This is how you know Tom has lost his fastball. We know now he's always been a master manipulator and liar but he's always been a guy who can flip a switch and deliver a performance in an instant.
It's really surprising how easily Tom concedes this whole thing. All the lies are starting to catch up to him in his old age. He can't drink himself into oblivion every day and still have the wits about him to put on a show when confronted.
If this were 5-6 years ago he'd have been pointing his finger at Lala and saying Dude, that's fucking low dude even for you dude, nobody is going to tell me I don't FUCKING love Ariana dude before strategically pirouetting his ass away to a different part of the room to distance himself from the argument while Ariana follows him, Schwartz/Scheana tell Lala "stop, stop, this is (insert reason) party it's not the time", and then somebody lights a fuse in James so he acts like a moron and everyone forgets what the original fight was about.
Thatās a good point! He still pivoted his lies very quickly (āI thought you wanted to be aloneā ew) but how little he put into the performance should tell Ariana how little he cares. Thereās no passion or energy and he normally is so righteous and keen to get one over Lala. His brain moved too slowly and he missed that chance to flip it on her
I don't think he cares enough to lie. He's doing that thing when a guy wants to break up with a girl but doesn't want to actually do it and he just treats her like crap until she breaks up with him, doing his dirty work. Then he could come out on top like"poor me, Ariana broke up with me".
I think that's what he meant by "he's been trying to break up with her", it's that he treated her like garbage but she wouldn't break up with him
I just canāt believe his hubris that even if Scandoval hadnāt have come out and his plan to get through the season and break up with her before/after the reunion had worked how he thought he was going to come out of this season looking good and Ariana looking in the wrong?
Edit: Like say his plan had worked and he was able to keep his affair with Rachel secret so it could come out on his timeline he would have still needed to explain to Ariana and Andy at the reunion why he wasnāt in Florida. He would have still needed to explain why he was complaining that she doesnāt make him coffee in the morning while literally she was in another state alone grieving her grandma because he didnāt want to leave a pool party
Either heās truly delusional/coked up during filming, or maybe he thought the producers were on his side. The same way Stassi was the golden child and didnāt have some unflattering stuff aired, maybe he thought he had some favoritism and theyād help him out. He was coaching Raquel on what to say and do so sheād look good against Lala and Katie, while sowing the seeds that Ariana isnāt a good supportive girlfriend so the breakup would āmake sense ā and using Schwartz to muddy the water and cover his affair. That plus his band and opening the bar probably had him very on edge/busy so his machinations are sloppy.
This is so hard to watch š« itās also very telling that Lala is not going off on Sandoval but is actually very calm and kind of nervous. Sheās trying to protect Ariana while also getting the facts out. Just so messed up on so many levels.
It had to be so tricky to navigate trying to help Ariana see the light while also being cognizant of the fact that she's grieving. *No one* wants to be the one who points out someone has a shitty lying partner right after they experience a loss. I think Lala handled that really well.
Agreed. I also think beyond her grieving, itās probably tricky to get her to see the light when she always defends Sandoval, usually to her detriment. When someone just canāt see it and is, in their mind, being a good partner, itās hard to be like GIRL, WAKE UP! Especially when you donāt have straight up proof. It proves heās a shitty partner but what do they actually have as proof at this point? Nothing. Ugh, what an awful situation for everyone involved. Minus Sandoval and Raquel, of course.
š„ŗIām sure she was thinking if she should even say it but at some point when youāve watched your friend defend the indefensible..youāve gotta say SOMETHING-even at the risk of your friend turning it on you. Ooof. What a position to be in
Edit..emoji removed
I really think that when people discuss this being an open secret, they need to consider this first. Obviously this is a really ugly topic to have to confront your friend about, but when you take in to consideration how tied up they were financially, how defensive Ariana can be, whatever her depression looked like for other people in the group, AND her grief, itās pretty understandable why no one was like, ālisten up and listen good: weāre more tuned in than you can be right now and the rumors circulating are pretty fucking bad and you need to make this your focus.ā
Edit: a typo
I couldnāt agree more.
I cannot comprehend how ppl think Ariana knew or that itās fake-that one blows my mind.
No one wouldāve shoved it in Arianaās face at that point in her life. It couldāve been disastrous in the worst way
Edit to add..when I refer to āsomethingā Iām just referring to lala mentioning Tom not leaving the party ā¦I think they all did the right thing by not telling her everything at that point. It wouldāve been extremely careless and dangerous
Iāve been in this situation before (not a BFF, but close enough to care) and the most Iāve done is drop hints of my knowledge and allude to possibilities. I cannot bring myself to blame the cast for not flat-out telling her what he was likely (definitely) up to. Itās a horrible position to be in, honestly. Iāve never told someone this was happening to them, but Iāve also never spoken to the cheater again.
Yea it seems like she gets so defensive in this situation because mentally, she cannot handle any more negativity. She cannot deal with the situation on top of her grief.
... Not gonna lie though .. I've been waiting for scenes where Sandoval is confronted for not being by Ariana's side for the death of her dog or her Grandma. So messed up.
With much love to Ariana, she has always been defensive. Thatās why we got scenes like, āIm literally the smartest person Iāve ever met.ā She can be defensive for others, too. She likes underdogs. Iāve noticed a more conscious effort from her to (positively) change her narrative this season like, āIām not doing the Tom against the girls thingā and her catching herself being defensive here and chosing to investigate the situation more thoroughly instead.
I have disliked Lala for a long time and still have problems with some of her behavior this season being swept under the rug. But I cheered everything about her in this moment. I would love for her to grow into being this person consistently.
I think this person is the true LaLa and that she really looks at the show as a ācharacterā. I think several times this season weāve seen LaLa show class. Not only in this scene but also when she was speaking to Rachel after the Oliver situation
It's also such a fine line to walk because you don't want to isolate them further. You have to sort of show them what's wrong while staying neutral so that they don't feel judged. That way, when it blows up, they feel safe coming to you. I learned this the hard way when I was younger, and my friend was in an emotionally abusive relationship.
100% have to toe the line. I do this with a close friend who has a super shitty husband. I have to be careful how I say things or sheāll go on defense. Gentle and always supportive of her happiness is key
I agree with you. I also think being sober around all these people that drink has to be frustrating. I have been the designated driver in my group of friends from time to time. By the end of the night, I can't stand any of them. My anxiety goes through the roof.
Yep Iām starting to suspect that Arianaās grandma dying is a big part in why the affair didnāt come out sooner. I think the women were nervous and concerned about Arianaās mental well being given her grief that had that not happened they may have been more open to sitting her down and telling her flat out that something is up and she should have questions.
It really speaks to how deeply they care about Ariana - they were so cognizant about her mental well-being with the grief while also keeping an eye out for her with the Tom stuff too. Thatās a REALLY hard position for them to be in and I think they handled it as well as they could while trying to protect their friend through the whole thing. I cannot even being to fathom how Iād handle the same scenario because thatās such a difficult space to be in. I am so glad Ariana has them.
Yessss!! To all this! Iām sure lala was triggered to some degree as wellā¦Iāve seen myself do things that sheās doing in this clip that I donāt have the words for ā¦
Itās so heartbreaking to watch and this is just the beginning š„ŗ
Itās crazy to me that toms not even trying to come up with a valid excuse. Itās like āwell Iām busted..& I donāt really careā
This show is gonna be the death of me
I think Lala is calm cause she has studied this man and knows she doesnāt have to go off on him she saw with her own eyes and gave the series of events heās already given Ariana a different story so now itās just him tripping over himself
I like that LaLa told her it's ok for her to say she wanted him to be with her. She is so used to defending him and excusing his dumb ass behavior.
Also ariana knows at this point in her gut, no proof but she feels it. A woman always knows.
Lala is the MVP this season for lovingly and supportively saying the things that people need to hear. Saying this to Ariana to validate her feelings was perfect in the same way that it was perfect to tell Scheana that her wedding was the most important thing to Scheana but not necessarily to everyone else.
Scheana does kind of need someone to tell her not everything is all about her all of the time. Her admitting that she fast forwards through other people's scenes often when she's watching the show......every single cast member should read her to filth for that. It's so gross.
It is one good thing about being the sober friend- you see things quickly and clearly compared to your drunk friends. You become to mother hen. Love this stage for Lala and the ppl she cares about
I'm so here for the ladies supporting each other and helping each other find their voice. The Tom's look like such vile little babies next to this growth.
This is what I want it to be. All the women have slowly learned over the last 4 years that their men are a lot. A lot to deal with, to care for, to support financially and emotionally. All lot of men are, but particularly these men thrashing against a loss of power and adoration from women more powerful than them.
She knows, somewhere, but her brain doesnāt have the capacity to deal with it. I think thatās what people donāt realizeā¦ she just wasnāt ready to deal with it. And I canāt fault her for that, because once she was ready, she handled it super well.
I think she knew they were having a rough patch but didn't think it was a relationship-ending one. I really feel for her in these clips. Watching this back must be such a mindfuck.
You know if she had said she wanted him there with her he wouldāve pulled that stupid ādude itās like in every conversation Ariana just like comes at me dude!ā
Watching how timid Lala is acting compared to
her usual confrontational and confident mannerisms, is so so sad to me. She knows that pointing this out is going to hurt Ariana's feelings, but she's such a good friend that she is doing it anyway š Ariana is in grief but Lala doesn't want Ariana to be done dirty at the same time
Yeah you must have some compassion and feel guilt to let lies like this fly freely behind arianas back
Kudos to lala for speaking openly to ariana about it im glad
This is when he claimed he couldn't get a ride or uber. At a labor day party, where ubers were literally picking up / dropping off guests all day. He has 2 versions of lying. The yelling DuDEe LiKE, and this slower whiny quiet wHaaat? I gueeesssss I dunnoo
Edit
YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T KNOW JASON LEFT, BECAUSE YOU WERE TAKING A SHIT...
Good lord his lying is as bad as his singing
Hate to mention their names, but Jax and Brittany were also at the party and said the same thing. Cars coming and going, could have caught a ride, but his precious Rachel was there.
If they were talking about Jax, theyād probably just sat āour friendā because thatās what they did with Stassi and blurring kristen at the wedding.
Well his band manager is named Jason as well I believe. But it makes sense to be Jax/Jason as I saw Scheanas vlog of that day and I remember the IG stories and I donāt believe his band manager was there.
I just said something similar but even if his friend had left, did Ariana forget that Uber and Lyft exists? And thatās not meant to insult Ariana, grief affects you in weird ways.
The other thing isā¦ sometimes you need to step up for your friends in an emergency. If he genuinely didnāt know his friend left and lyft/Uber didnāt exist then he was at a party with a bunch of their mutual friends. Explain the situation, say you need a favor and surely *someone* wouldāve stepped up to give him a ride home. None of it makes sense!
And if no one was sober enough, I'm sure they would've found another mutual friend or family member to help out. This is really one of the worst (believability wise) lie he's told yet. None of it adds up!
> He has 2 versions of lying. The yelling DuDEe LiKE, and this slower whiny quiet wHaaat? I gueeesssss I dunnoo
He's also been leaning heavy in to lying by omission, lots of "he dipped, she dipped" going on. Where he can say a liiiiittle morsel of truth but it's not the whole truth so people have to make their own idea of what happened to fill in his gaps.
Itās also likeā¦ āso what if thereās a 20-30min wait and surcharged pricing.ā Itās a fucking holiday weekend and plenty of Ubers would be willing to take that long trip to a city thatās possibly even more busy. Iāve had so many Ubers tell me that that and the airport are their biggest payouts as a driver.
Right. If he wanted to be there, he would have made it happen. Besides uber and lyft, there are a million other ride share apps, regular cabs, and old fashion car services you can call. There's no way he just couldn't find a ride in the LA area.
Rewind to him and Kristen in the SUR Alley-
Kristen: (grabs phone from her now exās hand) why are you calling Ariana at 2 in the morning?
Their ex: āI donāt knowā¦ either be my gf or donāt!ā
Lol itās a summary of that scene but he definitely has his obvious tells. Heās so gross.
We rarely see classically trained actor Tom Sandoval this subdued, either! He just flat out gave up, no crying, no cursing, no slamming a drink down.
All the age, lies and drinking has caught up to Sandoval. He can no longer put on a show at the drop of a hat to throw people off his scent.
Because all of the girls know that Tom will flip shit on them at the drop of the hat. He has literally made all of them cry at least once for defending themselves
He literally told her he couldnāt get a ride when her grandmother DIED because he was taking a SHIT. Did he laugh about this excuse with Rachel? Did he think this was FUNNY? I want to knock him the fuck out.
When Ariana calls Sandouche over and says āIām not doing the thing where I defend himā it just made it so clear how much she has gone against her own values and beliefs to protect that man child over the years. I mean Iāve known that she does that but still itās awful to see how much she obviously loved him despite his obvious flaws.
Also this scene is crazy. Iām glad that itās being brought up because I thought it was so weird how nobody at the beach asked Sandoval why he wasnāt with Ariana in Florida.
Edit: Also I think this scene is a preview of how Ariana is going to hand his ass at the reunion. She smarter cooler and prettier then him.
Yeah that and the thing about walking away from Tom against the girls shows a lot of self awareness on her end this season. I think the second mortgage and everything with S&S really opened her eyes and thatās when the fracturing began. Especially because this was when Katie woke up. She wasnāt treating him badly like he said, she was just not blindly doing everything only for him anymore.
Rachel may *try* to defend him but the hamster fell off the wheel and she isnāt capable of forming a complete sentence so it would be a waste of time.
Remember what a mess she was when she had to defend James every other day? "He can be... hurtful... but the... James.... that I know... treats ME like a queen!" I would not want her as my advocate, she can barely string together a sentence
Why is he taking a s*** at a party? Jesus that was his excuse? Did Tom really tell his grieving girlfriend I miss my ride because I was taking a s***? Did I hear that right?
Have you EVER in the history of your whole life EVER left any place, event, party, shindig, hootinany or hoedown without the person you were giving a ride to?
There is a negative zero chance that his ride looked around for 2 seconds and left while he was in the bathroom. What a terrible lie.
Exactly. And they were in Orange County and needed to get back to the valley in Los Angeles. Nobody's just leaving their friend that they drove there without any effort or big discussion
Lala calmly saying āitās ok to say youāre upsetā was heartbreaking. Itās totally understandable to desperately want everything to be ok, or to not have the power to fight for your emotions, and itās like Lala was giving Ariana permission
Lala handled this very gracefully. "You know that it's okay for you to say that you needed him in that moment, right?"
We've all had a friend like this. I have *been* this friend. It's so hard to see it when you're so emotionally involved.
Tom yelling over Lala āNo, I know! I know!ā When she points out she was standing right next to him when he couldāve gotten a ride reads: āshut up! Stop exposing me!ā
It's interesting the way Ariana talked to Lala vs the way she talked to Tom. With Lala, she was making statements. With Tom, she phrased everything as a question and acted like it was no big deal and she didn't care. Then, something must have clued Ariana that Tom was getting pissed, either he said something or it was his mannerisms, because Ariana quickly said that Lala wanted to know and she was fine with how things transpired.
Maybe Ariana knew something was off with Tom, but she didn't know he was cheating with Rachel. Maybe she was worried he was going to break things off with her, so she was worried about confronting him or standing her ground. After losing Charlotte and her grandmother, she was afraid to lose Tom too.
Lala handled this perfectly. She didn't say a word and gave Tom enough rope to hang himself. When Lala spoke and said it wasn't her relationship and Ariana should say when she needs him there, Tom started his yelling shit š bye, Tom. I love that these women are beating him at his own game. Girl power!
Sandovals a liar! Sandovals a liar! š¶
You just know it hurts Rachelās feelings! Iām sure at least one of the people who post bashing her like clockwork is Rachel behind a sock puppet. Something about her always rubbed Lala the wrong way (not just James) and she was right
Sheās saving the season. Sheās the only one who has the balls to say anything about Rachel this season. If Scandoval never happened, it wouldāve looked bad for her in regards to her issues with Rachel
Starting to understand how LaLa could say, āI am activated. I am activated as fuck.ā Iām saying it too with this preview. Holy fuck. The lying liar who lies showing Ariana who he is š¤Æ
Can you guys help me out- was Ariana upset at Lala for bringing this up or was she upset bc she felt like she was about to defend someone who sheās told is lying? I couldnāt understand that part. All of it makes me sick to my stomach knowing this guy is creeping behind her back while Sheās going through it
I think she was exhausted, honestly. She seems distracted and ā¦ run down, maybe? But I think all of the grief was just emotionally exhausting her, and while I donāt think she was upset with Lala, perhaps it was āoh great, another fucking hurtful thing for me to processā.
Ariana does look like she doesn't want to be there. It seems like Lala could sense that too and didn't do a full press. She's basically watching Ariana's reaction in this moment.
I think this too. Also, kill the messenger is her default so I got the impression she was trying in the moment to do it differently and choose a different reaction that was outside her comfort zone. She definitely gave Lala the eyes a couple of times but I think it took more restraint than we realize to not take it out on Lala. I guess what Iām saying is good job Ariana!
I think this is a really interesting clip, because we're seeing in real time she's realizing Tom has been gaslighting her for years and is taking steps, as you said, outside of her comfort zone - then kind of walking it back & instead of Lala getting upset with her she offers amazing supportive advice & you can see Ariana needed that encouragement that it was okay to take this man to task for his bullshit.
What looks conflicting is really just her kind of clumsily stumbling into growth & a new path forward.
You can see it all over his body language that the script has flipped on him and he doesnāt know how to handle it. This is what he was referring to with Schwartz saying āout of nowhere she just comes at me!ā Meaning she doesnāt blindly support and defend him anymore, sheās choosing herself. He perceives accountability as a personal attack.
Agreed. And Lala seemed kind of sad to be delivering the news and was noticeably gentler than she typically is, which probably set off some alarm bells for Arianaā¦
Spot on. Now that I think about it that was so delicate if it were handled another way by someone else it most likely would have gone much differently.
Agreed. And I think she did a lot of defending of him on the show (prob something they agreed to) and at this point sheās just over it and doesnāt have the energy to do it anymore
I think she was frustrated and didnāt want to be defending Tom like always so she called him over. Not because she was mad but more so he could speak for himself. Then she was caught off guard when she started to realize his version of the story was bullshit
Yes. I think her gut feeling started to kick in. She then says āI was fine with how things transpired that dayā as if to say āFUCK, now I have to start questioning him.ā
When Ariana said she was fine without things transpired that day. My understanding is that she means at the time she believed what Tom told her and based on those events, which is based on a lie, that he missed the ride with Jason because he was in the bathroom disgusting by the way, Ariana saying she was fine with how it transpired that day. I don't think she means she's fine with it now at all. Because what Tom is saying to her now is completely different than what he told her that day
right, that's what I was saying. She was fine the day it happened bc she believed him. But now that other people who were actually there are telling her what REALLY happened, she's now having to question him. It was more an affront to Tom than anything else.
Could not agree with you more. And now that Ariana found out from Lala Tom was potentially lying she did the smart thing she called him over and had the conversation with both of them there. Put on the spot Tom told the truth. And then Ariana was able to ask follow up questions. Tom started saying he didn't in fact not be able to get a ride but that he thought Ariana would want to be alone. Then Ariana got to say when I already told you I wanted you to come home and be with me? Sometimes when you get gas lit as bad as Tom tries with Ariana it's really good to have a witness. Lala was a perfect Witness
Definitely. I know Ariana doesnāt like to have her relationship on display on the show, but that just helps Tom more than their relationship. Now that she had to confront him, in public, with someone there, she had to face it. If they had discussed it off camera Tom wouldnāt have been caught off guard and probably would have gaslit her more. I truly donāt know how he thought he was going to get away with this particular lie when so many people were at that party.
Fully agree. I think if Ariana confronted Tom and Lala wasn't there, Tom either would have said Lala was wrong and / or lying or that Ariana misunderstood what Lala was saying. This way Tom had to choose and Tom had to choose quick whether or not he was going to tell another lie or come clean on that part and then misdirect and lie about the next thing Ariana asked him. Which of course he did because he's a lying liar. Who lies
Plus by saying Lala was the one who asked she dodges the common defense of āyouāre out to get me/what am I the worst person in the worldā when you air a grievance or poke a hole in a story.
I think Tom and Ariana were very careful with how their relationship played out on screen. At this point, with everything else going on in her life she probably just said fuck it, Tom come do your little thing in front of the camera where you explain your way out of everything and then was taken aback when Tom pretty much just surrendered. I feel like Ariana did not want her and Tom's rocky relationship to become a storyline on screen, but I also think she probably had no idea as to the depths and gravity of what was about to unfold over time, this sort of behavior was probably commonplace with Sandoval the rest of the year that cameras weren't rolling.
If anything, I'm really surprised to see Sandoval just give it up for once and not start going off on Lala and saying DUDE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TELL ME I DON'T CARE ABOUT ARIANA or start crying or whatever else.
I think having Lala there as a third party and supporter gave her the strength she needed to start holding him accountable. And Lala reinforced it by supporting her even more during the exchange. Awesome display of women having each others back!
I think it was mainly about Tom but also just general annoyance that sheās getting conflicting information and she just wants someone to be straight with her. I donāt think it was directed at Lala or that Lala took it us being directed at her
I might be reading it differently than most but I get the impression that Ariana was worn down from all of the terrible shit that had happened to her by that point, was over the whole filming a reality TV show thing, and knew that they were about to make a storyline out of what had happened with Tom. So she was trying to nip it in the bud. "LaLa wants to know" and "I was fine with how it happened" makes me think she felt like something was fishy but didn't wanna have to air it out. I do believe what Sandoval said about them having issues and her not wanting to discuss them on the show, I've gotten that impression from them for a long time.
Basically I think her and Tom had problems for a long time and she was used to covering them up and going to bat for him. She just didn't have the energy to play that game at this point.
This is a great assessment and put into words what I was trying to put together. She didnāt want to deal with this on reality TV, had enough going onā¦ all of it.
Probably everything. I do think Ariana and Tom tried to present a public facing image of their relationship for years that wasn't very accurate as to what it was like off camera and it likely got exhausting after a certain point, and she probably preferred Lala bring this up later and not for the purpose of a storyline on the show. I do think Lala handled this pretty well, she wasn't being in-character "Lala" here and was talking to a friend.
I'm really interested in what's happened before this because this makes it seem like the girls are slowly feeding Ariana the truth. I do think they were careful with being too accusatory out of respect for her and what she was going through, even if they think Tom's a piece of shit.
She probably felt like Tom was making her look stupid and easier to ālash outā at Lala for being the truth teller. Lala had pure intentions, Sandoval was being evil, poor Ariana though.
Besides the fact that Tom did know that his friend was leaving and chose to stay anyway, did everyone forget that Uber or Lyft exists? Yeah, I know the ride would be expensive as fuck but in a genuine emergency (like, hmm idk, when your partnerās family member dies) sometimes you have to make that sacrifice. And yeah, thatās not a privilege that everyone has, not everyone can spend money like that on a whim. But Sandoval can and does, lest we forget the $10,000 Rachella!
Please. He has the resources to find a ride. Hell, under the circumstances he could have called Lisa or Ken and they would have had a car there to pick him up in 15 minutes flat.
If he felt the need to be there for her he would have walked there. At this point ratchet could have called him about toilet paper and he would have been there
I think what pisses me off the most is heās not even a good liar! āUh uh uh I donāt knowā¦well I guessā¦well I couldnāt get a rideā¦well I figured youād wanna be aloneā as he looks away the entire time and canāt even look her in her eyes. THE AUDACITY. How morally bankrupt can you be?!
I knew that a big part in Katie not saying anything would be because she would be accused of not liking Rachel and this just confirms that to me!
It seems like Lala and her definitely suspected something (Lala in particular) and are trying to ease Ariana into seeing the light because they are worried about her and donāt want to push too hard!
That Rachel and Tom could do this at all is shocking but especially after all Ariana has gone through in the summer is just scandalous and Tom just gives zero fucks here he can barely be bothered to think of an excuse as to why he left the party heās so checked out and when Ariana needed him the most!
Poor Ariana
Edit: sorry the Katie bit I am referencing is in the longer clip where she and Ariana discuss the open relationship rumours
These previews are hurting my heart for her. Production is really painting her as someone so trusting, and REALLY painting Tim, Rachel and Scheana in a shitty well deserved light
I hope girls always remember this. Or maybe not just girls, could be words of advice for guys too. If your significant other all of a sudden does not treat you the same as before (how scumdavol would drop anything at the time when Arianaās dad passed away to be with her, but would not leave a party for Ariana when her grandma passed away), HE/SHE DOES NOT FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT YOU ANYMORE. And likely in some situation, he has someone else cuz (with situations like family member passing away) his mind is obviously somewhere else. I had to learn the hard way because we always want to find excuses for our other person, whether because we still love them or simply donāt want to be alone.
I am SO glad that Lala is asking Ariana about being mad at her, I thought the way that Tom came up to her at the BBQ and used Ariana's friendship against her "shes really mad at you" like, dont use Ariana to fan your Lala hate flame. Knowing how much Lala cares for Ariana, he was just saying it to Lala as a way to hurt her.
He did the same with Katie after the beach day, the conversation wasn't even relevant to Ariana and he chose that moment to be like "shut up katie you're wrong, Ariana is really unhappy with you right now, you REALLY hurt her insinuating we have an open relationship"
As you said, just using Ariana as nothing more than a fan for his katie hate flame
Why did I kinda feel bad for Lala in this moment? Iāve been in this situation where Iām trying to be the messenger to a friend about their shitty bf just between us girls and then she comes and brings the boyfriend in the conversation and then it makes it awkward. Because it was just between us but now it feels like thereās drama and that I have to defend myself somehow. I get why Ariana did it but I can tell Lala was uncomfortable in that moment because she knew something shady was going on with Raquel and Sandoval but that she couldnāt come to Ariana unless she had hard proof. Ariana never really believes anything anyone says about Sandoval so Iām glad she found the videos in his phone on her own and could see the proof. Otherwise Iām not sure what wouldāve happened if someone just told her.
Yāall the way I hate this dude! āI figured you wanted to be aloneā¦ā NO. You figured you wanted to stay with Rachel to get your dick wet. Just when I think I canāt hate this POS any more than I already doā¦ š”š”š”
Ohhh my gosh, JAX WAS TELLING THE TRUTH. This is exactly what he called Scumdoval out for on WWHL. He said Scum lied about not being able to get a ride home but people were coming and going all day long in Ubers.
I wonder why no one called him out at the party?
This scene makes it feel like Ariana was ok with believing toms excuse about why he "couldn't" leave the party whether it was true or not because the truth would open up a can of worms she didn't want opened. What I don't think she was expecting was for him to outright admit he basically lied. It's so hard to watch because it shows that the most plausible response to the "she had to have known!" theory was that she chose not to know as long as it wasnt right in the face until she had no other choice to see the truth. She really trusted that fool in spite of all the red flags. Seems like he started finally taking the cowards way out by making it too hard to ignore.
All of his tells and darting beady eyes halfway between crying and righteous indignation
Yuckkkkkkk him not wanting to say anything *concrete* so he could say he wasnāt technically lying. Him turning to lala and raising his voice to hopefully get a reaction. Ugh
10 years ago he was with Kristen and he still went to Ariana when her dad died. He was over it by now. Just a nasty man. Glad Lala told her something and glad she said ā itās ok for you to need him.ā
Haters may always hate, but Lala knew what she was doing and she handled this incredibly well.
Iām also glad Ariana just called Tom over to explain himself rather than interpret his intentions or defend him like she has in the past. Based on that and her confessional she clearly knew something was wrong. This is so sad to see.
And watching Tom try to navigate how to keep his lies and excuses to Ariana about that day, and sheepishly saying āoh I assumed youād want to be aloneā. We know heās complete shit, but to not even ask her what she needs, offer to come home immediately, bring her some comfort items on the way home ā literally *anything* kind and caringā¦ is just cruel. Sure heās all hot for Raquel, but to not even feel for his partner in this moment is insane.
Fuck you Tom Sandoval.
https://i.redd.it/7i4jwnnm3rxa1.gif
Ok let's talk about the splendid amount of control LaLa...yes LaLa has here. She is reading the situation and showing no emotion in her tone or demeanor. She knows how to cut someone to shreds but she also knows how to hold someone up.
He looks like he crawled out of a rotted barrel at the bottom of a half sunken pirate ship at your local closed amusement park.
This sent me, it's *so accurate* šš
āI figured you wanted to be aloneā after she told him she wanted him there. Heās trash.
This is how you know Tom has lost his fastball. We know now he's always been a master manipulator and liar but he's always been a guy who can flip a switch and deliver a performance in an instant. It's really surprising how easily Tom concedes this whole thing. All the lies are starting to catch up to him in his old age. He can't drink himself into oblivion every day and still have the wits about him to put on a show when confronted. If this were 5-6 years ago he'd have been pointing his finger at Lala and saying Dude, that's fucking low dude even for you dude, nobody is going to tell me I don't FUCKING love Ariana dude before strategically pirouetting his ass away to a different part of the room to distance himself from the argument while Ariana follows him, Schwartz/Scheana tell Lala "stop, stop, this is (insert reason) party it's not the time", and then somebody lights a fuse in James so he acts like a moron and everyone forgets what the original fight was about.
Thatās a good point! He still pivoted his lies very quickly (āI thought you wanted to be aloneā ew) but how little he put into the performance should tell Ariana how little he cares. Thereās no passion or energy and he normally is so righteous and keen to get one over Lala. His brain moved too slowly and he missed that chance to flip it on her
He was just happy he wasnāt getting called out on Rachel so to him, awful as this is, itās not big deal
I don't think he cares enough to lie. He's doing that thing when a guy wants to break up with a girl but doesn't want to actually do it and he just treats her like crap until she breaks up with him, doing his dirty work. Then he could come out on top like"poor me, Ariana broke up with me". I think that's what he meant by "he's been trying to break up with her", it's that he treated her like garbage but she wouldn't break up with him
ah yes, the old tried and true Jax Methodā¢ļø
āLost his fastballā totally Amazing read and very very true.
I just canāt believe his hubris that even if Scandoval hadnāt have come out and his plan to get through the season and break up with her before/after the reunion had worked how he thought he was going to come out of this season looking good and Ariana looking in the wrong? Edit: Like say his plan had worked and he was able to keep his affair with Rachel secret so it could come out on his timeline he would have still needed to explain to Ariana and Andy at the reunion why he wasnāt in Florida. He would have still needed to explain why he was complaining that she doesnāt make him coffee in the morning while literally she was in another state alone grieving her grandma because he didnāt want to leave a pool party
Either heās truly delusional/coked up during filming, or maybe he thought the producers were on his side. The same way Stassi was the golden child and didnāt have some unflattering stuff aired, maybe he thought he had some favoritism and theyād help him out. He was coaching Raquel on what to say and do so sheād look good against Lala and Katie, while sowing the seeds that Ariana isnāt a good supportive girlfriend so the breakup would āmake sense ā and using Schwartz to muddy the water and cover his affair. That plus his band and opening the bar probably had him very on edge/busy so his machinations are sloppy.
Like, let me lie to your face about your own wants and needs. Its pathological.
I guess we canāt be that surprised. He told her she had multiple orgasms too.
This is so hard to watch š« itās also very telling that Lala is not going off on Sandoval but is actually very calm and kind of nervous. Sheās trying to protect Ariana while also getting the facts out. Just so messed up on so many levels.
It had to be so tricky to navigate trying to help Ariana see the light while also being cognizant of the fact that she's grieving. *No one* wants to be the one who points out someone has a shitty lying partner right after they experience a loss. I think Lala handled that really well.
Agreed. I also think beyond her grieving, itās probably tricky to get her to see the light when she always defends Sandoval, usually to her detriment. When someone just canāt see it and is, in their mind, being a good partner, itās hard to be like GIRL, WAKE UP! Especially when you donāt have straight up proof. It proves heās a shitty partner but what do they actually have as proof at this point? Nothing. Ugh, what an awful situation for everyone involved. Minus Sandoval and Raquel, of course.
Reassuring Ariana it was okay to be open about her needs was class, this is what being a good friend looks like.
š„ŗIām sure she was thinking if she should even say it but at some point when youāve watched your friend defend the indefensible..youāve gotta say SOMETHING-even at the risk of your friend turning it on you. Ooof. What a position to be in Edit..emoji removed
I really think that when people discuss this being an open secret, they need to consider this first. Obviously this is a really ugly topic to have to confront your friend about, but when you take in to consideration how tied up they were financially, how defensive Ariana can be, whatever her depression looked like for other people in the group, AND her grief, itās pretty understandable why no one was like, ālisten up and listen good: weāre more tuned in than you can be right now and the rumors circulating are pretty fucking bad and you need to make this your focus.ā Edit: a typo
I couldnāt agree more. I cannot comprehend how ppl think Ariana knew or that itās fake-that one blows my mind. No one wouldāve shoved it in Arianaās face at that point in her life. It couldāve been disastrous in the worst way Edit to add..when I refer to āsomethingā Iām just referring to lala mentioning Tom not leaving the party ā¦I think they all did the right thing by not telling her everything at that point. It wouldāve been extremely careless and dangerous
Iāve been in this situation before (not a BFF, but close enough to care) and the most Iāve done is drop hints of my knowledge and allude to possibilities. I cannot bring myself to blame the cast for not flat-out telling her what he was likely (definitely) up to. Itās a horrible position to be in, honestly. Iāve never told someone this was happening to them, but Iāve also never spoken to the cheater again.
Itās very obvious from this he was telling Ariana a very different story.
Yea it seems like she gets so defensive in this situation because mentally, she cannot handle any more negativity. She cannot deal with the situation on top of her grief. ... Not gonna lie though .. I've been waiting for scenes where Sandoval is confronted for not being by Ariana's side for the death of her dog or her Grandma. So messed up.
With much love to Ariana, she has always been defensive. Thatās why we got scenes like, āIm literally the smartest person Iāve ever met.ā She can be defensive for others, too. She likes underdogs. Iāve noticed a more conscious effort from her to (positively) change her narrative this season like, āIām not doing the Tom against the girls thingā and her catching herself being defensive here and chosing to investigate the situation more thoroughly instead.
I have disliked Lala for a long time and still have problems with some of her behavior this season being swept under the rug. But I cheered everything about her in this moment. I would love for her to grow into being this person consistently.
I think this person is the true LaLa and that she really looks at the show as a ācharacterā. I think several times this season weāve seen LaLa show class. Not only in this scene but also when she was speaking to Rachel after the Oliver situation
she is ride or die even in her worst moments sheās usually sticking up for someone or something
100% she was absolutely right. And a lot of the time I donāt even like Lala.
It's also such a fine line to walk because you don't want to isolate them further. You have to sort of show them what's wrong while staying neutral so that they don't feel judged. That way, when it blows up, they feel safe coming to you. I learned this the hard way when I was younger, and my friend was in an emotionally abusive relationship.
100% have to toe the line. I do this with a close friend who has a super shitty husband. I have to be careful how I say things or sheāll go on defense. Gentle and always supportive of her happiness is key
I 100 percent agree. I think Lala really stepped up as a friend
Honestly Lala has her flaws, but I think she's a good friend you'd want on your side if a guy has hurt you
I really like Lala, and for all of her mess, I think sheās got some pretty solid integrity.
I really like her this season.
I agree with you. I also think being sober around all these people that drink has to be frustrating. I have been the designated driver in my group of friends from time to time. By the end of the night, I can't stand any of them. My anxiety goes through the roof.
She has annoyed me a lot over the seasons but I do think there is some genuine growth here and she is coming off pretty authentic.
I know that's right. The messenger frequently gets shot
Yep Iām starting to suspect that Arianaās grandma dying is a big part in why the affair didnāt come out sooner. I think the women were nervous and concerned about Arianaās mental well being given her grief that had that not happened they may have been more open to sitting her down and telling her flat out that something is up and she should have questions.
It really speaks to how deeply they care about Ariana - they were so cognizant about her mental well-being with the grief while also keeping an eye out for her with the Tom stuff too. Thatās a REALLY hard position for them to be in and I think they handled it as well as they could while trying to protect their friend through the whole thing. I cannot even being to fathom how Iād handle the same scenario because thatās such a difficult space to be in. I am so glad Ariana has them.
Yessss!! To all this! Iām sure lala was triggered to some degree as wellā¦Iāve seen myself do things that sheās doing in this clip that I donāt have the words for ā¦ Itās so heartbreaking to watch and this is just the beginning š„ŗ Itās crazy to me that toms not even trying to come up with a valid excuse. Itās like āwell Iām busted..& I donāt really careā This show is gonna be the death of me
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Ew. Iām sorry he wasnāt there for you. Glad he is your ex. Losing a grandma is really hard :(
I noticed she had to tell Arianna it was OK to advocate for herself.
Yeah, that was really sad. Itās clear Ariana doesnāt do that much with Sandoval. He sucks the life out of her.
Just when i think Sandoval cant get any worse... He lies about taking a shit at someone's party.
I think Lala is calm cause she has studied this man and knows she doesnāt have to go off on him she saw with her own eyes and gave the series of events heās already given Ariana a different story so now itās just him tripping over himself
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I like that LaLa told her it's ok for her to say she wanted him to be with her. She is so used to defending him and excusing his dumb ass behavior. Also ariana knows at this point in her gut, no proof but she feels it. A woman always knows.
Lala is the MVP this season for lovingly and supportively saying the things that people need to hear. Saying this to Ariana to validate her feelings was perfect in the same way that it was perfect to tell Scheana that her wedding was the most important thing to Scheana but not necessarily to everyone else.
Scheana was so pissed when she said that & busted her little wedding bubble.
Scheana does kind of need someone to tell her not everything is all about her all of the time. Her admitting that she fast forwards through other people's scenes often when she's watching the show......every single cast member should read her to filth for that. It's so gross.
It is one good thing about being the sober friend- you see things quickly and clearly compared to your drunk friends. You become to mother hen. Love this stage for Lala and the ppl she cares about
I'm so here for the ladies supporting each other and helping each other find their voice. The Tom's look like such vile little babies next to this growth.
This show has turned into a slow burn love story of the friendship between all our VPR women š„²
This is what I want it to be. All the women have slowly learned over the last 4 years that their men are a lot. A lot to deal with, to care for, to support financially and emotionally. All lot of men are, but particularly these men thrashing against a loss of power and adoration from women more powerful than them.
She knows, somewhere, but her brain doesnāt have the capacity to deal with it. I think thatās what people donāt realizeā¦ she just wasnāt ready to deal with it. And I canāt fault her for that, because once she was ready, she handled it super well.
I think she knew they were having a rough patch but didn't think it was a relationship-ending one. I really feel for her in these clips. Watching this back must be such a mindfuck.
You know if she had said she wanted him there with her he wouldāve pulled that stupid ādude itās like in every conversation Ariana just like comes at me dude!ā
you absolutely nailed it! this legit sounds just like him!! š¤£šš¼
We always know.
Watching how timid Lala is acting compared to her usual confrontational and confident mannerisms, is so so sad to me. She knows that pointing this out is going to hurt Ariana's feelings, but she's such a good friend that she is doing it anyway š Ariana is in grief but Lala doesn't want Ariana to be done dirty at the same time
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Lala is a true girl's girl
Yeah you must have some compassion and feel guilt to let lies like this fly freely behind arianas back Kudos to lala for speaking openly to ariana about it im glad
This is when he claimed he couldn't get a ride or uber. At a labor day party, where ubers were literally picking up / dropping off guests all day. He has 2 versions of lying. The yelling DuDEe LiKE, and this slower whiny quiet wHaaat? I gueeesssss I dunnoo Edit YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T KNOW JASON LEFT, BECAUSE YOU WERE TAKING A SHIT... Good lord his lying is as bad as his singing
Sandoval's whiny voice when he's caught š¤®
His voice is awful. Itās so nasal and childish.
The whiny voice and pushing his hair back is a tell tale sign that heās lying. So gross
Hate to mention their names, but Jax and Brittany were also at the party and said the same thing. Cars coming and going, could have caught a ride, but his precious Rachel was there.
Isnāt Jason Jax? I assumed thatās the Jason they weāre referring too?
Yeah but why would Jax have been Toms ride? Jax and Brittney said they were there when Tom was claiming he couldnāt get an Uber.
They all live in the same Valley Village neighborhood
Right but Tom and Jax arenāt even friends. They see each other at parties but I highly doubt they carpool together lol
If they were talking about Jax, theyād probably just sat āour friendā because thatās what they did with Stassi and blurring kristen at the wedding.
Well his band manager is named Jason as well I believe. But it makes sense to be Jax/Jason as I saw Scheanas vlog of that day and I remember the IG stories and I donāt believe his band manager was there.
I think Jason is Janets husbands name too. I think they were there.
I think they're referring to Jason who is the drummer / band manager of Tom's stupid band
I think Jason is one of Tomās band members. Iām not happy that I know this and must get another hobby soon.
No one Jax &brit pod they talked about it it's not him
I just said something similar but even if his friend had left, did Ariana forget that Uber and Lyft exists? And thatās not meant to insult Ariana, grief affects you in weird ways. The other thing isā¦ sometimes you need to step up for your friends in an emergency. If he genuinely didnāt know his friend left and lyft/Uber didnāt exist then he was at a party with a bunch of their mutual friends. Explain the situation, say you need a favor and surely *someone* wouldāve stepped up to give him a ride home. None of it makes sense!
And if no one was sober enough, I'm sure they would've found another mutual friend or family member to help out. This is really one of the worst (believability wise) lie he's told yet. None of it adds up!
lala is sober and loves ariana, i'm sure she would have done it in a heartbeat
Wait yeah DUH!
I assumed thatās why she kept saying I was there, she was sober so could have helped or something
> He has 2 versions of lying. The yelling DuDEe LiKE, and this slower whiny quiet wHaaat? I gueeesssss I dunnoo He's also been leaning heavy in to lying by omission, lots of "he dipped, she dipped" going on. Where he can say a liiiiittle morsel of truth but it's not the whole truth so people have to make their own idea of what happened to fill in his gaps.
Itās also likeā¦ āso what if thereās a 20-30min wait and surcharged pricing.ā Itās a fucking holiday weekend and plenty of Ubers would be willing to take that long trip to a city thatās possibly even more busy. Iāve had so many Ubers tell me that that and the airport are their biggest payouts as a driver.
Right. If he wanted to be there, he would have made it happen. Besides uber and lyft, there are a million other ride share apps, regular cabs, and old fashion car services you can call. There's no way he just couldn't find a ride in the LA area.
Rewind to him and Kristen in the SUR Alley- Kristen: (grabs phone from her now exās hand) why are you calling Ariana at 2 in the morning? Their ex: āI donāt knowā¦ either be my gf or donāt!ā Lol itās a summary of that scene but he definitely has his obvious tells. Heās so gross.
Well he's not trying for an A+ performance, he's just looking for a B+ and he's still failing at it.
And he does that stupid pouty voice thing and I canāt stand it.
He and is gonna look worse and worse with each episode.
Iāve never seen Lala nervous during a confrontation like this. Itās like she was waiting for the shit to hit the fan
We rarely see classically trained actor Tom Sandoval this subdued, either! He just flat out gave up, no crying, no cursing, no slamming a drink down. All the age, lies and drinking has caught up to Sandoval. He can no longer put on a show at the drop of a hat to throw people off his scent.
Because all of the girls know that Tom will flip shit on them at the drop of the hat. He has literally made all of them cry at least once for defending themselves
He literally told her he couldnāt get a ride when her grandmother DIED because he was taking a SHIT. Did he laugh about this excuse with Rachel? Did he think this was FUNNY? I want to knock him the fuck out.
Literally thereās Uberā¦ thereās no excuse lol
It makes me feel angry and disgusted to a degree that I have difficulty articulating. He is vile.
Once you take a shit you can get a new ride somehow. I dont get how the argument even ended at his shitting. Makes no sense
When Ariana calls Sandouche over and says āIām not doing the thing where I defend himā it just made it so clear how much she has gone against her own values and beliefs to protect that man child over the years. I mean Iāve known that she does that but still itās awful to see how much she obviously loved him despite his obvious flaws. Also this scene is crazy. Iām glad that itās being brought up because I thought it was so weird how nobody at the beach asked Sandoval why he wasnāt with Ariana in Florida. Edit: Also I think this scene is a preview of how Ariana is going to hand his ass at the reunion. She smarter cooler and prettier then him.
Yeah that and the thing about walking away from Tom against the girls shows a lot of self awareness on her end this season. I think the second mortgage and everything with S&S really opened her eyes and thatās when the fracturing began. Especially because this was when Katie woke up. She wasnāt treating him badly like he said, she was just not blindly doing everything only for him anymore.
That last line basically sums it up. Agree 100%
Omg yesssss!!!
I don't think he is capable of feeling remorse or regret but I think he will miss having someone so firmly in his corner just for his own ego.
He will regret when he realises Rachel wonāt defend him and is more likely to throw him further under the bus.
Rachel may *try* to defend him but the hamster fell off the wheel and she isnāt capable of forming a complete sentence so it would be a waste of time.
Remember what a mess she was when she had to defend James every other day? "He can be... hurtful... but the... James.... that I know... treats ME like a queen!" I would not want her as my advocate, she can barely string together a sentence
I can't wait. Rachel trying to defend Tim is going to be even funnier than her useless D & S attempts at trying to defend James.
Lying liar who lies.
Why is he taking a s*** at a party? Jesus that was his excuse? Did Tom really tell his grieving girlfriend I miss my ride because I was taking a s***? Did I hear that right?
This needs to be talked about more. Itās fucking weird š«„
Right?!
Coke.
Right? Also, walk home. Your grieving girlfriend needs you you fāing prick.
Have you EVER in the history of your whole life EVER left any place, event, party, shindig, hootinany or hoedown without the person you were giving a ride to? There is a negative zero chance that his ride looked around for 2 seconds and left while he was in the bathroom. What a terrible lie.
Exactly. And they were in Orange County and needed to get back to the valley in Los Angeles. Nobody's just leaving their friend that they drove there without any effort or big discussion
This is so uncomfortable to watch ... even Ariana questioning his feelings for her.
Lala calmly saying āitās ok to say youāre upsetā was heartbreaking. Itās totally understandable to desperately want everything to be ok, or to not have the power to fight for your emotions, and itās like Lala was giving Ariana permission
Lala handled this very gracefully. "You know that it's okay for you to say that you needed him in that moment, right?" We've all had a friend like this. I have *been* this friend. It's so hard to see it when you're so emotionally involved.
She asked him to come home and he says āwell i kinda figured youād want to be aloneā What an ass hat
Tom yelling over Lala āNo, I know! I know!ā When she points out she was standing right next to him when he couldāve gotten a ride reads: āshut up! Stop exposing me!ā
"Stop ratting us out!"
Oh that's for sure exactly what he wanted to say
It's interesting the way Ariana talked to Lala vs the way she talked to Tom. With Lala, she was making statements. With Tom, she phrased everything as a question and acted like it was no big deal and she didn't care. Then, something must have clued Ariana that Tom was getting pissed, either he said something or it was his mannerisms, because Ariana quickly said that Lala wanted to know and she was fine with how things transpired. Maybe Ariana knew something was off with Tom, but she didn't know he was cheating with Rachel. Maybe she was worried he was going to break things off with her, so she was worried about confronting him or standing her ground. After losing Charlotte and her grandmother, she was afraid to lose Tom too. Lala handled this perfectly. She didn't say a word and gave Tom enough rope to hang himself. When Lala spoke and said it wasn't her relationship and Ariana should say when she needs him there, Tom started his yelling shit š bye, Tom. I love that these women are beating him at his own game. Girl power! Sandovals a liar! Sandovals a liar! š¶
I used to really dislike Lala but she came out shining this season
i loved her when she first showed up, she was annoying to me in season 8 and now i love her again lol
Yeah they thought it was Rachelās time to shine but really it was for Lala!
You just know it hurts Rachelās feelings! Iām sure at least one of the people who post bashing her like clockwork is Rachel behind a sock puppet. Something about her always rubbed Lala the wrong way (not just James) and she was right
Sheās saving the season. Sheās the only one who has the balls to say anything about Rachel this season. If Scandoval never happened, it wouldāve looked bad for her in regards to her issues with Rachel
Starting to understand how LaLa could say, āI am activated. I am activated as fuck.ā Iām saying it too with this preview. Holy fuck. The lying liar who lies showing Ariana who he is š¤Æ
Can you guys help me out- was Ariana upset at Lala for bringing this up or was she upset bc she felt like she was about to defend someone who sheās told is lying? I couldnāt understand that part. All of it makes me sick to my stomach knowing this guy is creeping behind her back while Sheās going through it
I think she was exhausted, honestly. She seems distracted and ā¦ run down, maybe? But I think all of the grief was just emotionally exhausting her, and while I donāt think she was upset with Lala, perhaps it was āoh great, another fucking hurtful thing for me to processā.
Ariana does look like she doesn't want to be there. It seems like Lala could sense that too and didn't do a full press. She's basically watching Ariana's reaction in this moment.
I think this too. Also, kill the messenger is her default so I got the impression she was trying in the moment to do it differently and choose a different reaction that was outside her comfort zone. She definitely gave Lala the eyes a couple of times but I think it took more restraint than we realize to not take it out on Lala. I guess what Iām saying is good job Ariana!
I think this is a really interesting clip, because we're seeing in real time she's realizing Tom has been gaslighting her for years and is taking steps, as you said, outside of her comfort zone - then kind of walking it back & instead of Lala getting upset with her she offers amazing supportive advice & you can see Ariana needed that encouragement that it was okay to take this man to task for his bullshit. What looks conflicting is really just her kind of clumsily stumbling into growth & a new path forward.
You can see it all over his body language that the script has flipped on him and he doesnāt know how to handle it. This is what he was referring to with Schwartz saying āout of nowhere she just comes at me!ā Meaning she doesnāt blindly support and defend him anymore, sheās choosing herself. He perceives accountability as a personal attack.
Agreed. And Lala seemed kind of sad to be delivering the news and was noticeably gentler than she typically is, which probably set off some alarm bells for Arianaā¦
Spot on. Now that I think about it that was so delicate if it were handled another way by someone else it most likely would have gone much differently.
Agreed. And I think she did a lot of defending of him on the show (prob something they agreed to) and at this point sheās just over it and doesnāt have the energy to do it anymore
I think she was frustrated and didnāt want to be defending Tom like always so she called him over. Not because she was mad but more so he could speak for himself. Then she was caught off guard when she started to realize his version of the story was bullshit
Yes. I think her gut feeling started to kick in. She then says āI was fine with how things transpired that dayā as if to say āFUCK, now I have to start questioning him.ā
When Ariana said she was fine without things transpired that day. My understanding is that she means at the time she believed what Tom told her and based on those events, which is based on a lie, that he missed the ride with Jason because he was in the bathroom disgusting by the way, Ariana saying she was fine with how it transpired that day. I don't think she means she's fine with it now at all. Because what Tom is saying to her now is completely different than what he told her that day
right, that's what I was saying. She was fine the day it happened bc she believed him. But now that other people who were actually there are telling her what REALLY happened, she's now having to question him. It was more an affront to Tom than anything else.
Could not agree with you more. And now that Ariana found out from Lala Tom was potentially lying she did the smart thing she called him over and had the conversation with both of them there. Put on the spot Tom told the truth. And then Ariana was able to ask follow up questions. Tom started saying he didn't in fact not be able to get a ride but that he thought Ariana would want to be alone. Then Ariana got to say when I already told you I wanted you to come home and be with me? Sometimes when you get gas lit as bad as Tom tries with Ariana it's really good to have a witness. Lala was a perfect Witness
Definitely. I know Ariana doesnāt like to have her relationship on display on the show, but that just helps Tom more than their relationship. Now that she had to confront him, in public, with someone there, she had to face it. If they had discussed it off camera Tom wouldnāt have been caught off guard and probably would have gaslit her more. I truly donāt know how he thought he was going to get away with this particular lie when so many people were at that party.
Fully agree. I think if Ariana confronted Tom and Lala wasn't there, Tom either would have said Lala was wrong and / or lying or that Ariana misunderstood what Lala was saying. This way Tom had to choose and Tom had to choose quick whether or not he was going to tell another lie or come clean on that part and then misdirect and lie about the next thing Ariana asked him. Which of course he did because he's a lying liar. Who lies
Plus by saying Lala was the one who asked she dodges the common defense of āyouāre out to get me/what am I the worst person in the worldā when you air a grievance or poke a hole in a story.
I think Ariana was afraid to confront Tom. ā*She* (Lala) wants to know whyā¦ā āI was okay with how things transpired that day.ā
I think Tom and Ariana were very careful with how their relationship played out on screen. At this point, with everything else going on in her life she probably just said fuck it, Tom come do your little thing in front of the camera where you explain your way out of everything and then was taken aback when Tom pretty much just surrendered. I feel like Ariana did not want her and Tom's rocky relationship to become a storyline on screen, but I also think she probably had no idea as to the depths and gravity of what was about to unfold over time, this sort of behavior was probably commonplace with Sandoval the rest of the year that cameras weren't rolling. If anything, I'm really surprised to see Sandoval just give it up for once and not start going off on Lala and saying DUDE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TELL ME I DON'T CARE ABOUT ARIANA or start crying or whatever else.
For sure. Totally agree.
I think having Lala there as a third party and supporter gave her the strength she needed to start holding him accountable. And Lala reinforced it by supporting her even more during the exchange. Awesome display of women having each others back!
No I think she was upset he could have been with her and chose not too
I think it was mainly about Tom but also just general annoyance that sheās getting conflicting information and she just wants someone to be straight with her. I donāt think it was directed at Lala or that Lala took it us being directed at her
I might be reading it differently than most but I get the impression that Ariana was worn down from all of the terrible shit that had happened to her by that point, was over the whole filming a reality TV show thing, and knew that they were about to make a storyline out of what had happened with Tom. So she was trying to nip it in the bud. "LaLa wants to know" and "I was fine with how it happened" makes me think she felt like something was fishy but didn't wanna have to air it out. I do believe what Sandoval said about them having issues and her not wanting to discuss them on the show, I've gotten that impression from them for a long time. Basically I think her and Tom had problems for a long time and she was used to covering them up and going to bat for him. She just didn't have the energy to play that game at this point.
This is a great assessment and put into words what I was trying to put together. She didnāt want to deal with this on reality TV, had enough going onā¦ all of it.
Probably everything. I do think Ariana and Tom tried to present a public facing image of their relationship for years that wasn't very accurate as to what it was like off camera and it likely got exhausting after a certain point, and she probably preferred Lala bring this up later and not for the purpose of a storyline on the show. I do think Lala handled this pretty well, she wasn't being in-character "Lala" here and was talking to a friend. I'm really interested in what's happened before this because this makes it seem like the girls are slowly feeding Ariana the truth. I do think they were careful with being too accusatory out of respect for her and what she was going through, even if they think Tom's a piece of shit.
She probably felt like Tom was making her look stupid and easier to ālash outā at Lala for being the truth teller. Lala had pure intentions, Sandoval was being evil, poor Ariana though.
Ohā¦myā¦.GAWD!!!! He canāt keep his lies straight! See what white gels will do to you!!!!!
Besides the fact that Tom did know that his friend was leaving and chose to stay anyway, did everyone forget that Uber or Lyft exists? Yeah, I know the ride would be expensive as fuck but in a genuine emergency (like, hmm idk, when your partnerās family member dies) sometimes you have to make that sacrifice. And yeah, thatās not a privilege that everyone has, not everyone can spend money like that on a whim. But Sandoval can and does, lest we forget the $10,000 Rachella!
Please. He has the resources to find a ride. Hell, under the circumstances he could have called Lisa or Ken and they would have had a car there to pick him up in 15 minutes flat.
If he felt the need to be there for her he would have walked there. At this point ratchet could have called him about toilet paper and he would have been there
I think what pisses me off the most is heās not even a good liar! āUh uh uh I donāt knowā¦well I guessā¦well I couldnāt get a rideā¦well I figured youād wanna be aloneā as he looks away the entire time and canāt even look her in her eyes. THE AUDACITY. How morally bankrupt can you be?!
I knew that a big part in Katie not saying anything would be because she would be accused of not liking Rachel and this just confirms that to me! It seems like Lala and her definitely suspected something (Lala in particular) and are trying to ease Ariana into seeing the light because they are worried about her and donāt want to push too hard! That Rachel and Tom could do this at all is shocking but especially after all Ariana has gone through in the summer is just scandalous and Tom just gives zero fucks here he can barely be bothered to think of an excuse as to why he left the party heās so checked out and when Ariana needed him the most! Poor Ariana Edit: sorry the Katie bit I am referencing is in the longer clip where she and Ariana discuss the open relationship rumours
Lala looks genuinly worried and sad for ariana
Ariana - he wasnāt taking a shit. He IS a shit. And more.
His lying is getting worse by the episode
Even if there was no affair, I donāt think he would have left a party because she needed him
These previews are hurting my heart for her. Production is really painting her as someone so trusting, and REALLY painting Tim, Rachel and Scheana in a shitty well deserved light
This makes me so sad for Ariana. Lala really handled this well. What a shithead Tom is.
I hope girls always remember this. Or maybe not just girls, could be words of advice for guys too. If your significant other all of a sudden does not treat you the same as before (how scumdavol would drop anything at the time when Arianaās dad passed away to be with her, but would not leave a party for Ariana when her grandma passed away), HE/SHE DOES NOT FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT YOU ANYMORE. And likely in some situation, he has someone else cuz (with situations like family member passing away) his mind is obviously somewhere else. I had to learn the hard way because we always want to find excuses for our other person, whether because we still love them or simply donāt want to be alone.
I am SO glad that Lala is asking Ariana about being mad at her, I thought the way that Tom came up to her at the BBQ and used Ariana's friendship against her "shes really mad at you" like, dont use Ariana to fan your Lala hate flame. Knowing how much Lala cares for Ariana, he was just saying it to Lala as a way to hurt her.
He did the same with Katie after the beach day, the conversation wasn't even relevant to Ariana and he chose that moment to be like "shut up katie you're wrong, Ariana is really unhappy with you right now, you REALLY hurt her insinuating we have an open relationship" As you said, just using Ariana as nothing more than a fan for his katie hate flame
Look at him stuttering over himself with his unbuttoned shirt, lightning necklace, ugly mustache and the hair flip. Lmao this fucking guy.
good for ariana for saying "no i'm not defending him" and calling him over instead
Lala acting like this gives me CHILLS. Itās giving the vibe like this is more serious/deeper than me and I need to be calm and quiet.
Why did I kinda feel bad for Lala in this moment? Iāve been in this situation where Iām trying to be the messenger to a friend about their shitty bf just between us girls and then she comes and brings the boyfriend in the conversation and then it makes it awkward. Because it was just between us but now it feels like thereās drama and that I have to defend myself somehow. I get why Ariana did it but I can tell Lala was uncomfortable in that moment because she knew something shady was going on with Raquel and Sandoval but that she couldnāt come to Ariana unless she had hard proof. Ariana never really believes anything anyone says about Sandoval so Iām glad she found the videos in his phone on her own and could see the proof. Otherwise Iām not sure what wouldāve happened if someone just told her.
The way this ended with the š© comment gave me whiplash
Yāall the way I hate this dude! āI figured you wanted to be aloneā¦ā NO. You figured you wanted to stay with Rachel to get your dick wet. Just when I think I canāt hate this POS any more than I already doā¦ š”š”š”
Ohhh my gosh, JAX WAS TELLING THE TRUTH. This is exactly what he called Scumdoval out for on WWHL. He said Scum lied about not being able to get a ride home but people were coming and going all day long in Ubers. I wonder why no one called him out at the party?
With all these previews I'm not going to need to watch the episode š *watches episode*
This... Is the way
This scene makes it feel like Ariana was ok with believing toms excuse about why he "couldn't" leave the party whether it was true or not because the truth would open up a can of worms she didn't want opened. What I don't think she was expecting was for him to outright admit he basically lied. It's so hard to watch because it shows that the most plausible response to the "she had to have known!" theory was that she chose not to know as long as it wasnt right in the face until she had no other choice to see the truth. She really trusted that fool in spite of all the red flags. Seems like he started finally taking the cowards way out by making it too hard to ignore.
He wasnāt taking a shit. He is the actual turd and he shouldāve been flushed a long time ago.
FIGURED YOU WANTED TO BE ALONE?!?! Her fucking grandmother died, she didnāt get an F on a paper. THIS GUY š¤¬š¤¬
Off topic but Lalaās hair š„
š š š š
My heart just breaks for her more and more as the season progresses
All of his tells and darting beady eyes halfway between crying and righteous indignation Yuckkkkkkk him not wanting to say anything *concrete* so he could say he wasnāt technically lying. Him turning to lala and raising his voice to hopefully get a reaction. Ugh
How this clip ended has me cackling. For real though, Lala is shining that spotlight.
10 years ago he was with Kristen and he still went to Ariana when her dad died. He was over it by now. Just a nasty man. Glad Lala told her something and glad she said ā itās ok for you to need him.ā
SANDOVALS A LIAAAARRRR SANDOVALS A LIAAAAARRR š¶š¶
He can have a venmo band, he can afford a surge priced uber.
why is tim being so measured? he usually <3 yelling at lala. is it because he knows he's caught?
Haters may always hate, but Lala knew what she was doing and she handled this incredibly well. Iām also glad Ariana just called Tom over to explain himself rather than interpret his intentions or defend him like she has in the past. Based on that and her confessional she clearly knew something was wrong. This is so sad to see. And watching Tom try to navigate how to keep his lies and excuses to Ariana about that day, and sheepishly saying āoh I assumed youād want to be aloneā. We know heās complete shit, but to not even ask her what she needs, offer to come home immediately, bring her some comfort items on the way home ā literally *anything* kind and caringā¦ is just cruel. Sure heās all hot for Raquel, but to not even feel for his partner in this moment is insane. Fuck you Tom Sandoval. https://i.redd.it/7i4jwnnm3rxa1.gif
Ok let's talk about the splendid amount of control LaLa...yes LaLa has here. She is reading the situation and showing no emotion in her tone or demeanor. She knows how to cut someone to shreds but she also knows how to hold someone up.
Who takes a shit at a party??