Bravo's 'Summer House' Just Isn't The Same Without The Wirkus Twins' Drama

The show Summer House began with a crossover episode of Vanderpump Rules. Lauren and Ashley Wirkus had lunch with Stassi Schroeder at SUR and then they invited the girls to Montauk on the East Coast. That backdoor pilot led to a whole new show about a group of wealthy twenty-somethings who share a summer rental, helmed by the twins. Now, it feels like a whole different show without the sisters in every episode. Are the Wirkus twins even on Season 3 of Summer House? They’ve been referenced in flashbacks, but it looks like they've dropped out of the group entirely — it could be the end of the Wirkus Era of Summer House.

Unfortunately, they are not regular cast members this season. The news first surfaced in June 2018 when the Daily Mail reported that five of the show’s cast members got fired before Season 3 began filming. Those five included the twins, Stephen McGee, Danielle Olivera, and Amit Neuman would not be coming back.

However, as the fans can see, Danielle is a cast member this season and she’s actually getting more screen time in these first couple of episodes than she did all last season. So, does mean that there is still hope for a Wirkus Twins appearance?

Alas, it doesn’t seem like it. On June 4, the Wirkus Twins confirmed their departure from Summer House when they posted the same photo and caption . They also shared, “We are so grateful to Bravo for the past two summers and we are excited for what’s in store next. However, the post does conclude with “see you in the Hamptons,” so maybe the sisters will make a cameo appearance later on in the season. There are tons of parties they could show up at to shake things up.

They are still close friends with former costar Lindsay Hubbard and they did spend time with her over the summer. It’s just unclear if these hangouts happened with or without a camera crew. On June 18, Lauren shared a photo with Lindsay at a restaurant in Montauk.

Lauren and Stephen also attended Jill Zarin’s party in the Hamptons with Bravolebrities and Bravo alums. Could this mean that Lauren is open to returning to the network? Did she head to the summer house to hang with the cast while she was in their neck of the woods? Or is that just wishful thinking?

Unfortunately (for the fans), the sisters also spent a lot of time away from Montauk this past summer. The twins went to Miami Beach in August 2018. Lauren celebrated the Fourth of July in South Carolina, which means she wasn't at the infamous 4th of July festivities that go down at the house.

Of course, Ashley lives in California with her husband Brad McAtee, so she wasn't expected to be a regular cast member anyway, unless you count her Facetime calls with her sister. After being a full-time cast member on the show’s first season, she just made guest appearances during Season 2 and spent the rest of the time with her husband, but she did make a major impact during her limited time in the house. No one will ever forget when Ashley got so agitated that she threw a whole watermelon. As one does in the Hamptons, of course.

Now, Ashley and Brad are expanding their family. Ashley is pregnant with her first child, a baby boy that’s due in May. This is probably why Lauren is moving to California, far away from Montauk. On Feb. 25, she broke the news with an Instagram post. She shared, “I can now officially say now I’m freakin’ BICOASTAL and basically going to live the dream splitting my time between both San Diego and NYC (with an emphasis on Southern California until it warms up on the east coast).”

In that same post, the aunt-to-be sweetly remarked, “let’s be real I’m sure you all could have guessed I wouldn’t be able to live too far away once our baby comes in May.” That’s an involved aunt, right there!

Although the Wirkus Twins haven’t been on the season so far and they aren’t shown in any Summer House previews, there are still plenty of fans hoping that one or both of them show up for a surprise appearance. But, even if they don’t, it does make sense since they are busy traveling, working, and preparing for the new addition to their family. And when it comes down to it, they will always have a special spot in Bravo history for playing such an integral role in launching the show.