It’s the age-old question: How real should reality TV be? If Vanderpump Rules has done anything with its eleventh season, it’s to show how to evolve beyond its blown-up premise to be something entirely new. But after weeks of trying to figure out if this is good, bad, or something else, I’m drawing the conclusion that it’s ultimately necessary, and everyone’s playing their part as best they can.
On one side, we have Katie and Ariana, who resent the show but would never voluntarily leave it. On the other, Scheana and Lala have gone into show-saving mode, ditching pretense and fan favorability to keep the train from veering off the tracks. While these two groups started the season in full alignment, they have moved further and further away with each week, a testament to how reality TV fundamentally changes the reality of a situation—and one that places the ladies at odds. Perhaps that’s why Tom Schwartz’s roommate Jo is such a breath of fresh air amid this bizarro reality, her entire plot far removed from the online discourse.
In the wake of the seismic levels of vitriol felt by the Scandoval, the online divide has further shaped the VPR landscape, as is the circle of life. It’s a conundrum that, even more so than with the cast, has the fanbase utterly divided. Some long for the show to move into new terrain, ditching the male cast members for a series about girl bosses doing it for themselves, while the fans who love mess simply want to see everyone sling mud at each other, alliances be damned.
And the show faces this head on in Tom Sandoval’s first confessional this week. When he complains that all the toiletries in his shared home with Ariana were purchased by him, a producer asks: “You just got destroyed on the internet for saying that. Why would you bring it up again?”
Sandoval doubles down, saying Ariana will be in for a “rude awakening” when she lives on her own. It’s this level of authenticity without worry of backlash that makes me appreciate Sandoval’s new role on the show, even if he’s an evil little man baby who all women should steer clear from. You should never pander to the fanbase, as Bravo fans are fickle beings who will always flip flop. Putting all your eggs in that basket can only lead to despair. And that, simply put, is why Lala finds herself aligning more with Sandoval as the season goes on. It’s not because she likes him as a person, but that she appreciates him as a co-worker, while she resents Ariana as one.
That’s something she basically admitted on a podcast this week when she said Ariana has “never really brought anything to this show.” It’s no doubt bizarre having Ariana helm the ship after years on the sidelines, but that’s also a fascinating aspect of reality TV. You can’t plan anything, and someone who seemed entirely irrelevant one season could have a life-changing star turn the next (see: Erika Jayne on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills).
As Ariana comes down from her boiling point in last week’s cliffhanger, she finally lets go of her armor and cries to Lala and Scheana. It’s a revealing talk that does shed light on the true feelings Ariana hides behind her carefully calculated exterior, and the thing she’s most upset by: losing her dream home. You can look at that in two ways, one being that she’s sad to lose the physical home, and the other that she’s clearly reeling from losing this sense of home and safety.
No doubt, the spark between Sandoval and Ariana died many moons ago, but the two were a brand more than a couple, and losing that aspect of her identity has Ariana reeling as she rediscovers herself. Maybe it would’ve been nice to hear her be vulnerable earlier, but we can’t put a timeline on these things. At the end of the day, this is her genuine reaction, just as stonewalling the cast was genuine, and raging on Sandoval was, too.
It’s an empowering moment that bonds the ladies after a season of tumult. But that bond only lasts so long before Lala starts firing shots. When she and Scheana go to a sperm bank, the topic of conversation veers from Lala’s journey to single motherhood to Ariana and Sandoval’s living situation. While Lala was happy to be a shoulder for Ariana, her real feelings are simple: Move out. The longer Ariana stays in that house, the less sympathy Lala feels. And I do agree, although if we’re being fair, we need to admit the blame is on both Ariana and Sandoval for their game of chicken. The house isn’t even that pretty; it just looks like every other modern farmhouse in Los Angeles. Surely, they could both find something better (and Ariana did!).
Not only is Lala maneuvering against Ariana, she also makes inroads with poor, down-trodden Jo. Now, you may be thinking: Wasn’t Lala just teasing Jo with the rest of the ladies? Well, yes! But Lala is nothing if not confident in her hypocrisy, to the point it’s so bull-headed you almost respect it. Almost.
Let’s be real. Lala doesn’t care about Jo; she just wants to torture Katie a little. We still have no idea what caused their fallout, but Lala and Katie clearly have no love lost. When the ladies embark on a “girls night,” the former besties can’t hide their resentment for one another, leading to an awkward squabble. After Lala shares that she went out with Jo, Katie immediately blows up.
“How did this happen, and why?” Katie says. “You don’t have any relationship with this girl. You don’t know this girl. This girl is nothing to you. I’m something to you, so why do you have to go feel bad for this chick?”
Obviously, Katie has fair reason to find Jo a most disturbing presence. And Lala has fair reason to try and make good TV. When Katie calls Lala out for being fake, Lala snaps, reminding Katie she wasn’t the one cheated on by Sandoval, nor was she besties with Jo. What she’s really saying is, “You have no reason to not play ball this season, so get in the game or leave the show.” Almost every argument this season is purely about the show itself, and they’re barely even hiding that.
Lala is real-time calculating how to pivot so that the entire season isn’t a snoozy, incessant pile-on and she doesn’t get crucified (as she did for her reunion performance). But in turn, her strategy has become entirely obvious. It’s a fascinating twist, and one that separates her from Scheana, despite the two having the same end-goal. Scheana is simply a pro, an OG of the series who has never really run the risk of being fired, despite the cast’s many attempts to oust her. She knows how to play the game without explicitly showing her cards.
Jo Wenberg.
Bravo
But, obviously no one’s above the facets of reality TV. And that’s best shown through this week’s bizarre plot of Katie and Tom Schwartz courting Scheana’s 24-year-old friend Tori. “Schwartz and Katie pursue the same girl, and hijinks ensue” is exactly the logline you’d expect from a late-series episode of a struggling TV show.
I mean, neither Katie nor Schwartz are winning an Oscar anytime soon; they simply can’t sell that plot as authentic. It’s cool to see Katie embracing her sexuality and making out with Tori for shits and giggles, but obviously, she has no real interest in dating Tori, and neither does Schwartz. I will say, Katie’s best moment all season was looking visibly annoyed at Tori’s over-the-top energy at their painting date. Katie’s humorless aura can be so funny when it’s used for good.
Tori has the energy of someone who’s just thrilled to be on TV with every second she gets. If it comes down to it, she’ll kidnap baby Summer Moon so she can snag herself a three-episode arc.
But Tori has nothing on our real scene stealer, Jo, who scores herself a breakout episode this week. Jo has been one of the most fascinating characters of Season 11, especially given she’s a fresh face in contrast to this seasoned group of reality stars. Poor Jo finally hit her breaking point this week, as the secret sociopathy of Tom Schwartz peeked its head out, torturing her to the brink of insanity. Luckily, Jo gets her lick back by dying Schwartz’s hair a disturbing blonde, aging him a decade instantly. Now that’s girl power.
At a singles night out, Jo watches Schwartz flirt it up with a new girl, and that’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
“I know the truth, and the truth is that we are still hooking up. We’ve said I love you to each other. It bothers me that he doesn’t really want to share this relationship with his friends. I’m tired of feeling like a secret,” Jo reveals in a confessional.
Over at Schwartz’s apartment (which is also Jo’s, I believe…?), the two finally have an honest conversation. Schwartz doesn’t want a relationship with her. He just wants to have sex with her, share emotionally intimate moments and tell her he loves her, while being able to date other women. Shockingly, Jo finds this insulting and degrading, and calls him out. You can almost see the light bulb go off in her head as she realizes she’s being played, and Schwartz just isn’t the man she thought him to be.
The entire scene is surprisingly emotional, and it’s really nice to see Jo put herself first and actually step away. For a show that’s so mean-spirited and absurd, it’s lovely that Jo actually got an edit that allows her to be sympathetic instead of the butt of a joke. And what really sticks out from this scene is that this would have happened even if there were no cameras. That’s what really separates Jo’s storyline from the rest of the season. As this show embraces post-reality, this is the one plot that actually has a vintage VPR aspect to it. There’s no strategy or plotting here. Jo is simply another victim of the awful men who rule this show with an iron fist.
The plot is also a point of promise, reminding us that VPR can adapt and evolve without losing sight of the reason people watch the show. It’s easy to imagine Season 12 and beyond might pull back from fourth-wall breaks as the cast acclimate to this new reality. Only time will tell. Hopefully, the show feels comfortable introducing more newbies next season, as that would further break up the monotony and cement that new age VPR isn’t just a victory lap, but a full-fledged renaissance.
This post was originally published on Daily Beast
