Tom Sandoval's On-Camera Meltdown, Raquel's Restraining Order "Regrets," And Everything Else We Learned On The Chaotic "Vanderpump Rules" Reunion
At one point, we see Tom Sandoval get up to leave Raquel's trailer before he comes back in and demands to talk to her without being filmed. When producers inform him that he cannot speak to her 1-on-1 without a film crew, he starts to completely unravel.
Well, we made it. Here we are. Another week, another reunion episode on Vanderpump Rules. But this week, we finally get to see Raquel face the music, or just her other castmates, and this is like a weeks-long Super Bowl event — but better.
All of that to say, the second reunion episode of Vanderpump Rules Season 10 aired last night, and it's time to go over everything that happened.
Immediately starting the episode — and I'm going with the uncensored version for obvious reasons. This is something I have only dreamt of being able to do since I began watching this show in 2013.
The episode starts with an overview of what we are about to see, including Raquel — or Rachel, if you prefer — coming on stage to face her fellow cast members and fake boss Lisa Vanderpump. Then, we jump right into where we left off in last week's reunion episode with a standoff between Lala Kent and Tom Sandoval, with LVP interjecting to seemingly defend Tom Sandoval and piss off the fandom around the world.
Tom Sandoval seems emboldened by LVP's defense of him and continues throwing insults Lala's way, including that she's "a narcissist" which, let's be honest, he should consider taking an online test for. He then takes it a step further and insists that Lala "pulled out her IUD the day she found out Stassi was pregnant." It seems that he is insinuating that Lala wanted the same press and attention that Stassi was getting, but honestly I don't really care what he meant because it's a weird and very shitty thing to say. But shoutout to IUDs, hey?
James finally comes back to the stage after explaining that he keeps getting "angry" at Tom Sandoval and then "having to pee." He apologizes to LVP when he comes back on stage — she wins again — and then Andy pivots the conversation to Lala Kent and Randall Emmett's former relationship. Lala shares that she hasn't spoken to Randall at all, and the reason that Ocean — her daughter — is not on camera is because Randall sent a legal letter forbidding it.
The Los Angeles Times piece on Randall and the numerous allegations he is facing is then brought up, and Lala says she was both surprised and unsurprised because people had been "blowing up her DMs." Lala reveals that she and Randall met after Randall — who was allegedly a huge fan of the show — sent his assistant to talk to Lala while she was "hostessing at SUR." I almost forgot that this show made Lala pretend to answer phones and book reservations on camera for multiple seasons.
Andy asks Lala if she felt like "she had to sleep with Randall" because of the audition and she said that she did not feel that way, but that as a girl from Utah, she didn't understand how Hollywood worked. James Kennedy interjects to say he knew how Hollywood worked "since he was like 8 years old," which is both very dark and probably true. Then LVP — making sure she stays being filmed on this show despite her role making less and less sense, IMO — interjects to remind everyone that James Kennedy "slept with Kristen to get on Vanderpump Rules."
The cast then breaks for lunch — and we see it all, I FUCKING LOVE BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL!! — and we even get to see Tom Schwartz attempt to do a push-up. TBH, this is exactly what I look like when attempting to do push-ups, so I will refrain from making fun of him because we're all doing our best. But I will be including the screencap below for your viewing pleasure.
We then see Tom Sandoval walk the 100 yards from the reunion set to visit Raquel in her little trailer as seen below. He and Raquel begin debriefing what had happened so far, and Raquel shares that it bothered her that Tom Sandoval and Ariana seemed like they had "a solid relationship."
I am laughing as I type this, because I cannot believe this is real, but Tom Sandoval's defense as to why he and Ariana "seemed solid" is that she went from "talking down to him" to "telling him he's so good at fashion" and therefore he had no choice but to stay with her for many months (and sleep with her!) while simultaneously carrying on an affair with her good friend!
We then see Tom Sandoval get up to leave Raquel's trailer — he hugs her goodbye — before he comes back in and demands to talk to her without being filmed. (This is getting juicy, OMG.) When he is informed that he cannot speak to her 1-on-1 without a film crew, he starts to unravel. At one point, he throws around legal jargon and says he's entitled to a filming break "legally" and that if they don't allow him, he's "gonna call a fucking Lyft and get the fuck out of here." I honestly would have pegged Tom Sandy as an Uber dude, but it's good to know where he stands in the rideshare app world.
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why I pay $9.99 for Peacock every month. This uncensored version is HITTING FOR ME!! I am enthralled. I feel alive, on the edge of my seat, etc.
Tom Sandoval continues with this meltdown for a bit — which is honestly must-watch television — and it seems clear that he is desperately trying to control Raquel's narrative and the production crew knows this and refuses to let it happen. And for that, I am eternally grateful.
OK, Tom's meltdown is over (for the time being) and the cast is back from their lunch break. James' girlfriend, Ally Lewber — aka the woman who broke the scandal before we knew it was a scandal — joins the rest of the cast on stage. She admits she "went down a Bravo rabbit hole" during COVID in 2020 and had watched the show, but that James is "different" in person and she is glad she gave him a chance.
We then get a flashback of Raquel sharing during Season 10 that James had spoken horribly to her family, recounting one episode in particular over Thanksgiving when James said that Raquel's dad "is miserable because he's married to a fat bitch." And I am once again reminded why it's so difficult to root for James sometimes. Because he's legitimately not a nice person at times and is the definition of "hurt people hurt people."
Andy then asks Ally, "Did you ever think he wasn't over [Raquel]?" She said he gets triggered easily, and then continues that she doesn't think his drinking is an issue "at the moment." She then shared that they are taking breaks from drinking together.
The discussion of James' drinking doesn't end here, however, and after LVP shares that she believes James Kennedy is better off without alcohol — and I think we all agree with her on this one — Tom Sandoval begins to share a story of how James Kennedy apparently ruined a gig that he, Tom Sandoval, and Tom Schwartz had booked together.
Lala interjects and reminds us all that this is a sensitive subject and that while it should be discussed, Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz both "drink very, very heavily" and that it's odd for them to have any say on James Kennedy's drinking. It's really the theme of this show, though, isn't it? A bunch of people who have done terrible things going after other people for doing other terrible things in a race to see who comes out looking most terrible.
With that, James Kennedy leaves the stage again, but not before yelling out "You fucking mustache worm bitch!" Again, what did I tell you guys about the uncensored version? Chef's kiss.
Back to the reunion, and now we are discussing Scheana's wedding to Brock and how Katie Maloney was upset by Tom Schwartz's apparent loyalty to Brock and Scheana over her — the person he was in a relationship with for over a decade.
Andy then brings up the fact that Lala had tried to "warn" Ally about dating James, and Lala explained that the summer was very difficult for her and that she didn't want to see what happened to her happen "to any other chicks." James said he understood her intentions, even if it upset him, and with that, Ally's time on the reunion stage is over.
Ally has left the stage, and it is now time to discuss what the hell happened between Raquel and Scheana on that fateful night after Watch What Happens Live. Andy asks Scheana what happened and she informs him that she cannot speak to any details until the court case — which was scheduled on the 29th, after filming. Andy then asks Tom Sandoval what he thinks happened and he hesitates to answer for what feels like five minutes, deeply sighing occasionally in between. He says he feels like "he is in between a rock and a hard place" because he is friends with Scheana (not anymore, sweetie..) and also wants to defend Raquel. He finally shares that Scheana allegedly said to him via phone, "I just punched that bitch in the face and threw her phone in the street."
Lala also says that she spoke to Scheana immediately after and "not once did Scheana mention punching anyone." Tom Sandoval remains firm that he heard her say she punched Raquel, despite him NOT EVEN BEING IN NEW YORK, and Scheana eventually tells him to "keep his fucking mouth shut."
When Scheana is asked if she will ever be friends with Raquel again, she replied, "Never."
Andy then gets back into the discussion of whether or not Tom Sandoval and Ariana portrayed their real relationship on the show. Ariana maintains that she believes she has been extremely vulnerable at times on the show and did not intentionally hide anything. Tom Sandoval disagrees and maintains that they "hid their issues" and that "Ariana was very strict about it." I know you can't see me, but I'm rolling my eyes.
Andy then tells Scheana that he has something to give her from Raquel, which, as it turns out, is a notice that she is attempting to drop the restraining order she filed against Scheana. Raquel told Andy during their 1-on-1 that she regretted filing it and would be moving to get it dropped from the court systems as soon as she could. Scheana is stone-faced at first when Andy tells her this, before Lala says that she is so glad this is happening so that Scheana "can be present with her kid," which has Scheana breaking down in tears (and, tbh, me as well).
BTW, while Scheana is crying and recounting the horrible experience she's had over the last few weeks between betrayals and having to defend herself in court, this is Raquel's face. No emotion. CHILLING.
Scheana continues crying — which makes Ariana and Lala cry — as she details just how hard she rode for Raquel, even saying that she felt comfortable "with Raquel in the same bed as Brock." The camera then pans to Raquel in her trailer saying that she maybe should have "written Scheana a personal note." Which is like, idk, the very fucking least you could do??????????
BTW, that moment spurred this tweet, which made me laugh out loud.
Tom Sandoval and Ariana argue a bit more, and we learn that Tom Sandoval lied to Scheana's face about the affair and that he believed he was doing her a favor because then she would have had to be the one to tell Ariana. BTW, we have just nine minutes left in this episode and Raquel has still not even entered the stage. They are dragging this out, and I am both entranced and slightly annoyed by it. But, as I type this, the Bravo gods seem to have heard me, and it's time for Scheana to exit the stage so that Raquel can join.
But before she actually comes on stage, we're given more of her 1-on-1 with Andy Cohen, which was shot the previous day. During the 1-on-1, she explains that she wants to "take accountability" for her actions and that Tom Sandoval made her feel "seen and heard in a way she had never experienced before." She admitted that she was "living in her own little reality" and that she had hoped Tom Sandoval would break up with Ariana so that they could start dating.
Raquel then shared that she and Tom Sandoval "were going to tell Ariana" but that they "wanted to get their stories straight" first because they both agreed that if Ariana knew how long the affair had been going on, it would hurt her. I love that the affair being only a month would be less hurtful than 7 months in their minds. Like, what the fuck is this logic?? I almost cannot believe this is real and that I am watching it.
When asked if Raquel would return for next season of the show, she said it was "up in the air" right now but that she wanted to. And when asked how she felt about seeing Ariana on stage at the reunion, she replied that she was "scared." Girlie...you should be.
MY GOD. We have finally made it. It's finally time for Raquel to actually walk on stage. We see Tom Schwartz rattle a pill bottle and tell Tom Sandoval that it's Xanax.
Raquel finally walks on stage and sits down, says "Hi Andy"...AND THEN IT ENDS. THEY ARE LEAVING US HANGING FOR NEXT WEEK.
HOLY SHIT. I am not ready for next week and simultaneously cannot wait and need the episode now. Catch me back here next week for the conclusion we've all been waiting for. And hopefully we will finally find out what the big bombshell is.
In the meantime, be sure to catch new (and old!) episodes of Vanderpump Ruleson Peacock! You can even watch uncensored versions now! Which, BTW, I highly recommend.
