For a second there, it looked like Vanderpump Rules may have been coming to its timely end after an episode for Season 10 felt awfully like a tearful finale. Lisa Vanderpump was making a grand speech to her SUR employees, and the culmination of ten years looked to be wrapped up in a pretty, pink bow. Flash forward a few weeks after filming ended, when Scandoval broke the Bravosphere and viewers’ hearts. It was revealed that Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss had been having an ongoing affair behind Ariana Madix’s back for months. Tensions were high, with everyone wondering if Scandoval was staged.
Tom Needed a Storyline
After ten seasons of playing the nice guy, Tom was clearly running out of steam. For most of his career on Vanderpump Rules, the former model was filtering between single life and dating Kristen Doute, never really having a true angle. The first few seasons showed Tom and Kristen playing house with a side of drama.
After what we now know was a pattern of behavior, Tom cheated on Kristen and moved on to Ariana. Since their get-together, the Tom Tom co-owner has been stagnant, throwing himself into multiple hobbies with very few actually sticking.
Tom Could Be in a Midlife Crisis
The Tom Sandoval and the Most Extras singer is about to turn the big 4-0, and it looks like he is having an existential crisis. The main crux of his issue is the fact that he has sunk a ton of his money and his parent’s retirement into opening another eatery, Schwartz & Sandy’s (still not loving the name), with no monetary return in sight. This could have forced him into a corner, knowing he needed a good storyline to continue receiving a paycheck.
Tom himself noted that he was feeling unwanted, which could be a major reason why he and Raquel could have thought up their wild scheme. Both were struggling to find their image within the Vanderpump Rules group. The affair and all the drama that comes with it is a great way to be noticed.
Was Scandoval Staged For Ratings?
Even though the Bravo series has been long-running, its ratings were dwindling. With the loss of big hitter names like Stassi Schroeder and Jax Taylor, the show was losing its once-loyal fans, something had to be done.
Insert Tom and Raquel deciding to fall in love with one another. According to Variety, the show’s ratings spiked after the news first broke of the cheating scandal. The first episode since Scandoval drew in 2.2 million viewers. The ratings had doubled from the previous week. So was it true love or marketing genius?
Were Producers Working on a Storyline?
It had also been rumored that Vanderpump Rules producers were working on a storyline centered around Tom and Raquel for some time, hinting that the higher-ups knew of the affair long before the news broke. Eagle Eye viewers noticed a few issues while watching the rest of the season play out.
There is no argument that Raquel and Tom became a little too close for comfort, but episodes filmed in September showed Ally Lewber noting that she saw the pair a while back at The Abbey. The moment planted seeds of doubt, with even Raquel sharing in a confessional that she stayed the night at Tom’s while Ariana was back home in Florida at her grandmother’s funeral. However, Bravo already shared that the episodes had not been re-edited.
Kristen Hinted at Her Return
@Vanderpumprulesparty held an interview with Kristen before the news broke, and she clearly let the cat out of the bag. The host, Hollie Bohorquez, told listeners she felt as if producers were “mapping” Scandoval out. The host also revealed her theory that the Vanderpump Rules cast knew about the scandal.
The hosts used a previous interview she had done with Kristen as proof. Kristen was told she was missed on the show to which she replied, “Stay tuned,” almost blurting out that she would reappear on the season finale to comfort Ariana. The scene showed Kristen and Ariana burning memories of Tom, as if no time had ever passed.
Filming Permits Are the Real Clue
The podcast host shared that while Bravo was pushing the narrative that the cameras picked up after the news of Scandoval broke, that may not be the case. Hollie and her co-host, Sarah Cee, shared that Los Angeles permits posted in front of some of the talent’s homes had April 2 as the end date, which was long after the network claimed to have put their cameras down for the season. So it’s no surprised that some fans suspect Scandoval was staged.
TELL US – WHAT CLUES HAVE YOU DISCOVERED ABOUT SCANDOVAL?
