7 Lessons Summer House MUST Learn From Vanderpump Rules’ Scandoval

The betrayal? Jaw-dropping. The reunion? Heated!

The romance timeline? Questionable, but it’s not playing anyone for a fool.

Summer House’s Amanda and West created a scandal that has all of us gripped to the edge of our reunion seats.

(Clifton Prescod/Bravo)

The messy tale of Ciara discovering that her best friend, Amanda, is dating her ex, West, fits right at home in the Bravo world.

It’s shocking!

Amanda broke serious girl code, and West’s f-boy attitude toward Ciara toyed with her heart and head. Summer House Season 10 seemed like they could be reuniting, but he played with our hopes, too.

And let’s not forget that Amanda is divorcing fellow Summer House cast member, Kyle.

Their (almost) 10-year relationship isn’t even cold yet!

(Nicole Weingart/Bravo)

But does this all seem familiar?! (Not exactly, but just enough.)

Let’s take a trip back to Vanderpump Rules Season 10’s iconic-yet-devastating #Scandoval.

The series’ long-standing couple, Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix, broke up after she discovered his affair with fellow cast member Raquel Leviss.

Plus, Raquel had just ended her engagement with James Kennedy. This affair sent shockwaves throughout the Bravoverse.

Even non-reality TV fans knew about Scandoval — it was everywhere!

(Nicole Weingart/Bravo)

But as Summer House enters a post-scandal reality, the impact will ripple throughout everything else.

“Scandoval” is three years old, and it’s already turned the Bravoverse upside down. We can’t forget that Vanderpump Rules got a complete cast reboot!

After the dust settles, Summer House needs to heed the lessons that came before.

Let’s take a look at a few outcomes that inevitably will shake up the series to come — and what the show needs to learn.

(Bravo/YouTube Screenshot)

1. Accountability over everything.

Look, the clown is out of the jack-in-the-box.

We all know that West and Amanda are dating. They’ve made this mess, and they need to lie in it.

However, acknowledging how badly they’ve messed up and hurt Ciara, Kyle, and all their friends should be at the top of the list.

A little humility and genuine sincerity go a long way.

Trying to act the victim or discrediting the pain of others is a surefire way to fail.

(Bravo/YouTube Screenshot)

Case in point: Summer House Season 10 Episode 17 and Summer House Season 10 Episode 18.

What is Amanda doing?! Her dismissive, cold attitude toward Ciara and Kyle is earning her no favors.

It’s one thing to explore her feelings with someone, but it’s another to craft a completely wrong narrative.

Ciara WAS her best friend. Kyle WAS her husband. There are emotions involved in this, and it’s not just Amanda’s.

She can’t pretend like this betrayal isn’t a big deal.

(Nicole Weingart/Bravo)

Say what you will about Tom Sandoval and Raquel, but they at least looked mortified on Vanderpump Rules Season 10 Episode 18.

They knew they messed up. Their affair was wrong, and it hurt a lot of people, especially Ariana.

Their continued lies during the reunion and post-show haven’t helped their cases.

But coming in with (some) remorse helped ease the backlash from Vanderpump Rules Season 11 onward.

West and Amanda need to heed this lesson: apologize sincerely! Otherwise, they will never have a chance at growth.

(Bravo/YouTube Screenshot)

2. Don’t blame it on the edit.

Speaking of Vanderpump Rules Season 11, Summer House must heed the lesson of proper editing and production.

For the love of fandom: DON’T TURN ON YOUR HEROINE!

Ariana was the wronged victim of Tom and Raquel’s cruel affair. She persevered and dealt with all the trauma of being lied to.

So, why did the show and cast members feel right to lash out against her? Because of her newfound fame?!

Ariana is still in the right. Even to this day, she gets to act and react how she wants because it’s her life and relationship!

(Gizelle Hernandez/Bravo)

By trying to reframe the narrative against Ariana, Vanderpump Rules tore its show apart.

Most of the cast still aren’t friends to this day, and the show fumbled the chance to revitalize itself. It’s a poor decision that makes no sense in light of audience and pop culture consensus.

Bravo and Summer House shouldn’t try to redeem Amanda and West.

Summer House spinoff In The City Season 1 is already stumbling because it’s trying to justify why Amanda left Kyle, and why “she’s in the right.”

(Bravo/YouTube Screenshot)

Let’s be clear, Kyle isn’t blameless in all this.

Their marriage was toxic, and his behavior didn’t help the longevity of their relationship.

Still, he’s not the complete cause of his marriage ending.

And Ciara doesn’t deserve her best friend and her former love betraying her like this. She’s been wronged by two people whom she thought she could trust again.

If Summer House picks a side, it can’t be with the villains. We’ve all seen how badly that blowback can turn.

(Clifton Prescod/Bravo)

3. Embrace the summer storm.

This lesson should go without saying, but it’s important to reiterate: keep Summer House based in reality.

Sure, Summer House is a reality TV show, and yes, there will be plenty of drama. But this scandal has affected all the cast members.

Their real-life friendships and on-screen dynamics. How has it affected the group?

Are West and Amanda uninvited from summer plans? Who has still stayed in contact?

Skip the fake redemption edit, like Tom’s edit on Vanderpump Rules. Instead, dive deeper into the truth outside the show.

(Clifton Prescod/Bravo)

4. A star is born.

Just like Ariana’s rise post-Scandoval, Ciara is getting all the love and opportunities.

She’s dominating the Summer House Season 10 reunion, reminding everyone why she’s the queen. And why Amanda and West’s behavior rightfully hurt her.

If there’s one thing fans have universally agreed on, it’s that Ciara is in the right. She’s now the most beloved among the current cast members.

(Bravo/YouTube Screenshot)

So, Summer House needs to double down on its new hero. It’s a lesson that Vanderpump Rules failed to do.

Right now, Ciara is on the rise!

She’s competing on Dancing with the Stars Season 35, and she’s co-hosting Love Island: Aftersun Season 8. Plus, she just appeared in Shaboozey’s music video, “Cowgirl”.

Strike while the iron is hot and build up the goodwill of its cast.

Ariana left Vanderpump Rules because of the narrative mistreatment. We can’t repeat the mistakes and lose Ciara, too.

(Clifton Prescod/Bravo)

5. Foster the group.

Ciara is expanding to other shows, so why not the rest of the cast?

Kyle appeared on The Traitors Season 1 and Ciara on The Traitors Season 3. Just imagine if Lindsay Hubbard joined a future season; the confessionals and drama would be epic!

How about Jesse on Love Island or The Masked Singer? Or West on House of Villains?

It took forever for the cast of Vanderpump Rules to explore their fame on other shows.

With Summer House still airing, they can do a promotional push to keep it going. While In the City Season 1 helps, the cast should heed the lesson and expand outside of the Bravoverse.

(Jocelyn Prescod/Bravo)

6. Make the romance count.

Arguably, this is a weird lesson. After all the damage, romance seems like the strangest solution.

However, Ciara is right on the money for her criticism about West and Amanda.

They blew up their lives for this romance. The entire basis of the Summer House Season 10 reunion is that they “couldn’t ignore” the feelings growing between them.

So, make the relationship count if it’s that deep and devoted.

(Bravo/YouTube Screenshot)

By Vanderpump Rules Season 11 Episode 1, Tom and Raquel were basically over. Their affair was a non-entity.

And in turn, the show treated it as nothing. Ignoring the fact that the scandal tore everyone apart.

Regardless of what happens between West and Amanda, Summer House shouldn’t pretend as if nothing happened.

Everyone, from fan to fanatic, knows about the shocking reveal. Keep everyone on the journey so that we know how the group feels.

Don’t disregard the romance because it doesn’t fit whatever narrative the show wants for Summer House Season 11.

(Bravo/YouTube Screenshot)

7. Check (& recheck) the timeline.

As more details come to light, it’ll be very important to know what happened, and who knew when, for accuracy.

Vanderpump Rules Season 10 Episode 15 did an amazing job filling in the pieces.

Lala Kent brought us fans into the investigation through the timeline narration.

In this case, we’re jumping right into the reunion. Ciara, Kyle, and crew are pushing Amanda and West to spill all the details.

But is all of what they’re saying true, though?

(Bravo/YouTube Screenshot)

Amanda and West claim they didn’t hook up until their public statement. But the theory at large is that they, allegedly, did a lot more than kiss before.

Including a theory that they, allegedly, got together while she was still in a relationship with Kyle.

We won’t know the full truth until Amanda/Kyle come clean. However, as long as Summer House acknowledges what they know, it’ll set the stage for a fair and balanced narrative.

The scandal is the scandal. Unlike some other reality TV shows, Summer House needs to embrace it.

Don’t try to bury or hide it.

(Bravo/YouTube Screenshot)

You made it to the end — and that means a lot.

Are you Team Ciara? Are you giving Amanda and West’s relationship a chance?

Let us know in the comments, or share this article with someone who will want to argue about it with you. That’s what makes it fun.

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