Vanderpump Rules season 11 premiere: Recap and more details explored

Vanderpump Rules made its dramatic return with season 11 on Tuesday, January 30, giving viewers juicy details about the post “Scandoval” dynamics. Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval aren’t close to making peace with each other after ending their almost-decade-long relationship last March.

The separation came after Ariana learned about Tom’s months-long affair with fellow castmate Rachel Leviss. The infidelity was caught at the end of season 10, and Ariana confronted Tom about Rachel in the reunion special episode. The exes aren’t on speaking terms but are caught in an awkward post-split living situation.

After the cheating scandal, Ariana has moved on in her life with her new beau Daniel Wai. Now, Vanderpump Rules season 11 premiere showed how the group dynamics have changed as cast members are still reeling from the havoc that “Scandoval” caused last season.

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What happened on Vanderpump Rules season 11 premiere?

Besides continuing the last season’s plotline, new drama and bombshell revelations were discussed in episode 1.

Ariana Madix rebuilds her life after breakup

A segment of the episode shows Ariana on FaceTime with Daniel discussing how she was “nervous” about going to TomTom, the bar where she discovered Tom Sandoval’s infidelity. In a confessional of Vanderpump Rules season 11 premiere, Ariana said:

“I shouldn’t have to make my life smaller because Tom messed everything up and if I can go there and make new memories, maybe it won’t have power over me anymore and I’ll be able to look at it as just some bar.”

Daniel encouraged her and promised he’d be rooting for her from the sidelines in New York.

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Tom Schwartz and James Kennedy talk

Tom Schwartz had a heart-to-heart with James Kennedy, where he spoke at length about his resentment toward Sandoval and how their bar Schwartz & Sandy became the crime scene. After the affair was made public, it affected the bar’s business with reservations going down and the staff quitting. He said:

“Last year almost just broke me. I got divorced. My brother Burr has been having some serious health issues. We had so many bar woes. You could almost say that Scandoval was like a radioactive cherry on top of my sh*t sundae of a year.”

Schwartz expressed gratitude toward James for talking to him admitting that the rest of the group has been ignoring him.

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Lala makes room for forgiveness for Rachel

Lala broke down in front of Lisa Vaderpump discussing how Rachel said she felt “isolated” while filming season 10. Lala, who has undergone a similar experience in the past said:

“I know what it’s like to have a man in front of you, painting a beautiful picture, saying ‘You’re the one for me, you’re my soulmate,’ and you see what your future could be with this person. And you’re willing to risk it all so much that I ignored everyone around me telling me, ‘Girl, you’re the other woman.’”

Lisa was shocked out of every other cast member it was Lala who took a step toward making room for forgiveness for Rachel. Viewers of the show know Lala and Rachel share a rocky dynamic which often involves getting embroiled in a brutal war of words. At one point, Lala sent a voice note to Rachel to get in touch with her.

Lala explained her motive behind trying to contact Rachel in a confessional Vanderpump Rules season 11 premiere:

“What Rachel did, what she said, how she went about things was so f**king stupid. But as someone who knows what it’s like to walk through life and see comments about being a mistress, I don’t want her to wear that forever.”

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Scheana and Katie hash out differences

In a confessional, Scheana explained she came close to writing off her friendship with Katie last year but now she wanted them to bury the hatchet. Katie appeared receptive to Scheana’s advances.

Meanwhile, Lala confessed to Ariana about sending a voice note to Rachel, which she didn’t seem happy about. Ariana called Lala out for having “double standards.”

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What to expect from Vanderpump Rules season 11 episode 2?

In the next episode of Vanderpump Rules season 11, the cast members will enjoy a beach day out. Tom Sandoval will decide if he should begin dating again, meanwhile, Tom Schwartz will make do with a blonde hairstyle. Adriana will ask Daniel about moving in together and the drama will continue to amplify.

Vanderpump Rules season 11 episode 2 is set to release on Tuesday, February 6, exclusively on Bravo.