When we concluded the extremely chaotic first part of the Vanderpump Rules Season 10 reunion, James Kennedy stormed out, after Lisa Vanderpump started defending Tom Sandoval from Lala Kent’s rightful dragging of him. Vanderpump should have been holding Sandoval accountable for his despicable actions against his ex, Ariana Madix—is whether Kent has previously been aggressive to his side chick Raquel Leviss relevant? (She has, but who cares right now?) Meanwhile, Leviss remained 100 yards away from Scheana Shay in a dusty trailer, thanks to her now-dismissed restraining order.
In this second installment, we dig into the details of said restraining order, Shay’s alleged punch and her fractured relationship with Leviss. But first, we have some news that may or may not be holding up contract negotiations for next season.
A few weeks ago, Vanderpump Rules executive producer Alex Baskin told Page Six that the cast “need[ed] a little space” following “new information” that came out of the reunion. Fans online have speculated that the revelations involved members of the “Scandoval” love triangle. And after last week’s reunion episode, fan accounts began (grossly) spreading rumors that Leviss was pregnant with Sandoval’s child. But a new accusation against Kennedy by Sandoval may be why the show is allegedly on pause.
At one point, Sandoval claims that Kennedy ruined a joint gig with him and Scwhartz in Atlantic City after he allegedly slapped a waitress on the butt. According to Sandoval, the woman was forced to sign a document—by who, he doesn’t specify—promising she wouldn’t sue. Of course, everyone is so furious at Sandoval, who’s clearly only bringing this up to draw heat away from himself, that no one really cares about this alleged sexual assault. Cohen doesn’t interrogate the incident any further. And Madix tries to compare Kennedy’s actions to Sandoval’s consensual affair. Noticeably, Kennedy nor Schwartz deny the allegation. The mood suddenly becomes… dark.
Given how popular Kennedy has become this season for his hilarious British jabs, receiving write-ups in Interview Magazine and Time proclaiming that he’s the new “No. 1 guy in the group,” this alleged news will presumably throw a wrench in his recent reappraisal and maybe even his casting for next season. We’ll have to stay tuned for whatever reaction this may cause online.
But back to the episode. This second reunion part isn’t nearly as combative or funny as the first. And Leviss’ restraining order against Shay has a lot to do with that. Leviss can’t join the rest of the cast until we get all the intel and tears we need from Shay, so we won’t see Leviss come face-to-face with Madix until next week. Of course, Leviss uses this opportunity to deliver the news to Shay via Andy Cohen that she’s requested to dismiss the restraining order.
Before Cohen makes the announcement, the group debates whether Shay allegedly punched Leviss the night she informed the cast about the affair. Sandoval maintains that he heard Shay say she “punched that bitch” over the phone the same night. But Madix and Kent, who talked with Shay after she discovered the news, dispute his claims. Vanderpump adds that she thinks Shay “slapped” Leviss.
Shay also gets a moment to mourn her friendships with Leviss and Sandoval, listing all the things she’s done for Leviss, including giving her a place to stay after her breakup from Kennedy. This segment is truly heartbreaking, but I can’t stop thinking about how enthralling it would’ve been to see Shay call Leviss out directly to her face.
Other than that, we see Sandoval check in on Leviss during a lunch break. These delusional lovebirds maintain that they aren’t pathological liars—aside from lying for seven months about their affair. Sandoval requests that they have some alone time off-camera (to do God knows what), but a producer fortunately doesn’t let them escape. Sandoval, convinced that he’s Britney Spears in 2007, pretends like he doesn’t want to be recorded.
The episode also includes a segment with Ally Lewber about her curious relationship with Kennedy, which everyone seems suspicious of. (This girl is a mastermind, I’m telling you!) Weirdly, despite being the whistleblower on Sandoval and Leviss’s fling, she isn’t asked any questions about it and is sent away by Cohen after five minutes, which feels a bit unfair. Overall, the fact that this reunion isn't four parts is a bit strange.
We end on the Leviss prancing onto the set as the credits appear on-screen. Presumably, next week’s conclusion will be when everything hits the fan. I can’t say I’m ready to close the chapter on this unbelievable melodrama, but I am ready to watch Madix call Leviss a “rat.”
