Vanderpump Rules S11 Needs To Stop Trying To Redeem Tom Sandoval And Let Female Rage Win

At this point in the Scandoval fallout, Tom Sandoval has done the following things: cheated on Ariana Madix, publicly blamed her behavior for said cheating, refused to leave the house that they share, complained about how she’s “lazy,” and endangered her dog Maya. How have Madix’s close friends Lala Kent and Scheana Shay reacted? They’ve blamed and shamed Madix herself rather than coming down on Sandoval for everything he’s done wrong.

Throughout Season 10, Kent has sat down with Sandoval one-on-one, invited him to multiple events, and complained in confessionals that Madix should move out of the house that she co-owns with Sandoval and also stop making excuses for her own wrongs, as Kent perceives them. (After Season 11 filming wrapped, Madix did, in fact, purchase a new house and move out.) Shay, based on her weird outburst over the fact that Madix booked “Dancing with the Stars” — apparently a dream of Shay’s for years — feels envious that Madix is a cultural darling who’s about to wrap up a successful run as Roxie Hart in “Chicago” on Broadway. So how do these two friends handle their feelings? They take it out on Madix and cozy up to Sandoval, which only furthers the show’s narrative that Sandoval deserves forgiveness and Madix needs to calm down.

Madix does not need to calm down. Her righteous rage is welcome, and Sandoval — as well as her fair-weather friends — deserve every ounce of her ire. Stop trying to make Sandoval the reformed hero and Madix the villain, Bravo. It’s not going to happen.