This finale kind of snuck up on me as opposed to RHOA which I feel like has been on for years. Before I even start this RHONJ recap, I want you to know I am highly skeptical that any of this drama about Teresa telling Danielle to pull Margaret’s pony tail is true. The only thing that seems genuine about the whole mess is that Teresa finally dumped Danielle. I’ll break down some of my other thoughts as I watch the whole scene. Frankly, I am way more interested in watching the scenes in Italy that are genuine. As a bonus, we get some great views of Italy.
But before we get to Italy we have to watch the actual finale of the show. The Italy stuff was all added after the show wrapped. Melissa is headed by to the shore house to drop the explosive news at the finale party. Dolores has invited her friends. Marge Sr has joined the party. Joe Gorga is trying to get all guys to do shots. How does Joe Gorga still have a functioning liver? When Melissa arrives the party is in full swing.
Melissa Drops A Bomb Shell
As soon as Melissa gets to the party all the girls except Teresa are asking about her visit with Danielle. So, everyone gathers around while she spills the news. I’m with Margaret on this. Why would the designer incite a brawl in his own store? What motive would he have. But that whole detail is forgotten the minute Melissa says that Teresa encouraged the attack on Margaret.
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Now here is where things get weird. No one believes Danielle the chronological liar. All Teresa has to say is “WTF?!,Why would I do that? Margaret is my friend!” Instead she basically cops to it right away. That is not how Teresa would react if this is a real situation. She’d lie and deny until she died. This seems like a lot of bad acting on everyone’s part to me. Are you buying this? then Teresa calmly says, “I feel bad. I hope they don’t use this[footage].” She’s perfectly calm and barely has no emotion at all.
The World’s Shortest Season Wrap Up
Then it is like they told them to film it again with Teresa getting angry. And they spliced the first scene with the end of the second, fifth or tenth reenactment and had Teresa flip them off, throw a full drink (that hit Dolores) and knock solo cups off the table. Jennifer, Dolores and Melissa go to comfort Teresa who has locked herself in her bedroom. She won’t let them in so they are talking though the door. Production makes a big deal out of showing us that Teresa was drinking a lot that day. We know this because she guzzles three glasses of either water or vodka. Really? Teresa is not a heavy drinker.
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Teresa calls Danielle and very calmly dumps her.Because, Teresa just doesn’t want to hurt anybody. Is this making sense to? And then she talks to Margaret. Somehow, Danielle bamboozled easily led Teresa into doing bad things? Is that the spin? Teresa has zero emotions during the discussion. Yet everyone keeps repeating how shaken Teresa is. She seems totally unbothered to me. Melissa says that Teresa would never want anyone to be physically hurt ever. Is Melissa high? It seems we are just going to put a bow on this and end the season. Actually, they are just going to end the season right there. Suits me.
On To Italy!
Teresa and the girls fly first class to Italy. That must have been one giant mattress stuffed with money unless Bravo picked up the tab. I guess they probably did. I cannot believe that Teresa has such a high regard for her children’s education that she could not make it a week long trip. They would only have missed three days. I don’t fly over the ocean unless I am staying for at least ten days. Once you make the long flight, you need to stay as long as you can.
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It’s a long walk up tons of stairs to get to Joe. Like a very long, long walk. The town,Sala Consilina, is built into the side of a mountain and there are no roads. This is the first time the two youngest girls have seen their father in nearly four years. Gabriella stays glued to his side. She needed this visit the most. All of Joe’s family comes out to great them. Joe looks great! This food is making me hungry!
It Ain’t Happening, Joe
The girls and Teresa have three rooms at a hotel. Teresa and Audriana stay together. Gia stays with Gabriella and Milania has her own room. Teresa has a small suite. Joe goes to Teresa’s room and he talks about how the younger girls were a bit crabby in the van. Teresa says she deals with the girls every day. Joe announces he is going back to the house to get his things. Apparently, he is looking to get some. Teresa is not having it. He grumpily goes back to his place. I’m surprised Audriana didn’t ask to go home with Joe.
The Almafi Coast
Hopefully, I’ll get to see this place some day. I went to Italy as a child. I don’t think we went to the coast though. All I remember is Pompeii. It was hot as all hell. I was wearing a polyester shorts one piece jumper thing that my mother made and I hated. It was itchy and hot. Plus we go off the train at the wrong stop and had to walk so far, I was crying and my parents were arguing. So, nothing like this beautiful place. Joe makes unrequited overtures to Teresa in the car. She does not seem to be enjoying the trip.
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All Teresa wants to do is shop. Teresa is unrecognizable in flashback to 2011. She was cuter then. Teresa says in confessional that she is not interested in reconciling with Joe. She doesn’t want to hurt him but she has not been happy for a long time. They dash though a downpour into a restaurant. Teresa even eats pasta. This is hard to watch on the first day of Lent! The girls all say their favorite part of the trip was getting to hug their dad. Everyone gets emotional at dinner. Joe apologizes to his girls for everything.
That’ The End of Teresa and Joe.
Teresa talks to Joe before they leave. Teresa wants Joe to break things off. He wants to wait until the final word from the courts. Teresa gets bitchy with him. She says he was supposed to protect her and he trusted her. Joe doesn’t even think his crime was a real crime. Joe asks if she just want to end it now. She does. She says in a talkover that Joe still doesn’t take responsibility for what he has done. That’s rich coming from Teresa who also thinks she did nothing wrong. Joe says, “Well I guess that’s it..” He seems sad. Teresa says she would never want to hurt him. He shrugs it off because she’s doing it now.
And another season of RHONJ is in the can.
I agree, the whole yard scene with Teresa was poorly acted. The cups she knocked off the table looked empty LoL. I even rewinded to watch the scene another time. I feel like Margaret loves a free meal, but then again who doesn’t. Does anyone else find Jackie’s husband attractive? I do! I always feel like Melissa’s family tries so hard to get into camera shots….. Italy tugged at my heart strings. I couldn’t imagine being in those children’s shoes. I also agree it didn’t seem Teresa wanted to be there and it was very awkward between her and Joe. What will he do for work over there!?
Yes, I agree. Evan is very attractive.
The finale seemed staged to me as well because Teresa would have thrown the solo cup at Melissa for not warning her about what Danielle “revealed.”
I went to Italy two years ago while my daughter was studying in Perugia. We stayed in little towns and got a real feel for the people, the food and the vino, I have vivid mental images of steak tartare (with a raw pullet egg on top) followed by stuffed veal manicotti— A lunch that lasted three hours in a packed restaurant with just one sitting. Yum. And a big sorry to the Lentil folk for that visual. I’m suffering too!
I agree with everything you said. This was all staged. I am not a Danielle fan, but why is all the blame on her for revealing the truth? Why is no one mad at Teresa? Marge pretended to be, then said to Teresa you need to end it with Danielle or something like that. Why did Melissa do this in front of production? Because it’s fake. They did this to dump Danielle is my theory. I feel stupid for watching this nonsense. None of it adds up. I only watched this season because I like when all of them have family time, like Easter this year. But now… BASTA with them!
In Italy the girls said the pasta is really good. Teresa said because it’s real. Doesn’t Teresa make her own pasta at home b’c she’s 10000% Italian. Teresa, she’s still blaming it all on Joe is a joke. She got the better end of the deal and he’s alone, but she still has to dig at him. She probably was the greedy ring leader in most of the crimes. Well, maybe some, not all.
Melissa with her baby storyline to end up getting an au pair by the end of the season makes me really believe she wanted that baby. Sure Jan. Omg this is so ridiculous.
Teresa doesn’t cook. Her father does. Have you ever seen her make anything other than push a keurig button for coffee? She sold that cookbook to a bunch of fools who thought she was the cook in the family.
I’ve seen her add coffee mate powder in her coffee multiple times. I also remember her toast a frozen waffle one time. lol
The Italy parts were great and I have to say, I got a little teary. Not proud to say that! But the scenery was amazing and I was drooling over all of the food.
Staging makes sense … but how does that explain Teresa saying “do it” months earlier?
Teresa do wanted Joe to break it off- I’m glad he made her do it. I can understand being nervous about sex after 4 years, but I would expect to sleep in the same bed at the very least!
All of these shows have storywriters. story arc cover multiple episodes and are written in advance. Production can be very manipulative and the case aren’t always told how the storyline is going to go.
Because it was the last episode of they season, it was clear they just had to dump the whole storyline on the table and get Teresa and Margaret to make up and end the story.
Jackie’s husband is fine as hell! I agree with the above commenter.
I actually like Jennifer and hope she’s back next season.
I cannot stand Margaret and I fast forward through her scenes, evil ass.
Melissa is delusional and I’m tired of her.
They clearly wanted Danielle gone from the jump and her messy ass made the scenes interesting because her and Jennifer are the only ones who stand up to Margaret.
Black Dolores as Wendy says 😂 is my girl!
I’m glad the girls are able to still see and spend time with Joe, that’s all that really matters.
I have a different take on this. I believe Teresa did tell Danielle to pull her hair but that this scene is not where Danielle actually told Melissa or the truth of how it came out. I think that was just a recreation to tell it to the viewers without having to say “this person/producer (?) told so and so, who told so and so, who told me that they have on film Teresa telling Danielle to pull Margaret’s hair” (or some kind of telephone, long drawn out thing that most likely had producers involved in it, at least at some point). I think the reason Teresa couldn’t lie about the whole thing, again, was that they knew that it was on film. Of course, who knows, but I do agree that that scene was BS. I also wonder if how it came out is part of the reason Danielle was forced to never be on the show again. That’s just an afterthought though. IDK.
As far as Joe goes, now I’m turned off by him with that comment he made. Oh Joe! I am so disheartened! You were just having me believe that you really were a good guy… the one I always had a soft spot for, and that you just needed to be away from Teresa for the genuine, happy, sensitive, reflective person to shine. So much for that. (I definitely don’t want that job now TT. I barely want to listen to him right now). He’s such a moron too. First, on the most recent WWHL special that he and Tre did, Andy asked him what he would do for work if he came back to the U.S., and he essentially said that he would most likely be a bookie (serious as could be), and then tonight, he says ON CAMERA, that his crime was no big deal and it was bullshit charges. This guy must not really want to be allowed back in the U. S. afterall, because no one, not even a full grown Guidice, can really be THAT STUPID. Thank God those girls of theirs are so wonderful. It truly is a miracle. I couldn’t help but think, when I was watching the family, that if that whole ‘both parents going to prison’ thing hadn’t happened, that those girls would not have ended up as good as they did. Not that I think it was at all right they they should ever have to go through such a horrible thing, but I don’t think they’d be nearly as grounded as they are had they not. Gia is a rock star!
Wow the fact that neither Joe nor Teresa cannot take accountability and responsibility for their actions speaks volumes about their true character. But sadly I am not shocked by this as taking accountability means you need an accountability coach….too bad Teddy is busy with her newborn.
The charges he faced is kinda of what a lot people did to obtain mortgages loans prior to 2008, they would outright lie on applications, the only difference is that most were not caught on television lying. They were their own worst enemies. I laugh when she accuses Caroline of ratting her out, Caroline and her family are very busy and successful business people in New Jersey and have bigger fish to fry, believe me. If anything I always suspected Joe and Melissa , too many coincidences with them for example wanting desperately to be on the show, being friends with the lawyer (Monica Chacon) that was going after Joe Guidice in the first place, come on you don’t have to be Einstein to put two and to together. They probably were dumb enough not to think about what a Pandora’s box they were about open by calling the feds on Joe and Teresa. Melissa and Joe seem like such money hungry backstabbers and I would not put it past them. That’s why the father always seemed to like Joe Guidice more than his own son, that spoke volumes.
Did anyone else notice that Gabriella was somewhat standoffish compared to the other girls? But I agree that Audrianna needed to visit Joe at the ice facility…she clearly needed it. I wonder if teresa was required to go with the girls because they were underage, if not Auduranna should have been there instead of Teresa.
Teresa’s dumb excuse for that was that she is a “baby” and doesn’t understand. The girl is 9 years old and not a baby. She’s not as dumb as you Teresa, she gets it. She wanted audriana to forget her father.
Don’t care about any of the stuff before the Giduice reunion in Italy. I despise Teresa and I dislike Joe BUT those girls deserve to have some family time. I was actually touched when Milania ran up to Joe for the first time. It was so sad. It sucks for them to have had to deal with any of it. I really feel for the girls. The youngest has been dealing with all of this since she can remember. This has been going on for 5 years! Its just so sad for them. I am thrilled they finally got to see their dad out in the world. Teresa and Joe may be terrible humans but those kids love them and deserve to have them in their lives.
I loved seeing the family reunion, too. Sad and happy at once. Very bittersweet. Most every child of every criminal is deeply wounded. I work in community college near prisons, and we get some students who have suffered, still suffer, and will be forever harmed by their childhood circumstances. Those little Giudice girls are luckier than most children of criminals. At least they have money, love, and two parents who are now free. I think they are going to be alright despite Bravo and their greedy parents.
Teresa doesn’t have a high regard for their education. It was obvious she didn’t want to be around Joe. It made me cringe when he tried to touch her or joke with her and she ignored him or pushed his hand away (candy store). She even refused jewelry from Joe, yet we all remember how many times she made him return to buy her jewelry after he called her the c word. Or the Christmas she asked if he bought her jewelry and he said no I feel bad for the girls. If I cringed watching the tv, just think how they felt seeing their dad try to be nice to their mom, and she was mean to him. (I typed a cuss word, but had to delete it due to lentil season!!!)
I can’t imagine walking up those steps with groceries or shopping bags. I would be the one to make Amazon deliver at my front door.
Teresa only showed emotion when she learned production was going to use the film. This was all staged with bad acting with “real housewives”. They need to spend their money on acting lessons.
Joe’s living space reminds me when he said he wanted to live above the pizza place. He just needs a clean place to lay his head. I hope the girls learn from him that you don’t need expensive stuff to be happy. It does bother me that he takes zero responsibility for his actions. Teresa and Joe need to have someone teach them to be humble and repent. Teresa coined the phrase lentil season, this is best time to repent.
Right, as they are decked out in Burberry and Gucci
And Louis Vuitton
I don’t like how everyone is mean to Danielle especially since she had a horrible upbringing.
I agree with Jo Giudice, he didn’t do a violent crime and most people get a slap on the wrist for that type of crime. They wanted to make an example out of him. Also, ICE had to deport him because the judge wanted to make an example out of him #reverseracism.
And Teresa definitely knew what Joe was up to, it was both of them.
Teresa is a show off and is tremendously superficial and she wanted to keep up with the Jones’, period.
She is not a good mother because she teaches her kids all superficial spoiled brat teachings and botox, tanning and fillers and fake breasts.
Melissa had a fake storyline and your a superficial bore and your husband is so annoyingly desperate for attention, about 5 years ago I seen them at Roosevelt field Mall charging $30 for autographs, true story at the sports memorabilia store.
Margaret doesn’t have a dollar or else her house wouldn’t be a mess.
Delores wake up your boyfriend ain’t that into you and stop kissing Teresa’s butt.
Jennifer stop talking money you look like a moron, otherwise your the best one.
Jackie resign from the show your disorder can’t handle it, focus on your health and beautiful family and money, I am serious please stay home and focus on you this is too much for you.
It was a good season, but Melissa and Jackie stay home next year.
Bring Caroline back, not her overgrown kids, just her.
Bravo, do a show following Joe Giudice restart his life!
This comment is so full of misinformation and ridiculous crap, I don’t know where to start,
I just started laughing before I made it through the first sentence.
I just can’t with people.
I also noticed all the Gucci and Burberry they were wearing and Gia”s Cartier ring …. disgusting
Don’t forget the Louis purses!
That’s what pisses me off when Teresa talks about how her works takes her away from her girls but she HAS to do it to take care of them. Buying all these designer duds is unnecessary and not taking care of the girls. It’s trying to buy their love and teaching them to place value on materialistic things that don’t matter. Maybe Teresa wouldn’t have to work so much if she was better with her money…but she’s too dumb to realize any of this.
If the ponytail thing was real Teresa would have been pissed off at Melissa for not pulling her aside first and telling her before she told the whole group. That’s how you know it was fake!
So glad the girls got to see Joe, too bad their mother had to go with them!
I am not a Teresa fan at all but I’ve been rewatching the older episodes while I work out and chill with horribly abusive verbally to them even the girls any woman who’s lived through that well not want to go back to the same chelation
Situation
If the both of them were together as a family those girls would be on poles now. Thank the Gods that they went to prison. They were raised by extended family
They took turns going to prison. They were raised by Gia before prison, during prison, and after prison. She did a great job.
Great recap. It was so touching to see Joe Gudice reunited with the what he missed so much while he was “away”- his wine. That man hasn’t changed. No accountability by him or Teresa is so sad. Seriously, I feel so bad for it his daughters and how they have to deal with the man in their life that is supposed to be their hero that is nothing but a zero.
It was so obvious that Teresa didn’t want anything to do with Joe (aka Mr Accountability). I feel like he was faking the affection for the kids and the show. Before that he was wishing that he never got married. Hopefully Bravo will stop with the updates on Joe. Let the kids go to Italy in peace.
How you could watch that show and not see the love had for his girls who he called multiple times a day in prison is beyond me.
You mistook what I meant. I meant he was faking his affection towards Teresa to appease the girls. His affection for his kids is genuine just not towards Teresa.
Ah! That makes more sense. 🙂 Though I think Joe was pretty happy to see her. Even if he is getting it in Italy.
You know he was knocking someone’s boots before she got there :)!!
Of course he was. But this is also the first time he has been able to physically touch Teresa in four years.
The girls are all amazing; most especially Gia who’s had to be the adult from a very young age. They are lovely young women despite their ignorant parents. It’s really heartbreaking to see how much they love and miss their Dad and want to be together as a family. It’s really gross that they’re all dressed in Gucci, LV, Burberry, Cartier but look what they’ve lived through.
It seemed like if the finale at the party was real then Teresa would have kicked Melissa’s a** for revealing what Danielle told her in front of everyone. She would have ranted and raved about how they are family and blah blah blah. Teresa seemed very zoned out in the finale party and on the trip to Italy. Like her mind just wasn’t in it.
The girls have grown into lovely young women in spite of the parents – especially Gia who has had to be the adult/mother since a very young age. It’s heartbreaking to see how much they miss their Dad and want to all be together as a family. Teresa’s idea of being a good parent is dressing them all in Gucci, LV, Burberry, Cartier, etc. It’s gross! It’s amazing they’ve turned out so well w/her as a mother.
I was surprised to see that Teresa and the girls were only in Italy for 2 nights. NJ Teachers Convention is Thursday-Sunday, so they could have flown out Wednesday afternoon and stayed longer.
She could have taken them for longer but she didn’t because she personally didn’t want to see Joe. It has nothing to do with her valuing their education its simply couldn’t tolerate it for more than 2 days. She should have stayed home and let the girls go without her. Let them enjoy more quality time with their dad…2 days wasn’t nearly enough time.
Those scenes with the girls hugging Joe and crying just ripped my heart out. Made me miss my (late) dad 💔💔💔💔 The situation has been hardest on THEM , not you Teresa! She still doesn’t have a clue.
The party and everyone’s reaction didn’t feel staged to me, but it’s interesting the different ways there are to interpret it. My theory about the store owner is that he tried to lighten the mood by joking Danielle could give Margaret’s ponytail a yank, and Danielle heard what she wanted to hear, as usual, and decided everyone wanted to drag Marge across the room. I don’t think Theresa expected Margaret to actually get hurt.
Recently I looked at Joe’s Instagram and was really surprised how emotionally open and articulate he is. He seems to have genuinely grown as a person while in prison. I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that if you HAVE to leave the country you consider your own, you get to go live in a beautiful village that you’ve been to many times, and that has family that wants to take you in and stuff you wtih pasta!
I’m on the fence with with hair pull thing and also with Teresa for awhile. Everyone gives her a pass for all she has been going through. I feel for the girls and what they have had to endure the last five years. That being said what “she’s been going through” was the fault of her and her now estranged husband. I see friends who are dealing with illness and have young kids, that’s not a fault of their own doing, Teresa and Joes is, he’s been in this country for how long and didn’t get his citizenship. Even Nonno agreed that he messed up. I also think back to stripper gate and how Teresa reached reminds me of how she acted when confronted about the hair pull. I think she thought Danielle had her back 100%and wouldn’t spill the teas. I love how production is finally calling out the so called OGS on their manipulative ways. She clearly was in an abusive relationship and I relate to that but, I don’t think she should be given a pass because the jail time, deportation was all of their own doing.
The most shocking revelation of this episode to me was Theresa’s passable Italian that she was speaking. She actually knew enough to communicate and understand what was being said. My previous impression was that she was completely illiterate with the Italian language, knowing only common words that she picked up while being raised by italian speaking parents.
I hope I am not premature when I say that it looks like Millania has blossomed both physically and emotionally. She seems more grounded and she has become a beautiful young girl with a more natural look. The only way that Teresa can get anyone to believe she didn’t know what Joe was up to — and that she was an active participant in — is to say, “Everybody knows I am an idiot who is too stupid to read anything I signed.” I find it VERY DIFFICULT to believe she was a buyer for Macy’s. Every buyer I’ve ever known is very smart. Unless she blew someone to get and keep that job, she is lying.