As any true Bravo fan knows, first impressions can be deceiving. Take The Valley, for instance. What initially appeared to be a desperate bid to capitalize on the popularity of a post-Scandoval Vanderpump Rules ended up turning into one of the greatest first seasons of reality television of all time.
The Valley—which premiered in March as a VPR spinoff that reunited three of its parent show’s most infamous alums—has it all: disgraced Bravolebrities making comebacks, disintegrating marriages, and dysfunctional cast trips. By now, Janet’s baby has been born (hello Cameron!), and both Brittany and Jax and Michelle and Jesse have split. It seems like neither Lala Kent nor Scheana Shay will be taking up a permanent post next season, and Mamaw’s beer cheese is officially on the menu at Jax’s Studio City. But there are still a number of lingering questions after the finale.
Why isn’t there a reunion?
Not every new Bravo show has a reunion for its first season (see: Summer House, Southern Hospitality), and since the finale featured footage from months after the season officially wrapped, it makes sense that producers didn’t drag the cast back in for a reunion. Presuming that production for Season 2 picks up soon, perhaps there was no time for a reunion in between filming, especially with the bonus footage that gave viewers an update on most of the heavy-hitting plot points.
What’s the status of Jax and Brittany’s marriage? What about Michelle and Jesse’s?
Both couples have called it quits, but neither have officially filed for divorce yet. Michelle ended things with Jesse three days after the show wrapped and has moved out of their West Hollywood home. No fear, she can still pop over to Chateau Marmont; her rental is only two blocks away. The two are in the process of divvying up their realty business but seem to be successfully co-parenting their daughter, Isabella.
Brittany, too, moved out from her and Jax’s shared home, taking Cruz and herself to an Airbnb property. The couple is currently separated, with no firm plans to divorce on the horizon. The timeline around their separation is murky. Brittany has moved from rental to rental since announcing the separation in February, and Jax has lied to the press about their living arrangements. The pair did both attend the White House Correspondents Dinner, albeit not together.
Did Nia have to move to Santa Clarita?
Poor Nia spent the season struggling with postpartum depression as she cared for her newborn twins, her toddler, and a fourth big baby: her husband, Danny. Now, along with a lengthy nap, the couple needs a bigger home. Of course, they’d get more for their money if they were willing to stray further from Los Angeles. But for Nia, Santa Clarita was simply a bridge (or a freeway exit) too far, and she worried that Danny, who was open to living in the burbiest of burbs, would force her to move there anyway. The conflict remains unresolved at the end of the season—but for what it’s worth, Nia is right and perfect and deserves everything she wants.
Will Jasmine ever get her own storyline?
If there’s one thing we should all be able to agree on, it’s that Jasmine Goode seems great. But the BachelorNation alum and former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader turned protégée of real estate pro Michelle, who also did time as a server at Vanderpump Rules hub SUR, barely had anything to do in the show’s first season. We watched her play confidant to various miserable married people and caught occasional glimpses of her girlfriend, Melissa Marie. Yet by the finale, Jasmine still hadn’t become a real participant in the core group’s drama. Here’s hoping The Valley gives her something more substantial to do in Season 2.
Who was the famous director Michelle was hanging out with?
As rumors swirled throughout the season that Michelle was—or had at some point been—cheating on Jesse, one name dropped in conversation was that of an A-list director who Michelle had apparently been fraternizing with at none other than Chateau Marmont. Unfortunately for all of Bravo’s nosiest fans, the director’s name was bleeped out every time it was mentioned.
But worry not. While the case has yet to be fully cracked, there are a number of theories floating around online for those who want to seek them out.
Has Danny gotten any more voice acting work since the show has aired?
In the show’s premiere, when we’re introduced to Danny Booko, one-half of The Valley’s most seemingly functional (read: bland) couple, he’s making an honest living to provide for his wife Nia and their three children by working as a voice actor, including creating zombie noises for a The Walking Dead spinoff. Since then, we’ve learned that Danny has an alter ego (“Darkside Danny”) that unleashes when he has a few drinks and that he’s a little worried about their family’s finances. Thankfully, it appears that he’s booked more voice acting work this year; according to IMDb, he’s a voice actor for the first installment of Kevin Costner’s Western epic, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, and will be appearing as a looper (someone who does background noise) for the upcoming Transformers One movie.
Who is Kristen still friends with on the cast?
While Season 1 of The Valley saw Janet, Michelle, and Jesse not so wisely try to ice Kristen out of group activities (put some respect on reality tv queen Doute’s name!), Janet recently told The Daily Dish that the break in their friendship is more of a “pause.”
“I don’t think, you know, this is the end of our friendship,” she said. “Never say never.”
A May 24 Instagram post also showed Kristen hanging out with Zach, Brittany, and Nia at Jax’s Studio City. Michelle and Jesse, on the other hand, apparently haven’t spoken to Kristen since filming wrapped. “We haven’t spoken at all,” Jesse told Us Weekly in May. “[Her boyfriend] Luke and I are cordial—mostly talking about stuff related to the show. But yeah, I mean, it’s sad. You hate to lose friends.”
How is Jax’s bar doing, financially?
When he wasn’t emotionally terrorizing Brittany and being Los Angeles’ most unhinged menace, Jax seemingly spent most of The Valley trying to get Jax’s Studio City, the sports bar that carries his name but in which he has no financial investment, off the ground. Now that the bar is open, according to Jax, an extremely unreliable narrator, it’s apparently doing “very, very well.” In an interview with The Daily Dish, Jax said that things were so good that he plans to open up two more restaurants, going so far as to claim: “I could be the next Lisa Vanderpump.” Given Jax’s rocky relationship to truth telling, we’re taking this news with more grains of salt than the rim of a Jalapeño margarita from SUR.
Will Mamaw’s beer cheese stay on the menu at Jax’s Studio City, or will Brittany get it in the divorce?
Mamaw’s beer cheese, the hero menu item at Jax’s Studio City, is so central to Jax and Brittany’s relationship that the so-called Kentucky delicacy got its own Bud Light-powered storyline and a tasting party in Season 7 of Vanderpump Rules. Since the beer cheese is famously inspired by a recipe from Brittany’s mamaw, the logical answer to this question is that Brittany will obviously retain custody of the beer cheese and its IP—but as any true student of the VPR universe knows, Jax Taylor defies any and all logic. We look forward to watching the custody showdown for the beer cheese playing out on a multiple episode arc in Season 2 of The Valley.
Are Lala and Scheana going to The Valley?
Despite both Lala and Scheana appearing in The Valley premiere—and Lala making a seemingly obvious attempt to stir up drama with Brittany at the Vanderpump Season 11 reunion—Bravo has made it clear there will be no full-time transfers between the two shows. For now, at least.
“[The Valley] cast is pretty full right now,” showrunner Alex Baskin told the Hollywood Reporter in May. “I would imagine you’ll continue to see crossovers like you have, but that cast is bursting at the seams. It’s not like we’re in need of additional cast members. Between Jax and Brittany, Jesse and Michelle, and a whole bunch of other developments, we really have a great focus for that show and we’re excited about running that back because, God knows, if we had cameras up right now there would be a ton to cover. And there will be when we do.”
Will there be a second season?
Yes. Bravo has renewed The Valley for a second season, and the entire cast is expected to return, despite looming divorces.
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