Vanderpump Rules Is Coming Back… Here’s Why I Think It Won’t Work
Is the Vanderpump Rules reboot doomed to fail?
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In case you haven’t heard the big news in the Bravo world, Vanderpump Rules is officially coming back for a 12th season. The network has decided to scrap the entire cast and bring on a new group of “SUR-vers”.
This isn’t a surprising move if you’re a fan. By the eighth season, the show was clearly in its decline. It felt like the drama was being manufactured and they threw in some new servers to make up for the original cast being celebrities in their own right. Graduating to bigger homes and fancier cars - they came back wealthier and more polished each year. It had lost the authenticity that the early seasons had. The show was “saved” by the end of Season 11 with the Scandoval. A difficult watch for Ariana fans with the reveal that her longtime partner Tom was cheating on her with her close friend, Raquel. It was a shocking twist that left viewers reeling.
So what now? None of the original cast members need this show anymore. With podcasts, merch, tours and acting gigs - they’ve proven to make successful careers for themselves outside of it. Would they even want to come back?
Here’s where the new cast comes in. I appreciate what Bravo is trying to do. They want fresh blood with big personalities bringing in new drama. The problem is, they’ve tried this already and it didn’t work with most of the fanbase agreeing that season 8 was the worst yet. The new cast members couldn’t integrate with the established cast and their interactions came off as staged or just plain boring. The audience had very little introduction and it was hard to invest in their storylines. This may be resolved in season 12 assuming there won’t be any carry-over from previous years with lengthy introductions get to know these fresh faces. But this leads to my next concern, who will they cast?
Anyone with an interest in pop culture knows that a spot on VPR guarantees a career as a low-level influencer at worst. At best, you can be the next Roxie Hart on Broadway. I fear the new servers brought in will be akin to most people on reality tv these days. Models, actors and singers looking for “exposure”. I know you’re rolling your eyes. I’m not naive. I know that this was the exact draw for the original cast as well. But times were very different back in 2013. Reality shows weren’t the stepping stone to stardom that they are now. Instagram was a casual app to share goofy photos, Twitter was just a digital diary and TikTok was still 3 years away from being invented. The influencer didn’t even exist yet.
What made season 1 so intriguing was the “realness” of the cast. Their apartments were normal looking, unpolished and lived in. All the wardrobes were attainable at your local mall and their makeup was done themselves. A refreshing alternative to the Kardashians. There was a sincerity that put me in that world immediately and it was fascinating to watch. Of course, in contrast to the normalcy were the truly unhinged storylines and insane drama that I’m not sure you could ever recreate with a new cast. Everyone was cheating, drinking too much, getting into physical fights and overall causing chaos. Pure magic to a viewer.
An iconic scene from Season 2
I’m not sure who they’ll cast but I think complete unknowns with limited social media presence would the way to go. If you want me to believe that these are your everyday servers trying to make a name for themselves, I can’t see their digital footprint of them in Bali 6 months ago or doing a sponsored post for Liquid IV. Or maybe they’ll change up the entire premise of the show with the new cast? Either way, I’ll be tuned it to see how it all plays out like the sucker I am.
xoxo by fran
bonus: here are some fun gifts for the holidays that channel VPR energy. PUMP-TINI!
