To say Season 11 was a weird year for Vanderpump Rules would be an understatement. Thanks to Scandoval, the show had more eyes on it than ever. After the internet-breaking scandal, and an Emmy-nominated Season 10, the follow-up went in some…interesting directions. The season was divisive, to put things mildly.
Before the season even aired, many assumed that Tom Sandoval would get his redemption arc. While Tom Schwartz’s loyalty was never in question, other stars switched. Did they think they were on the winning side? And, now that the season’s over, who came out looking good as gold?
Winner: Ariana Madix
Ariana Madix admitted she was worried about everyone turning on her this season. Instead, Team Ariana is stronger than ever. While VPR goes on a production break, Ariana will host Love Island USA and return to her dream role in Chicago on Broadway. At this point, she’s been booked and busy for well over a year. While it may have started that way, it’s inaccurate to say she’s still getting these opportunities just because she got cheated on. That makes her a winner.
Loser: Producers
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen so much chatter about the producers of Pump Rules before. Week after week on social media, fans expressed frustration at how overly produced the episodes were. This season had so much hype thanks to Scandoval- perhaps too much, to be fair. Public perception was that producers were handed a golden ticket to bring new life into the long-running series, which obviously brought a new level of pressure. While ratings remained solid, the overall sentiment was that producers fumbled the bag.
Winner: Katie Maloney
Katie Maloney had her best season ever, and she’s living her best life! Despite what some may say, Katie hasn’t been “miserable” in some time. She stuck to her guns, stood by her boundaries, and remained loyal to Ariana. This season also utilized her deadpan humor perfectly with her incredibly relatable confessionals.
She also wildly improved the way she argues, making spot-on points while holding her own against Lala Kent and the Toms. In a season where men weren’t held accountable by producers, Katie consistently called out Brock Davies and Jax Taylor. After the Max Boyens hookup, she didn’t let accusations of hypocrisy phase her. To quote James Kennedy’s mom, we were all Team Katie with the banging. While a certain Instagram comment about Jo Wenberg was very mean and uncalled for, her Tequila Katie rage texts were otherwise kept in check.
On a shallow note, she looks better than ever. No wonder her ex-husband asked for a one-night stand.
Loser: Lala Kent & Scheana Shay
Lala and Scheana Shay were lumped together all season, so it makes sense to include them together on this list as well. Is it understandable to be a bit jealous of a friend who suddenly became America’s Sweetheart? Sure. But the way Lala and Scheana acted two-faced to Ariana all season was hard to watch. Both were accused of self-producing, which bothered viewers a lot. And they backed the wrong horse regarding the Sandoval redemption arc. That all being said, there is no excuse for fans leaving negative comments on their social media pages (this also goes for everyone on this list).
Winner: Tom Schwartz
Unfortunately, Schwartz continues to get away unscathed for the eleventh season in a row. Despite being an active participant in Scandoval, he played the same cards he always does. And, once again, he got away with nefarious behavior without apologizing.
He obviously led Jo on and treated her like dirt, but she’s the one getting raked over the coals. And until very recently, she was still defending him. For the second year in a row, he set up Katie to fight another woman while pretending to be an innocent bystander. And yet, even Ariana acted friendlier towards him by the season’s end.
Loser: Lisa Vanderpump
I might have to agree with Jax on this one thing. Lisa Vanderpump did seem kind of superfluous this season. Instead of making a speech at the finale, she just appeared via FaceTime. Somehow, Kyle Chan’s whiskey launch party was the setting of the finale instead of one of Lisa’s restaurants. It feels representative of the weird place the show is in right now. Maybe she was too busy with Vanderpump Villa?
Draw: Rachel Leviss
On the one hand, we can all agree that Rachel Leviss dodged a bullet. Leaving the show and Sandoval behind was surely the right move for her mental health. On the other hand, her podcast may have backfired. And we’ll have to see how these lawsuits shake out.
Loser: Brock Davies
Brock got so much backlash in Season 9 that he was demoted the following year. So, why was he back and in a bigger role than ever? He didn’t come across as a very supportive partner to Scheana. Though I’m glad he recognizes that now. And I still have no idea why Andy Cohen called him a voice of reason.
Winner: James Kennedy & Ally Lewber
Like Katie, James earned a lot of points for staying (mostly) loyal to Ariana. He also regained custody of his dog, renamed Hippie. And his career is going great.
James and Ally Lewber took Ariana and Sandoval’s place as the show’s main couple. Time will tell if they last. But Ally also continues to win fans over, especially with her astrology knowledge.
Loser: That redemption arc
I do have empathy for Sandoval, and I can understand why producers wanted to remind viewers that he’s a human being, not a comic book villain. However, he kept making the same moves over and over, which made it hard to believe his apologies. Hopefully, he’ll take the break to adequately reflect on his actions.
As for his storyline, tearing down Ariana and Rachel was not the way to build Sandoval back up. Judging by his hot mic moment, Sandoval thought he won the season. Days after the finale, he was once again a punchline on Saturday Night Live. So, I would say redemption wasn’t quite reached yet.
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