When Season 10 of Vanderpump Rules wrapped up in June 2023, many fans agreed that Tom Sandoval was a monster for cheating on Ariana Madix and she deserved nothing but great things. Less than a year later, fans have varied and mixed reactions to the Season 11 premiere that was released on January 30th.
Picking up three months after cameras stopped filming, the “Scandoval” is still the topic of conversation amongst this season’s cast. Given this, the first episode follows many of the cast members as they continue to grapple with everything that happened. For Ariana, that means trying to move on while still living in the same house as her ex, while others figure out whose “side” to align themselves with. In a shocking twist, Sandoval was mostly absent from the premiere episode, showing up in the final moments to his quiet and empty house.
While it seems unlikely that Season 11 will top the drama that the prior season had, it’s not going to stop the cast and producers from trying. One thing is for sure: fans have already started to decide if they're on or off Ariana's side.
Support for Ariana might have dwindled over the past several months, but there are still some Pump Rules fans who are ready to defend their girl until the end of time. Several fans took to social media after the premiere to share their confusion over the star’s grief and unwillingness to move out of the home she shares with her ex.
I also feel like Ariana is milking it. You can be mad forever, but pressuring everyone else to shun them forever is ridiculous. What if they did that to you when they found out you hooked up with Sandoval while he was still with Kristen? #PumpRules pic.twitter.com/ypVFCcoLKuJanuary 31, 2024
However, diehard fans weren’t having any of the negativity, quickly jumping on to defend her and explain why she shouldn't move out of the house:
My ex & I purchased a 🏡. He cheated on me w/ 1 of my best friends. Instead of selling the 🏡 & splitting it 50/50, he wants to buy my half of the 🏡 at the original price. The 🏡 is worth WAY more now, which means more $ for him. Hell no.Understand now, Ariana haters?#PumpRules pic.twitter.com/3a7S91DU6YJanuary 31, 2024
While most of the conversation revolved around Ariana and her grief, some of the other ladies also became the topic of conversation on social media. Lala Kent and Scheana Shay always draw large fan reactions and this episode was no different as both ladies found a way to make the scandal about themselves -- like Lala constantly bringing up her break-up with her ex. As one person put it:
Scheana and Lala fighting to make this about them #PumpRules pic.twitter.com/EzgLIVe1ASJanuary 31, 2024
Lala reaching out to Raquel/Rachel was a shock to many fans considering how angry she was at her at the Season 10 reunion. However, some reality TV experts were quick to defend the move, like this X user who perfectly sums up what that scene felt like to me:
Seeing people holding Lala “accountable” for sending Raquel a voice memo to bait her into a scene for the show on producers orders is just like…were yall not raised on The Hills? This is the same production team pretty much. Like wut. She was working. #PumpRules pic.twitter.com/tAcT1QJb4iFebruary 1, 2024
If fans can notice when a moment is being produced, it’s usually not a good sign. Thankfully it wasn’t all tense drama during the Season 11 premiere. Like most episodes of the reality show, some moments made fans laugh, like when Scheana revealed that Sandoval not only blocked her on Instagram, but also the account she runs for toddler Summer Moon. Fans may not have agreed on much this week, but they definitely think having beef with a toddler is hilarious.
Sandoval and Summer Moon #pumprules pic.twitter.com/6wd9yR6pTiJanuary 31, 2024
Whether you're well-versed in the Vanderpump Rules drama or looking to start, you won't want to miss Season 11. Catch brand new episodes on Bravo every Wednesday at 8 PM, or the next day with an active Peacock subscription.
