Lisa Vanderpump Breaks Down Wild New Season of ‘Vanderpump Rules’

Election stress got you down?

Well, good news… Vanderpump Rules returns to Bravo tonight! So take a break from wondering if the world will end tomorrow, pour a glass of wine, and get ready for this cast of lunatics to give you an hour of much needed distraction.

Yahoo Celebrity spoke with the show’s matriarch Lisa Vanderpump about the new season, the most talked about new hookup, and the status of the cast’s relationships.

Yahoo Celebrity: The premiere episode certainly starts off with a bang, or rather with rumors about who maybe almost banged.
Lisa Vanderpump: Oh, yes it does!

But first things first. It looks like Jax Taylor’s girlfriend, Brittany Cartwright, is settling into her new job at Sur. Why did you finally decide to hire her?
Well, we were a server down and she was really enthusiastic. She’s a good girl. She’s not that great with the wine list, but as a server she’s working on that. She’s got great energy, she’s a lot of fun, and she’s perfect for Sur.

How do you think working and living together has affected Brittany and Jax’s relationship? Are they solid?
Their relationship takes a couple of twists and turns. I don’t understand their relationship, and I understand a lot of things. Their dynamic is very difficult to comprehend, one might say, because she’s such a lovely, wholesome type of girl. She’s always got a smile on her face, she’s just always so happy. He’s a bad boy, but he’s so committed to her. He loves her madly.

Speaking of the word “committed,” there is that whole Brittany-Kristen Doute rumor. Do you believe they hooked up?
Well, I believe where there’s smoke there’s fire. Is Jax prone to exaggeration? Yes. Is he prone to lying? Yes… but he was just so insistent about it, I think something obviously happened. Even if they were just making out, who makes out with a girlfriend? I don’t get that either, I’m sorry!

So where does your relationship with Kristen stand today?
It’s very difficult to change her, but she’s in a relationship so I do see that she’s grown up a little bit. She’s just somebody who likes to get in the middle of everything!

Do you think her boyfriend has made her less psycho?
I don’t know… do you think that’s really possible? Did you see the bit about the engagement ring? Who has a fake engagement ring? And who actually admits it? Her behavior is unique. This group is an extraordinary bunch of people.

How about Stassi Schroeder? How’s your relationship?
I think Stassi is probably really thankful that she’s back in the group. It’s different for her. It’s bittersweet, her relationship with her boyfriend didn’t work out. I could gloat and say I told you so, but what would be the point? I kept saying to her don’t walk away — I didn’t mean just from her serving job, but from her friends and all the opportunities that Vanderpump Rules has to offer. She wouldn’t listen. I think that often a relationship — when you’re young — people want to kind of control you and then finally when you’re under control, so to speak, you’re not the person they fell in love with. So my advice is to always have your own identity in a relationship.

Do you think Scheana stands a chance of staying in the inner circle now that the original threesome — Stassi, Kristen, and Katie Maloney— are all BFFs again?
Well, I do think those three together really always validate Scheana’s insecurities. You’ll see that addressed this season.

How are Scheana and Shay? There have been a lot of different rumors regarding their marital status and his sobriety.
I’m not going to talk about that right now because there are a lot of different things that are being said and I think Scheana needs to make a statement first. She hasn’t, so I will always follow her lead. I don’t want to comment on what has gone down, but it’s something significant, unfortunately.

Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix still seem to be going strong. But I’m confused… since when are they close to James Kennedy and Lala Kent?
They have an authentic connection, Tom and James, because of their love of music. So I think they really bond over that. When James is sober he’s a great guy to be around and he’s a lot of fun and he’s talented. It’s just when he drinks, he turns into a drunken little s**t. And as they say, we don’t show their best moments, we show their worst.

Related: Bar Crawlin’ With the Cast of ‘Vanderpump Rules‘

Do you think Lala is a good or bad influence on James?
I don’t think Lala is a good influence on anybody! Did you see the way she turned up to the [OK! magazine] party without any draws on? She just had a thong up her butt!

So what was your reaction when you watched the scene of the confrontation at that party between James and Lala versus basically everyone else? Who do you think was at fault?
Well, I wasn’t on James’s side in any way, shape, or form. But did I have sympathy for him? Yes I did because I know how uber sensitive he is and how devastated he was when his parents decided to separate [which had just happened]… I think it really messed him up.

What about the body shaming stuff that went on at the party with James and Lala calling Katie fat?
Well, Katie is enormous — she must be a size 2 or 4 [laughs]. It’s ridiculous! James is a skinny little twig. He should keep his trap shut. I said to Katie, don’t even listen to it. She’s a beautiful girl and him saying things like that is ridiculous, but that’s who he is.

From the promos, it looks like it Katie and Tom’s road to the altar wasn’t exactly smooth sailing.
Oh, that’s the understatement of the year!

What can you tease about what’s to come with those two?
It’s a bit of a bumpy road and it was even a bumpy road of what came to fruition with me ordaining it. I’ve been married for years and really believe in the institution of marriage. It seemed like they weren’t in a great place. You’ll have to see how it unravels because there is nothing I can say that does this story justice. It will be on the air for six months and the wedding will be the final party so you’ll see their journey as they get there.

Who do you think is in the most stable relationship on the show?
I hope Tom and Katie! They are married and I love them both and want the best for them. Tom and Ariana also have a great relationship, they really do.

Who do you think is the best employee — past or present — that’s been on Pump Rules?
Katie Maloney has been a great employee, she really has. She’s consistent and a great waitress. Tom Sandoval is an excellent bartender. Ariana is really good as well. A lot of them have been there for years — Scheana — I have loyalty to them as well.

Who will shock viewers the most this season?
James. That skinny little pipsqueak. If he would just stop drinking and stop messing around he actually has a lot of talent. He just doesn’t know how to handle it right now and he lets his emotions get the better of him.

Vanderpump Rules airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo.