Is Vanderpump Rules Season 11 Shaping Up To Be a Disappointment After Scandoval?
Paul Dailly
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It's a rarity that a TV show becomes one of the most-talked-about series on the air ten seasons in, but that's exactly what happened with Vanderpump Rules.
Scandoval became one of the biggest talking points of the year because of the scandal involving Tom Sandoval cheating on his girlfriend of almost a decade, Ariana Madix, with Raquel Leviss.
With Vanderpump Rules Season 11 filming in its final stages, Vanderpump Rules spoilers are being served faster than production got Andy and a camera to film the Scandoval fallout.
Rachel Leviss is Not Returning
It isn't surprising that Leviss is sitting out of Vanderpump Rules Season 11.
Raquel slowly immersed herself in the group after her first appearance on Vanderpump Rules Season 5 Episode 1.
As a result, she remained with the show following the demise of her relationship with James and became one of the focal personalities during Vanderpump Rules Season 10.
Obviously, the cheating scandal burned bridges with her friends, and if the explosive reunion proved anything, Rachel faced an uphill battle to get back in good graces with her former friends.
Despite teases that Rachel could return before the cameras stopped rolling, she did a bombshell-ridden three-part interview with Real Housewives of New York alum Bethenny Frankel that didn't paint the show -- or Bravo -- in the best light.
When reality TV stars speak out about the network that employed them, it usually leads to them being blacklisted from future projects.
Then again, it's hard to imagine producers passing up the opportunity of bringing Rachel back down the line. There will be plenty of drama with Rachel.
Rachel is done with the show for now, meaning we probably won't be getting as much of the Scandoval fallout as anticipated.
Charli Burnett is Probably Not Returning
Charli might be a newer addition to the cast, but she struck a chord with fans when she appeared on Vanderpump Rules Season 8.
Despite some serious star quality, she's never become a central star.
With most of the events the cast attends being plastered across social media, Charli has been MIA, leading to speculation she won't be a part of the upcoming season.
We'll miss her calling people out, especially Jax Taylor!
Jax Taylor, Billie Lee, & More Former Cast Members Are Filming, and Likely Back as Tom Sandoval's Allies
When news of the scandal broke, fired cast member Jax Taylor somehow became relevant again and secured a contract to film a spinoff series.
Jax was vocal about his disdain for his former costar when the affair was revealed to the public, but with him returning to the network for a spinoff, it's hard to imagine him not appearing in some capacity in the upcoming season.
It would be the perfect platform to tease his new show, and something tells us he's one of few people who would film with Tom at the beginning of the season.
Another former star who is reportedly back to help Tom secure camera time is former SURver Billie Lee.
Lee didn't have the best time on the series, revealing after her exit that the cast wasn't entirely friendly to her during her time on the series.
Billie is Tom's friend and is familiar to fans, so bringing her back might be one of the few ways to give Tom some scenes without the people who won't film with him.
Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval Appear to Be Filming Together, Leading to Rumors They're On Speaking Terms
Madix previously said she wouldn't film with her embattled ex-boyfriend, but it seems she's had a change of heart.
A fan recently shared a video of the cast going into SUR as filming was underway, and they were a part of the same group.
Ever since the dawn of Scandoval, some doubters believed the cheating scandal was fabricated to secure the show's future.
While it's hard to imagine that being the case, Ariana and Tom walking into the restaurant as part of the same group of friends certainly makes it seem like they're on speaking terms.
Then again, they're both still living in the same house, so perhaps they've realized the volatility between each other is too exhausting and are trying to be amicable, even if Tom doesn't deserve it.
After Scandoval Revived the Show, It's Nearly Impossible to Maintain That Level of Drama
If you watch Vanderpump Rules online, you know the series has thrived on drama.
As a result, Scandoval forever changed the fabric of the show, and people will be tuning in, expecting the show to maintain that level of drama.
The series was exposed to a bigger audience than ever before, so there will be plenty of excitement about the upcoming season, but people might begin tuning out if the drama isn't as exciting.
It's hard to believe a cheating scandal reinvigorated Vanderpump Rules, but there haven't been many headlines involving drama.
If the entirety of Vanderpump Rules Season 11 is the cast reacting to the headlines and putting rumors to bed, it won't be that exciting.
What are your thoughts on all of the above, Vanderpump Rules fanatics?
Do you think the show is headed for disaster?
Hit the comments below.
Vanderpump Rules returns to Bravo in 2024.
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
