The impact Scandoval had on Vanderpump Rules was huge, even earning the show its first Emmy nominations. The seven-month affair between Rachel Leviss and Tom Sandoval had so many bizarre, shocking, and diabolical layers, even people who don’t watch were hooked. It brought new life to a series that was on life support for years. How can Bravo keep the momentum going in VPR Season 11? Producers, if you’re reading this, we have some ideas.
Keep It Real
The raw footage of Scandoval’s immediate aftermath is a direction the show should go for more in Season 11. VPR became a slog when it was over-produced. The real drama happened offscreen, storylines were obviously fake, and despite the massive fame and wealth, cast members still pretended to work at SUR. The unfiltered messiness of early seasons was replaced by stars being too protective of their lives and reputations.
Hopefully, the success of Scandoval means they won’t repeat those mistakes. It would be ridiculous to ignore the public reaction, increase in fame, and Ariana Madix‘s revenge spon.
Don’t Hold Back
VPR got one of it’s long-overdue Emmy noms for editing in “Lady and the Glamp.” That episode featured the iconic scene of Ken Todd revealing Sandoval had Rachel over “in the ja-jacuzzi” when Ariana was out of town. But if Scandoval hadn’t come out, this would’ve ended up on the cutting room floor.
The finale also showed some never-before-seen moments from years past, including rumors that Sandoval and Billie Lee hooked up.
And why did we have to find out the extent of Sandoval and Rachel’s cruelty towards Katie Maloney‘s mom from her brother’s Twitter?
Sometimes, important context isn’t shown at all. Scheana Shay revealed in a Variety interview, that Rachel’s dad made shocking comments about the James Kennedy engagement. This provided new insight into the 28-year-old’s actions and motivations. Even if moments like that aren’t caught on camera, cast members should spill in confessionals.
Question Narratives
The much-talked about post-reunion interview with Rachel would’ve fallen flat if not for the producer who questioned her. Her so-called “coming clean” confessional still included plenty of lies, and it took producer prodding for her to admit to sleeping with Sandoval while Ariana was at a funeral.
Producers claim they didn’t pursue the affair rumors further because Ariana insisted her relationship was solid. That’s likely a bit of a cop out, but still. Hopefully they rethink similar instincts going forward.
As Watch What Happens Live showed, infamously spineless Tom Schwartz will fold at the slightest amount of hard questioning. We are begging producers to grill him over his role in covering up the affair, pushing Sandoval’s narrative about Ariana, and throwing Katie under the bus.
Newcomers Better Bring It
Admittedly, we’re a little nervous about reports that VPR Season 11 will add new cast members. Sometimes, newcomers successfully mix things up and ruffle everyone’s feathers, like Lala Kent in Season 4. Other times, well, you end up with a boring crew like in Season 8. Hopefully, any newbies will bring plenty of drama, in a way that’s not forced.
In our opinion, adding “Crazy” Jo Wenberg is a no-brainer. The whole cast knows her and, according to Katie, no one likes her. Jo knew about the affair for months, was Rachel’s biggest supporter, and apparently still goes to Sandoval’s concerts.
This could also mean appearances by the cast’s friends from other shows, like Nema Vand from Shahs of Sunset. Nema was linked to Rachel, after all. Or some co-stars from their post-Scandoval reality appearances, including Dancing With The Stars, Stars on Mars, and Special Forces.
Bring Back Miami Girl
A lot of former cast members desperately tried to return, but the comeback viewers really want is Miami Girl. Back in Season 3, rumors spread that Sandoval cheated on Ariana in Miami. Then the girl in question, Annemarie Maldonado, came to SUR to confront Sandoval face to face. He argued with her, Ariana was rude, and the then-couple quickly fled the scene.
Their reactions caused fans to debate for years if Sandoval did cheat, and if Ariana knew. On WWHL, Ariana confirmed both were true.
Viewers will live for finally seeing the sit down conversation almost ten years in the making. It would also give Ariana a chance to apologize and acknowledge her own mistakes.
We’d also love to see appearances by the other women Sandoval cheated on Ariana with. So far, there’s only been the vaguest hints of their identities.
Don’t Oversaturate
The biggest way to turn people off is to give too much of a good thing. With the way Scandoval dominated headlines for months, some already declared they’re over it. And the ill-received spin-offs may officially make viewers pumped out.
It’s important to let viewers miss the show. As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Pump Rules has made the mistake of drawing out seasons over too many episodes before, so we’re hoping they don’t do that again.
Uncover Scandoval’s Whole Truth
There are still so many unanswered questions about the affair. Did it actually start in 2019? Did Rachel break off her engagement to James Kennedy for Sandoval? How many people knew? When did Schwartz find out? Did Rachel and Sandoval ever really break up? And what about those letters she kept sending him?
It’ll be hard to get these habitual liars to tell the truth. But audiences are still theorizing and hungry for details. Keep them hooked by teasing more and more answers throughout the season.
Keep Secrets
With more eyes on VPR than ever, there’s been lots of footage of the cast filming. Fans are already worried that this is going to give too much away. Scandoval made such an impact because no one saw it coming.
We’re hopeful that producers are filming plenty of important stuff away from prying eyes. VPR Season 11 should continue to tease big reveals and shocking moments, with hints to spark fan theories.
Make The Cast Film With Rachel & Sandoval
We understand why the cast, especially Ariana, would rather not see these two again. But fans want to see the drama that comes from explosive interactions. Plus, there’s still so much left unsaid.
At the Season 10 reunion, Katie didn’t get to tell off Sandoval and Rachel for everything they did to her (and her mom). Let Scheana call out Rachel for the restraining order in person and let’s see if Rachel is still emotionless face to face. Viewers will also want to see Ariana confront them again, either together or separately.
TELL US – CAN VANDERPUMP RULES SEASON 11 LIVE UP TO THE SCANDOVAL? WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE NEXT SEASON?
