Is the New Vanderpump Rules a Wannabe of the OG?
Vanderpump Rules is reality TV royalty. Vanderpump Rules has followed the SUR staff for more than 10 years, with viewers glued to their couches waiting to see their usual dramatic antics. After season 11, fans were left in the dark, wondering if they would ever watch the servers of SUR again. Yet in late 2025, SUR has reopened its doors to its loyal fanbase, but with a new twist… A whole new cast!
What to await in VPR
The new season of Vanderpump Rules (VPR) has officially been released and has been renewed for season 13. Season 12 was a completely fresh start for the show, as season 11 had wrapped filming in 2024, and it was uncertain whether the show would ever return. Season 11 ended with a scene depicting their favorite moments, featuring clips from past seasons, making the audience fear it would be the last time they saw the SUR crew.
Alas, when season 12 premiered on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, audiences were immediately taken back to the nostalgia of SUR restaurant but with a completely new cast. Will it be the same show? Will it be completely different from past seasons? What will this season bring back to audiences on VPR? Many people were left confused about whether this new season would be a continuation of what the OG cast left behind with a different cast, or a superficial reboot that hoped to be similar to the original.
The real question on my mind is, is this reboot a good addition to the show, or will it fall flat trying to live up to its predecessor? Will this season bring audiences back to watch more seasons in the future?
What is Vanderpump Rules?
Vanderpump Rules follows a group of coworkers/friends working at Lisa Vanderpump’s West Hollywood restaurant, SUR. They are an ambitious group of friends who are constantly trying to improve their careers, mend their broken relationships, and just trying to keep their jobs. The OG cast of VPR was a group of gritty, ambitious young adults put in the middle of Hollywood with big dreams of making it in Hollywood. With this, relationships have come and gone, but one thing that never felt fleeting is the drama!
The same group filmed for over 11 years and finally, after reeling from the effects of Scandoval (the traumatizing pop culture phenomenon in which Ariana Madix found out her boyfriend of 9 years had been having an affair with her best friend), decided to take a hiatus to focus on their own lives.
A new chapter
In 2025, murmurs of a new season of Vanderpump Rules surfaced on social media, drawing mixed reviews. While some were excited to see a new season with new faces, others were worried that it could never live up to what VPR once was. With an established series that was beloved by fans, it is difficult to want a new, different version. Despite these mixed views, season 12 premiered, and it…flopped? and succeeded?
New crew
SUR restaurant introduced us to the manager Demy Selem; servers: Kim Suarez, Venus Binkley, and Marcus Johnson; bartenders: Natalie Maguire and Chris Hahn; hosts: Audrey Lingle, Angelica Jensen, and Jason Cohen; and that one guy who is friends with everyone and always hangs out at SUR but doesn’t actually work at SUR: Shayne Davis.
While most of them are not born and raised in Los Angeles, California. They all moved to LA in pursuit of big city lights and big dreams.
Natalie is an aspiring singer whose song “Passenger” was previewed on the show. Shayne is currently working on vertical drama shorts, but is also pursuing screenwriting, acting, and modeling.
Audrey is also an aspiring actress and comedian, with hopes of working in horror movies. Venus aspires to be a painter, writer, and rapper.
Jason, like Shayne, aspires to work in the film industry as an actor. His cousin, Chris, has many things in the works. He is beginning to pursue music, acting, and a potential new business with Jason.
Angelica is a jack-of-all-trades who likes to try new things. She has a swimsuit line: Stellica Swim. She also acts; she appeared in Landman’s second season.
Marcus is blossoming into his DJ career after earning some extra cash as a model. Kim considers herself a triple threat as she sings, acts, and dances. Demy, apart from SUR, works as a personal chef.
Even with their busy schedules, the SUR crew will always make time for drama. This group does not shy away from any tough, awkward, or downright weird conversations. From a love triangle between Angelica, Shayne, and Jason to Chris and Audrey’s budding romance, all the way to Chris and Jason’s OF career. Nothing is off limits with this crew.
Relationship recap
Before we get into what actually happened this season, let me recap the relationships: Natalie dated Paulo (a Sur employee, not on VPR), who had dated Demy a couple of weeks earlier. Audrey and Chris dated and were on track to become exclusive until Chris explained that he still wanted to be open to seeing other people. Jason and Angelica went on one date, and were going good until penis pump gate, then Shayne began to pursue Angelica. Marcus and Kim have a very serious on-again, off-again relationship.
Shayne and Natalie started seeing each other, but they called it quits after one date. Jason then catches feelings for Natalie, and they become makeshift friends with benefits, often hooking up at parties.
Here is a visual mind map to help with understanding.
Green: Friends, Orange: Relationship, Pink: Hooked up, Yellow: Not Friends/ Tension, and Grey: Family members
Season 12 recap
In terms of drama, the cast really brought their A-game. From friendship breakups to an OnlyFans family business, this season did not disappoint in insane, petty drama. Season 12 begins with a temporary suspension for Natalie for yelling at another employee on her day off at SUR. With this, we know we are in for classic VPR chaos.
We are introduced to new coworkers, Chris, Jason, and Angelica. Angelica hit it off with Jason, but then ultimately called it quits over a penis pump. Yup, you read that right.
Angelica found out through a gossip session with Audrey (who was non exclusively dating Chris at the time) that Jason keeps one in his bathroom.
When Angelica heard this, she ran with it all the way to TomTom (a restaurant former cast members Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz owned) to tell everyone and anyone who had ears, even her boss, Lisa Vanderpump.
Angelica tried to make light of the situation, but it came off as weird and uncomfortable to those around her. This caused serious tension between Jason and Angelica. Then, to make matters worse, Shayne broke the bro code and got with Angelica.
Angelica seems to be the catalyst for chaos this season. Much of the petty drama revolves around her. After burning bridges with Jason, Chris, and Audrey, the group finds it difficult to understand her.
After a work trip to Paso Robles goes south, Shayne decides to call it quits with Angelica, Audrey’s relationship deteriorates, and the rest of the crew doesn’t know what to make of the aftermath.
The reunion also felt abrupt, given that it was two parts. It addressed many tough topics, like addiction and the path of loving yourself. But in terms of addressing this season’s plot points, it felt incredibly short.
It did not delve into many of the season’s main plot lines, and when it did, it only scratched the surface. Viewers were left with more questions than answers. I mean, I certainly was left with more questions, like: will Shayne and Natalie try their romance again? Why would Shayne make a baby pact with Angelica? And why do most questions revolve around Shayne?
What went wrong?
When the new season aired, the public was confused. The show seemed to bring back the nostalgia of its aesthetic, the pettiness of the drama, but the new cast… not so much.
While this new crew certainly shares the OG crew’s ambition, something seems to be missing. When watching, some plotlines and altercations feel incredibly forced. The first couple of episodes are awkward, which is expected with a new cast and a new season.
It lacks the same fire as the OG crew. This may be due to the rise of social media and influencers. When VPR first aired, the cast was excited to make a name for themselves, but they were still able to be their authentic selves without constant social media feedback. No influencers telling people what to wear or watch.
There is a level of authenticity missing because many of the cast members have large social media followings, which takes away the magic of reality TV. Why?
These influencers know that being on reality TV, especially on one of Bravo’s most famous shows, will boost their careers in many ways. Some have also been on reality TV before, like Chris Hahn and Jason Cohen, who were on the show Dated and Related. With this, they understand how reality shows work and even claimed to “put on a persona for the cameras.”
It kills the show’s illusion. It is common knowledge that everything you see on reality TV should be taken with a grain of salt, but it is still entertainment. The audience chooses to believe that what they are seeing is, in some form, real. It feels as though they are constantly breaking the fourth wall without even realizing it.
This becomes frustrating as a viewer because the cast’s credibility is lost. We, as an audience, understand that being on reality TV brings a level of fame that is enticing, but that is not why audiences watch these shows. They look for dramatic, real relationships. Audiences do not want to watch these shows to see how the cast members can level up, but rather to look to them as an escape from their daily lives.
So, does Season 12 live up to the hype?
I think it’s safe to say that this cast does not live up to its OG counterparts.
The beauty of the OG VPR cast was their willingness to be themselves, no matter what. Even if they knew they were wrong, even if they knew the audience wouldn’t like it, they stayed true to themselves.
I think what loses audience engagement is that these cast members know they are on TV and understand the fame (and infamy) that comes with it. It just feels superficial. Audiences don’t look to these shows to make the cast more famous. They look to these shows for fun, drama, and petty vendettas.
If this new cast wants to do well, then they have to try to be their authentic selves. They have to make the audience believe in them, because if the audience believes in the cast, then the cast will reach the level of fame they want.
What comes next?
Hopefully, the cast will find their footing in season 13. They have the potential to be great, but I think they need to put in the hours and be willing to be authentic. One superficial season is not going to send them to superstardom.
They must shift their focus from what they can gain to the chaos around them. It feels like they have one foot in and one foot out.
Once they can establish better relationships in their group or at SUR, they can really thrive. Their focus is not on the show, even though they are on the show. Stepping away from the social media noise will allow them to refocus.
There is no official set date for season 13, but it should be out in late 2026 or early 2027.
The 12th season is worth a watch, especially if you’re a VPR fan missing some pettiness. I cannot guarantee the same grit as the OG cast, but I can guarantee you a fun watch that will carry over into the next season.
I look forward to season 13, even though season 12 was interesting, to say the least. Despite their lack of commitment, this cast is nothing short of entertaining, and it will be fun to see how the next seasons will go.
You can watch all seasons of Vanderpump Rules on Peacock.
Featured Image by Whitney Agar
