Lisa Vanderpump’s new series, Vanderpump Villa, takes place at an opulent French estate named Chateau Rosabelle. The series chronicles the lives of the staff as they work and live together, striving to give their guests the ultimate in luxury. And of course, expect plenty of drama from the staff, just like on Vanderpump Rules. Here are the highlights from Vanderpump Villa’s premiere: Episodes 1-3.
Who is in the cast?
- Stephen Alsvig– event coordinator
- Gabriella Sanon– event coordinator
- Eric Funderwhite– chateau manager
- Anthony Bar– executive chef
- Caroline Byl– sous chef
- Andre Mitchell– mixologist
- Telly Hall– mixologist
- Marciano Brunette– lead server
- Hannah Fouch– server
- Priscilla Ferrari– server
- Emily Kovacs– housekeeper
- Grace Cottrell– housekeeper
Vanderpump Villa Premiere, Episode 1 Recap: “Welcome to Chateau Rosabelle”
Lisa developed the chateau to be an amazing getaway for her guests. “This is an old-world elegance,” Lisa stated. And she has found a “world-class staff” to pamper her guests.
Lisa is excited because it is orientation day for the staff. Her dog, Puffy, is less enthusiastic. She is depending on the staff to execute their duties while bringing the “joie de vivre,” or life, to the experience. What could possibly go wrong?
Jeremy and Shirin, from New York, will be the first guests. And they are here for a secret proposal. Shhh…don’t tell. Lisa told the staff not to mention anything about the proposal.
Andre, who is a mixologist is very single and ready to mingle. But he has been struggling since the death of his mom four years ago. And several of the ladies have been keeping tabs on Eric. The manager has a love for bugs. He is also divorced and is ready to date.
Meanwhile, Hannah was facing her ex-boyfriend, Marciano. He cheated on her and she moved out. Then they hooked up about a month ago. He is like a younger Jax Taylor. Marciano was drinking heavily, and Lisa already had her sights set on the duo. Of course, Marciano and Hannah still love each other. This is like the new Jax and Stassi Schroeder.
The first guests arrive
Lisa told Andre and Telly that no one was to drink from the guest bar. The employees have a separate bar in the staff salon. No sooner does Lisa walk away than Telly and Marciano do shots behind the bar. Telly grew up watching her mom work hard, but they struggled with poverty. She is determined to never be in that situation again.
As the guests pulled up, the entire staff was outside to greet them. Marciano was holding a tray with champagne glasses. Until he wasn’t. Lisa got broken glass in her shoe, and she was horrified. They quickly cleaned up, regrouped, and were ready for their guests.
Eric went over the guests’ itinerary including the Red-Hot Romance dinner that evening. Gabriella and Stephen prepared for the lux croquet event. Stephen is ready for a man to make him a trophy husband. He previously worked for Lisa at the Vanderpump Cocktail Garden.
Meanwhile, Marciano and Telly did another shot behind the bar. They may not know that Lisa has cameras everywhere.
In fact, Lisa asked Telly and Marciano if any of the staff was drinking at the bar. Marciano was called out of the room, while Telly denied it. That will come back to bite her. Andre didn’t know that people were drinking behind the bar. Telly told Andre that Marciano couldn’t drink there with her anymore.
The chef, Anthony, is happy to return to France and be cooking there again. He has very high standards. While Caroline, the sous chef, enjoys making people feel great through her food.
Red-Hot Romance Dinner
The guests were seated at a beautiful table on the terrace. Once again Marciano was acting inappropriately. He and Hannah downed shots with the guests. Stephen wasn’t pleased. He was particularly annoyed because Eric was standing right there.
Even though the guests were waiting for drinks, both mixologists were on a break. Marciano and Telly argued over whether the bar needed to be covered at all times. Then Marciano and Hannah raised their voices discussing the situation with Telly. And the guests were listening.
When Hannah and Marciano entered the bar area, Telly called Hannah “a dumb b*tch.” When Marciano told her to stop, Telly shoved him. Eric got in the middle, but the guests could see the action through the windows and hear the shouting.
Vanderpump Villa, Episode 2: “No Room for Error”
Telly was still heated when Eric warned her never to put her hands on anyone. She was upset that Eric didn’t blame Marciano for screaming at her. The mixologist tried to rally some of the staff, saying that Marciano shouldn’t yell at a female that way. When Eric said that he did intervene, she called him “an idiot.” WOW. In her confessional, she referred to him as “a loser b*tch.”
Eric called Lisa and informed her about the night’s unfortunate events. Lisa was coming the next morning to discuss it. Buckle up, ladies and gents.
At the meeting, when Lisa asked the group how last night went, Marciano piped up and said, “I think the guests were very pleased.” Lisa replied, “Are you f**king kidding me?” Lisa called out Hannah and Marciano for taking shots at the bar before dinner service started. Marciano told Lisa that the guests kept asking them to drink with them. Both Hannah and Marciano finally apologized.
Then Lisa had some choice words for Marciano. “I will not tolerate any man coming at a woman ever,” Lisa stated. She said that Telly shouldn’t have pushed Marciano. Emily knew that Telly’s reaction was triggered by her past. Emily, one of the housekeepers, was in a relationship that involved domestic violence. She is also a bartender and cocktail server in New York City. And she is very competitive.
Then Lisa criticized Eric for the way that he handled the evening. In his confessional, he explained that Lisa is proud of him, but she is testing him. Am I watching the same show?
A talk with Telly
Lisa went for a walk with Telly and told her that she knew that Telly lied to her. The mixologist admitted that she didn’t want to tell her co-workers that they couldn’t drink at the bar. Telly started to cry because the argument was due to everyone being drunk. Lisa told her that she only needed her approval, not her co-workers. Lisa was relieved that Telly was “contrite” rather than defensive.
Then Marciano and Telly talked it out and he apologized. She shared that she was sorry for pushing him.
One night in Paris
The surprise proposal and romantic dinner were that evening, and everyone was going all out. The dinner went off without a hitch. Gabriella instructed each guest to write one word for Jeremy and Shirin on a piece of paper, which was attached to a lock. Then the guests added their lock to the bridge outside.
The backyard has been transformed with glittering snowflakes wafting down from the trees. Jeremy took Shirin to the dance floor, made a lovely speech, got down on one knee, and Shirin happily accepted.
Lisa and her husband, Ken Todd, watched from a nearby table. Lisa gave a champagne toast to the happy couple, and then the guests hit the dance floor.
The Final Toast
Before her guests depart, Lisa gives them a special breakfast christened The Final Toast. It is also a time for the guests to fill out their comment cards. No pressure! But before the guests could enjoy their meal, Hannah witnessed Priscilla sitting nearly spread-eagle next to Marciano. Priscilla and Marciano seemed oblivious as to why Hannah was upset.
Gabriella suggested that Hannah tell Priscilla that she was “uncomfortable” with the way she was sitting. After their talk, it still seemed like the ladies were on shaky ground.
Lisa called Telly and Andre into her office and informed them that they were the favorite staff members. Telly and Andre are also Lisa’s favorites. Both were thrilled.
That night, Priscilla called out Gabriella for sitting with her legs apart. The difference? She wasn’t close to Marciano. Priscilla tried to tell Hannah that she was upset that no one called Gabriella’s behavior out. Priscilla and Hannah continued to squabble. Most of her co-workers felt that Hannah was over-the-top and insecure.
Vanderpump Villa, Episode 3: “From One Queen to Another”
Andre likes to hang out with Emily and Grace. Grace grew up in a cabin in the woods, and her father is a pastor. She has a hard time making ends meet and being at the chateau feels surreal. It’s not a stretch to say that Grace is attracted to Andre.
At the staff meeting, the chef was ready to speak, but Eric cut him off. See, Eric can be nice, and he can be nasty. He wanted to run this like a military unit. No one was a fan.
Lisa walked in as he was going after the staff. She wasn’t pleased and took over the meeting. The next guest will be Harlan, and she is having a Butterfly Rebirth Ball to celebrate her full transition to female and her facial feminization surgery.
Eric is all about change
Caroline left a croissant in the oven when she went to speak with Eric. Marciano was in the break room and noticed it was burning. He went and told Caroline that she left the croissant in the oven. She asked him if he could take it out, and he refused. Furious that she asked him to help, he put the burned croissant on her bed. At least it was on a napkin.
Hannah took it off the bed and showed Caroline. The sous chef confronted him and called him out for acting like a child. I agree.
The Reflections Dinner
This dinner was outside, and each guest received a mirror and a message. Harlan and the rest of the guests loved it. Stephen, as a gay man, was particularly moved. He learned to be resilient as one of the first openly gay service members. He was in the Air Force.
The guests wanted to have dessert in a different location, while Lisa wanted dessert served at the table. Eric’s motto is “Don’t ask for permission, ask for forgiveness.” Stephen told Eric that it should have been run by him as the event coordinator. Eric believes that Stephen is jealous because he wants the chateau manager job.
Don’t change Lisa’s plans
Eric changed Lisa’s curated plan to serve breakfast in the gravel on the terrace. Instead, he moved it to the lawn under a big tree. As he was moving the tables, Gabriella told him that it wouldn’t work because that is where they had to set up for the Lilac Lunch.
Lisa went outside and realized that her plans were changed. Now both breakfast and lunch were in the same spot. She pulled Eric into her office, and she was furious. She demanded to know why he changed her plans. His response? “I just thought it looked nice,” Eric said.
Later, in his office, Eric had a conversation with himself, stating that he would never change anything again. Lisa overheard him and asked who he was talking to. Then she wanted to know what he was saying to himself. Lisa stated, “People might think you’re batsh*t crazy!”
Then Eric and Stephen started to bicker because Eric was complaining that he was doing Stephen’s job. Lisa watched while Eric was screaming at Stephen. Lisa told them to calm down and table it for later.
Gabriella grabbed Andre to accompany her to the bakery to get a cake for Harlan. And she was hot for Andre, and he felt the same about her. But she also knew that Grace had feelings for him, so she wasn’t pursuing him.
Butterfly Rebirth Ball
Harlan made a grand entrance and sat on a throne. Lisa gave her a shining tiara.
After the dinner, the staff is off the clock so they can kick it with the guests. Eric told Telly that he wanted a drink. She said that she wouldn’t serve him, so he grabbed a bottle and just poured it down his throat.
Vanderpump Villa, Episodes 1-3 are available to stream now on Hulu. Episode 4 will be available on Monday, April 8 on Hulu.
TELL US – DID YOU ENJOY THE FIRST THREE EPISODES OF VANDERPUMP VILLA? WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE STAFF MEMBER? WOULD YOU LIKE TO STAY AT CHATEAU ROSABELLE?
