Bravo’s scandalous and, at times, controversial Vanderpump Rules is finally back after filming earlier this year. The show has returned with far fewer castmates, though Tom Sandoval says less is more. The show premiered on September 28, 2021, after a long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The show’s original protagonists, Stassi Schroeder and Jax Taylor, among other castmates, exited the franchise for racist and problematic behavior. The show’s delayed return left ample time for it to distance itself from the scandals, though they are inevitably still present in the media and audiences’ minds alike.

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During the pandemic’s peak last summer, Bravo seemed to be focused on pandemic-friendly programs, such as the celebrity-studded Bravo’s Chatroom and Housewife to Housewife. Lisa Vanderpump was also occupied with her work-from-home dinner party show, teasing her former friends and costars from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on Overserved with Lisa Vanderpump.  In early 2021, when vaccines were rolling out and people briefly believed they were safe going out mask-free, Bravo jumped into the filming of Vanderpump Rules.

According to ET, the show started filming in spring 2021. On the Bravo teaser released in April, Lala Kent shared she was 37 weeks pregnant and proud of her body for carrying her through the pregnancy. Tom Schwartz and Katie Maloney also discussed their unsuccessful efforts to get pregnant. While ET suspected the promo indicated producers had already started filming, it appears the teaser was a separate project. The season 9 premiere picked up after the birth of Lala and Randall Emmett’s daughter, Ocean. Ocean was born in March 2021. In season 9, Scheana Shay’s daughter with Brock Davis, Summer Moon, has also already been born. Summer was born in April 2021. Reports from Us Weekly confirm filming for season 9 began in early May 2021.

Based on a seaside post from Lisa on July 23, 2021, filming wrapped right around that time. Lisa wrote, “Time for a break, just finished #vanderpumprules whooooosh #crazy lol fun times.” The Vanderpump Rules filming timeline makes sense, especially since things were just starting to open up in California at that time after COVID-19. Still, the scenes on the show have so far focused on small get-togethers at the cast’s homes. While most of the cast members no longer work at Lisa’s restaurants, the vibe varies drastically from the bustling bar scenes at SUR, TomTom, Pump, and Villa Blanca from the early days of the series.

While things may be different and some faces have disappeared forever after the notorious Vanderpump Rules firings rampage, there is still plenty of drama. Lisa has hinted that while the tension can be stressful for the cast, it will be delicious for hungry fans. Time will tell if the reduced cast during pandemic times inspires a season 10 of Vanderpump Rules.

Vanderpump Rules airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.

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Sources: Lisa Vanderpump/Instagram, Entertainment Tonight, Us Weekly

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Olivia Landon
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Olivia Landon is a digital creative working in entertainment media and television production. A graduate of Occidental College’s Critical Theory and Social Justice and Media Arts & Culture programs, Olivia believes in entertainment as a springboard for curating intersectional cultures of care. Visit her website https://www.livlandon.media/

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