We have been raising our glasses high for some time for Vanderpump Rules, but there is no denying that over the ten years the series has graced our screens, it has changed…a LOT. The show has captivated audiences for years, with many of us stopping in for a Pumptini and the famed goat cheese balls. Vanderpump Rules and its associated locations have become a mecca for Bravo fans who want a glimpse of their favorite stars’ lives. Personally, I can’t help but feel the show has changed for the worse.
Lisa Vanderpump Promised the Holy Grail
When the show first debuted in 2013, all roads led to Lisa Vanderpump. The lover of puppies and pink owned a very successful restaurant aptly named SUR (Sexy Unique Restaurant) and came up with the perfect idea—to showcase her servers on reality TV as they all tried their hands at breaking into that Hollywood limelight. The young servers who wore silk scarves as a uniform all had big dreams of making it in the entertainment industry, and this was half the appeal to viewers.
However, as Vanderpump Rules became more and more popular, stars like Stassi Schroeder, Tom Sandoval, and Jax Taylor figured out they could leverage their C-list star power and start their own business ventures. This attitude changed the mindset of the series as it pivoted to watching them all branch out away from Lisa. The group was also friends way before the show took off, but as the series progressed, Bravo started to bring in outside implants that didn’t always mesh.
SURvers Upgraded Their Lives
Vanderpump Rules is no longer about some up-and-coming model/actress or a sugar baby. Each cast member has elevated their stance within the West Hollywood community.
Instead of living like sardines in a one-bedroom apartment, most have bought McMansions within Valley Village, complete with pools and double driveways. Until her separation, Lala Kent lived in a Bel-Air mansion, and Scheana Shay purchased a new apartment on Sunset Boulevard. No one from the cast is saying goodbye to Hollywood, they are all just moving on up.
The Drama Was Heightened
The Vanderpump Rules cast always had their fair share of drama, especially when it came to incestuously sleeping with everyone within their friend group. Before Season 10, it was silly arguments like the ones Kristen Doute and James Kennedy routinely had or Stassi freaking out over her annual birthday party. Stuff like that. But as the show grew bigger, so did the pressure. Scandoval rocked the Bravosphere and turned the show upside down.
Actually, Scandoval saved Vanderpump Rules. The series was on its way out. Lisa had planned her goodbye speech, which was aired. Everyone knew it was the end, but the affair between Tom and Rachel Leviss was just enough to make him and her the most hated reality TV stars in America.
Lisa Vanderpump Is Obsolete
I’ve personally known this for a while, but the series has no need to keep featuring Lisa on the show. Thanks to the Scandoval Era, Lisa has taken a back seat to her once-former employees.
Season 10 showed Lisa even being called out by some of her former staff, which viewers would have never seen before. Lisa was dealt some hard truths as Lala especially talked back to Lisa, noting she always protected the boys. There is no doubt her screen time has been reduced, and I personally think it is for the better of the show.
Vanderpump Rules Needed To Evolve
Without a doubt, Vanderpump Rules needed to evolve, and nothing proved this more than the worldwide pandemic. Thanks to COVID-19, restaurants in Los Angeles were closed for months. So, how do you film a series that revolves around the restaurant business? You don’t.
The last season before the pandemic showed Jax and Brittany Cartwright’s wedding, which was a main storyline for far too long. No one believed the OG cast would even be working in the food industry. Frankly, the group dynamics had shifted from something that felt so natural, to a Twilight Zone of forced fun. Vanderpump Rules was once a breeding ground for partying and rough relationships. My, how times change.
Bravo decided to give the OGs their own spin-off because fans love to stand by the GOATS of any franchise. But another way to revitalize the show is to reboot Vanderpump Rules with a fresh, all-new cast.
With Season 11 lurking around the corner, you can bet that the storyline will be heavily Scandoval-centered, with many of us longing for the days Stassi asked, “I’m not really sure what I did to you, but I’ll take a Pinot Grigio.”
TELL US – HOW DO YOU FEEL VANDERPUMP RULES HAS CHANGED OVER TIME?
