declines to speak to Sandoval as she doesn’t want to help out the “Tom Sandoval redemption arc.” But, in doing so, she has allowed Sandoval to take hold of the narrative and come across as the bigger person. Is Tom Sandoval the centered king of the high ground? Obviously not. He’s a raging idiot with a passion for finding new levels of delusion. But he’s also someone who understands his job.

As for a person who doesn't understand her job, Katie’s season-long flop coalesces into her best episode yet, as she finally gets a chance to spar with Schwartz’s situationship, Jo. Formerly dubbing Jo “rat girl” (the funniest insult you could ever give a person), Katie’s not sorry, nor is she ready to make nice.

When Jo tries to apologize, Katie cuts her right off. “It’s weird. You’re weird,” she bluntly says. Katie is so dry and stank in her energy that she cuts right to the core. She’s at her best when she has a good sparring partner, and I hope Katie remembers how fun it is to be mean and stops coasting next season. Making Jo cry is, somehow, Katie’s most charming moment of the season, even though I’m a Jo apologist. Please Bravo gods, bring Jo back next season. We love rat girls!

As the episode comes to a close, both Ariana and Sandoval make their cases to Scheana before the party wraps. You can call me delusional for claiming Scheana is at the narrative core of the show, but there’s no better proof than the last 10 minutes of the season. The one true wildcard, Scheana’s allyship truly matters to both Ariana and Sandoval, and they’re each vying to keep her on their side.

The conversation between Ariana and Scheana hits some bumps as Ariana asks her to stop discussing Sandoval in her presence, to which Scheana questions if Ariana truly means her “no contact” policy. Although the two hug it out in a true heartfelt moment, it’s clear there’s a disconnect, one that has no doubt grown since filming wrapped. Still, it’s one of Ariana’s best moments of the season, and the genuine stakes of their friendship finally show themselves after a season of apathy.

That emotional moment is interrupted by Sandoval, leading Ariana to dart right in the direction of an executive producer, who catches the brunt of Ariana’s wrath. She will not now, or ever, willingly film a one-on-one with Sandoval, and she’s not backing down on that.

The most persuasive thing she says is also the most complicated. Ariana feels that Sandoval’s choice to pursue a conversation on camera only shows he’s inauthentic, and in many ways, she’s right. It’s genuinely perceptive to note that Sandoval wants to work the audience more than he wants to apologize to her. Yet, Ariana ignores that her own approach this season has entirely hinged on appeasing her fans in spite of the quality of the show. She also ignores that having that conversation would only help her social cache, as it’s very easy to hand Sandoval a rope and ask him to hang himself.

It’s this bull-headed approach that leaves Ariana stranded at an Applebees as the season wraps, while the cast surround Sandoval in the final moments. Finally snapping in the final moments, Sandoval drops the facade and tells Scheana and Lala that Ariana is duplicitous. But it’s Lala who truly unleashes, letting out all her venom.

“I’ve never in my life experienced someone who gets cheated on and suddenly she becomes God,” Lala shouts, before condemning Ariana for leaving the finale party. As the episode wraps, Lala tearfully admits she “finally” broke. It may seem odd to see her say that after a season of poking at Ariana’s unwillingness to play ball, until you realize that this is Lala’s first time saying that in the moment.

Lala is focused on the bottom-line, and the bottom-line is that Ariana’s a horrible coworker. It’s a product of a larger issue that any season of TV would ever be placed in Ariana’s hands, and I think she’d agree with that. She simply was never meant to be the star, but when you have millions of new fans on the heels of the Scandoval who see Ariana as the focal point of the show, how do you accommodate that?

Interestingly enough, the season itself made a great case for pivoting the show away from Ariana, especially given she clearly hates filming. With a renewed run in Chicago, endless endorsements and a hosting gig on Love Island, Ariana truly has positioned herself impeccably—for now. But, she will no doubt receive a contract if and when the show returns for Season 12, and it’s not one I expect her to refuse. Just as she’s done with the house, she’d rather live in misery than allow Sandoval to feel like he’s won. That’s authentic pettiness, at least.

The question remains, though, of what the show will look like when it returns. It’s almost unfathomable to think Bravo would truly throw in the towel given the show’s ratings, but the recap at the end of the finale sure does scream “series finale.” Is this the end, or simply a new beginning? Season 11 leaned very hard on fourth-wall breaks and pivoting the show beyond its initial direction, while also making the conscious choice not to add new regulars.

With time, I predict the season will be reappraised as a strange yet fascinating time capsule, and one that rode the Scandoval momentum as best it could. Whether Season 12 introduces a plethora of new regulars, ditches one of Ariana or Sandoval, or ceases to exist altogether, there’s no doubt we won’t get a repeat of this season. Vanderpump Rules may be broken, but the powers that be will simply create new rules, as they always do.