All Hail Jo, the Surprise Breakout Star of ‘Vanderpump Rules’

It’s the age-old question: How real should reality TV be? If Vanderpump Rules has done anything with its eleventh season, it’s to show how to evolve beyond its blown-up premise to be something entirely new. But after weeks of trying to figure out if this is good, bad, or something else, I’m drawing the conclusion that it’s ultimately necessary, and everyone’s playing their part as best they can.

On one side, we have Katie and Ariana, who resent the show but would never voluntarily leave it. On the other, Scheana and Lala have gone into show-saving mode, ditching pretense and fan favorability to keep the train from veering off the tracks. While these two groups started the season in full alignment, they have moved further and further away with each week, a testament to how reality TV fundamentally changes the reality of a situation—and one that places the ladies at odds. Perhaps that’s why Tom Schwartz’s roommate Jo is such a breath of fresh air amid this bizarro reality, her entire plot far removed from the online discourse.

In the wake of the seismic levels of vitriol felt by the Scandoval, the online divide has further shaped the VPR landscape, as is the circle of life. It’s a conundrum that, even more so than with the cast, has the fanbase utterly divided. Some long for the show to move into new terrain, ditching the male cast members for a series about girl bosses doing it for themselves, while the fans who love mess simply want to see everyone sling mud at each other, alliances be damned.

Read more at The Daily Beast.