The drama of a new generation

Marcus’ girlfriend who questions whether some of his friendships are truly platonic; and Natalie Maguire, the lead bartender at SUR who is at the center of some drama from the start.

- Casey DURKIN Bravo

Now it’s the latest show from the network to undergo a reset, completely overhauling its cast after an awkward 11th season filled with tension that came in the aftermath of an explosive cheating scandal involving Madix, Sandoval and Leviss. Dubbed “Scandoval,” it quickly (and unexpectedly) became mainstream news, propelling the cast even further away from their beginnings as stardom-chasing servers and the fun, petty drama that made them so compulsively compelling to watch. But by the end of Season 11, the cast dynamics were too broken to make for a pleasurable viewing experience.

“We hit a stride with ‘Vanderpump Rules’ — it was nominated for three Emmys,” says the show’s namesake, Lisa Vanderpump, formerly of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” and co-owner of SUR. “The show was rocking. But where would we go with it? It was fractured. So many people didn’t want to film with each other, their stories got quite heavy. Loss of business, marriages or infidelity. It wasn’t the same feeling anymore.”

“They were in their 20s,” she adds. “They were cavalier and they were naughty and they were learning. They got to an age where it was time for them to know better.”

In the end, the former cast ranged in age from nearly 30 to mid-40s. But the new cast? They’re in their 20s, cavalier, naughty and learning. Many are eager to find fame. Many were viewers of the original series.