Vanderpump Rules will enter uncharted territory after its three-part season 11 reunion concludes in a few weeks, but after watching the first episode, I’m convinced that the producers are hiding a surprise in part 3 that could possibly change the trajectory of the show. Everything about Vanderpump Rules season 11 has felt different — the fallout of Scandoval has forced the cast to confront the fourth wall in an unprecedented way, as the line between the “world” of the show and the real world blurs. All pretense has been stripped from Vanderpump Rules — it’s still about a group of coworkers, but the job is Reality Television Star and the workplace conflict is a bit more layered.
As Ariana Madix’s star has risen post-Scandoval, the rest of the cast has been forced to confront the ways they operate as public figures. This came to a head in Vanderpump Rules season 11 finale as Madix’s refusal to film with her ex-boyfriend Tom Sandoval prompted Lala Kent and Scheana Shay to air their grievances about their co-star’s fame. After the finale, it has been reported that Vanderpump Rules will not film this summer, but this has led some to question whether the show will come back at all.
Vanderpump Rules season 11 has hyper-focused on the fallout from Scandoval giving little room for other storylines to flourish and leading some to believe that the upcoming reunion could be two-parts. A two-part reunion isn’t unheard of — the network has often opted for shorter reunions when the preceding season hasn’t yielded enough material for a lengthy post-mortem, which seemed like it could be the case for this batch of episodes. Andy Cohen’s comments on Radio Andy about filming the season 11 reunion indicate the final moments could be quite dramatic.
Finally, the Vanderpump Rules season 11 reunion trailer seems to be very light on footage, centering around only a few key moments. The centerpiece is a reunion first: the cast will watch the last few minutes of the season 11 finale together on stage. Madix’s reaction to Kent’s rant and Sandoval’s response has already been teased, with the star in tears as she expresses how much more her feelings have been hurt.
Besides that and a brief visit from Jo Wenberg, though, nearly every moment from the trailer is contained in part 1 of the season 11 reunion. The hype surrounding the three-part event, the comments made by cast members, and the heavily edited trailers all suggest that something big could go down in part 3 of the reunion.
Vanderpump Rules spinoff The Valley heralded the return of controversial figures like Kristen Doute, Jax Taylor, and Brittany Cartwright. During its first season, The Valley has also featured appearances from Shay and Kent while new cast members on The Valley like Janet Caperna have emphasized how close both groups are when the cameras aren’t rolling. This has extended to the Vanderpump Rules aftershow where Doute, Taylor, Cartwright and others from The Valley comment on the most recent episodes of both shows.
The connections between Vanderpump Rules and The Valley have only grown more prominent after the long-rumored spinoff finally made its debut. Both Kent and Shay have recently bought houses in the valley and reports indicate that Kent is in talks to film for The Valley season 2. A permanent move to The Valley has long been assumed for some members of Vanderpump Rules as they age out of the West Hollywood lifestyle and enter the next phases of their lives, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
Despite its season 2 renewal, The Valley season 1’s reunion has been an open question. Doute seemed to confirm the cast wouldn’t film one on her podcast, but the reality star has since walked back these comments in an interview with the NY Post, saying, “I did say it on my podcast — but it’s what I’ve read online… I’m not 100 percent sure yet. I don’t know either way. We haven’t been given a date. We haven’t been told there’s not one yet.”
The most likely option seems to be someone announcing their exit in real time at the Vanderpump Rules season 11 reunion taping. Madix’s exit from Vanderpump Rules seems most likely. With her career continuing to flourish, she has the least to lose and the most to gain by leaving the cast — she’s staying booked and, most importantly, she’ll be able to maintain boundaries and nurture her mental health away from the cameras and the ire of audiences who wish to see her engage more.
Katie Maloney exiting would also be unsurprising — her stake in the show has grown considerably smaller since her divorce from Schwartz and, like Madix, she has established boundaries that have often led to conflict with Schwartz and even other cast members. It seems possible that she could maintain her friendships with the rest of the cast while pursuing other ventures away from the cameras.
Another option could be that part 3 of the Vanderpump Rules reunion involves a candid, unprecedented discussion about the show’s future. With the fourth wall shattered and the cast openly talking about how Scandoval has affected the series and their livelihoods, it doesn’t seem out of the question that a discussion could be heading in that direction. Given Kent’s comments at the end of the season 11 finale, the cast watching that scene could naturally segue into a discussion about season 12 and what Vanderpump Rules may look like going forward.
That future may have something to do with The Valley. If the show’s production pause is discussed openly at the reunion, it seems possible that Kent, Shay, or other castmembers could discuss their move to the spinoff. Production is emphasizing the synergy between the two shows and a season culminating in this type of move would be a shocking yet understandable progression.
The most galaxy brain theory — and perhaps my favorite — is that part 3 of the Vanderpump Rules season 11 reunion could include input from Doute, Taylor, and Cartwright, or may actually be a backdoor reunion for The Valley season 1. Vanderpump Rules began as a backdoor pilot from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, so connecting the two series in that way could be a good way to convince reluctant audience members to finally tune into The Valley. While this is ultimately unlikely, it truly seems like anything is possible.
Even with all this, it could be that the Vanderpump Rules season 11 reunion contains no major surprise twists. The cast, especially the women, have been through enough over the last few years that a pause is needed. Whether that pause becomes permanent seems dependent on a few factors, but it may mostly be up to Madix. No matter what happens, though, the Vanderpump Rules season 11 reunion is sure to provide hints at a path forward for the series, whether it’s a dead end or a whole new era.