In March 2023 news broke that Vanderpump Rules stars Tom Sandoval and Rachel Leviss were having an affair. The scandal, commonly referred to as Scandoval, attracted so much media attention that it broke through the Bravoverse and entered the mainstream. As a result, many new faces tuned in to watch Season 10. Now that the fanbase has grown significantly, many new viewers aren’t acquainted with Vanderpump Rules history. If you are a VPR rookie, don’t worry, we’ll catch you up to speed.
Here are 5 Vanderpump Rules seasons you need to watch:
5. Season 1
Ah, yes, where it all began. Unlike some other Bravo shows (cough, cough Summer House), Vanderpump Rules didn’t struggle to find its footing in the early seasons. Season 1 was a tour de force with nonstop drama from start to finish. It started with Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Brandi Glanville confronting Scheana Shay for sleeping with her husband and ended with Jax Taylor admitting he cheated on Stassi Schroeder in Vegas. The season as a whole was shocking, entertaining, and made us feel better about our own messy lives. It’s definitely worth a rewatch.
4. Season 2
Season 2 is a must-see season. Between the Jax and Kristen Doute hookup reveal and Ariana Madix coming into the group, it’s a huge part of Vanderpump Rules history. It’s also just an incredibly entertaining season. Stassi backhands Kristen, Sandoval swings at Jax, and Scheana performs her iconic song “Good as Gold” on the bar at SUR.
3. Season 3
Season 3 is necessary to watch because of “Miami Girl.” About halfway through the season, Kristen received a direct message from a girl who supposedly slept with Sandoval in Miami. This was fantastic news for Kristen, who was determined to ruin Sandoval and Ariana’s relationship. Kristen brought the girl to SUR to confront her ex about their one-night stand. Sandoval denied the whole thing and made the girl look totally crazy. Ariana said she believed Sandoval was telling the truth and Kristen’s scheme was a bust. For years, we all dismissed the drama as a desperate ploy by Kristen to get revenge on her ex. That was until 2023 when Ariana revealed that Sandoval did sleep with Miami Girl. She also admitted she knew the whole time that the rumor was true. Season 3 is essential viewing to understand Sandoval’s pattern of lying. I mean, poor Miami Girl, she was telling the truth the entire time.
In addition to Miami Girl, Season 3 also gave us Scheana’s crop top wedding dress, so yeah, it was pretty iconic.
2. Season 5
If you are a newer viewer of VPR, you may be wondering, “What did Tom Schwartz do to Katie Maloney to cause all this resentment?” Well, look no further than Season 5. There is so much drama between the two this season that it is mind-boggling that they made it down the aisle in the finale. Katie should’ve left him after the comments he made this season. If you are looking for insight into how the former couple ended up where they are, watch Season 5.
1. Season 6
Season 6 spawned many of the most iconic moments in Vanderpump Rules history. From Lala and James Kennedy’s “It’s not about the pasta” fight to Brittany Cartwright screaming, “Rot in h*ll” at Jax, it’s must-see TV. This season is also when Scheana dates Rob Valletta. You know, the guy who could hang a TV on a wall in under seven minutes.
Seasons 7, 8, and 9 are probably not worth rewatching. Season 7 is great in terms of Scheana content but aside from that, there’s not much to write home about. Seasons 8 and 9 are when VPR was in its flop era. They introduced some characters we didn’t care about and lost some characters we did care about. If you watch the first six seasons and then jump to 10, we’ll still deem you a VPR historian.
TELL US – DO YOU AGREE WITH OUR LIST? WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT SEASONS OF VANDERPUMP RULES TO REWATCH?
