There have been many heroes during this unprecedentedly riveting #Scandoval season of Pump Rules, but I think our little Scheana may be the biggest one of all. (Well, second to Ariana, our once and forever queen. Yes, she is an icon, she is a legend, and she is the moment.) But, of this entire historic cast, Scheana arguably had the most perfect season, proving she can be a compassionate and loyal person… who will also come for you (to the point where a restraining order is filed) if you ever betray someone she cares about.
Many have been praising Lala Kent and Katie Maloney for how they navigated Scandoval. And, at face value, it’s understandable: Lala was the first one to piece together that Tom and Raquel had something going on; Katie took on Raquel when she “pursued” her ex, Tom Schwartz, against her wishes. These responses are admirable, sure, but I also have a problem with them. Even before the news of the affair broke, Katie and Lala (but especially Lala) were excessively mean to Raquel. Lala had been calling Raquel names and making her feel stupid way before Scandoval gave her an excuse to. (Lala just hates the girl, regardless of what she’s done. You can’t take her bad deed and retroactively say that all the torture was justified.) Katie repeatedly called Raquel a “ho” among other awful names. This kind of mean girl hazing does not make a hero.
No one knows that better than Scheana, who was kept out of the group and tortured by Katie, Stassi Schroeder, and Kristen Doute for years. It makes perfect sense why Scheana and Katie don’t get along, and why Scheana was so quick to take the side against her this season. And the fact that Scheana was a Raquel supporter from the beginning of the season, in my eyes, is very commendable. She stuck up for her friend when she saw other forces assembling against her. Armed with the benefit of the doubt, Scheana proved that she can be kinder than the witches of Weho.
Until, of course, she wasn’t and punched Raquel in the face. I know, I know — she only shoved her and it’s scientifically impossible for her to make a fist because of her Wolverine nails.
This is why Scheana shined this season: She had the appropriately human reaction to every single thing that happened during this cursed timeline. Yes, I admit she was karmically petty in the face of a long-standing grudge when she encouraged Raquel to make out with Schwartz, but think about how she approached the rest of the season’s storylines:
- She didn’t judge Raquel based on her intellect or preconceived notions — she waited for the evidence to roll in.
- She confronted Raquel for betraying their best friend the second she was armed with enough evidence.
- She told Katie they can put their differences aside to comfort Ariana together during the final episode. (The only thing better than holding a grudge is knowing when to set it down.)
- But her real crowning moment was the final scene, when Sandoval goes to her house on his apology tour. Other than Schwartz, she was his only ally this whole season, going to him when she heard a rumor about his open relationship from James Kennedy’s new girlfriend, Ally Won’t Be Around Long Enough To Learn Her Last Name.
In said scene, Scheana explains how Sandoval was always supportive of her when all of the other girls on the show wanted to keep her out, but that didn’t stop her from doing the right thing and being the only other person besides Ariana to call out Tom on his bullshit. Lisa Vanderpump was maternal and somewhat supportive when she shouldn’t have been. Tom Schwartz was only worried about himself and what their business was going through. He just listened to Sandoval cry his Botox-forehead man-eating crocodile tears and tried to spin his narrative without challenging it.
But our SheShe was not having it for a second. She met every one of Tom’s excuses with resistance. When he argued he hadn’t been into Ariana in the last four or five years: “Why did you buy a house with her then?” When he said he tried to break up with her before and she wouldn’t let him: “Then you sit her down and have a conversation.” When he claimed she threatened to commit suicide after he tried to break up with her: “Then you fly in [her mother]…and get her friends around her so we can pick up the pieces like we are now. You don’t fuck her friend.” Mic motherfucking drop.
Other than Ariana, Scheana was the only person with anything to lose in this scandal. Katie and Lala never liked Raquel or Sandoval, and they’re happy to see them go. Schwartz still has his bestie and his business and, let’s face it, he wasn’t going to keep the Katie Contingent after the divorce anyway.
Scheana, on the other hand, lost two good friends so that she could support another one. As she explains, she knew Sandoval before she knew anyone. She paid for Raquel’s damn apartment at some point, for criminy sake. She made the real sacrifice of cutting both of them off. “I don’t know where we go from here,” she tells Tom through tears. “We’re obviously not friends anymore because I can’t support anything you’ve done anymore. And I’m really going to miss you. Right now, you don’t deserve any friends, and I can’t get behind any of this.” That was when Tom knew he had lost. That was when Tom knew there was no coming back from this.
That was when Scheana proved her kindness couldn’t be taken advantage of any longer. And, while being kind may open you up for heartbreak, it’s always the right impulse. In this scene, Scheana absolutely cleared, and she didn’t have to punch anyone.
All images courtesy of Bravo and Getty Images.
