Can you believe it’s been less than a year since the reality TV scandal to end all scandals? Last March, the “Scandoval” broke, revealing Tom Sandoval was having an affair with co-star Raquel Leviss behind his longtime girlfriend Ariana Madix’s back.
Many lives have been lived since, but we pick up Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules in June 2023, just months after it all went down. The season starts on a rather uninspired note: Ariana and Katie discussing the impending opening of their sandwich shop, Something About Her. It’s not exactly riveting TV, made worse by the fact this shop is still not open—to this day.
The premiere picks up with Tom Sandoval filming a reality competition show, Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, leaving him absent from the premiere. Meanwhile, firestarter Raquel—who now goes by Rachel—has checked herself into a treatment facility, leaving last season’s duo of terror out of commission.
Despite the renewed attention and explosive ratings, the Scandoval momentum seemingly has slowed immensely. Unfortunately for Ariana, the middling premiere only serves to prove that, while Sandoval is morally corrupt, he might be the force keeping the show moving.
Also unfortunate for Ariana: she and Tom are still roommates. And if recent reports are anything to go by, that won’t change any time soon.
As the cast rehash the Scandoval, James tells his girlfriend Ally he has no interest in rekindling his friendship with Sandoval. Meanwhile, Scheana reveals she reached out to Sandoval to “make sure” he’s okay. But he wasn’t receptive. Not only did he block Scheana, her podcast, and her sister, but he blocked the account for her toddler, too. No love lost there.
Catching up with Lala, we learn that her mom lives with her now—and her brother moved into the same complex. So, we’ve got a nonexistent sandwich shop and a season of Lala’s Full House… riveting.
But suddenly, a wild Tom Schwartz appears. Meeting James for lunch, Schwartz rants about the fallout of the Scandoval, particularly for their cocktail bar, Schwartz & Sandy’s.
“Right now, I do have a lot of resentment for Tom Sandoval,” Schwartz shares. “He said, ‘I’m sorry that I put you in a f*cked up position, and that I essentially used you as a shield for my affair.’”
On top of the Scandoval, Schwartz says his divorce, his brother’s health issues, and the “bar woes” contributed to a “s*** sundae” of a year. Poor punching bag Tom Schwartz clearly feels resentment over his ostracized role in the group, but he’s not ready to throw in the towel.
Ariana meets up with Scheana for some rest and relaxation at a massage parlor. But, this is a meeting of the minds with Scheana, so sprinkle in some mild pot stirring. After Ariana discusses her new long-distance man—who she met just 11 days after Sandoval’s affair was revealed—Scheana shares some skepticism.
“I don’t think Ariana has fully processed the trauma with Tom,” Scheana says in confessional. “But look, as long as Dan doesn’t sleep with one of Ariana’s best friends, he’s already a giant step up from her ex!”
Scheana has recently been diagnosed with OCD and prescribed Zoloft, so she’s no longer drinking. In the wake of the affair, Scheana began to wonder, “Could this happen to me?” leading to a spike in her anxiety. But producer Scheana does some prodding, encouraging Ariana to go to TomTom for James’ DJ set.
And thus, we have our first cast event—minus Sandoval, of course.
Seeing Lisa Vanderpump waddle in is almost like a jumpscare. Vanderpump Rules has veered so off-course from its initial premise, it’s slightly jarring to see her sit among this group of ladies. But that she does, maintaining her role in the inner circle. Schwartz, on the other hand, can’t break in, even at his namesake restaurant.
“Ariana’s got the wall up. She’s an ice queen. I understand that she has this exalted status: Queen Ariana, Patron Saint of Scorned Women,” he says in confessional. “But like, until the ice melts with her, I have a feeling it’s going to be really hard to make any inroads with the rest of the girls.”
Luckily for Schwartz, that ice may be thawing—just, with someone else. Lala pulls Lisa for a chat, revealing a change-of-heart toward Rachel since the reunion. Having seen Rachel’s confessional reveal that she felt isolated from everyone but Sandoval, Lala is reminded of her own toxic dynamic with her ex, Randall.
And Lala takes it a step further. Slinking outside, she unblocks Rachel and sends her a voice note. It’s a powerful moment, and one that suggests some real movement forward. But, knowing Rachel doesn’t return to the show this season, it seems narratively helpless, almost.
It’s tough to lose a character once her beautifully murky layers were revealed, but that’s the nature of reality TV. And hey, you can catch Rachel on her new podcast if you’re needing a fix.
The next night, the ladies meet for a more intimate dinner. But the intended sisterhood kumbaya quickly stumbles when Lala looks to play “devil’s advocate” for Schwartz, given Sandoval’s manipulations.
When Ariana says that Sandoval impeded her friendship with Katie, Lala cuts her off to ask, “Do you feel like that’s still happening? Because I feel like you have your guard up with me still.”
Ariana looks genuinely taken back—and a bit annoyed—at Lala flipping the script. But an emotional Lala says she’s not sure if Ariana really likes her or just “tolerates” her, and she’s not sure how to have a real friendship with her.
It only gets messier when Lala tells Ariana that she’s softened on Rachel. Ariana’s clearly pissed, but she keeps it calm in person.
“I just feel like, if the shoe were on the other foot and I was reaching out to Randall’s mistress, I don’t think Lala would be very happy with me,” she says in confessional.
While Lala attempts to do crisis PR for Rachel, it’s too little, too late for Ariana and Katie, who squash any attempted reconciliation. And Scheana channels Lisa Barlow with a “What about me???” moment to remind Lala that, not only did Rachel betray Ariana, she sued Scheana over an alleged physical altercation. And for Scheana, that’s the straw that broke the camel’s back.
It’s certainly a fascinating scene, and the premiere’s only moment of true intrigue. While these four ladies no doubt want to stand as a united front, the self-centered neuroses that made them reality stars can’t help but peek their messy heads out.
As Sandoval returns home in the episode’s final seconds, we’re greeted to a trailer promising a Katie and Scheana fallout, further Ariana and Sandoval drama, and possibly even Lala vs. Ariana. Maybe, just maybe, the future of Vanderpump Rules isn’t hopeless after all.
