Lingering 'Vanderpump Rules' Finale Thoughts
Emmys all around.
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It was the episode we’d all been waiting for.
Over two months after #Scandoval instantly turned the Bravo world upside down, dominating the internet and roping in new fans in the process, we finally got to see the “Vanderpump Rules” finale last night. To say it delivered would be an understatement.
The cameras famously picked back up after months of not filming to document the fallout from the news that Tom Sandoval had been cheating on Ariana Madix for seven months with one of her best friends, Raquel Leviss. The footage was highly anticipated, highly teased, initially leaked and ultimately given to us in the form of a supersized episode that will go down in reality TV history.
And, if that was our Super Bowl, then Ariana’s appearance on “Watch What Happens Live” directly after the episode was our State of the Union. Clad in a “slutty funeral” revenge dress, Ariana did her first interview since the scandal broke and answered all of Andy Cohen’s (read: our) burning questions.
Rather than recap the entire ordeal (read Brian Moylan’s excellent recap for Vulture if you want to read that!), I figured I would share some (many) lingering thoughts I have about the epic finale: moments that stood out to me, where I’m reading between the lines, instantly iconic quotes, minor things I would’ve liked to have seen and, yes, stuff that I’m still wondering about.
It needs reiterating that this finale delivered on its promise to be an absolute bombshell of an episode. With all of the hype and teasing, I was quietly a little worried that we’d already been made privy to the juiciest bits and, thankfully, that wasn’t the case.
Production did such an incredible job at pulling back a bit on its usual producing and editing style to let some of the more important, intense moments breathe, particularly the opening standoff between Ariana and Sandoval and the final conversation between Scheana and Sandoval. There’s barely any background music in those scenes, which made the impact of a few of those moments of silence really be felt. Bookending the episode with those two conversations — the most gutting, the most affecting, the most raw of the entire finale — couldn’t have been a better decision.
I loved them opening with “Watch What Happens Live,” giving us the March 1, 2023 date on-screen, showing us some unreleased vlog footage that Scheana captured that night and then jumping up two days to Sandoval and Ariana’s conversation on March 3. I actually wish that they had continued with the dates to let us know when each of the scenes happened. Not only would it have just been helpful and interesting to know, but it also would’ve hit home just how quickly all of this fallout happened.
When talking about the screen recording of his X-rated FaceTime with Raquel that Ariana found on his phone, Sandoval said, “I would normally delete something like that but it had been such a busy, chaotic day.” I’d like to know more about this. Does he have multiple recordings taken without Raquel’s consent? Or Ariana’s for that matter? That comment felt like a half Freudian slip that we blew right past.
Speaking of the FaceTime, I noticed that they never actually said during the episode what was happening in the recording. Was that because it was too lewd? Or perhaps it’s a legal thing, per the early March report that her lawyer asked anyone who had the video to delete it and stop spreading it around. We can obviously infer a lot of what the video showed, but I found it notable that nobody explicitly shared its contents on the show.
The first scene between Ariana and Sandoval should be studied. It’s one of the rawest, most authentic breakup scenes we’ve ever seen on reality TV. Ariana’s ability to articulate herself so thoroughly while dealing not only with so much emotion but also with the man who betrayed her still spewing bullshit at her was so impressive. Her composure was incredible, but I’m also glad that she allowed herself to really go there: she let herself be angry, passive aggressive, tearful, reflective, savage, and it was brave of her to go through the confusing and overwhelming array of emotions for the cameras during such a vulnerable moment.
Sandoval trying to explain his affair to the woman he’s been in a relationship with for nine years by saying that “it’s not about looks… it came from something much deeper” was so incredibly insulting. Implying that his connection to Raquel is deeper than his connection to Ariana is absurd, and I was screaming at my TV when she called him out for it: “Don’t you fucking dare talk to me about a deep connection. I don’t want to hear it, because it’s fucking disgusting.”
A moment of appreciation for Ariana’s epic sendoff to Sandoval: “Why don’t you be sorry you ever fucking did it? I regret every moment that I stood up for you, defended you, supported you. You’re worth nothing. I want you to feel that deep in your soul. I want you to hear those words coming from the mouth of the woman that fucking stood by you and loved you and was ready to build the rest of my life around you. Hear my words, and know that that’s how I feel about you. I regret ever loving you. Any last words before we never speak again?”
Followed by some truly gut-wrenching final words: “I would’ve followed you everywhere. I would’ve changed whatever part of whatever you weren’t happy with. I was 100% committed to you as of literally two days ago.” This is Emmy-worth dialogue that she is coming up with on the spot! Whew!
If you’re ever wondering why Sandoval’s acting career didn’t exactly work out, look no further than his entrance into Schwartz’s apartment followed by the most obviously crocodile tears I’ve seen since Ramona Singer was on “RHONY.”
Schwartz’s immediate preoccupation with his own reputation and the health of Schwartz & Sandy’s business/Yelp review was maddening to watch. If he was so worried about his reputation, why not release his own statement disavowing Sandoval and his actions? He wants to have his cake and eat it too, and it’s not going to work out very well for him.
That being said, while he’d had a terrible season already by his own making, he did say the most sensible thing he’s said in a long time while talking to Sandoval. After he said, “This is all relatable, but you had so many opportunities to sit down with Ariana.” Sandoval replied by saying he would tell Ariana he’d be going to Schwartz’s and “all she would’ve had to do is follow me and see that I’m not.” Schwartz’s response: “Don’t put that responsibility on her.” The bar is obviously underground at this point, so I was surprised he said the correct thing here.
Sandoval blaming Ariana for not physically following him to see if he was lying to her about where he was going is one of the most shameful things he’s said since this whole controversy erupted. Who thinks like that?
Katie and Scheana hadn’t seen each other since the hotel lobby in Mexico two nights before her wedding?! That was almost seven months prior — essentially the entire length of Raquel and Sandoval’s affair! I know they hate each other, but that says a lot to me about how much space some of these people generally need from each other after filming a season and also just how much Katie and Scheana don’t get along. I know they’ve swept their problems under the rug for the sake of Ariana, but that’s definitely worth revisiting next season.
I will never recover from Scheana explaining why it was physically impossible for her to have punched Raquel because her nails are too long for her to be able to make a proper fist. “It’s scientifically impossible for me to form an actual fist. All of nails would break,” she said. “If I make a fist this way, my thumb would break. My hands don’t work like that! I’m not a puncher.” Brilliant. 10/10. No Notes.
Logan breaking the penis flute and then posting a photo of it on his Instagram last night was iconic.
Katie revealing the comment that Schwartz made to her about Raquel at BravoCon last October was very damning (“She’s not there for me, trust me,” he said). He was lying and said that Sandoval had just told him a month earlier, when he actually had known since last September. I’m so glad that Katie pushed back on that and forced him into admitting he’d known earlier.
“Tom Sandoval is the definition of a backstabber.” - James Kennedy, the No. 1 guy in the group
While James’ speakerphone stunt with Raquel was definitely giving “Mean Girls” three-way caller attack, ultimately I didn’t have much of a problem with it because of some of the instantly iconic lines he gifted us with (cause of death: “Sandoval’s little cocky cock. His stinky, 40-year-old cock.”).
Also, that was technically the only other scene we got from Raquel other than her cringeworthy moment with Sandoval at her apartment, so I’ll take it.
Speaking of that scene at Raquel’s apartment, the routine nature of Sandoval’s entrance gave me the chills. Not only did he let himself in, but her dog clearly recognized him and felt comfortable around him, he helped himself to a beer from her fridge and they promptly took shots (and chased with beer, ew) as if it’s something that they’ve done together many times in the past in that exact way. The familiarly obviously felt beyond just friendly in nature, and it made me sick to watch it.
I’m very interested in Raquel dropping her voice to a whisper to ask about Sandoval’s family only to immediately be like “we don’t have to talk about that if you don’t want to.” There’s so much more to that moment, especially considering that we know she’d visited Sandoval in St. Louis that previous Christmas — and his family refused to see her. That, and the fact that they haven’t reached out to Ariana since this all went down.
“They love you.” “I love you too.” “No, I said they love you, but I love you too.” Brutal!
Credit: Bravo by Betches Raquel’s giddiness — giggling, smiling, proclaiming that she’s “never had sex like that before” — was embarrassing. She was acting like the basis for her restraining order against Scheana was a total joke (which, it was, but seeing her act that way confirmed she knew what she was doing by filing it).
“Am I really going to put my life on the line for someone who would cheat on someone that they love so much? Because then that makes me think that you’d be capable of doing that for me.” This was a surprisingly self-aware quote from Raquel, I gotta say. But that self-awareness lasted for precisely three seconds.
My read on the entire Sandoval/Raquel situation (including the scene from the finale and everything that’s happened since) is this: While filming for this episode, Sandoval’s intention was to stay with her. It was the only way for him to somewhat save face (If they don’t stay together, what was all of this for?), and Raquel was clearly hopelessly devoted to him. Her Bambi eyes had turned to puppy eyes, and she viewed them as a sort of us-against-the-world duo. He was committed to her for the moment, but I believe he had one foot out the door already — that “they love you” moment was a bit of a freudian slip, and he was already getting worn down by having to answer for his crimes, which was taking the thrill out of it for him. Then Raquel disappears from filming, presumably to avoid scrutiny, to avoid having to face not just Ariana but also Lala and James. She barely agrees to do the reunion and then checks into a mental health facility (where she apparently is still getting treatment?) afterwards. As Ariana revealed on “WWHL” last night, she’s been sending handwritten letters to Sandoval. Meanwhile, Sandoval is out here telling Howie Mandel that they’re just friends right now and changing lyrics at his half-empty concerts saying that Raquel wasn’t the girl for him. On finale day, their breakup leaks via a source who used Sandoval’s favorite “dipped out” phrasing — that leak definitely came from his camp because he wanted both maximum visibility on the news and to try to lessen the blow of the footage the world was about to finally see of him acting like a fool “in love.” He’s done with the relationship, but she’s either not aware of that or she’s in denial about it. He hasn’t delivered that message to her (perhaps he can’t because of her current circumstances). Anyway, that’s my take, and it’s all based on reading between the lines on what we know.
Katie calling Scwhartz out was a moment most pleasing to me: “Why don’t you get on the right side of things and shock everyone and tell the truth for once?” Chef’s kiss.
I found Kristen’s much heralded return scene to be at once underwhelming and powerful. It was genuinely moving to see these two women, who were once at odds over a man who ended up cheating on both of them, come together in a moment of hardship to try to find healing. It broke my heart seeing Ariana write “true self love” on that piece of paper, and I truly believe she’s on the road to finding that at a time of such universal of support for her. Her effortlessly quoting Beyoncé was wonderful, but this scene felt the most gimmicky to me when you compare it to the rest of the episode, probably because it was based around an ~activity~. But their bond was real, and it was really nice to see them share that moment together.
Side note, I loved Ariana saying that Us Weekly had reached out for comment for a story. It was a direct breaking of the fourth wall, and it’s an example of a slight detail that I’d like to see more of on this show — it’s not some jarring, major moment where a producer has to intervene and we see cameras in the room with them, but just a little acknowledgement of the fact that they’re reality stars with publicists who have to deal with things like giving a tabloid a quote on a story about their lives.
He said it in passing, but it was notable to me that Sandoval told Lisa Vanderpump that he and Raquel had “every intention” of telling Ariana about their affair before the reunion. It made me think about an alternate universe in which that is how the news got out and the different viewing experience that would’ve resulted in. We still would’ve gotten a lit reunion, regardless.
You could actively see Lisa softening on Sandoval during that scene, by the way. I thought she was a little too sympathetic to him during her “WWHL” appearance back in March, and this would explain that (they were filmed very close together). She told him, “You’re not a bad person, you just did a bad thing.” Are we classifying carrying on a seven-month affair with his partner’s best friend “a bad thing”? As Scheana said earlier in the episode, it’s not like they just kissed while on acid at Coachella. This was a bad thing that he repeated for seven months…
Scheana said in that girls’ night scene that she paid for Raquel’s apartment. I have about one million more questions about THAT! If only I hadn’t just interviewed her.
I loved that Katie said that Scwhartz owes a lot more to Ariana (a groomsman in his wedding) than just some pitiful text.
Lala already wearing her “Send It To Derrell” merch during that drinks scene was legitimately impressive to me. Considering how long it took Sherée to get her SHE by Sherée line out or the debacle with Robyn Dixon’s hats, this turnaround time is all-time.
Ariana to Schwartz: “I will not have mutual friends with him, so I am not your friend anymore.” I know that’s right!
One of the most heartbreaking moments of the entire episodes was Ariana crying to Schwartz about freezing her embryos for Sandoval in case “he really wanted that down the road. I wanted him to have that. I really wish I didn’t miss him, but I feel like what I miss is not real.” Brought a tear to my eye.
Scheana’s performance during the final scene of the episode is perhaps her best moment of all time. What she demonstrated there was true hurt, true betrayal and true loyalty to Ariana. It’s a conversation that will stick with me for quite some time, and I’m so proud of her for how much she took it to Sandoval on Ariana’s behalf.
This exchange, in particular, was incredible: “You be a fucking adult and you have a conversation with her,” she said, before Sandoval said that Ariana threatened to take her life if he broke up with her. “Then you know what you do, Sandoval? You fly in Tanya, you bring over Jeremy and you have all of her fucking friends there ready to rally around her like we’re doing right now. You literally say, ‘I’m leaving. I’m not happy.’ And then we pick up the pieces that you fucking left. You don’t fuck her friend!”
“I don’t even know where to go from here. I mean, obviously we’re not friends anymore because I can’t support anything you’ve done anymore. And I’m really gonna miss you.” *exhales*
One of the biggest questions that I still have is around what was going on between the months of September and February. Per Sandoval, his initial hookup with Raquel was allegedly a one-night stand followed by an emotional affair that eventually turned physical again. On the finale, he kept referring to trying to break up with Ariana two weeks prior (Valentine’s Day), in addition to that primary period in September. When did things get physical again? What were the details of their affair in the months between? I hope they address that at the reunion.
While a few of them alluded to it, the immediate social media hoopla around Scandoval was never really addressed on this episode. You know that most of them were doing some scrolling and had incessant inbound messages and tags and calls and texts, which would’ve been intriguing to hear about. Especially as it pertains to Sandoval, who is so concerned with his public image, you’d think that as the reality of him being public enemy No. 1 seeped in, it would begin to affect his actions and thoughts around the whole ordeal.
Who is the other mystery person that Sandoval cheated on Ariana with? He initially said to Scheana that it was a random person before walking that back, but saying it would be “unfair” to identify her. On “WWHL,” Ariana said she hasn’t talked to this person in a year(s), she has never met Andy and she’s not in the universe of the show.
Related: Miami Girl was vindicated! Both Tom and Ariana admitted that he did indeed sleep with her back in the day, but they denied it to present a united front to the group and the public. That’s a low-key huge revelation.
Lastly, where does the show go from here? With everyone sharing the same enemies, where does the conflict come from? Who would agree to film with Sandoval or Raquel if/when they return to the show? I have absolute faith in this cast and their production team — if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s to never count this group out from delivering the drama — but there are just so many question marks on what that looks like and how you follow up the most talked about moment in Bravo history.
Did I miss anything? Is there anything else you can’t stop thinking about from this episode? Drop me a note — I’ll always take the excuse to talk more about this show. If you want more to read, check out this incredible Variety article by Kate Aurthur, who went deep with the show’s executive producer, Alex Baskin.
Bless you. I am finally catching up on S10 of VPR and your Substack is a Godsend, with great analysis and links.
Thoughts on the info to be revealed in the reunion eps that certain cast members aren’t yet aware of present day?