The ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Reboot Is a Good Call to Save the Franchise

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The reboot announcement for Season 12 of Vanderpump Rules shouldn’t be a surprise after the disjointed Season 11 that followed up on the “Scandoval” of it all. Ariana Madix was adamant about excluding Tom Sandoval from her life after his betrayal. Understandably, every forced scene where the producers and cast contrived to get the pair together on camera ended with Madix outraged and Sandoval limping away. Their relationship coming to its abrupt end also divided the once close-knit group of SUR graduates into different camps. There were those who sided with Madix’s boundaries, which was basically just her best friend and business partner, Katie Maloney. And then, there was the rest of the cast, who wanted to work overtime to redeem Sandoval’s reputation and keep the façade of their friendship alive for another season.

Once the producers announced they wanted to put the series on hiatus to allow the group some time to live their lives, it seemed clear that the original cast was in trouble. If Real Housewives of New Jersey has taught us anything, it is that a divided cast cannot entertain an audience. With Madix refusing to film with Sandoval, the producers seemingly reluctant to cut him from the series, and Lala Kent running around in interviews announcing that the cast are not truly friends with one another, it was clear that if a cancelation was not coming, then a reboot was imminent.

What remained uncertain was exactly how a reboot would be handled. Shifting the cast to the Vanderpump Rules spin-off The Valley seemed likely, as they have already been making guest appearances. Following Madix and Maloney on their sandwich shop adventure was an idea that made its rounds on the internet. But with Madix’s busy Broadway schedule and Love Island USA commitments, it seems likely that her calendar is full for the upcoming year. It’s clear the producers decided that a full reboot which takes the series back to its roots was the best possible choice. And that is exactly what Vanderpump Rules needs.

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Season 12 Will Take the Series Back to Its Roots

Vanderpump Rules itself started as a spin-off from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, tying into Lisa Vanderpump‘s world and the lives of the ladies in her cast. Scheana Shay came onto Vanderpump Rules as the “other woman,” who had an affair with the husband of Vanderpump’s RHOBH co-star, Brandi Glanville. Vanderpump artfully arranged a party on RHOBH with her SUR servers on site, so that Shay being present when Glanville was in attendance would start the scandalous conversation that carried onto the first season of Vanderpump Rules. Shay wasn’t the only SUR server who started the season off with a scandal back in 2013. Series super-star Stassi Schroeder caught wind of a cheating scandal with her villainous boyfriend Jax Taylor. Their on-again-off-again relationship was the small center of chaos in the group throughout the first season, and led to more than one confrontation in the iconic SUR alley.

There has been no official cast announcement for Season 12, and it’s likely Bravo will be keeping a tight lid on the secret until they are ready to promote the new season. What we do know is that the new group will once again consist of servers, hosts, and bartenders at Vanderpump’s West Hollywood restaurants, SUR and TomTom. The press release for the season promises to deliver “a new group of close-knit SUR-vers who are as complicatedly involved with one another as their iconic predecessors.” The series was seen as a lightning-in-a-bottle moment on reality TV when it first aired, as it was unique to have a friend group willing to be so authentic and messy on camera season after season. The network promises that the new group will continue the legacy of “drama, situationships, and frenemies” as the series kicks off a new era.

Reality TV Youngsters Have Been Delivering Lately

The women of Love Island USA stand and argue with the men across from them at movie night — Image via Peacock

Shows like Love Island USA, Love Island Australia, and Aussie Shore have shown that the new generation of reality TV talent understand the assignment. The young cast members on Love Island USA were so polished and media-savvy that they came on as fully formed talents before the cameras even began to roll. Kordell Beckham, Serena Page, JaNa Craig, and Leah Kateb were so naturally funny and camera-aware they stole the show in Season 6 and endeared themselves to viewers in a big way.

The young reality TV talent down under has been shockingly authentic lately. Both Aussie Shore and Love Island Australia have young cast members who came onto these series with a stalwart commitment to authenticity, which has been refreshing in an age where reality TV has become very self-aware. Now, more often than not, reality stars work overtime to craft a false narrative about their lives, rather than simply committing to documenting their true experience and opinions. Watching Aussie Shore and Love Island Australia, it seems the generation that grew up documenting their antics and uploading them online through social media are now fearless when it comes to sharing their life on reality TV. Series like Love Island USA, Love Island Australia, and Aussie Shore give us hope that the upcoming Vanderpump Rules reboot will be able to recruit another talented group of up-and-coming reality TV stars ready to share their authentic lives in West Hollywood, warts and all.

'Vanderpump Rules' stars Tom Sandavol and Tom Schwartz sit next to each other, Sandoval talking

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Season 12 of ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Has Real Potential

Stassi Schroeder official portrait photo for "Deadline." — Image via Deadline.

With Vanderpump spending a portion of the year in France filming her series Vanderpump Villa for Hulu, she has brought Schroeder back into the fold. Details of what Schroeder’s role will be on the series have been kept quiet, but it seems unlikely the semi-celebrity and young mother will be joining the staff in their quest to provide service to Vanderpump’s swanky guests as they live together in their crowded quarters for the summer. It’s more likely that Schroeder was brought back to help mold a new generation of servers and reality stars, and teach them how to balance each role when first class service is required.

Vanderpump Rules producer Alex Baskin has promised that when cameras pick up for Season 12 next year, the new group will “build on the legacy” of the series, while showing “profound appreciation” for the original cast. With Vanderpump and Schroeder already turning themselves into a dynamic duo filming at the French Villa, it would only make sense that Season 12 of Vanderpump Rules might also feature a few legacy cast appearances as well. Schroeder training a new batch of servers to carry on her SUR legacy would be a satisfying full-circle moment, it would almost be criminal not to include her. It would only be fitting to see Schroeder back at SUR with a gaggle of new staffers under her critical eye as they usher in this new era of Vanderpump Rules.

Vanderpump Rules is available to stream on Peacock.

Best known as one of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Lisa Vanderpump opens the salacious kitchen doors of her exclusive Hollywood restaurant and lounge, SUR.

Release Date: January 7, 2013
Cast: Lisa Vanderpump , Katie Maloney , Scheana Shay , Tom Sandoval
Seasons: 10