"Everyone needs time to reset," says 'VPR' showrunner Alex Baskin, adding that after "a period of time," they'll "figure out what we want to do next."
Vanderpump Rules reached the pinnacle of reality television when Scandoval broke through to the mainstream, and it's been riding the aftermath through Season 11 ... But where does the show go from here?
Now that the three-part reunion has concluded, eager-eyed fans are reading into the flashback montage of the cast from Season 1 that ended the finale. And with the cast taking a break from filming ahead of Season 12 and no timeline of when it will return, the question now becomes is it even going to return?
Wrapping up Season 11, the cast all look like they are on different pages from one another -- and not just because of the cheating "Scandoval" involving cast members Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval and former cast member Rachel Leviss.
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Lala Kent accused Madix of messing with her "business" at the reunion, Kent and Scheana Shay spent the majority of the season attempting to force Madix to interact with her ex, Sandoval -- however, Madix stuck to her guns, proceeding to film the Bravo show with the hopes of never speaking to Sandoval again.
Bravo hasn't officially renewed the reality television series that was nominated for its first Emmy award in 2023, but in a new post-reunion interview, the show's executive producer and showrunner Alex Baskin opened up about the montage that left fans wondering about its future.
"Obviously there’s been a lot of speculation. People have written the show's final chapter many times, and the show has continued," he told The Hollywood Reporter.
"So just because it's a reflective moment that clearly marks the end of one chapter does not necessarily mean that it is the end of the show," Baskin continued. "You see, there is still a lot of fertile ground and developments in their lives, so I think it would be very premature that just because we really close the book on Scandoval in a lot of ways -- because it was this moment that sort of blew up everything and that extended into the next season -- does not mean necessarily that the show is over."
Following the roller-coaster of emotions the cast went through over the past season, Baskin said "the break was the right way to go".
"It's clear that everyone needs time to reset," he explained. "I think we're going to take a full look at what the group looks like in a period of time and figure out what we want to do next. And that may mean that certain people have to make decisions as well. We don’t want anyone to do the show if it doesn’t make sense for where they are now."
"Typically, we've shot in the early part of July, around there, so we would be in pre-production basically starting next week. And I don't think that would be great. I don’t think that would have been enough time," he continued. "So I think we, as a show, will gather ourselves and look at what we want to do, and that will be informed by what everyone individually wants to do. And then we'll figure out what the path is going forward."
And even Baskin is unsure whether this will be the last season, adding that he "can't believe it's been 11 years" of the show.
"That show has had many lives and so I'm not so sure this is the last one. But it certainly to date has been a hell of a run," he told the publication.
Despite Baskin saying there is still a "strong core" within the cast, he added that there is a chance the cast could also change, depending on who would want to come back.
"I could totally see some version of the bulk of the cast returning and then some notable additions. I think there’s plenty of life. What form that takes, I don't exactly know."
The producer also shut down speculation that one more more VPR cast members could move to spinoff series The Valley, telling THR "that cast is pretty full right now." Kent and Shay recently bought new houses in the valley, and are already friends with much of that show's cast.
"I would imagine you’ll continue to see crossover like you have, but that cast is bursting at the seams. It’s not like we’re in need of additional cast members," Baskin continued, going on to praise how The Valley cast has come together.
Vanderpump Rules Season 11 finale is now streaming on Peacock. The Valley's first season continues to air Tuesday nights on Bravo.
