Vanderpump Rules' Raquel Leviss Went From Breakout Fave to Breakout Villain

The "shocking" revelation in the March 15 episode of Vanderpump Rules wasn't exactly the bombshell Andy Cohen made it out to be. While in Las Vegas during a girls' trip, Raquel Leviss had some snipey remarks for Lala Kent: When Kent said that she wouldn't trust her man around a drunk Leviss, Leviss replied, "Well, it's a good thing you don't have a man to be around." This is the moment that caused Cohen to sound the alarm, and while it’s not the best look now that we know about Leviss' affair with Tom Sandoval, it's not the most surprising interaction. Kent and Leviss have had a contentious relationship since the latter first joined the show in Season 5. In Season 10, it’s nothing new to see the two verbally sparring.

What is surprising, though, is Leviss’ demeanor throughout the rest of the episode. Her entire time on the show up until now has been spent in her ex James Kennedy’s shadow. The audience hasn’t gotten to see much of who she is beyond Kennedy’s girlfriend and fiancée, someone who seemingly can’t think for herself. While on the road with Kent, Katie Maloney, and Kristina Kelly to Lake Havasu, Arizona, she finally let the real Raquel come through. Her voice dropped half an octave, as if she was no longer afraid to speak as herself. She shared more details about why she ended her relationship with Kennedy. And she opened up about how hard it’s been to rediscover who she really is as a single woman in Los Angeles. As she cried, even Kent comforted her and built her up — it felt like Leviss had finally found her place among the Vanderpump Rules girls.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to truly enjoy this version of Leviss as more and more details about her affair with Sandoval come out left and right. (One recent rumor is that the whole thing started after the girls’ trip shown in the March 15 episode.) In an alternate universe, this could have been the most likable Leviss’ has ever been, setting her up to be a fan favorite. Later on the trip Leviss managed to come out on top after another argument with Kent, who admitted to sleeping with Kennedy while he was with Leviss. Leviss and Charli Burnett’s burgeoning friendship on the show was setting the pair up to become the next generation of main characters. Even if Leviss continued to pursue a relationship with Maloney’s ex Tom Schwartz throughout the season, it wouldn’t have doomed her. Over the past 10 years, many Vanderpump Rules cast members have bounced back from worse.

Instead, Leviss has made herself a pariah, opening the door for one of the most notorious and hated cast members, Kristen Doute, to be part of the show once again. Maybe in a few years a future Vanderpump star will do something that makes “Scandoval” pale in comparison and Leviss will get another shot at redemption. But for now, the rest of Season 10 will be a capsule of Leviss’ squandered potential as a Vanderpump Rules favorite.

Vanderpump Rules airs Wednesdays at 9:00 PM ET on Bravo and streams on Peacock the next day. Join the conversation about the show in our forums.

Brianna Wellen is a TV Reporter at Primetimer who became obsessed with television when her parents let her stay up late to watch E.R.