We are one episode away from the Real Housewives of New Jersey season finale. A finale tumultuous enough to nix an in-person reunion for the first time ever. Honestly, this will be a welcomed change from an otherwise hum drum season.
RHONJ Overview
Teresa drops a bombshell that she thought would leave us quaking but turns out to be a big nothing burger. More on that later.
The episode opens with one of Danielle Cabral’s “Boujie Kidz” talking about boners, and Danielle and co finding it funny. I found it mortifying and inappropriate.
Which brings me to annoying kid number 2, Olivia Aydin. Now, I know the cardinal rule of any HW franchise from now until evermore is “kids are off limits.” I unequivocally believe that to be true. However, this is more of a discourse on the parents. Every time we cut to an Aydin house scene I want to both mute my TV and fast forward.
Maybe I’m just no fun but I just don’t find loud and disrespectful behavior from children to be funny or cute!
Rachel Fuda’s Family Moments
Moving on to more adorable moments with families. Rachel’s scenes with her daughters are so endearing and honestly needed to balance out her ferocity toward Teresa. She came into this season guns blazing, and I’ll be honest it was a bit off putting.
In my RHOC rewatch, one of critiques of Braunwyn Windham-Burke was the way in which she entered an established franchise. As a newbie, of course you need to be noticeable enough to get a coveted second season, but it needs to be in a way that’s palatable and leaving the audience wanting more. With Braunwyn, she bit off more than she could chew, and the audience spit her out faster than she goes through partners.
Rachel Fuda I believe is playing the game correctly. As a Teresa apologist, I didn’t much care for Rachel. But she is making her mark and adding to the season. Her storyline isn’t centered solely on her feud with Louie and Teresa.
I think you can favor certain housewives and still not be anti the other camp.
I also ran into Rachel and John Fuda at the Justin Timberlake concert this summer and she and John were lovely. Melissa and Joe Gorga as well.
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Margaret and Jen Fessler’s Meeting
Toward the middle of the episode, Jenn and Margaret meet up to discuss Teresa’s lawyer party.
Margaret shows her disapproval of Jenn Fessler attending the round table and she ultimately decides to stand beside Marge and retract her RSVP. Marge ends up calling both Dolores ‘Switzerland’ Catania and Danielle Cabral to inquire if they were going. As soon as they did, she would hang up. That made me LOL I’ll be honest.
You can also tell how enraged Margaret was at the thought of Teresa inviting the ladies over to discuss her involvement in Louie’s lawsuit.
Not Another Jersey Guys Night
Idk what’s worse, watching Gabriella Aydin attempt to channela young Miliana Giudice, or watching the house husbands audition for a modern-day Abbott and Costello knock-off production.
The Jersey guys are best in small micro doses and somehow, we were lucky enough to get not 1, but 2 this season.
And for the record, 0 cast trip.
At one house we have Louie, Paulie, and Bill Aydin recording weird devotional videos for their wives.
In house 2, we have Joe Gorga, John Fuda, Frank Catania, and Joe Benigno playing ER. An ambulance comes to John Fuda’s rescue to retrieve him from the guy’s night. Just kidding, to provide medical aid after seemingly having an allergic reaction.
Teresa’s Meeting of The Minds
As Margaret would say, Teresa’s lawyer’s office is by a meth clinic, and her lawyer is on Madison Avenue. The infamous, Jim Leonard enters the scene.
Teresa’s lawyer is exactly what you would envision him to be – pleather, my cousin vinny, and likely old aftershave.
Dolores, Danielle, Jackie, and Jennifer Aydin, sit around the table anxiously awaiting the major bombshell Teresa has been sitting on.
The revelation – Margaret has been communicating with Louie’s ex.
Now, Ray Charles can see how much this lawsuit has been literally eating away at Teresa. She came back from prison into fitness and “namaste” but her body now rivals her post “going away” body and not in a good way. You can tell this has taken a physical toll.
Jim Leonard alleges that the lawsuit against Louie is exasperated by Margaret’s involvement with the ex.
In 2021, Marge and the ex began speaking. From there, Marge was subpoenaed to appear in court, of which she declined to appear. However, according to Teresa’s camp, Margaret told the ex she has information that could “take Louie down.”
The ex, according to Teresa and Louie, gets all of her intel from Margaret Josephs.
Teresa maintains that as soon as she started dating Louie, that’s when videos and information would begin to leak.
In Danielle’s confessional, however, she brings up a good point.
How is Margaret communicating with Louie’s ex, any different than Teresa and Jennifer Aydin being in communication with Margaret’s former best friend, Laura?
The answer? It’s not.
However, we know the Jersey ladies are hypocrites. On either side of the pendulum. Whether your Team Melissa or Team Teresa, Team Danielle or Team Jennifer Aydin, hypocrisy is the 8th housewife.
To add levity to the situation, Margaret sends a bouquet of funeral flowers to Teresa’s home to let her know, she might not have been invited but her spirit is there.
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At the end of the meeting, Dolores perhaps drops a larger bomb. The house in the Berkshires burnt down, thus cancelling their girl’s trip. If not for the electrical fire, that house likely would have suffered the same fate after this crew stayed there LOL.
Conclusion
The Real Housewives of New Jersey finale airs August 4th, and the episode description reads,
“Dolores visits Margaret and Jen Fessler; Tensions run high as Dolores explodes at Margaret after a disagreement; Danielle makes moves regarding her estranged relationship with her dad.”
