The Vanderpump Rules Reunion Has Convinced Me Producers Are Hiding Something Big

Summary The Vanderpump Rules season 11 reunion may unveil a major surprise twist.

The potential exits of cast member Ariana Madix has been speculated throughout the season.

The connection between Vanderpump Rules and The Valley could impact the future of both shows.

Vanderpump Rules will enter uncharted territory after its three-part season 11 reunion concludes in a few weeks, but after watching the first episode, I'm convinced that the producers are hiding something that could change the trajectory of the show forever. Everything about Vanderpump Rules season 11 has felt different — the fallout of Scandoval has forced the cast to confront the fourth wall in an unprecedented way as the line between the "world" of the show and the real world blurs. All pretense has been stripped from Vanderpump Rules as it becomes a show about reality stars navigating fame rather than a group of friends connected via the crushing weight of shared history.

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As Ariana Madix's star has risen post-Scandoval, the rest of the cast has been forced to confront the ways they operate as reality television stars. This came to a head in the Vanderpump Rules season 11 finale as Madix's refusal to film with her ex-boyfriend Tom Sandoval prompted Lala Kent and Scheana Shay to air their grievances about their co-star's fame and her establishing of healthy boundaries. After the finale, it has been reported that Vanderpump Rules will not film this summer as producers and the cast reevaluate and process the events of season 11, but this has led some to question whether the show will come back at all.

The Evidence Producers Could Be Hiding Something About The Vanderpump Rules Season 11 Reunion

Mystery Has Surrounded The Three-Part Affair

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The conflict in Vanderpump Rules season 11 has centered mostly around Scandoval, leading many to believe that the upcoming reunion could be two-parts. Chatter that Bravo would be cutting the reunion short floated around social media until it was later confirmed that the reunion would indeed be three-parts, as is typical for Bravo. A two-part reunion isn't unheard of, though — the network has often opted for shorter reunions when the preceding season hasn't yielded enough material for a lengthy post-mortem, which seemed like it could be the case for this batch of episodes.

Another interesting piece of the puzzle is Andy Cohen's comments on social media and his radio show. Typically, Cohen calls for questions from audience members prior to filming a reunion, but he didn't do so for the Vanderpump Rules season 11 reunion. Whether this was to keep the cast focused on the season itself or if it was for another reason entirely remains unclear. However, comments from Cohen on his radio show Radio Andy have teased an ending that left the Bravo host reeling:

I will say this, there are two kinds of reunions in my experience. The kinds of reunions that, when I leave the taping, I either want to engage the producers more about it… Occasionally I'm texting cast members, maybe the next morning I'm checking in on some people. Or the total converse where I just want to go home, have a tequila, listen to music, and forget about the entire affair. This was one that I was wanting to engage in. Talk to Alex Baskin on the way home. Talk to Lisa Vanderpump. Was really kind of doing rounds a little bit because there was so much to talk about.

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Finally, the Vanderpump Rules season 11 reunion trailer seems to be very light on footage, centering around only a few key moments. The centerpiece is a reunion first: the cast will watch the last few minutes of the season 11 finale together on stage. Madix's reaction to Kent's rant and Sandoval's response has already been teased, with the star in tears as she expresses how much more her feelings have been hurt.

Besides that and a brief visit from Jo Wenberg, though, nearly every moment from the trailer is contained in part 1 of the season 11 reunion. The hype surrounding the three-part event, the comments made by cast members, and the heavily edited trailers all suggest that something big could go down in part 3 of the reunion.

So, What Does The Valley Have To Do With All Of This?

The Vanderpump Rules Spinoff Just Scored A Season 2 Renewal

Vanderpump Rules spinoff The Valley heralded the return of controversial figures like Kristen Doute, Jax Taylor, and Brittany Cartwright. During its first season, The Valley has also featured appearances from Shay and Kent while new cast members on The Valley like Janet Caperna have emphasized how close both groups are when the cameras aren't rolling. This has extended to the Vanderpump Rules aftershow where Doute, Taylor, Cartwright and others from The Valley comment on the most recent episodes of both shows.

The connections between Vanderpump Rules and The Valley are only growing more prominent. Both Kent and Shay have recently bought houses in the titular valley, while early reports indicate that Kent will be filming for The Valley season 2 while Vanderpump Rules is on pause. A permanent move to The Valley has long been assumed for some members of Vanderpump Rules as they age out of the West Hollywood lifestyle and enter the next phases of their lives, but nothing has been confirmed quite yet.

Related Vanderpump Rules: Signs That Ariana Madix Won’t Be Returning For Season 12 Ariana Madix is doing well post-Scandoval. She doesn’t need Vanderpump Rules anymore, and there’s signs that she won’t be returning for season 12.

There's also the reunion (or lack thereof) for The Valley season 1 to contend with. Much to the outrage of audiences, a reunion for The Valley season 1 was seemingly off the table despite its drama-filled episodes. Doute even seemed to confirm as much on her podcast when she flat-out stated that they would not be filming one. The reality star has since walked back these comments in an interview with the NY Post, saying, "I did say it on my podcast — but it’s what I’ve read online... I’m not 100 percent sure yet. I don’t know either way. We haven’t been given a date. We haven’t been told there’s not one yet."

So What Could The Vanderpump Rules Season 11 Surprise Be?

The Future Of The Show Is At Stake

The most likely option seems to be someone announcing their exit at the Vanderpump Rules season 11 reunion taping. Out of all the castmembers, Madix's exit from the series seems most likely. With her career moving in different directions, she has the least to lose and the most to gain by leaving the cast — she'll still have money coming in and, most importantly of all, she'll be able to maintain boundaries and nurture her mental health away from the cameras and the ire of audiences who wish to see her engage more.

Katie Maloney exiting would also be unsurprising — her stake in the show has grown considerably smaller since her divorce from Schwartz and, like Madix, she has established boundaries that have often conflicted with the goals of the show. It seems possible that she could maintain her friendships with the rest of the cast while pursuing other ventures away from the cameras.

Another option could be that part 3 of the Vanderpump Rules reunion involves a candid, unprecedented discussion about the show's future. With the fourth wall shattered and the cast openly talking about how Scandoval has affected the series and their livelihoods, it doesn't seem out of the question that a discussion could be heading in that direction. Given Kent's comments at the end of the season 11 finale, the cast watching that moment could naturally segue into a discussion about season 12 and what Vanderpump Rules may look like going forward.

That future may have something to do with The Valley. If the show's production pause is discussed openly at the reunion, it seems possible that Kent, Shay, or other castmembers could discuss their move to the spinoff. Production is emphasizing the synergy between the two shows and a season culminating in this type of move would be a shocking yet understandable progression.

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The most galaxy brain idea — and perhaps my favorite — is that part 3 of the Vanderpump Rules season 11 reunion could include input from Doute, Taylor, and Cartwright, or could actually be a backdoor reunion for The Valley season 1. Vanderpump Rules began as a backdoor pilot from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, so connecting the two series further would be a good way to convince reluctant audience members to finally tune into The Valley. While this is ultimately unlikely, it truly seems like anything is possible.

Even with all this, it could be that the Vanderpump Rules season 11 reunion contains no major surprise twists. The cast, especially the women, have been through enough over the last few years that a pause is needed. Whether that pause becomes permanent seems dependent on a few factors, but it may mostly be up to Madix. Her exit seems to be the most likely outcome of this reunion and to have it happen during the taping would be quite shocking and a bold power move from a woman who has been unafraid to stand her ground this season. No matter what happens, though, the Vanderpump Rules season 11 reunion is sure to provide hints at a path forward for the series, whether it's a dead end or a whole new era.