Getting back with his "Vanderpump Rules" cast members isn't going smoothly for Tom Sandoval -- new video shows him breaking down during their first night out together, but ya gotta wonder if they're crocodile tears.
Witnesses tell TMZ ... Tom was having a chat with his jeweler pal Kyle Chan at SUR Tuesday night in WeHo. As we reported, the whole cast -- except Raquel Leviss -- was there and, around 9 PM, things took an emotional turn.
Check out the clip, Tom starts wiping away his tears, but it's hard to tell what got him in his feels. Ariana Madix was only a stone's throw away from him, so that could've been a factor.
Another possibility, though, is ... producers told him to look distraught. The lighting wasn't great, so we're not gonna vouch for the authenticity of this cry-sesh. You make the call!
On the other hand, Ariana was looking pretty happy and chatting it up with the ladies at the same time Tom got weepy -- but separate 'VPR' cameras were rolling on both scenes.
Remember, Tom, Ariana, and other cast members all stepped into SUR to watch James Kennedy DJ and to grab dinner with Lisa Vanderpump ... marking the first time this season the whole cast has been seen under the same roof.
Scheana Shay got into it with Tom outside the restaurant that night, and you could hear her shout at him, "If you hadn't f***ed Raquel," before walking away.
All the repeated tongue lashings -- which started during the reunion special taping -- could be pushing Sandoval over the edge, or he just knows 'VPR' is now the biggest reality show ... and he's got a role to play.