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It’s part one of the season 11 Vanderpump Rules reunion. This time around, there are no couches, only chairs, and there are no restraining orders, so luckily all parties can be on set at the same time. However, that does NOT mean that Scandoval is a thing of the past. In fact, the majority of this first part focuses on Rachel, Sandoval, and Ariana. Where they’re living, who they’re living with, and just how quickly Ariana “dropped” Katie to head to Broadway. Intent vs. impact seems to be the theme…
The reunion kicks off the way any great Bravo show does: 7 hours prior. We viewers get a snippet of what’s to come and the fact that they will be watching the finale episode live, together, makes me cringe. But that will have to wait.
For now, Andy is here to step in as mediator, since Ann, the infamous assistant of the season, is not available (Andy’s joke, not mine). LVP realizes that there’s a lot to work out within the group, but Sandoval feels like he’s in a better space than last year. According to Ariana and Katie, by the time the reunion airs, Something About Her will be open (but upon a quick Google search, that place still hasn’t opened its doors). In the meantime, Ariana is having the time of her life and Lala is prepping for the arrival of her baby by buying a house in the Valley. Scheana and Brock have ALSO purchased a house in the Valley, which seems like insurance to get on another show in case VPR falls through…
Andy points out that during the season Sandoval and Ariana lived under the same roof. Ariana has filed a petition action to forge the sale of the house, but she cannot talk about it as it is an ongoing legal issue. Ariana is currently not living in the home and Schwartz is still on the fence about moving in with Sandoval. As everyone teases them about being grown up roommates, Sandoval is the only one not laughing about this and explains that his dad is in his 60’s and still has roomies.
When it comes to Rachel, LVP calls her absolutely ridiculous. Sandoval wanted her to come to her own decision about returning to the show and Lala feels like they might’ve had a “productive conversation” should Rachel have come back. However, Lala explains that she would not have changed how last year’s reunion went down, referring to the fierce loyalty to Ariana.
Sandoval calls Rachel a “coward” for not coming back, considering they both are responsible and he has chosen to face the truth. Sandoval believes that the rumor that he groomed Rachel implies “pedophilia,” but Lala, who evidently has a LOT to say, disagrees with him. Lala does admit to being a projector, but understands that Rachel’s lack of responsibility remains a big issue. Sandoval reminds the group that they were equal partners in this affair and it’s wild that Rachel is now going after both him and Ariana with a revenge porn lawsuit. Sandoval admits that it’s one thing to go after him, but for Rachel to go after Ariana is a new level.
When it comes to suicidal ideations, Sandoval talks about the ups and downs. Lala and Scheana feel like that might have played a role in why they chose to soften towards him, but Ariana remains stoic. She doesn’t appreciate how Sandoval spoke publicly about her mental health. Sandoval says that he felt as if Ariana used that as a “manipulation tactic” to keep him in the relationship, but no one is buying it. Sandoval further claims that the reason he put Ariana’s issue out there on camera was because, “I didn’t believe it.”
Sandoval gets called out for comparing the affair to George Floyd and OJ Simpson. He does his best to talk his way out of that, claiming that he simply meant that his affair should not have been as newsworthy as the important issues were. Katie points out that Sandoval should think before he speaks because there’s something called “intent vs. impact.” It doesn’t matter HOW Sandoval meant it because the impact of the statement is more important and long lasting.
Lala shares the exciting news that she is expecting a little girl with donor #1, the one they selected at the party. Regarding her custody agreement, Lala gets emotional explaining how she has yet to reach one. Lala talks about how close she is with Randall’s first wife, Ambyr, and that although dating is on hold, “no man or woman is safe.”
Scheana talks a little about her post-partum OCD and the intrusive thoughts that come with it. Because Lala, Scheana, and Brock feel like a throuple, Scheana admits to worrying that Lala and Brock could get together. She blames this intrusive thought on Scandoval.
When it comes to Brock, he shares that he is up to date on his child support, but has yet to see his other children. He is not sure how to move forward with them, but gets emotional talking about how Summer is his second chance at being a dad. When Katie calls him an amazing father, that speaks volumes, considering she is a harsh critic.
Ariana has had herself a YEAR. DWTS, a new cocktail book, a. new. man. And then some. Being on Broadway has been great for her relationship, as Dan lives in NY, but she still remains steadfast on being bicoastal. Ariana states that it will take a long time to fully process the affair and so she refuses to put her life on hold while she tries to navigate the aftermath.
James gets a bit salty talking about the double-standard he faced when he moved on “quickly” with Ally. Ariana, apparently, started dating Dan rather fast, yet no one gave her sh*t. James claims to be over it, but it seems like it is very much still bothering him.
Speaking of relationships, Sandoval has a new girlfriend, Victoria. She is a successful model who used to date Leonardo DiCaprio. Good thing she has never watched the show. Does she know what she got herself into with this guy?!
After a decade, the doors of Pump were closed for good eight months earlier. LVP has moved some stuff over to TomTom, and she claims that it was because of all the backlash that came after the affair. In truth, no one knew if the TomTom “brand” would survive the scandal…not even LVP.
LVP gets shady talking about Something About Her, claiming that the timeline for the restaurant was greatly affected by disagreements and Ariana continuously being away. More on this topic later…
Ariana admits that she hasn’t watched any of the season because she didn’t want to get dragged back to a dark place. She states that Lala has been transparent and Ariana understands that Lala was working through stuff herself, so there’s no beef there. But, Katie and Lala did a lot of head butting this season. Lala claims this tension stemmed from a DM that Katie sent her. According to Lala, the DM said, “Get rid of your lawyer cuz what you need is a therapist. You’re a f**king clown.”
Katie tries to clarify what she said, but Lala felt like Katie jumped down her throat. Katie wanted Lala to see herself in Ariana’s shoes and she didn’t appreciate how Lala tried to tell Ariana how to deal with the sh*t. Lala explains that she felt “abandoned” by Katie and Katie wonders if it’s because she didn’t want to jump on the Tom train like Lala did.
Lala then goes on to make a big accusation: Katie acts differently off camera than on camera, saying things off camera that she then denies if brought up on camera. For one, Lala claims that Katie said that Ariana abandoned their restaurant and that this time last year, Ariana was not caught up on the rent for the shop. Katie vehemently denies confiding about this stuff with Lala, but does admit that she didn’t get a heads up about Ariana heading to Broadway.
Lala states that her and Katie are supposed to be the truth tellers and that maybe Katie lived in the comments too much, trying to figure out how to play to the fans because “it’s no secret that Ariana is a fan favorite,” so no one wanted to go against her on camera. Lala also made this same claim about Scheana and James, suggesting they play to the audience.
Apparently, at some point, Katie lost it on Lala, threatening, “if you’re gonna f**k with my business Lala, then I’m gonna f**k with yours.” To that, Lala retorts, “And honest to God I wanted to say you to Something About Her is really Nothing About Her,” a jab that Lala knew would cut deep. Ariana looks on in confusion as this all unfolds…and it’s just part one.
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