Reality TV
Is Vanderpump Rules Ending? The Season 11 Finale Has Clues
Scandoval revived the Bravo series, but could it also end the show?
In September, Vanderpump Rules received its very first Emmy nominations after 10 seasons on Bravo, fueled by the Scandoval phenomenon. But just a few months later, the series may be on its last legs. The Season 11 finale, which premiered on May 7, felt like a series finale in many ways (and I’m not ready to let it go).
In the final ten minutes, Ariana Madix walks away when her ex-boyfriend Tom Sandoval, who had a months-long affair with former castmate Rachel “Raquel” Leviss, tries to speak with her. An executive producer is seen attempting to coax Madix into talking to Sandoval, causing her to explain herself then leave the building.
Instead of showing compassion to their friend, the cast takes Madix’s actions as a threat to their livelihood and an insult to Pump Rules, acting as if her refusal to speak will be the show’s demise.
Ariana Refusing To Speak To Tom
Madix had to explain why she wouldn’t give Sandoval the time of day, arguing that his intentions were to look good for the cameras, not show remorse for his actions. “Whatever it is that Tom is trying to get from me, it’s not for me, it’s for him,” she said in a confessional. “I am the final boss in his video game of redemption, and because he can’t get to the final boss, he’s f*cking pissed.”
Madix filmed all season without disrupting the cast dynamic or forcing Sandoval to be uninvited from any group events. But the implication is clear: If she and Sandoval can’t communicate and coexist, the show as a whole is at stake.
Ironically, Sandoval puts the blame solely on Madix for setting that boundary, despite his affair. “If you don’t want to film with your ex, don’t be on the show,” he angrily said.
Lala’s Comments
In a moment that breaks the fourth wall, Lala Kent expresses her dismay over Madix’s refusal to film with Sandoval despite living with him at the time. (Madix has since moved out after buying her own $1.6 million home, and is in a legal battle with Sandoval over selling their shared house.)
“I love filming this show because it is real,” Kent said in a confessional. “I find it to be tremendously healing, and for Ariana to walk out this way is just such a slap in the face. This is what we do. We’ve been doing this for most of our adult lives.”
On cue, a flashback montage plays showing the stars as young, fresh-faced SUR employees (nay, SURvers), contrasted with their current selves after dominating reality TV. It serves as a reminder of where the show began and how much the cast has grown, but the bittersweet nostalgia seems to signify this as the end of their journey.
The Show’s Pause
Just a week before the May 7 finale, Bravo reportedly paused production on Pump Rules for the time being rather than film in the summer months as usual. “Everyone needs a moment to decompress after two very rough, intense seasons,” a source told Page Six. “The cast is looking forward to a break from filming the show.”
However, according to TMZ, the show is not canceled, and producers are hopeful that “there'll have been some big developments and new drama to capture” in the cast’s lives before cameras start rolling again.
That said, many fans thought that Vanderpump Rules was virtually dead by the end of 2022, and Season 10 completely proved otherwise, achieving record-high ratings and Emmy nominations for the network. The Season 11 premiere continued that streak. If Pump Rules could hit a new peak after over a decade, who’s to say the show is beyond repair?
