A Post-Scandoval Vanderpump Rules Is Back But Is It Good?

February 3, 2024
JOSHUA ANDREW

Say it with me in your best James Kennedy British accent: PUMPTINI!! Bravo's Emmy-nominated show Vanderpump Rules is back for a highly-publicized and much-anticipated 11th season. Last year, the reality show about waiters and bartenders in West Hollywood broke through the zeitgeist and became a pop culture phenomenon thanks to a little love triangle known as Scandoval. If you're reading this, you already know what happened so let's jump in.

The premiere picks up a mere three months after the Scandoval. Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval are still living together, though very much not on good terms. Everyone is still wrapped up in the drama of it.

Scheana Shay (bless her heart) is now taking meds because of how much the whole thing affected her...their friend...a co-star at best. Oh Schena, never change. Rachel aka Raquel is no longer filming the show for the sake of her mental health but she looms large over this mediocre premiere. Likewise, we don't even see Tom Sandoval until the closing credits of the episode but trust nearly every conversation is about either Tom or Raquel.

And while Adriana Madix is clearly the center of the show right now, this episode was strong for Lala Kent. It felt like she and her producer were like listen, Adriana wasn't the only woman in this group to be victimized here. Lala was married and had a family with a big-time Hollywood producer before their lives imploded thanks to a LA Times tell-all and some wild accusations. So she also is starting over and trying to recalibrate life without a partner you thought you were spending the rest of your life with. We see a bit of Lala's homelife and after being absolutely vicious and rabid in her attacks on Raquel during last year's season 10 reunion, Lala has decided, she will be the one to welcome Raquel back into the group. Mistress to Mistress. Lala is already doing the most. It feels like jealousy. It reads like she's grasping at straws to insert herself into this tidal wave of Madix Mania.

I have to give it up to OG star Katie Maloney! She began as a mere server at SUR (and fourth fiddle on the show) and now she has truly entered her Mother era (not with children, god no, leave that to Schena and Lala). Her short hair, her power moves opening the sandwich shop, and her disdain for ex-hubby Tom Schwartz is just everything. Katie has had some truly rough seasons on this show so hopefully, this is her year to win. Speaking of Schwartz, he just kind of meandered about the whole premiere, trying to distance himself from the other Tom and get back into the good graces of this now girl-centric group of friends. (Though it almost goes without saying that I'd still fuck him until Schena has a hit single.)

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Overall though, the cameras went up too quickly after the reunion. It's all about something that feels very last year. If you're going to film that fast, edit that quickly so it still feels relevant. Adriana Madix has been on Dancing with the Stars for 100 weeks already, now she's on Broadway and it feels like a disconnect to see her everywhere in real-time and then watch her life from a year ago. Is this how Kardashian fans feel? Hopefully, there's more to this season than rehashing last year's drama over and over. This cow is dry.

What is your take on the new season?

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