Friday, May 10, 2024

Questions We Have After The Vanderpump Rules Season 11 Finale

Photo Credit: Nicole Weingart/Bravo via Getty Images

We’re all still recovering from that explosive Vanderpump Rules Season 11 finale. The aftershow, Watch What Happens Live, and the reunion previews didn’t help. With the show on an extended hiatus, there’s gonna be some time to stew over the events of the post-Scandoval season.

There’s no denying that the show fundamentally changed after Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval’s breakup. Before, during, and after the season, we had a lot of questions about how the show could go forward. Now that it’s over, we still have those same questions, and many more as well.

Why was the cast so insistent on Ariana and Sandoval having a conversation?

Why did Ariana’s co-stars act like she personally canned the whole show because she didn’t want to talk to Sandoval? Pump Rules has never been a show about everyone getting along. Viewers have always complained when moments are forced and overly produced. As Ariana said, Sandoval never tried to speak to her off-camera. So why should she force a conversation that’s entirely performative?

Historically, Vanderpump Rules managed to get around people filming together. Stassi Schroeder and Jax Taylor refused to speak to each other for years. They didn’t hash things out until Season 5. Stassi and Katie Maloney also avoided each other for an entire year.

Clearly, producers wanted to recreate the scene between Kristen Doute and Sandoval in Season 3. But the circumstances are way different. Also, that scene was just…Sandoval fake crying. Did anyone want more of that? The most memorable part of that Season 3 convo was, to me, Kristen’s delusion that she and Sandoval would get back together. And it was followed up with Miami Girl’s arrival, an iconic scene that features…Ariana and Sandoval walking away.

I know some viewers are more on Sandoval’s side than Ariana’s. But no matter which team they’re on, did anyone want to see these two sit down and hash it out? We already know what a sit-down between Ariana and Sandoval would look like. We’ve seen it before.

If the entire existence of the show depends on one conversation, the other cast members didn’t do their job of creating additional exciting storylines. I don’t know if producers told the cast that the show lived or died based on this convo, but it makes no sense that Ariana walking out caused so many meltdowns and months of shady comments.

Why is Lala so angry at Ariana?

The short answer? Probably jealousy. Even then, it’s a little over the top, considering Ariana hasn’t done anything to Lala Kent personally.

Why isn’t Lala angrier at Sandoval, the man who cheated on Ariana in the first place? Shouldn’t he get some blame for Ariana becoming a “god” after that? He also refused to leave their house. And for the last time, “he didn’t kill anyone” is not a good argument. The bar should not be that low. By that logic, Randall Emmett also didn’t kill anyone.

Lala claims that she’s mad because Ariana wasn’t authentic. Even if we look beyond hiding her relationship with Rand, which Lala claims she now regrets, is Lala authentic? Was she genuine this season? In the first episode, she reached out to Rachel Leviss. She befriended Sandoval and Tom Schwartz out of nowhere. Her lunch with Jo Wenberg was obviously producer-mandated. When Katie called this out, Lala yelled, “It’s not my job for my life to make sense to you”. The hypocrisy all season was frustrating to watch.

Follow-up question, why in the world did Lala initially say her words were taken out of context?

Was this season really supposed to be a Sandoval redemption arc?

One of the biggest complaints from viewers this season was the supposed Sandoval redemption arc. It wasn’t completely surprising that production went this way. According to Stassi, producers were always too kind to Sandoval. And Rachel used her podcast to discuss the ways he was protected.

Judging by Sandoval’s hot mic moment, he absolutely thought the redemption was in the bag. But showing the hot mic moment was not flattering to him. He’s already on the defensive. Plus, he had plenty of cringe-worthy moments this season. Remember when producers called out his battery obsession?

The cast also seemed to expect a redemption arc. All season long, Lala and Scheana Shay promised on their podcasts that viewers would change their minds. Ariana also admitted she expected to be the villain. But it seems that most VPR fans stuck to the opinion they had at the start. Those who were tired of Ariana aren’t any less tired of her. And those who supported her are still firmly on her side.

Was that the series finale?

After that montage of the cast’s early days, it sure seemed like one! But apparently, the answer to this question is no. Despite the season’s negative reception, ratings are still pretty good, and it’s the most-watched season on Peacock.

Sources claim that a cast shakeup is imminent. What that looks like is anyone’s guess. Bravo already cut a lot of stars this year, so they’re not fooling around. Will Ariana and Katie go because they’re at odds with everyone else? Will Lala and Scheana join The Valley? Or will the show get a reboot and return to its roots of following the actual servers at SUR?

Hopefully, this doesn’t mean forcing new people out of nowhere like in Season 8. The Valley proves that this group has plenty of drama within their existing social circles.

While we wait to hear the future of Vanderpump Rules, you can stream Season 11 on Peacock.

TELL US – WHAT LINGERING QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE AFTER THE VANDERPUMP RULES SEASON 11 FINALE?

The post Questions We Have After The Vanderpump Rules Season 11 Finale appeared first on Reality Tea.



from Reality Tea https://www.realitytea.com/2024/05/10/questions-after-vanderpump-rules-season-11-finale/
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The GOAT Episode 1 Recap: The Game Is On

Photo Credit: Paul Archuleta/Getty Images

Welcome to Goat Manor — where everything is bigger than ever. The GOAT Season 1 is another reality ensemble featuring some of the best reality stars from shows like Big Brother, The Real Housewives, and The Challenge competing and living in a house for a large pot of money. Throughout the series, the contestants will participate in competitions, strategy, and a shocking elimination. If you’re the last reality star standing at the end, you’ve won the title of Greatest [Reality Star] of All Time. Here’s everything that went down on The GOAT, Season 1, Episode 1: Let The GOAT Games Begin. 

Who is on The Goat Season 1? 

Who is The Goat in Episode 1? 

Tayshia Adams is named The GOAT in Season 1, Episode 1

Now that all of the reality stars have entered the manor, it’s time for host Daniel Tosh to get this thing started. The first challenge seems simple: the contestants must balance a coconut on a plank on a disc while standing with one foot on a post. Naturally, many of the players began dropping like flies. Teck was down first, which I’m sure was a shot to his ego after being a reality TV vet for 23 years. Jill was out next, followed by Da’Vonne. Reza dropped his fruit, and Joey fell shortly after due to his “uneven ass cheek.” A few others fell after, and eventually, it all came down to Wendell, Justin, and Tayshia. Since Wendell won Survivor and let the audience know 37 times throughout the episode, he decided to throw the challenge to avoid having a target on his back. After 20 minutes, both remaining players started swaying, buckling, and shaking; however, Justin fell, making Tayshia this episode’s GOAT. 

The elimination challenge details… 

Photo Credit: Amazon Freevee via YouTube

After the main challenge, the cast has to participate in an elimination challenge. Tayshia split the cast down the middle, making two teams. She put Justin, Teck, Da’Vonne, CJ, Joe, and Reza on her team (purple) and the remaining players on the other (orange). She said her strategy was to mix some of the strong players with the weaker players. But will it work? 

For the challenge, the teams had 20 minutes to build a boat. Once built, they had to take it across the pool with half of their bodies on the boat. After they grabbed the keys from the other side of the pool and brought them back to their waiting teammate at the chest, their team would win. 

After both teams built their boat, they jumped in the water and made their way across the pool. The orange team was in the lead and returned to the other side first. Wendell passed the keys off to Jill, who opened her chest first and snagged the victory for her team. However, after Reza called the orange team out for making a raft that did NOT hold 50% of their bodies, Tosh told the cast they were disqualified from the challenge. What does that mean? Team purple takes home the win! “HELL YEAH,” Da’Vonne said. 

Who went home in The Goat Episode 1? 

Joey Sasso was the first contestant eliminated in The GOAT Season1, Episode 1

Since the orange team lost, they had to decide which players in their group should be up for elimination. Joey thought the weaker players should be nominated, while Joe felt the stronger players would be a better option. Other players felt that way, too, and Da’Vonne campaigned her hardest to get Joey out of there. Tayshia, on the other hand, was still determining who she wanted to vote for. She started developing a soft spot for Joey and didn’t know whether she wanted to vote him out.

After the eligible players cast their votes to evict, Tosh read them allowed. After reciting them one by one, the vote came down to a tie, with seven for Joey and seven for Jason. Consequently, the tie-breaking vote would be cast by The GOAT — Tayshia. Both players on the block plead their case before she made her decision, with Chef Jason saying he makes a “mean bowl of tater salad.” 

But in the end, Tayshia chose to send Joey home. What a statement! Don’t get too comfortable in Goat Manor. 

Watch The GOAT on Prime Video. 

TELL US – WHO ARE YOU LOVING ON THE SHOW? DID YOU THINK JOEY WOULD GO HOME FIRST? WHAT DID YOU THINK OF TAYSHIA AS THIS WEEK’S GOAT? 

The post The GOAT Episode 1 Recap: The Game Is On appeared first on Reality Tea.



from Reality Tea https://www.realitytea.com/2024/05/10/the-goat-season-1-episode-1-let-the-goat-games-begin/
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Bravo Renews The Valley, Pump Rules spinoff Will Be Back for Season 2

Photo Credit: Felix Kunze/Gizelle Hernandez/Bravo via Getty Images

It would appear The Valley is a certified hit over at Bravo. Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright have come a long way from their Vanderpump Rules days. Of course, the pair owe their success almost exclusively to VPR.

Obviously, without Pump Rules, the two never would’ve established a name for themselves. But on top of that, who knows when The Valley would’ve aired if not for its parent show? The spinoff was conceptualized ages ago, but it was VPR Season 10’s popularity that expedited production.

Perhaps The Valley will take on a life of its own, much like Pump Rules has. Or, perhaps when Jax and Brittany’s marital drama dies down, the show will too. Only time will tell. But for now, fans can rejoice.

The Valley’s entire cast will return for Season 2

On May 9, Bravo put out a short list of shows the network planned to renew. Among these was, of course, The Valley. Not only would the show be renewed, but the entire original cast would be returning, divorcees and all. The renewal comes to the surprise of few with Bravo calling it the network’s “most-watched freshman series in nearly a decade,” according to Variety.

Per TV Deets, The Valley premiered to 779,000 viewers. The second episode fell off a bit with only 530,000 viewers, but across its first eight episodes, the first season has averaged 647,750 viewers per episode. Keep in mind that these numbers don’t reflect streaming viewership either.

Some younger viewers may be tuning in to watch The Valley on Peacock. And speaking of younger viewers, The Valley does well in reaching its target demographic. We can compare The Valley to Below Deck Down Under Season 1. The TV Deets page for BDU shows an average viewership of 622,000. The average target demographic viewership was 13% compared to The Valley’s 18%.

The Valley continues Tuesdays at 9/8c on Bravo.

TELL US – HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE VALLEY’S RENEWAL? WILL YOU BE TUNING IN FOR SEASON 2?

The post Bravo Renews The Valley, Pump Rules spinoff Will Be Back for Season 2 appeared first on Reality Tea.



from Reality Tea https://www.realitytea.com/2024/05/10/bravo-renews-the-valley-back-season-2/
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