Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules has been in rocky waters since the day it premiered on the 2024 TV schedule, which left audiences with mixed thoughts. The season did not get better as time went on; in fact, it somehow got worse. However, as a diehard fan of the Bravo series, I have never been more frustrated than I was watching the conclusion to the three-part reunion special.
This season has been a comedy of errors thanks to the show wrongly assuming that fans would be open to a Tom Sandoval redemption arc in the wake of last season’s cheating scandal. Instead of the show focusing on more interesting storylines, fans sat through episode after episode of cast members like Lala Kent and Scheana Shay coming around to Sandoval despite what he did to their best friend and coworker. To make matters even worse, the season ended with a fourth wall break that saw the two cast members badmouthing Ariana Madix, who opted to walk out instead of continuing to film with her ex.
I, like many fans, was eager to see how everyone would react to that moment after it was revealed that the footage would be shared with the cast during the final part of the reunion special. As gut-wrenching as it was, it was almost cathartic to see Madix realize how toxic her so-called friends have been to her. Unfortunately, not even that watershed moment kept me from feeling anything but frustrated when the show ended because of countless other things that happened over the course of the hour-long finale.
Lala Seemingly Trying To Produce Storylines While Playing The Victim
Lala Kent seemed to forget her role as a cast member this season and gave herself an unofficial promotion to producer status, which only led her to become this season's villain. It was clear all season as she routinely tried to get Madix to sit down with Sandoval, but it became undeniable in the season finale when she went off on the Love Island USA host for storming out of the party and accusing her of “becoming God” in the wake of the cheating scandal.
Naturally, Kent jumped to the defensive when the footage was shared at the reunion. She tried to justify her outburst by saying she was frustrated because Madix's leaving jeopardized her position on the show and the paycheck she used to support her growing family. However, her “poor me” victimhood isn’t easy to get behind, considering she’s been manipulating the cast and attempting to do the same with fans, like in part one of the reunion where she tried to get them to turn on Katie for an off-camera conversation she had about Madix.
Tom Sandoval Getting His Moment With The Audience
When Ariana Madix left the party in the finale, she took the opportunity for Tom Sandoval to give a fake apology to her in the hopes of winning over the fans. That should have been the end of it, but instead, Sandoval used the shared footage in part three of the reunion to get the moment that was stolen from him.
It was incredibly frustrating to watch because fans know that it was a bogus move in an attempt to make himself look good. Honestly, I’m madder that producers kept it in and actually thought the fans would excuse his behavior and his snide comment in the footage where he’s heard saying Madix leaving is “good for me” by shedding a few crocodile tears. Do they think we’re that stupid?
Scheana Ignoring Ariana’s Pain To Defend Lala
Scheana Shay and Madix have been best friends since the show began, and the latter regularly comes to her defense when the other girls have issues with her. That entire friendship was thrown out the window this season when Scheana decided to mend bridges with Sandoval and turn against her so-called bestie.
Fans have speculated all season that Scheana had replaced Madix with Kent in terms of her best friend hierarchy, and part three of the reunion proved that. In a scene that wasn’t supposed to make it to air, Scheana can be seen running to Kent’s aid after the footage was shown to ask what she could say to make it better instead of going to comfort Madix, who was visibly shaken and upset after learning her friends had been talking behind her back.
Not only does it prove that Scheana isn’t a great friend, but it also goes back to my initial point of frustration that Kent has been trying to produce the season the entire time. Why else would Scheana feel compelled to ask what she can say when they start filming again if not to protect the contrite narrative the two of them built for themselves?
Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules has been one of the most unbearable seasons to watch, so much so that I and many others hope that it’s the final season for the once-popular Bravo reality show. If you don’t mind shouting at your television screen, you can stream the entire season with a Peacock subscription.
