If you were watching MTV back in 2020, you know things got weird. Most reality shows have a "golden era," and for this Sarasota-based crew, Siesta Key season 3 was absolutely it. It was the year the polished, "Laguna Beach" wannabe vibes finally fell away to reveal a group of people who actually, genuinely seemed to dislike each other at times. It was chaotic. It was sun-drenched. And honestly? It was the last time the show felt like it had real stakes before the cast started getting too famous for their own good.
The season didn't just give us drama; it gave us the kind of lifestyle porn and interpersonal train wrecks that make reality TV worth the brain cells you lose while watching it. We had a massive, two-part season structure that spanned 24 episodes. That's a lot of screen time. Most shows today settle for 10 or 12 episodes, but MTV knew they had a goldmine with the Juliette and Alex fallout.
The Juliette and Alex End of Days
Let's be real. The backbone of Siesta Key season 3 was the radioactive decay of Juliette Porter and Alex Kompothecras’ relationship. For two seasons, we watched them circle each other. By the time season 3 kicked off, the toxicity was at an all-time high. Juliette was trying to find herself—which, in reality TV terms, usually means "dating someone new while still crying over your ex."
Enter Robby Hayes.
Remember him? The Bachelorette alum who showed up and immediately felt like he was playing a character in a completely different show. His arrival was the catalyst for some of the most uncomfortable dinner scenes in MTV history. But the real kicker wasn't just the dating. It was the Nashville trip. That trip changed everything. When the news broke that Juliette and Alex had hooked up behind the scenes while he was with a pregnant Alyssa Salerno, the Fourth Wall didn't just crack; it shattered.
It’s rare to see a show pivot so hard in the middle of a season. Usually, producers try to keep things tidy. Not here. They leaned into the mess. The tension between Juliette’s desire for independence and her magnetic pull toward the "King of Siesta Key" defined the first half of the year. It felt raw. It felt like watching a friend make the same mistake for the tenth time. You wanted to yell at the screen, but you couldn't look away.
The Alyssa Factor and the Big Edit
Then came the bombshell. Alyssa Salerno was pregnant.
This changed the math for everyone. Suddenly, the "will they, won't they" between Alex and Juliette wasn't a game anymore. There was a kid involved. Siesta Key season 3 took a sharp turn into "real adult consequences" territory, which is usually where these shows go to die, but somehow it made the friction even more intense.
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However, we have to talk about the elephant in the room: the edit.
Halfway through the season airing, MTV cut ties with Alex Kompothecras due to past social media posts that surfaced. This created a bizarre viewing experience for the second half of the season. Alex was essentially scrubbed from his own show. You’d see the back of a head, or a wide shot of a party where he was clearly standing there, but he had no lines. He was a ghost.
- It made the narrative choppy.
- Alyssa had to carry the "villain" or "antagonist" role mostly on her own.
- The focus shifted heavily toward Chloe Trautman’s pot-stirring.
- Juliette finally had space to breathe as a lead without her shadow.
Seeing how the production team handled that was a masterclass in "fixing it in post." It was clunky at times—you could tell scenes were missing—but it actually forced the show to develop the other cast members.
Madisson, Ish, and the Age Gap Drama
While the Alex/Juliette/Alyssa triangle was burning down the house, Madisson Hausburg was dealing with a different kind of fire. She started dating Ish Soto. The catch? He was a former producer on the show and significantly older than her.
People lost their minds.
Her father’s reaction was one of the few times the show felt like a genuine documentary. That wasn't scripted drama; that was a dad looking at his daughter and wondering what the hell was happening. It added a layer of grounded, familial tension that balanced out the "who-cheated-on-who" chaos happening at the tiki bars. Madisson has always been the "sweet one" of the group, and seeing her dig her heels in against her friends and family was a major growth arc for her.
The Nashville Trip and the Music City Meltdown
If you ask any hardcore fan about the peak of Siesta Key season 3, they’ll say Nashville. There’s something about taking a Florida cast and putting them in a landlocked city with lots of bourbon that just works.
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This was where the "Juliette vs. Everyone" mentality peaked. The confrontation between her and Chloe on that trip was legendary. Chloe, the self-appointed puppet master of the group, finally met her match in a Juliette who had nothing left to lose. They weren't just arguing about boys; they were arguing about loyalty, fame, and the state of their actual friendships.
The beauty of this season was that the stakes weren't just "who is dating whom." It was about the transition from being kids who party on boats to being adults who have to deal with pregnancies, career moves (like Juliette starting her swimwear line, JMP the Label), and the realization that some friendships are just toxic.
Brandon and the Surprise Baby
Just when you thought the season couldn't handle more paternity drama, Brandon Gomes dropped a bomb during the reunion. Throughout the season, we watched his relationship with Camilla Catrett struggle. He was trying to balance his music career with being a "good boyfriend."
But the finale and subsequent reunion revealed that he had fathered a child with another woman during the season.
It was a gut punch. Mostly because Brandon had always been portrayed as the chill, somewhat evolved guy. Seeing that facade crumble was a reminder that nobody in Siesta Key is truly "safe" from the drama. It proved that the show didn't need Alex to be interesting. The mess was everywhere.
Why Season 3 Still Ranks as the Best
Looking back from 2026, it's clear why this season sticks in the memory. It was the last time the show felt "small" enough to be real. Later seasons became very polished. Everyone started looking like an influencer. The fights started feeling like they were staged for TikTok clips.
In season 3, the tears were real. The anger was jagged.
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We saw Cara Geswelli walk away because she couldn't stand the fake environment. We saw Kelsey Owens and Juliette’s friendship begin to fray over professional jealousy. These were real-life growing pains that happens in your early 20s, just amplified by MTV’s budget.
Key Takeaways from the Season 3 Arc
- The End of the Kompothecras Era: The show successfully pivoted away from its original "lead," proving the ensemble was strong enough to survive.
- The Rise of JMP the Label: We saw the actual seeds of Juliette’s business success, which would become a major plot point in years 4 and 5.
- The "Vanderpump" Effect: Like Vanderpump Rules, the show thrived when the cast was genuinely interconnected and messy, rather than just "co-workers."
- Mental Health and Boundaries: Chloe’s eventual "spiritual awakening" started with the burnout she felt during this intense filming cycle.
How to Watch and What to Look For
If you’re going back for a rewatch, pay attention to the background. Since Alex was edited out, there are some hilarious moments where you can see his arm or his dog in the corner of the frame. It’s like a "Where's Waldo" of reality TV litigation.
You can find the full season on Paramount+ or MTV's website. It’s 24 episodes of pure, unadulterated Florida chaos.
If you're looking to dive deep into the lore of the show, start with the Nashville episodes (Episodes 13-15). They are the definitive "vibe" of that era. After that, follow the Brandon and Camilla fallout. It's a brutal look at how fast things can change when the cameras are off.
For those trying to replicate the "Siesta Key look," Juliette's evolution this season is the blueprint. She moved away from the pageant-girl style into a more high-fashion, beach-chic aesthetic that eventually launched her brand into a legitimate business.
Don't just watch it for the fights. Watch it for the shift in power. Season 3 was the year Juliette Porter took the crown and never looked back. It was the year the show grew up, even if the cast didn't always do the same.
Next Steps for Fans
- Audit the JMP the Label Timeline: Go back and look at the early episodes of season 3 to see the very first mood boards Juliette created; it’s a great case study for influencer brand building.
- Track the Filming Locations: Most of the "local" spots like Gilligan's and Shore are real Sarasota staples. If you're planning a trip, those are the spots where the actual unscripted drama usually went down.
- Compare the Reunion to the Finale: The season 3 reunion is one of the few times where the "off-camera" secrets were actually more interesting than the filmed show. Listen closely to the timeline of Brandon's confession—it's wilder than the edit suggests.