The Last Night at Schwartz & Sandy’s with Kristen Doute, Tom Sandoval, and the VPR Crew

Summary

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Detox Retox with Tom Schwartz

Episode: The Last Night at Schwartz & Sandy’s

Date: March 11, 2026
PodcastOne

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Episode Theme & Overview

Main Theme:
A heartfelt retrospective and celebration marking the symbolic last night at Schwartz & Sandy’s bar, coinciding with the end of “Vanderpump Rules.” Tom Schwartz leads listeners through sentimental audio snippets from cast, crew, and production, reflecting on 11 wild seasons of reality TV, friendships, chaos, and growth. This “audio time capsule” captures the essence of finding harmony in the highs, lows, and nostalgia of an unprecedented journey.

Purpose:
To reminisce, honor, and share the quirky, unforgettable behind-the-scenes moments that defined a decade-plus of work and life together, focusing on gratitude, growth, and positivity—even as major chapters close.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Stage: Why This Night Matters

• Tom Schwartz introduces the episode, highlighting the emotional significance of the last night at the bar (00:13).
  • “It wasn’t art literal last night, but mentally, spiritually, symbolically, it was the last time I showed up with all of my heart.” (00:41)
• Explains the struggle and pride of launching Schwartz & Sandy’s as reality TV “newbies” after the pandemic—“a herculean task, riddled with obstacles, pitfalls, setbacks and comebacks, breakthroughs, breakdowns, fall aparts” (03:43).

The Emotional Art of Letting Go

• Schwartz reflects on nostalgia and the bittersweet beauty of endings:
  • “It kind of felt like everything I knew came not to a crashing halt, but kind of like a happy, sad little whimper. A confused whimper.” (06:35)
  • Discusses concepts like the sunk cost fallacy and the courage to walk away, weaving in his favorite resilience quotes:
    • “The courage to walk away is also courage. Don’t cling to a mistake just because you spent a lot of time making it…” (07:53)
    • “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again. This time more intelligently.” (08:57)

Uplifting Memories & Favorite Moments

• Sentimental stories flood in from cast and crew, capturing:
  • Epic cast trips: Vegas, Lake Tahoe, Mexico City, Santa Barbara (14:18–15:59, 24:37)
  • “The thing about us is no one ever knows what we do. And we are in charge of planning the trips and finding all the locations that we film at. And that requires a lot of work... my favorite memory... by far, the cast trips, always.” — Brittany, segment producer (14:54–15:26)
  • Crew pranks, drunken mishaps, unique rituals (pickles, outfits chosen while hungover) (18:45–20:36)
  • Legendary lines: “It’s not about the pasta” (24:00)
  • Unexpected cast and crew bonding, backstage chaos, and inside jokes

Behind-the-Scenes Antics

• Production secrets:
  • Producers wrangling hungover talent for scenes (20:36–21:22)
  • Editors and producers getting creative: the “80s sitcom” montage, odd makeup decisions, and elaborate scene setups (33:50–35:49)
  • “We were one big, slightly dysfunctional family.” — Tom Sandoval (31:48)
  • Actual fights, costume parties, spontaneous break-ups, and quick-on-the-draw production reactions
    • “We mobilized a crew within like, 20 fucking minutes…” — Jana Rosenfeld, producer, on capturing an explosive break-up (37:35)

Lessons Learned & Lasting Impact

• Theme of resilience and growth through adversity:
  • “We either win or we learn.” — Tom Sandoval (09:44)
  • “Better a life of oh wells than what ifs.” — Tom Schwartz (09:56)
• Recognition of the blurred lines between TV and real-life relationships, and the gratitude for shared experience (47:54–49:48)
  • “We did something. We did something here. We did something.” — Tom Sandoval (52:38)

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Notable Quotes & Standout Moments

Opening Reflection

• Tom Schwartz:
  • “The highest highs and the lowest lows, but taught you a lot about life. Lesson learned, okay? And you still survived. We’re still here. We lived, we learned. We’re gonna be okay.” (02:28)

On Moving Forward

• Tom Sandoval:
  • “We don’t lose. We either win or we learn.” (09:44)
  • “Some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go.” (08:41)

Favorite Crew and Cast Snippets

• Sandy Jams:

  • “My favorite moments was the boys trip to Vegas. That was a really fun trip.” (12:49)
  • “You and Alex Baskin. Our EP Wade.” (12:42)

• Jon (Crew):

  • “Jump into the lake and I did not think about how cold it was… my body went into like shock. And I was like, I’m going to die in front of the whole crew and the cast.” (15:26)

• Julie (Fan):

  • “Stassi back hunting Kristen... Your vows, Schwartz. I cried. I literally cried.” (17:40)

• Mikayla (Producer):

  • “So for three seasons, I was a talent producer, and… my responsibility on trips was to wake everyone up. We had keys to all of your bedrooms…” (19:28)
  • “That happens to be the scene that Rihanna watches, said she loves, posted to her Instagram, was the one where you were in the most… the weirdest outfit from being wasted.” (20:14)

• Jason Exousian (Producer):

  • “The memory that I have that stands out… Tom Schwartz had his bachelor party in New Orleans and… grabbed an already open beer from a cooler… drank that open beer, only to realize that it was polluted with all kinds of other garbage…” (36:36)

On Dysfunctional Family Life

• Tom Sandoval:
  • “We were one big, slightly dysfunctional family.” (31:48)
• Tom Schwartz:
  • “Yes, very dysfunctional family.” (32:08)

Summing Up the Legacy

• Brittany Cartwright:
  • “I think it is that relationships are hard and we should talk about our emotions… let the feelings flow.” (28:54–28:59)
• Tom Schwartz & Tom Sandoval:
  • “We’re halfway there and we’re living on a prayer. #BonJovi” (53:51)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Event | |------------|--------------| | 00:13 | Opening reminiscence: finding an old recording, symbolic closure | | 03:43 | Bar ownership struggles, pandemic reflection | | 06:35 | The end of Schwartz & Sandy’s and Vanderpump Rules | | 08:41 | Letting go, resilience, “courage to walk away” | | 09:44 | “We don’t lose. We either win or we learn.” - Sandoval | | 12:41 | Sandy Jams & Tom reminisce about their favorite episodes | | 14:54 | Brittany (segment producer) on chaotic cast trips | | 15:26 | Jon’s Lake Tahoe swim captain mishap | | 17:40 | Fan tributes: Stassi, Kristen, cute vows | | 19:28–20:36| Producer Mikayla’s “wake up” stories, infamous outfit episode | | 24:37 | Iconic catchphrases and crew bonding moments | | 28:50 | “Relationships are hard” as the series’ moral | | 31:48 | Reflections on friendship and family energy | | 33:50 | Behind the scenes: makeup, sitcom montage | | 36:36 | Production pranks, behind-the-scenes rites of passage | | 37:35 | Legendary “Uber receipts” scandal—how producers get the shot | | 41:48 | The “maddest Tom Schwartz ever got” — NASCAR, Flatiron, apologies | | 46:35 | Story editors recall the early chaos and magic | | 47:54 | Final tributes, bittersweet farewells, and inside references | | 52:38 | Schwartz & Sandoval closing thoughts: “We did something here.” |

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Final Reflections

• The episode succeeds as a love letter to both a place and a series, as cast and crew reminisce over chaos, connection, heartbreak, hilarity, and hard work.
• Through candid stories and “sentimental snippets,” Schwartz and guests illuminate why Vanderpump Rules resonated: authenticity, willingness to share the mess, and a deep sense of camaraderie.
• Closing wisdom: In endings, there’s growth; in letting go, there’s strength; in shared journeys, there’s beauty.

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Select Quotes – Attributed and Timestamped

• “It wasn’t always pretty, but we did it. We did the damn thing.”
  — Tom Schwartz (05:56)
• “The courage to walk away is also courage. Don’t cling to a mistake just because you spent a lot of time making it.”
  — Tom Schwartz (08:41)
• “We don’t lose. We either win or we learn.”
  — Tom Sandoval (09:44)
• “My favorite moments was the boys trip to Vegas. That was a really fun trip.”
  — Sandy Jams (12:49)
• “Stassi back hunting Kristen... Your vows, Schwartz. I cried. I literally cried.”
  — Julie (17:40)
• “We were one big, slightly dysfunctional family.”
  — Tom Sandoval (31:48)
• “Relationships are hard and we should talk about our emotions.”
  — Brittany Cartwright (28:54)
• “We’re halfway there and we’re living on a prayer. #BonJovi”
  — Tom Schwartz & Tom Sandoval (53:51)

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Tone & Style

Warm, nostalgic, irreverent, and affectionate—equal parts genuine reflection, behind-the-scenes gossip, and inside-joke-rich banter, staying faithful to the show’s and hosts’ playful, rambunctious energy.

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Transcript

[Tom Schwartz]

Foreign. For your weekly detox with Tom Schwartz.

[Brittany Cartwright]

What is up? Harmony check. How you doing? You keeping it together? You're not falling apart, are you? No, you're not. You guys. Hi. On today's episode. Oh, my God. I have excavated a relic, a little time capsule from one of the most tumultuous and wonderfully chaotic times in my life. Our life. Deep in the bottom of my drawer, my office. Dusty, I thought. Gone but not forgotten. I found a precious recording from the last night at Schwartz and Sandy's. Yes. A little treasure I thought was long gone, lost during the move. Well, maybe it wasn't art literal last night, but mentally, spiritually, symbolically, it was the last time I showed up with all of my heart. And it was a beautiful night. Yes. So this is a collection of sentimental snippets from mostly people who have worked on our show Vanderpump Rules for the last 11 seasons. You know, little sentimental snippets from what started as sublime. You know what I'm saying? Like, anything is possible. Energy, that type of rosy disposition that, well, often comes from inexperience, naitive. But also, carpe diem, let's fucking go. We came out of that pandemic rip roaring. Yeah. Today we take a little peek back in time. I thought I lost these vials, and I'm so happy I found them. The date this was recorded was December 17, 2020 24. Our last hurrah. Our last little sweet swan song. Bittersweet. Like breaking up with an X that ripped your effing heart out. The highest highs and the lowest lows, but taught you a lot about life. Lesson learned, okay? And you still survived. We're still here. We lived, we learned. We're gonna be okay. Pretty much everyone who's ever worked on the show came out to support and show love that night before the curtains fell one last time at our beloved, maybe cursed, but proud little bar in Franklin Village. By the way, anyone who's ever opened a bar, restaurant financed themselves. It is a herculean task, riddled with obstacles, pitfalls, setbacks and comebacks, breakthroughs, breakdowns, fall aparts. Especially for a relative newbie like Sandoval and myself, you know, coming out of the haze of the pandemic, like all of us, trudging somewhat reluctantly, back into modern society, coming out of our little comas. Yeah, but we did it. We did it. We're still standing. And around this time, we were just getting back into the groove after one of the strangest years of all of our lives. Both awesome and Catastrophic. Yeah, but, like, everyone came out that night. Camera operators, PAs, editors, fans. Like, it didn't feel like a wake or a eulogy. I don't know, it just felt like a celebration, a remembrance, you know, it was pleasant in a sea of chaos over that past year. Syncing with the ship that night, it kind of felt like slipping into a warm bath with a cold beer. You know what I'm talking about? Soaking in the comfort of old Vander movies, just waiting in warm nostalgia. But we did it. You know what I'm saying? Me, Greg and Tom. It wasn't always pretty, but we did it. We did the damn thing. We had a vision, a dream that got twisted and reformatted and set back revised one too many times, but we did it. And, yeah, for this episode, we're just gonna focus on the positives, okay? We're gonna keep it light and fun. We're gonna reminisce, okay? I remember before that night, I found out that we were gonna officially close Schwartz and Sandy's. And the day after, I found out that Vanderpump Rules was coming to an end. And it kind of felt like everything I knew came not to a crashing halt, but kind of like a happy, sad little whimper. A confused whimper. Yeah, we're gonna keep it positive. You guys want to keep it uplifting. The ballad of Schwartz and Sandys, you know, in this life I figured out. But, like, at least for me, as I've gotten older, you tend to only remember the good parts and the happy moments with enough time, which heals lingering frustrations, resentment, coulda, woulda, shoulda. You know what? I'm. At least I hope so. Sometimes you just gotta say, fuck it, if not, you lived and you learned. And, like, I'm fond of lots of little bits and pieces, many milestones, the small victories, finishing the menu, solidifying the cocktails with Sando, Chris tastings with Greg, and Greg getting the neon sign mounted out front, basking in our beautiful signs, glory, like the little mini milestones. And listen, I'm not talking revisionist history or sugar coating the past for the sake of this little ditty, but this is more about reminiscing about Vanderpump rules and that last chapter in the bar, in the show, the bar, which was a mix of unimaginable frustration and heartbreak, but also perseverance, tenacity, stepping up, you know, like I was eating up every positive, uplifting quote I could feed myself to say sane and stave off the feeling of impending doom. That year, you know what I'm saying, like, How can get hit, get hit. Keep moving forward. I don't, I don't stop. Tired. Stop. And stop. Done, done. The obstacle. Way, way. Just. Just swimming. Yes. That's what was floating around in my head. I didn't want to give up our beautiful business, baby. I was proud of it. You know, it wasn't perfect, but it was our baby. But like, I don't know, man. Like, those quotes haunted me as we came to terms with which was ultimately the right decision. It gets to a point financially, that without a serious injection of capital, a major overhaul or maybe a rebrand, you just have to walk away. You remember you learned about the sunken cost fallacy, our cute little cognitive bias that makes us double down on failing endeavors, you know, whatever. Relationships, investments, projects. You know, essentially it just means throwing good money after bad. But it's hard when you're so close to it and you care so much about it. You've put so much of your time, but then it's you. You get to the other side with a little more wisdom. Hopefully you get more comfortable with the idea of walking away. It's less about quitting and more about just protecting your time, your energy, your sanity, your friggin bankroll. Right? And then some other quotes bring me like, a little peace, a little comfort. The courage to walk away is also courage. Don't cling to a mistake just because you spent a lot of time making it. Some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go. When one door closes, another opens. Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again. This time more intelligently. Hopefully more intelligently. Listen, those. Those eased my mind at the time, but one thing is for sure, it was the most challenging business venture of our life, I think, at least for me and Tom. Well, Greg was a pro. He had opened 19 bars at that point. So another day in the office for him. Although I'll be at a very strange, dramatic day at the office. Yeah, guys, I'm gonna just play my little audio diary here. Okay, Today's episode. You know what?

[Tom Sandoval]

How about we.

[Brittany Cartwright]

We don't lose. We didn't lose. We either win or we learn. Okay, I like that. I'll leave you with my favorite quote. Better a life of oh wells than what ifs. Okay, so in parting, to Franklin Village Lounge, Schwartz and Sandys, nestled under the Hollywood sign at the foot of the Hollywood Hills, the only place in Hollywood you're guaranteed to see a star. That was our cheesy little reference to the Starry Night installation. But yeah, man. To all the businesses that have crumbled, to all the loves that have loved and lost. It's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved it. All right. Okay. P.S. the butterfly effect from this bar needs to be studied. I think it forever changed the course of human history. Or at least our cast. Alright, without further ado, here's the ballad our last night some little audio clips from production, myself and cast last night at Schwartz and Sandy's. Here we go. Detox Retox is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart Choice. Progressive loves to help people make smart choices. That's why they offer a tool called Auto Quote Explorer that allows you to compare your Progressive car insurance quote with rates from other companies. So you save time on the research and you can enjoy the savings when you choose the best rate for you. Give it a try after this [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy.

[Tom Schwartz]

It's Kayl Lowery joining me for Barely Famous. You might think you know me, but

[Tom Sandoval]

trust me, you don't know this version of me.

[Tom Schwartz]

This is where I say what everyone is too scared to ask and ask the question that nobody wants to answer. I'm talking exes, unexpected guests, viral chaos, messy relationships. Really, just all of it. Nothing is off limits. Nothing is off the record. And yeah, things can get a little unhinged.

[Tom Sandoval]

It's real, it's raw, and it's probably

[Tom Schwartz]

going to make you gasp at least once. So follow rate and review. Barely Famous Wherever you get your podcasts, your home holds the story of your life. Renewal by Andersen Windows are built to weather every season with you. They frame the little moments when. Look Daddy. And the big ones. From first steps to graduation to new beginnings. While life keeps moving, our windows stand strong through every chapter. Let Renewal by Andersen be part of your story. Windows Built to last. Visit renewalbyandersonhome.com to learn more. Hi, my name is Sandy, but they call me Sandy Jams and I have been on the Show all seasons. 11 seasons.

[Tom Sandoval]

One of only two people.

[Tom Schwartz]

One of only two people.

[Tom Sandoval]

You and Alex Baskin.

[Tom Schwartz]

Alex, yes.

[Tom Sandoval]

Our EP Wade.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Can I ask you what one of

[Tom Schwartz]

your favorite moments my favorite moments was? Boys trip to Vegas. That was a really fun trip.

[Tom Sandoval]

The boys trip.

[Tom Schwartz]

The boys trip.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Chunky knit boys chair.

[Tom Schwartz]

Yes.

[Tom Sandoval]

Yeah, that was one of the episodes that set us off in another trajectory.

[Tom Schwartz]

And then the other voice trip season when you looked at the china. Oh Remember?

[Brittany Cartwright]

No.

[Tom Schwartz]

Yeah. We stayed at Planet Hollywood.

[Tom Sandoval]

Oh, yeah.

[Tom Schwartz]

That was a good one.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Well.

[Tom Schwartz]

Oh, that was. No, that was Boys and girls. And then there was the. The boys trip with Peter. Drove the minivan.

[Tom Sandoval]

For context, we're here at Schwartz and Sandy's. It's our last week.

[Brittany Cartwright]

We're going to be open and embracing the duality of the moment. I'm excited for the next chapter, but also, I'm really sad, you know, but we're gonna make some memories tonight.

[Tom Sandoval]

And Sandy doesn't have headphones on, so. Oh, she can hear me.

[Tom Schwartz]

I can hear you.

[Tom Sandoval]

Anyways, I love you, Sandy, and I appreciate you.

[Tom Schwartz]

Thank you. I love you, too.

[Tom Sandoval]

All right, if you're wondering who made those Rip Dog posters. Sandy.

[Tom Schwartz]

Yeah. Rip Dog 2019-2019. Okay. So my name is Brittany, and I am the segment producer. And the thing about us is no one ever knows what we do. And we are in charge of planning the trips and finding all the locations that we film at. And that requires a lot of work. And my favorite memory, I've been on season 9, 10, and 11, and it's by far the cast trips always. So I was there for Rochella. And I'll never forget the fireworks. We were being told by the fire marshal, you have less than five minutes to shoot those fireworks off. Like, this is, like, pressure on James to propose because the wind is picking up at, you know, where they do Coachella. And they were like, it's at a 9.5 right now, and once we get at 10, we are not allowed to shoot those fireworks off. And our crew was all breaking for crew meal. And so we had to get everyone to get up. Bill Langworthy was like, let's go. We're shooting these fireworks. It's time to propose. Get on one knee. You're proposing now. And so these trips are just so chaotic behind the scenes, but it's always so rewarding to see the final product on tv. And then obviously, Lake Tahoe, Sheena's wedding in Mexico City, Santa Barbara. All these trips are just the most memorable part for me. And then it's a great chance for the crew and the cast to really bond. And it's awesome when the episodes finally air to get to see all the hard work, and it pays off and it shows, and it's just super rewarding.

[Tom Sandoval]

Yo, what's up, shorts? It's Jon. One of my favorite moments was when we're at Tahoe and we were on that boat. So I had hyped up that I was swim captain in high School. And I was like, yeah, I know how to swim. You know, this is going to be easy for us. I jump into the lake and I did not think about how cold it was going to be. And I like my body, I kid you not, went into like shock. And I was like, I'm going to die in front of the whole crew and the cast and it's going to be the worst death ever. But you know, after a few, like little, little strokes here and there, I was able to catch my breath and it was a good time. It was a good time.

[Tom Schwartz]

Machini, whatever you are, I mean, I didn't work on this, but my favorite moment is when Tom Sandoval banged on the door. Look at him, he's a battered housewife. And then you're here, you are just sitting there. It's hilarious. And it's going to go down in history as one of the best moments in tv. Period. Like, period. Like, oh my God. When we had to like flash to that, it was like my favorite thing. I'm like, yay, we get to flash to this.

[Tom Sandoval]

My favorite Tom Schwartz memory of working with him before. Every season I would sit down with every cast member and I would say, how are you gonna be great this year? How are we gonna make mind blowing television? And one season Tom said, I have something really good for you. This, this is going to be a good season. And you really built it up. You really milked it. And I thought you were going to tell me about some big scandal or maybe that you were in some big feud or you're going to be some big life move. And I said, all right, what do you have in store for us this season? You said, I'm going to get a permanent. What's a permanent? Like a perm. Like I'm going to get my hair professionally curled, like at a, at a beauty salon. Like, that's your, that's your whole season. That's going to be your whole, your whole story. And you know what? It was actually pretty good tv.

[Tom Schwartz]

Hi, my name is Julie. I'm so excited to be here. I love watching Vanderpump. I want to say my favorite moment is probably one of my favorite moments. Stassi back hunting Kristen. And honestly, my other favorite moment is your. Your vows. Schwartz. I cried. I literally cried. I was like, I hope I have my Schwartzy to give me cute vows like that.

[Tom Sandoval]

People ask me wedding advice. I'm like, do not wait until four hours before you get married to write your vow.

[Tom Schwartz]

No, but they were so cute. They were so perfect. And then Sandoval wiping his tears with butter. Or Gordo. I don't remember who it was. Was it Gordo? Butters?

[Tom Sandoval]

Butters.

[Tom Schwartz]

Comical.

[Tom Sandoval]

Hi, my name is Lee, and I worked in production for Vanderpump Rules. And one of my favorite memories is when we were filming in Miami. It was during my birthday in June, and as we were waiting for our rides down in the lobby, Beau sang Happy Birthday to me as I was hungover waiting for our ride back to the airport. That was a magical trip, too.

[Tom Schwartz]

Hi, I'm Miriam. I've been on the show for two seasons. I was a supervising producer on season 11 of Vanderpump. And one of my favorite memories, my first episode of Vanderpump, season 10, episode 5, we were shooting at Schwartz and Sandy's, and my favorite drink is a pickleback. And Tom Schwartz, you walked in and you were like, oh, my God, I got pickle juice. We're making picklebacks. And you sang this little jingle in a bite and you're like, everyone loves a pickleback. And I tried to put it in and the network was like, no, that's so corn. But I thought it was so funny. I was like, oh, my God, he doesn't know me, but we're best friends. That's my favorite drink. And the first time I came here, once you guys were open, you went to Gelson's to buy pickle juice so we could do picklebacks. Hi, I'm Mikayla. I worked on the show season four through nine, and then I day played 10 and 11, so I mean, I have so many memories. But with you, Schwartze, I. So for three seasons, I was a talent producer, and so my responsibility on trips was to wake everyone up. We had keys to all of your bedrooms, and I would have to go in when you guys were hungover drunk. And there was one time in Mexico where you had to go golfing with the boys. And I. I checked you out. I opened the door, get in, and you were asleep. And I was like, schwartz, you have to go. We're leaving in five minutes. And you were like, what? So I dressed you. I picked out random clothes for you to dress. You go to the golf course, you film the scene. We come back and you were like, that's what I was wearing. And then that happens to be the scene that Rihanna watches said she loves posted to her Instagram was the one where you were in the most. The weirdest outfit from being wasted.

[Tom Sandoval]

I was having an existential crisis.

[Tom Schwartz]

There was. I have More wake up stories with you. There was one time in New Orleans when I had to. When I had to wake you up and you. I was knocking on the door because I always would knock before I would use my key. I knocked on the door. You eventually came and answered, and you stood there in front of me. You're probably blacked out. Your back pocket gets caught. The back of your pocket gets caught on the door handle. Then you decide to just plank and you fall to the ground and your back pocket gets ripped off your pants. And then I'm standing there like, what is going on? I have photos I can show you. And then you proceeded to go into Katie and pick her a nose when she was sleeping.

[Tom Sandoval]

What up, Schwartz? It's Mitch. Mitch Stam. Remember that time when we were at Sandoval's in your old apartment, and I forget the guy's name, but he lived underneath you guys and. Oh, and too much pressure. So I was on firewatch outside with the van getting gear and stuff. And then all of a sudden, this nice neighbor came out and introduced himself, and he offered me some. Some milk and a banana. And then it was just really weird. And I peeked through his door and I'm like, what the hell is in that apartment? It's like, saw huge bird cages or something. And then I come back up to you guys and tell what was going on. And. And you and Tom are like, oh, no, you met him.

[Brittany Cartwright]

He's like, he's got a human side.

[Tom Sandoval]

He keeps people in those bird cages. He's trying to lure. He's trying to lure you in. It was.

[Tom Schwartz]

It was.

[Tom Sandoval]

You seemed very nice, you know, but I was. He's our boy, by the way. We love him. I hope he's still there. He's probably still there, right? Shout out to Marcy. Shout out to the whole squad. Shout out to 753. Oh, that's my old. And actually shout out to. We won't say the address other than that. That people might have seen on the show. Like, I love the time when we were in Miami, or was it New Orleans when you guys dress up as old people and just. You guys had so much fun with that. And thank you. We don't get the credit we deserved on that. The old man makeup we had, we, me and Tom produced that. We had to fly everybody out, pay for the rooms, pay for their flights. I think we were all in for 15k. All you guys were in there, like, getting makeup for, like six hours at least. We're like, we got to go. We Got to go. Thanks, brother. And then the next morning. Yeah, you guys are just haggard as hell wearing that makeup. We're like, can't even distinguish who's who.

[Tom Schwartz]

Hello. One of my favorite memories, or actually not favorite memories, but a very sad scene that I worked on was when Schwartz and Katie were on a vacation somewhere. Mexico maybe. And Katie said, okay, green pants on a hammock fight that they had. And I will never forget that because I'm like, I totally understand what she means. These green pants, they're so ugly. Why is he wearing them?

[Tom Sandoval]

I told her her voice sounds like a cacophony.

[Tom Schwartz]

Yeah, that was hilarious. But also very sad. And I hate that. That's, like, one of my favorite memories. But it's just. I understood that fight. I just understood it. And do you still own those green peels?

[Tom Sandoval]

I burn them because they're jinxed. Cursed, if you will.

[Tom Schwartz]

Amazing. Hi, my name is Tabitha. We're here for the last week of Shorts and Sandy's. We're so excited to be here. It's been amazing. Tom Schwartz is awesome. One of my favorite moments from Vanderpump Rules. Honestly, anything that came out of Stassi's mouth, The golden nugget. And also, it's not about the pasta. La la. Definitely my favorite quotes. Love Vanderpump Rules. Slay.

[Tom Sandoval]

My favorite part of Vanderpump Rules. Season seven trip to Mexico. Ariana's yellow robe. Smith. Everybody's in the hotel room, inhibitions, ready to go party. Schwartz has to turn into a babysitter as everybody's in the hot tub going crazy. It just blew my mind. Comedy gold. Everybody was ready to go. Hi, Schwartz, it's Binny. One of my favorite memories, I think would be my first cast trip I took with Sheena's wedding in Cancun. It was the first time I was out of the country with a show like this. And I remember my producer once, I think we were shooting a scene with Katie and Christina, and she was just like, hey, take this key card and check to see if, like, Sandoval's in his room and awake. And I, like, run across the hotel to, like, go see that. And the door wouldn't open. The key wouldn't work. So I come back, our coordinator meets me. She gives me a different key. I run back, that key doesn't work. Nobody's answering. So I go back, I go to the front desk, they give me a new key. I finally make my way back to the room. I open it, and Sandoval's just Like, asleep, passed out. Like, I've, like, banged on the door, like, countless times. Like, okay, well, at least he's alive and he's near, so. And then me, I think it was like, when you showed up to, like, wake him up with, like, pina coladas. Yeah, hey, it's Paul Peltekian, editor on Vanderpump. Yeah, so my favorite Schwartz moment or what? Yes, my favorite Schwartz moment has to probably be. Well, my favorite moment that I edited that involved you. One of them was probably your lizard's funeral. The whole in memoriam. I hold that moment dearly in my heart. RIP Dog. It was great. It was great. And it's been a pleasure editing you for the last 10 plus years. That's really fucking sweet. So good luck with everything.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Thank you.

[Tom Schwartz]

Okay. I have so many stories, I don't even know where to begin. But one of the stories that really I remember is that weekend that Schwartz, Sandoval, Jax, we all went to San Diego. And I just remember that the crew tech room was across the hallway from the suite you guys were staying in. And I remember hearing some, like, conundrum, some loud noises. After wrapping up our gear and being like, what the hell is happening over there? I. The door was slightly ajar. I decided to kick it open, and I was like, hey, guys, what's going on in here? Oh, there were just people partying, guys hanging out, some women hanging out in there. And. Well, then we saw some of it happen on the show after that because I happened to catch you guys that night. That was one. That San Diego trip was insane. Second, I do want to mention how how the phrase relationships are hard started. It started for me and Schwartz talking together in a conversation. Schwartz, not always the easiest person to get emotions out of. I really had to prep him, talk him through. It was like, schwartz, let's talk about our emotions. Let's talk about, you know, how you're feeling. Relationships are very hard. Let's go.

[Tom Sandoval]

She was trying to prime the pumps, and I used that line verbatim. Relationships are hard forever.

[Tom Schwartz]

Kristin made a T shirt for James May that said relationships are hard. Because that was such an inside joke, like, within the cast and crew. I think at that point, too, if

[Tom Sandoval]

there is a moral of the story, 11 seasons, Vanderpump Rules.

[Brittany Cartwright]

I think it is that relationships are

[Tom Schwartz]

hard and we should talk about our emotions.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Yeah, let the feelings flow.

[Tom Schwartz]

The first thing that pops in my head is when I had to drive all the way out to the middle of nowhere to a paintball scene just to Tell you that you had to keep your hair blonde and you thought I was joking.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Wait, Kat had one more.

[Tom Schwartz]

Is it recording? Okay. I also remember when I had to come to your house 40 minutes before a scene where you had to like, get in a car and drive to Sandoval's house for your tattoo. And I had to get there to make sure you were on time. And then the whole time I was there, I was sitting on your couch and you kept being like, cat, what do I wear?

[Tom Sandoval]

What do I wear?

[Tom Schwartz]

And I was trying to help you out and then you, you came out in an inside out shirt and you were like, what about this? I was like, well, you can't wear that. It's inside out.

[Tom Sandoval]

Luke, it's a girl. It's also the last night at Schwartz and Sandy's. What do you have to say? I mean, it's a girl. Schwartz and Sandy's, man. Dude, Tom, you've always taken care of me when I come in here. I come in here to support you. This place has been amazing to me. You've been amazing to me. I'm going to miss this place.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Love you, Dar.

[Tom Sandoval]

I love you. Chores.

[Tom Schwartz]

Okay, so I'm Delaney Moginian and I'm a camera operator on Vanderpump. And I day played for the show a lot, so I came in for little trips here and there, some Mexico trips. I was there for some Tequila Tower that set on fire. I was also set on fire in that moment. I also did Jax and Britney's wedding. That was a lot of fun, crazy castle stuff. Do you remember the Tequila Tower setting on fire? The Post sent me footage of that and it was insane. Like literally the camera was singed. I was singed. Crazy times. But the story I'm gonna tell is probably one of my favorite moments, which was the end of season 11 in San Francisco. Behind the scenes, a lot of drama went down, but some of the cast and the crew just found time to dance, which I think is a really good summation of what working on the show feels like. It's like a lot of work, but at the end of the day, sometimes it's just a big dance party with your friends. And I think we all kept coming back to the show because we love not only the cast but but the crew that we make it with the content that we make. And I think every day we all found a way to make it fun.

[Tom Sandoval]

I don't really chime in much, but I just wanted to say that's one of the beautiful things about this show. It's like, you know, it was a. It was a group of friends, true friends. We were friends before the show. We'll be friends after, or at least some of us. But also, you guys became family. We were one big, slightly dysfunctional family.

[Tom Schwartz]

Yes, very dysfunctional family.

[Tom Sandoval]

Hyper dysfunctional, but in the best way.

[Tom Schwartz]

The kind of family that you want to go to work every day and be weird and make awesome content with.

[Brittany Cartwright]

Hey.

[Tom Sandoval]

So my name is Diego, and I worked on season one through, I think, seven. Anyway, my favorite memory was we were at the Grove, and somebody pushed someone and punched someone, and we ended up destroying the entire bar of Wherever the Hell we were. It started in the corner of one bar, and it ended up like a cloud and Looney Tunes cartoon that traveled all the way around the bar. And I think everyone on the crew and cast ended up getting punched. There was blood. There was broken glass. You got punched. I usually don't chime in here, but I got punched in the face by James. And I remember the morning after, I held a bag of peas, frozen peas on my eyes, and I was like, you know what? I think it's kind of good to get punched in the face every once in a while. And, yeah, that was. It was honestly kind of a fun night. Yeah, that was a good memory. Dodie just rolled up. All right, maybe it's not our official last night, but spiritually, symbolically, it's our last night. Doty last night at Shorts and Sandy's.

[Tom Schwartz]

Oh, my God. Spiritually, it's my last night, too. We've had so many fun memories here. I remember when the first time I brought Luke here was on New Year's Eve a couple years ago, and Luke was so fucked up on mushrooms, we

[Tom Sandoval]

had to leave early, and we only

[Tom Schwartz]

lasted, like, 20 minutes. That was a good memory.

[Tom Sandoval]

So I'm just talking. Okay. This is Jesse Friedman. I was an editor on Vanderpump rules until season 11. I was a huge fan of the show before I started on season seven. I came in on my first day of work, and Natalie told me that I was. I got a good episode, and I said, well, what is the episode? She said, it's pride at sir. And it was 80s themed, and there was kind of a thing that had come down from Bravo and from Bill Langworthy as well, was. Which was, we want to be, like, a little more out of the box and do, like, some crazy stuff this season. And that's, like, right in my wheelhouse. So I was like, I know exactly what I'm gonna do. So I built this. I had just been watching Mr. Robot, and they did a whole episode that was in 4x3, like an 80s whole, like, VHS thing. So I built. I saw the footage of everybody entering, and I said, I think I can build this into a 80s sitcom. Beginning of an 80s sitcom, like, montage. So I built it, and Natalie saw it. She was like, this is insane. Do not show Bill. So we went into the screening room to watch it, and I was very nervous, but everybody thought it was, like, great. And Bill was like, let me rewind this. I need to watch this one more time. And then he was like, yes, this is it. So it was like, definitely one of the crazier things that I've done on the show. But also knew that I knew then that I was, like, home. And it felt amazing to be somewhere where people appreciated the oddball, weird, creative energy that I brought. And I've done some pretty weird stuff on the show after that, but that was like. That was like, within the first couple weeks of being on the show. I, I, I did that and then did some other weird stuff later. But, yes, that's it. That's good.

[Tom Schwartz]

Okay. Hi, this is Aaron Foy. I've been on the show, or I was on the show for eight years, I think, but I've known Schwartz for more than that. And I love you. I love you more. And what am I supposed to say? My favorite moment. You know what it is? I'm taking this because Mikaela's here. Remember when Dog came into our lives? Dude, Rip Dog. He was one of our favorite treasures, and he would, he would lay on our shoulders. And I remember the first time I said, tom, I think you should have Dog on your shoulder this whole scene. Remember that? And you were like, yes, we should do that.

[Tom Sandoval]

I'm Jason Exousian. I worked on Vanderpump rules from season one until technically season 11. So I guess that's every single season. The memory that I have that stands out to me is when Tom Schwartz had his bachelor party in New Orleans and was, I guess it's fair to say, blackout drunk, and walked between two cameras, which he knew that was was not the procedure, and grabbed an already open beer from a cooler that was also our craft service cooler, and drank that open beer, only to realize that it was polluted with all kinds of other garbage and then just, like, spit it out in a drooly, sort of weird, gross fashion and then look directly into the lens and knew that he had done something horribly wrong and walked away casually, like, it was the best day of his life.

[Tom Schwartz]

Okay, I'm Jana Rosenfeld. I worked on Vander Van Bruhls through season eight, and I'm here to tell a story. Okay, So I know people have been telling stories about you, but I'm telling. This is a Kristen Doughty story. I'm going to memorialize Kristen. So it's like, you know, over the years, people have asked me, like, what is the thing about Vanderpump Rules? Like, what makes it Vanderpump? What makes it so great? And I just go back to this moment, to the story, and it's like, this is like in one of the. You know, I don't know what season it was maybe like four when Kristin was dating James, and it was like they were dating, and it was a Saturday, and I wasn't working. I was at the movies, and my phone rings, and, like, I have to say, if one of you guys called, I always answered because for the most part, you guys always had interesting things to say that made for really good television. So anyway, I'm in the movie. My phone rings, and it's Kristin. So I walk out of the movies, and I'm like, answer the phone. And she's in a rage, and she tells me, I just found Uber receipts. I just logged onto James's email, and I found Uber receipts. And he ubered some girl home last night. And this is the smoking gun. He was cheating on me. And so she's like, I need to confront him. I need to break up with him. He cheated on me. And so we mobilized a crew within like, 20 fucking minutes. And we got. She wanted to meet him at a restaurant, so we arranged to have the cameras there. She met him at a restaurant. She printed out the Uber receipts, and all the cameras are up, and she walks in and she slams the Uber receipts down on the table. And she's like, you fucking asshole, I see you ubered some girl home at 6am last night. And that was it. And we got that for the show. And it's like, honestly, in what planet? Like, you guys were so good that you guys would call us the producers, when you. When something real was going on in your life instead of just like. Like, she could have just called James and it wouldn't have been on camera. But that's what made Vander von Bruhls, Vander Von Broels is that, like, you guys were so good and you would call us and we would get cameras up for all the best moments. That's my story.

[Tom Sandoval]

Hey, this is Jeremiah Smith. Some People know me as producer Jerry, so I started working on Vanderpump Rules season one from the beginning. Day one, season one. I was a field producer, and I've been on it ever since. I did all 11 seasons. Well, I skipped season nine because I was, like, sailing around the world with my family. But other than that, I did every season. I was there for all. All the greatest moments. And it was such a special group. The cast was amazing, the crew incredible. We were a big family. We all put so much into it to make it what it was. Some of my favorite moments happened on the trips, be it Hawaii, Mexico, solving New Orleans. I mean, every time we go on a trip, you just never knew it was going to happen. It was always, like, such a blast. There was one moment with Tom Schwartz where he really put his foot down with me, and he got really mad at me and fought with me almost to the point of disrespect and anger. He really let me have it. And it all came down to this idea that was floating around. We were in Sonoma attending the NASCAR race, and everyone thought it would be funny if Sandoval asked one of the NASCAR drivers, I think it was Austin Dillon, to sign his Flatiron. And Schwartz was so deeply embarrassed by this that he threw a fit with me and he was like, jeremiah, I'm not fucking doing this. You're not going to let Tom do this. It's fucking embarrassing. There's no way in hell.

[Tom Schwartz]

No.

[Tom Sandoval]

And he, like. He'd never, like, spoken to me like that. And it was, like. It was, like, kind of shocking. And then, like 30 seconds later, he came up and he was so apologetic, and he was, like, hugging me. He's like, I'm so. I'm so sorry. We'll do anything. Yeah, of course. We'll ask for the Flatiron to be signed. And I was like, it's just. For some reason, that moment stood out as the maddest Tom Schwartz ever got at me. My name is John Carr. I'm a former co executive producer and executive producer on Vanderpump Rules. Tom Schwartz is holding a microphone to my face, and I don't know what else I'm supposed to say. Happy to say anything. Can we talk about. All right, should we talk? Like, should we just talk? Should we talk about how Tom Schwartz. An interview. It's an audio diary. Yeah, we're just a diary. We're just. We're kind of doing it. Memory, Fond memories. All the hugs. Tom, can I tell you something that you don't know, can I give you a memory that you don't have? Okay. We're in New Orleans. It's the bachelor bachelorette party. Maybe you know this because someone told you this, but people are having. Some people are having misgivings about your. Your pending nuptials to Katie. And my job as a producer is not to plant those thoughts or to make those thoughts occur, but. But to detect if those thoughts are happening and then to encourage people to share them. So you might recall there is a. There is a dinner we did at. At a. At a fancy restaurant right on Bourbon street with the turtle soup. I'm forgetting the name of the place, but it's like Galatair. And I was walking there with your. Your boy Sandoval there and with Jax Taylor. And I'm not saying that they were the guys that had the biggest thoughts of maybe this wedding shouldn't happen, but I'm saying they were guys that maybe had things that they could have expressed that they weren't expressing. And I. And I said, my job as a producer is to make these guys share what's on their mind. Am I going on too long? Okay, so we're walking down Bourbon street, and as a producer, again, my job is to say we're going into this fancy dinner and it's a bullshit scene that we're about to shoot. If Jax and Tom Sandoval don't tell their buddy Tom Schwartz, we do not think this wedding should happen. We don't think you should marry Katie. They're scared shitless to say that, but it's absolutely on their minds. So my job as V is just make real. Make them say what's actually on their mind. So as we're walking down Bourbon street, they're like, hey, should we get a Jello shot? And generally, as a producer, what is not my job is to get drunk with the cast. But I'm like, I really need to. I was obviously really tight with all of you guys at the time, but I'm like, I need just like a little, like, kind of bonding moment with everyone. So I'm like, yeah, yeah, I'll do a Jello shot with you guys. So the three of us go into this little stall and we get Jello shots and, like, little plastic cups. And then Jax does his Jello shot, Sandoval does his jealous shot, and I'm like, I'm going to do this Jello shot, and then I'm going to convince those guys to tell their boy Schwartz not to marry that girl. And I do my jelly shot. And instead, what happens with the jello shot is it gets stuck in my throat, and I spend the next 20 minutes coughing and hacking, and I can't talk or form a word or fucking produce, so I never get. I'm never able. We then keep walking as I'm coughing and hacking and choking on jello. And I'm never able to tell Sandoval or Jax to encourage them to say what I know is on their mind. And instead, we get into the dinner, we get in scene, and Tom Schwartz, you're sitting right there. And there's no opportunity now for me to encourage it. Long story short, you do get married. It's a lovely wedding and, you know, an important chapter in your life that maybe I could have stopped. I don't know if I really could have stopped it, but I could have. I don't know, I could have had some of your friends be a little more honest in that moment. But instead, I was choking. I was trying to be cool and choking on a jello shot. Thank God for that jello shot. I like this timeline, John. Most of it. And that's the memory that I'm trying to give you that I don't know if you already had. This is Juan Camarano. I was in charge of sound back then. And this is pretty ironic that Tom Schwartz is having a mic in front of my face. It's. It's insane. Should I sound check? Does it sound good? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. That was Sandoval. Okay, that's. That's already a great memory. You got it. Thank you, brother. Miami. Miami Beach. We're doing. That was 20, maybe 16 or 15. I can't remember. And every single time you guys were singing that song. Just sing it again, please. I got to give sand of all credit that 1. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. School. There you go. Yeah.

[Tom Schwartz]

Hi there. This is Natalie Neurouter. I've worked on the show since season one, and it was my first job in storytelling. I started as a story editor, and I remember watching through the footage for the first time, just kind of sorting through different scenes here and there. And all the girls were obsessed with 50 shades of gray and wished that their guys would be a little bit more like Christian Gray. Yeah. Including Katie Schwarzy. And let's see. I remember watching Jax and Stassi fight at Mixology and then wander through the farmer's market at the Grove, which was not a cleared location. We were not allowed to be filming There, they didn't have microphones on anymore because it was the end of the night and they had taken those off. They were literally signing their appearance releases at the table and started bickering and cameras followed them out. And I just watched it riveted the entire time. I didn't even know that they didn't have microphones on because it was like one of my first days. And I was like, it's probably fine. I can hear them. And then just being like this, this is like, gonna be a show. This is gonna be something. And here we are.

[Tom Sandoval]

This is absolutely wild to be on the receiving end of you talking to me. I feel like I get to talk to you all the time through the lens, you know. This is some exciting man. And this is just, what can I say? An honor to. To see your journey through to the end, to fruition, to the next chapter. Tom Schwartz. Let's fucking go, dude. We're here at Schwarz and Sandy's. Might be one of the last nights ever. Last week for sure. John Carr just gave an amazing testimony. I'm here with Sandal Sandoval. What's on your mind, Schwarz? First and foremost, I want to congratulate you on your new podcast. It's awesome. I love it. And also, I just want to say, man, this has been a ride, has it not? Has it not been a ride? I see your eyes. You're, like, holding the finger up to you as you want to. Like, God, can you imagine? Can you imagine? Can you imagine what this, what this was, what it could have been? I mean, but what it has been on, like, it really has been amazing. Like, we have, like, awesome regulars here, like, people that are, like, truly, like, invested, you know? Dude, I know. It's been so cool, man. It's also been. It's.

[Tom Schwartz]

It's.

[Tom Sandoval]

I've been banned from this place. At one point, I was banned from this place. He's still banned. Seriously? Oh, my God. Hey. Hey. Future Retro. Future Retro Dive lounge. Can you explain Future Retro? Well, it's like future, but retro. Yeah, yeah. You don't get it. Yeah, that's all you need. I don't see the disconnect. You know what I was told, actually. You know what I was told actually from. From a lot of people here in production, actually, I think maybe specifically Sandy, is that future retro became a. A term that is used of where it's a term. It's out in the world. Yeah. But it, like, it became. I can't remember what was said. It was said something along the Lines of like, moving forward. We're going to be more like future retro.

[Brittany Cartwright]

I've heard it.

[Tom Sandoval]

No, like in the zeitgeist. No, no, not the zeitgeist, but actually here. And actually when it comes to like, evolution and bravo and like, whatever, we're gonna be future retro. I'm serious. I'm dead serious. They're like, do you know, this became like a standard term used for the future of where we're going. Can I tell you what's future retro? What? This is not a political statement. But what's future retro is make America great again. Yeah, it is future retro. It is that act. That's. This is why I love John Carr so much, because he's just straight the on and with exactly what that is. That is exactly future retro. All my best sound bites plagiarized from John Carr, generously donated. But sign this real quick. No, this has been, this has been a. This has been a. A ride of a lifetime. And there's, I think there's a lot of. One of the most valuable lessons, I think. Can you give me a second?

[Brittany Cartwright]

Thank you.

[Tom Sandoval]

One of the most valuable lessons that I think has been learned as when you see somebody and you see all the things that they offer and all the things that they like that they can do, and then you see like that person and yourself put in a situation where they're not fully utilized in the right way, and then they're all. They're put in a situation where they have to like, be and do something. Like, for instance, I'm not great at like, paperwork or like filing things and like all that. And, and to take, like to take a front man singer and like a ventriloquist and put them in charge of like, Filing paperwork and, and, and, and juggling. You know what I mean? Like tagging around hole. Exactly. And I feel like that's one of the things that, that happen with this place. But you know what? We, and Schwartz, like, we did something. We did something here. We did something. And you still, like, set. You, you stepped up and. Yeah, you did a lot. And, and, and, and we've, we've created. We, we have. And we, we. We created an experience. Whether we were able to fully put it into, like, into what it should have been, we still did. And you still. We're halfway there and we're living on a prayer. Yeah. Hashtag Bon Jovi. Here. In fact, I'm ruining the moment by trying to record.

[Tom Schwartz]

Should we.

[Tom Sandoval]

Oh, you. I can't. Oh, it's okay. Detoxification.

[Tom Schwartz]

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[Tom Sandoval]

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[Brittany Cartwright]

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[Tom Schwartz]

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[Tom Sandoval]

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[Tom Schwartz]

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[Tom Sandoval]

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[Tom Schwartz]

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[Tom Sandoval]

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[Tom Schwartz]

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