Credit: Nicole Weingart/Bravo
Part 2 of the Vanderpump Rules reunion picks up right where we left off. James is booing Sandoval, and Lala doesn’t let up on him either. LVP jumps in to “stick up” for Sandoval and that puts James right over the edge, so he leaves the set (for the first time). Sandoval calls Lala a narcissist, and then he mutters that Lala pulled her “IUD the day” she “found out Stassi was pregnant.” WOW. After a few deep breaths and apologies, James returns just in time for the Lala/Randall segment. And that was only the first two minutes!
Lala shares that she hasn’t spoken to Rand face to face in over a year, and we learn that Ocean was not allowed to be on camera because Randall legally blocked it. When the news about Randall’s alleged casting couch and drug movement gets brought up, Lala lets us know that Randall’s spokesperson, who has denied all wrongdoing, also happens to be Harvey Weinstein’s spokesperson…which says it all.
Lala takes us down memory lane, and we are reminded how she first met Randall- at SUR…while she was hostessing. Evidently, Rand was a big fan of VPR. Andy asks if Lala felt like she had to sleep with Randall to get the part he offered her, and she denies that. LVP says that James slept with Kristen to get on the show, so it wouldn’t be too far-fetched of Randall to squirm his way in that way. Lala shares that she is now just about 4.5 years sober, and that hindsight is 20/20 when it comes to Randall.
When Andy calls for a break, the cast disperses. Schwartz does some yoga, the ladies grab lunch, and Sandoval beelines 100 yards away to Raquel‘s trailer to visit his lovely lady-in-waiting. Sandoval gives Raquel a play-by-play of the reunion thus far, and Raquel reminds him that she has been watching via live stream. Sandoval is annoyed the group is making them out to be pathological liars, but Raquel isn’t too phased by that.
Instead, she is focused on Sandoval and Ariana. “I don’t love the way it’s coming across about your guys’ intimacy.” Raquel is learning from the reunion that according to Scheana (and others), Ariana and Sandoval had a good relationship. Sandoval tries to backpedal and explain to Raquel that Ariana tried to talk down to him and he almost looks like he is about to break down laughing because even he doesn’t believe himself. Raquel claims it sucks because her “entire character is in question” right now and calls this affair coming out her “wake-up call.”
Sandoval leaves the RV and tells the producers he is done filming, and asks if he could have a “for real” chat with Raquel. (Isn’t that rich? The reality star looking to be REAL?) To that, Sandoval is told so long as he is together with Raquel, the cameras stay up. Sandoval must’ve forgotten that he signed up for a reality tv show and is begging to talk to Raquel off camera (to presumably coach her and get their stories straight). He shouts that he doesn’t feel relaxed, and he is “in a very delicate position.”
After the lunch break, Ally joins the group. Andy wonders if Ally knew what she was getting into with James, especially since they began dating only 6 weeks after his engagement with Raquel broke off. Andy makes it clear James is no angel, and we are reminded that James even said some horrible things about Raquel’s parents. James apologizes for those words, but double-downs and shares that Raquel’s mom would talk about his penis. Weird.
Ally believes that James is over Raquel, despite his outburst any time anyone mentions Raquel’s name. When asked about his drinking, James shares that he is still boozing, and Sandoval takes this as an opportunity to remind the world James is a sloppy drunk who smacks girls’ as*es. Ariana pounces on this and tells Sandoval that although he may not hit backsides, instead he sleeps with them. Touché. Because he has no other comeback, Sandoval shouts out that the affair must be the “get out of jail free card for everything.”
After he calls Sandoval a “mustache worm b*tch,” James storms off the stage round II. When he comes back (see…he couldn’t possibly still have feelings for Raquel with that type of behavior, right?!), James shares that he is seeing a therapist that has been helping with his anger…clearly….
Before she gets asked to leave the stage as per the restraining order, Scheana gets the spotlight to discuss how she married Brock way before the wedding. #greencard…and stuff. When it comes to the wedding, Andy wants to know why Katie got so heated about Schwartz taking Brock’s side throughout Mexico. Schwartz retorts that Katie has “a long history of diminishing” his friendships, but Katie tells Schwartz he’s like a serial killer’s wet dream because he is friends with everyone.
Later, Lala explains that she talked to Ally about James because she was triggered by what had happened to her with Randall. Lala’s life was spiraling over the summer, and she wanted to “baby” Ally and protect her from the potentially dangerous ways of men. James shares that he was not happy with Lala but admits that he hasn’t always been the best boyfriend. Bummer that the shooed Ally offstage and they did not address the fact that she was the whistle blower for Scandoval!
Andy reminds Scheana of the temporary restraining order and Scheana stays mum about the punch heard ‘round the world for legal reasons. Sandoval dramatically teases information about said punch for fear of ruining his (nonexistent) friendship with Scheana, but finally shares that on the night the scandal broke he was on the phone with Scheana and she said, “I just punched that b*tch in the face and threw her phone in the street.” Sandoval swears on this, Ariana denies hearing it, and Scheana gets incredibly heated. She demands Sandoval keep his mouth shut. Scheana promises that she will never be friends with Raquel again and admits that she was starting to have suspicions about Sandoval and Raquel’s relationship.
After a lot of back and forth, Andy hands some paperwork over to Scheana as per Raquel and Scheana is shocked and relieved to learn that Raquel put in a request to file for dismissal of the restraining order.
Scheana breaks down about how she was betrayed by two of her best friends and she becomes emotional. Raquel sits stone-faced in her trailer as she watches Scheana sob, and she doesn’t show one ounce of remorse. In fact, Raquel nervously laughs that perhaps she should have written a note to Scheana along with the legal paperwork.
Sandoval attempts to explain away the affair by stating his actions were “malicious, but it wasn’t done with malicious intent.” What the actual???? He becomes so aggravated that he leaves the stage just as Scheana gifts a Good as Gold vinyl to Andy, her #1 fan who called her musical success nearly 10 years ago. Scheana is carted off and we buckle up for Rachel, I mean Raquel.
Before Raquel comes on stage, Andy shows his one on one with her that was taped the day before the reunion. During that interview, Raquel still can’t wipe that smile off of her face. It’s like she’s excited to be getting all this attention, even if it’s for a bad thing. Raquel explains that things took a more romantic turn with Sandoval after the infamous Vegas girls’ trip because he makes her feel “seen.” Raquel laughs that she thought things would have worked out with Ariana and Andy reminds Raquel that Ariana was a ride or die friend. Raquel claims that perhaps Ariana knew about the two of them and admits that her behavior was “very deceitful.”
Raquel shares that they wanted to tell Ariana, but first they needed to “get their stories straight.” Unfortunately for Sandoval, Ariana wanted specifics when she called Raquel the night it all went down, and Raquel told her everything. Raquel smiles as she says she is “preparing for the worst, hoping for the best” at the reunion.
This is the first time Ariana is seeing Raquel since she heard about the affair. As she enters the stage, Schwartz whips out some Xanax from his jacket pocket (not E, Ariana- LOL), and Raquel enters the scene, suddenly not smiling…
TELL US – THOUGHTS ON THE VANDERPUMP RULES REUNION?