Vanderpump Rules season 10's penultimate episode, "There's Something About Her," showed off the cracks in Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix's relationship, while highlighting Raquel Leviss' baffling behavior. Leading up to next week's explosive Vanderpump Rules season finale, season 10, episode 14 was likely meant to be the show's season finale. Then, things shifted within the friend group, and the "Scandoval" came to light. With the costars gathering at an event highlighting what was on the horizon for Katie Maloney and Ariana's sandwich shop, Something About Her, things were tense. Drama ensued as cast members' tempers flared, thanks to tension between Katie, Raquel, and Tom.

Arguments erupted by the end of the episode, and Vanderpump Rules producers likely got more than they bargained for. However, the arc of the season was clearly meant to be Katie and Raquel's fight. That happened after the latter woman made out with Tom Schwartz, before his divorce from Katie was finalized. Things changed when cast members picked up on the fact that Tom Sandoval and Raquel's friendship was closer than people originally realized. As the show's stars started to notice how close Tom and Raquel were, there was a shift. The season's direction changed tremendously, and began to link the betrayal that Katie experienced with Ariana's experience.

10 Ariana's Embarrassed About Lala Calling Tom Out

During the opening moments of the episode, Ariana explained how she felt about Lala Kent calling Tom's lie out at the HeartSpring Co. event from the episode prior. Tom lied about not being able to get a ride home from the party he and Lala were both at, and his lie unraveled in front of Ariana, who had a very tame reaction at first. She explained to Katie that Lala bringing up the whole issue made her uncomfortable, especially since she didn't feel like she wanted to admonish Tom publicly for his dishonesty. Feeling judged for not having a more severe reaction, Ariana wanted to keep things private.

9 Raquel Buys The Lightning Bolt Necklace After Shading Katie

During a shopping trip with Vanderpump Rules castmate Charli Burnett, Raquel talked about her issues with Katie. She made it clear that she didn't care about Katie's problems with her. She dismissed the fact that Katie and Tom weren't divorced yet when Raquel made her move. She wasn't concerned that Katie might have felt sour because of her overall attitude. As the pair shopped, they also talked about Raquel's issues with her ex-fiance James Kennedy and his girlfriend, Ally Lewber. At the end of the trip, Raquel spotted a lightning bolt necklace in the jewelry case, and decided to purchase it. It's been noted that Tom has a matching necklace.

8 Tom & Ariana Don't See Eye To Eye On Their Relationship

Tom Sandoval had a conversation with Tom Schwartz after talking to Ariana about the state of their relationship, where the two didn't see eye to eye on any of their issues. While they agreed they had problems to work on, neither could come to an agreement on who or what was to blame. The pair skirted around their issues, at some points getting into what seemed like minor arguments about what they wanted to see in each other. When Tom Sandoval talked to Tom Schwartz, he made it clear that he felt Ariana needed to change a lot, while cutting himself plenty of slack.

7 Tom Tells Producers His "Ideal" Forms Of Quality Time

During an interview that showed Tom's side during his argument with Ariana, he explained what his idea of,"quality time" is to a producer, and his answer left a lot to be desired. Tom did get real, but what viewers heard sounded a lot like a younger man's fantasy of quality time. Tom is nearly 40 years of age. "Let's take some mushrooms together and watch the sunrise," Tom exclaimed. "Let's go skinny-dipping in the pool. Let's go...hang gliding." He was clearly frustrated that his ideas weren't being heard. Ariana, on the other hand, shared that she'd be interested in spending her downtime with Tom.

6 Tom Schwartz Said That Kissing Raquel Wasn't Worth The Drama

Tom Schwartz has been feeling isolated throughout the most recent Vanderpump Rules episodes, especially now that his relationship with Katie has truly crumbled. Throughout the episode, his actions have come back to haunt him, negatively impacting his relationships. While he maintains that the kiss he shared with Raquel wasn't a big deal, he's started to understand that the intent behind the kiss doesn't matter. It's ultimately about what he did, not why he did it. At one point, Schwartz shares that he regrets the kiss, and doesn't feel that it was worth any of the drama it's caused for him or Raquel.

5 Tom Takes Some Accountability For His Issue With Ariana

Tom Sandoval and Ariana have made it clear that their relationship is struggling. Ariana has talked about how difficult things have been, while Tom blames her for the majority of their problems. Still, it was refreshing to see that Tom took accountability for some of the issues in their relationship during an interview segment, when he explained that he knows he's part of the problem. "The issues that Ariana and I are having are not just her fault," Tom explained during an interview segment. It was one of the few self-aware moments he had throughout the entire episode.

4 Raquel Offers Advice About Ariana & Tom's Relationship

Raquel decided pull Ariana aside at a party, to chat about the state of her friend's relationship, which somehow didn't strike Ariana as strange. She asked about Ariana's attraction to Tom Sandoval, pointing out that the two don't have sex: "do you feel like you're sexually attracted to him?." Knowing that Raquel and Tom are engaged in a sexual relationship during this conversation makes it insurmountably worse. Raquel continued, sharing that her low self-esteem is difficult to deal with, rather than sympathizing with Ariana about her issues. She then explained during her interview segment, "I'm sure Ariana's body image insecurities play a role in her relationship issues with Tom."

3 Raquel & Tom Disrespect Katie By Overstepping Her Boundaries

During the party, Raquel also decided that it would be a great time to talk to Katie about the state of their relationship. Katie's mother was in town for the Something About Her launch, and watched the difficult interaction between Raquel and her daughter. The parent got distressed, jumping in to try and stop Raquel. She was met with disrespect from Raquel, who rolled her eyes and scoffed at the older woman. When Katie lashed out at Raquel for disrespecting her mom, Tom Sandoval jumped in to defend her. He went after both Maloney women. With vicious barbs, Tom yelled at them, and tried to pull Raquel away, confusing everyone.

2 Ariana Breaks Down Trying To Be There For Everyone

During the fight between Raquel, Tom Sandoval, and Katie, Ariana broke down in tears, and made her way over to Lisa Vanderpump, who comforted her as she sobbed. Throughout the episode, it became clear that Ariana was having an incredibly difficult time managing her relationships with Katie and Raquel, despite their disdain for one another. She tearfully explained to Lisa that she can't do it anymore, and that she's tried to be there for everyone. She gets tired of standing up for everyone else, when they're constantly picking fights with each other. Lisa attempts to calm her down, but Ariana's having a tougher time than anyone realizes.

1 Katie & Tom Argue (Featuring Raquel) In SUR's Parking Lot

At the tail end of the episode, Katie headed out the back door of SUR to get some air, and brought Tom Schwartz with her, hoping to clear the air about everything going on with Raquel. Katie obviously wanted to get Tom to say something to Raquel, but rather than having a conversation with her ex-husband, Raquel decided to join the exes, inserting herself into their conversation. Visibly floored, Katie asked Raquel to leave repeatedly. When Tom tried to defend her, and get Katie to let her speak, the Vanderpump Rules star snapped. Katie left Tom in the parking lot, after telling him repeatedly that she was done.

Sources: Bravo In The City/Instagram, Queens of Bravo/Twitter, Bambi_4L/Twitter, MarTEAnis With Eddy/Twitter, blonde hair/Twitter, Kelsie Taggart/Twitter, Kelsie Taggart/Twitter, Queens of Bravo/Twitter, Daily Bravo/Twitter, PopCultureObsessed/Twitter