The Aftermath, The Anticipation: Why Vanderpump Rules Season 12 Is Already Shaping Up To Be Legendary

Well, here we are again, aren't we? After a season that quite literally broke the internet—yes, we're talking about Scandoval, how could we not be?—the ever-dramatic, often chaotic world of Vanderpump Rules is, in truth, gearing up for its twelfth outing. And honestly, the air is thick with anticipation, perhaps even more so than usual. It’s like waiting for a second shoe to drop, only this shoe is designer, probably sequined, and promises a whole new level of drama.

You see, for a show born out of a simple premise—waiters and waitresses at a West Hollywood restaurant run by Lisa Vanderpump, a woman who truly knows her way around a martini and a sharp quip—it has evolved into something far grander, a veritable cultural phenomenon. The eleventh season, fresh off the heels of Tom Sandoval's affair with Raquel Leviss, became an instant classic, a masterclass in watching relationships crumble and reputations (mostly) self-destruct in real time. It was a lot, to put it mildly. And it left us, the loyal viewers, with so many questions.

So, what’s the deal with Season 12? While Bravo, ever the coy network, hasn't yet thrown an official release date our way, the rumblings are, as they say, everywhere. It's happening, that much is certain. And with the cast having filmed the last reunion special—a truly explosive affair, by all accounts—the natural progression points to production kicking off sometime in the near future. Traditionally, the show films over the summer months, offering us a delightful winter or spring premiere. A hopeful thought, no?

Now, about the cast. This is where things get truly juicy, because after the events of the past year, no one is quite where they used to be. Ariana Madix, our beloved, resilient queen, has found new footing; she's done Broadway, she's written a book, she’s, dare I say, thriving. Tom Sandoval? Well, he's still Tom Sandoval, navigating a world that isn't quite ready to forgive him, but he’s still part of the fabric. And then there’s the rest of the gang: Katie Maloney, pursuing her sandwich shop dreams with Something About Her; Lala Kent, always outspoken and fiercely protective; Scheana Shay, living her best mom life while still entangled in the group's web; and James Kennedy, seemingly in a genuinely happy place with Ally Lewber. Oh, and Tom Schwartz, who, let’s be real, is probably still apologizing for something or other.

But the real intrigue, for me at least, lies in the lingering dynamics. Can Sandoval and Madix truly coexist in the same social circle, even if it’s just for filming? Will old friendships, irrevocably fractured, ever truly mend? And what new entanglements, what fresh controversies, will inevitably emerge? Because this is Vanderpump Rules, after all. Stagnation simply isn't in its vocabulary. You could say, in a strange way, the very imperfections of these people are what keep us hooked. Their messiness, their very human flaws, that's the gold. And that, dear reader, is precisely why we'll all be tuning in.