We’re finally in the homestretch of this jaw-dropping season of Vanderpump Rules. Yesterday, Bravo released an explosive trailer for the finale on May 17. And I’ve got to say, as much as I’ve enjoyed dissecting every shared glance and giggle between Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss since the Scandoval broke, this show has become increasingly and uncomfortably dark!
It’s rare that I would describe any relationship drama on a reality show—unless it involves some form of abuse—as distressing. And in the case of Vanderpump Rules, where fan-favorites are made by being monstrous, that drama is the very reason I tune in. But tonight’s episode, unlike last week’s beach day from hell, shows Ariana Madix reacting to (and denying) the insinuation that Sandoval and Leviss are sneaking around behind her back. She’s also mourning the loss of her grandmother and the death of her dog. Meanwhile, Sandoval is inviting Leviss to their home while Madix is out of town and lying about it to multiple people. Hell isn’t hot enough for this man!
This episode, titled “Lady and the Glamp,” contains not one but two major controversies surrounding Leviss and Sandoval’s shady relationship. (If only Real Housewives of Beverly Hills could be this plotty!) The first involves the meddling of Lisa Vanderpump, who’s finally found a way to make herself useful on this show post-Season 8.
Early in the episode, Lala Kent informs James Kennedy that Leviss slept at Sandoval’s house after their beach outing—and while Madix was in Florida for her grandmother’s funeral. Apparently, Leviss, Sandoval, and Tom Schwartz hung out in the jacuzzi that night before Leviss went to sleep on the couch—or at least that’s the story she and Sandoval concocted. (It later becomes very muddled.)
We know this because Leviss immediately shares this information with Vanderpump when she arrives late for work at SUR the next day. Vanderpump, of course, spills the tea to her hubby Ken Todd, who then brings it up to Katie Maloney while she’s at their house in the most staged fashion imaginable.
This whole game of telephone is relayed through a dramatic montage narrated by Kent and set to “In the Hall of the Mountain King.” (I kind of missed this corny editing). We see Vanderpump confront Sandoval about hosting Leviss at his place over FaceTime. And Sandoval is just as bad at covering up his tracks in this instance as he was when a producer asked him last week if he ever did anything physical with Leviss. To the rest of the group, he can’t keep his story straight.
If you’ve ever witnessed anyone repeatedly lie to get themselves out of trouble, they often have a go-to line that they’ve clearly rehearsed. In Sandoval’s case, it’s the phrase “dipped out.” On his phone call with Vanderpump, he keeps reiterating that Leviss “dipped out” the next morning—which doesn’t mean they didn’t do anything the night before. Later, he tells Kennedy that Leviss “dipped out” after they got out of the hot tub before correcting himself. Then, we see Sandoval telling Brock Davies and Peter Madrigal that Leviss didn’t sleep over at all.
Knowing what we know now, this is a huge red flag. However, Madix, Schwartz, Davis, Scheana Shay, and Leviss all laugh off Sandoval’s web of lies while on a “glamping” trip for Leviss’ birthday. In a confessional, the Tom Tom owner claims that he fibbed to protect Leviss, who had just been slut-shamed online for the Oliver Saunders drama and is already hated by Maloney and Kent for kissing Schwartz.
In a world where the Scandoval wasn’t exposed, this explanation makes enough sense, even if it’s not a good look. And Madix even seems to think Leviss spending the night was totally appropriate; she mostly takes issue with Leviss sleeping on the couch instead of the designated guest room—although that element makes the story seem even more fabricated. The things we ignore for love!
Speaking of red flags, we get another tale of Sandoval being shady, this time from Kent. If you follow the subreddit r/vanderpumprules, this has probably already been spoiled for you, but apparently, Kent was at a Labor Day party with Sandoval and Leviss when Madix called him to tell him about her grandmother’s death. Instead of leaving immediately, Kent claims that Sandoval spent the next two hours hanging out with Leviss.
When Kent brings this up to Madix at Kristina Kelly’s beauty brand event at the end of episode, Madix is immediately defensive. This makes me think the couple got into an argument over it and possibly crafted a cover-up story—Sandoval, at least, certainly did. As soon as Kent broaches the topic, Madix cuts her off to explain that Sandoval didn’t have a ride home. Allegedly, some guy named Jason, who he came with, left while Sandoval was taking a dump. But Kent tells Madix that she was with Sandoval when Jason announced that he was leaving.
Madix, who’s visibly annoyed at this point, summons Sandoval over and makes him explain himself. And it only takes two seconds for him to accidentally confirm Kent’s story. In a somber confessional, Madix recalls when her father passed away 10 years ago, before she and Sandoval even started dating, and how he dropped everything to be by her side. “Maybe I’m just not as important to him anymore,” she says.
In the episodes right after the Scandoval news broke, it felt satisfying to piece together clues and analyze Sandoval’s shitty behavior. But seeing Madix be publicly humiliated by his lies while dealing with her grief is pretty tough. Thankfully, we only have one more episode of pre-Scandoval footage before we can watch Madix verbally annihilate her ex on television.
