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Health & Fitness

The Real Housewives of New Jersey - Season Finale

A crazy end to an even crazier season

Picking up from last week, the ladies are sitting in a booth watching the fashion show.  Teresa seems off.  When it's finished, Melissa gets up to go to the ladies room and Teresa goes with her.  When they are finished with their "business", Teresa asked Melissa who the guy (Angelo) was, and Melissa said that she knew him but she can't place him.  Teresa made a big production out of having Melissa "feel her heart" beating fast.  She finally tells Melissa that Angelo works at the salon that she went to, and asks Melissa if she used to work for him.  Melissa responded that she didn't think so, but why is she asking?  Teresa dropped the bomb - telling Melissa that Angelo said she used to work for him at a gentleman's club and that she used to "dance" for him.  Teresa says that she knows it isn't true, but he said it.  Melissa asked Teresa if she thought she was a dancer, and Teresa said no.  Melissa tells Teresa that she bartended there for a week because her cousin ran the place, and Joe knows all about it.  Melissa - in her interview - said that she did nothing wrong and nothing that she is ashamed of.  It's a bikini bar and there were a lot of older men with money.  Teresa told her that Kim was asking Angelo all sorts of questions, but she left the room.  Melissa couldn't believe that Teresa was so upset over something that some stranger says.  She reminded her that when she and Joe got married she was going to school and was teaching second grade.  Melissa said it wasn't true, why would Teresa believe it? Teresa said that she didn't believe it, that she loved her and loved her brother and she didn't want Angelo saying that stuff.  Teresa said that Melissa should go up to him and tell him to stop.  Melissa looked at Teresa and asked her if she thought that Joe would marry a dancer and again Teresa said no.  Melissa swore on her children to Teresa that she was never a dancer (and commented that she didn't need to do that to Teresa because she and Joe knew exactly what went on during those times).  Cut to Teresa's interview where she says now she's not sure (and can't say the word COINCIDENCE).  Melissa doesn't understand why Teresa didn't tell Angelo to get lost when he waked over to them sitting at the table.  She decides that she needs to call Joe and tell him exactly what is going on and Teresa gets very upset.  She doesn't want her calling Joe and getting him involved.  Melissa said she should have thought about that before she even "entertained" this guy and the crazy talk that he was saying.  Clearly, Melissa must have felt that something wasn't right about the whole thing to call Joe so quickly.  Teresa stomps out of the bathroom, saying she's done.  Teresa says that she is upset because she feels that Joe is going to come, beat the crap out of Angelo and end up in jail.  She doesn't want Joe getting hurt.  She said just "let sh*t go down". Hmmmm . . . . what does that mean?

Out in the bar, Angelo tells anyone who will listen that Melissa used to dance for him.  During a conversation with one woman, he says that Kim and Teresa want to "blow the whistle on her because she plays holier than thou".  They had him "do this thing" by walking up to her.  On the other side of the room, Jacqueline was starting to get texts from a mutual friend of hers and Teresa's saying that something was going to happen tonight, she wasn't the target and she shouldn't leave.  Melissa got a hold of Joe and told him about Angelo and what happened with Teresa.  Joe said she was never a dancer, and asked Melissa what Teresa had to do with that.  She said that Teresa just pulled her aside because she was upset and to let her know what Angelo was saying.  Melissa doesn't want to approach Angelo without Joe being there.  Joe wants to come to the bar and talk to this guy, and she tells him no.  She just wants to make sure that Joe doesn't want her going to talk to this guy on her own.

Out of the bathroom, Teresa is now looking for Angelo so she can talk to him before Joe gets there because she assumes that's what Melissa called him for.  In the meantime, Jacqueline is still getting texts from her "source" telling her about Teresa being at the salon earlier in the day and Angelo laughing that he was going to "embarrass Melissa later."  So it's clear to her that Melissa is the target.  Kathy has no clue what is going on right now, and she is happy not to know.  Teresa find Kim D. and asked her where Angelo was.  Kim responded that he left, maybe because he was feeling uncomfortable that no one liked him.  The look on Teresa's face says she's not buying it.  Teresa tells her that she wanted to confront him because Melissa is calling Joe , blah blah blah.  Teresa seems annoyed with Kim and walked away.

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Back at the table, Teresa sits down and starts to tell Kathy what's happening. Lauren and Jacqueline are just staring at her, not saying anything.  Kathy said that Angelo felt a little shady to her.  Teresa seems annoyed that she told Melissa to handle it on her own and instead she called Joe.  Kathy told her that if you are a person who believes in the truth about what you are saying, you don't drop something like that and then run away.  (Great point!)  Lauren, Caroline and Jacqueline are texting each that other because they have a bad feeling and they want to leave.  Melissa rejoins the table and Teresa tells her that Angelo left.  Kathy, again, points out that if what he was saying was true, he would have stuck around.  Kim D. pops over to the table and apologized to Teresa for Angelo, saying that she just met him and she doesn't know who he is and it's ridiculous and stupid.  Teresa tells her to just drop it, and Kim just kept on going with how ridiculous it was that he just walked over and started saying things.  She doesn't know what's going on.  As Kim gets up and walks away, Melissa mutters "shut up and take a walk".  It looks like she's not buying what's coming out of Kim's mouth. Melissa just keeps laughing at the thought that people would think that she would ever keep anything from her husband.  Teresa gets pulled away by her brother-in-law Pete (not sure why he is there) to go to the bar with him and Kim D for drinks, leaving the rest of the women sitting at the table.  Jacqueline says that it sounds like a set up to her, and Caroline wants to see the text she got again. While Teresa is at the bar doing shots, Caroline shows Melissa the text.  Jacqueline is trying to figure out why Teresa nad Kim were at a salon that Teresa doesn't normally go to.  And why was Pete at a women's fashion show that he'd never been at before?  Jacqueline's only conclusion is that Teresa knew something was going to go down and she wanted people with her.  We don't see Melissa read the text (or know exactly what she is reading), all we hear is her say "un-f*cking believable".  

After the commercial break, Melissa and Kathy have headed outside.  Melissa tells her what happened in the bathroom with Teresa and the whole Angelo thing.  In her interview, Kathy says that she doesn't care whatever Melissa did or didn't do before she married Joe.  What goes on between them is private, they clearly love each other, and she doesn't understand "what kind of devil wants to ruin that".  Melissa says all of the negative things that come her way are from Teresa  - the gold digger comments and now this.  Why would she pull her aside and act so concerned instead of just saying it wasn't true?  Melissa doesn't understand what she is trying to prove.  Jacqueline and Caroline, trying to figure out what's going on, decide it's time to leave and head outside.  Teresa tells her friend Rosanna that she want to go, and they tell her to stay for a drink and then she can go.  

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Back outside, Rich and Joe Gorga appear and walk over to Teresa and Kathy (with Caroline and Jacqueline close behind).  Even though she told him not to come, Joe is pissed and he wanted to talk to Angelo.  He was clearly upset that someone would say such disrespectful things to his wife and a group of women - but he's in control.  He and Caroline speak, and she tells him that Angelo is a coward and that he shouldn't go inside looking for trouble.  He shouldn't waste his time on a coward.  The group as a whole is perplexed why Pete Giudice is there.  Melissa just doesn't understand what Teresa wants from her and why she would do this now, and Jacqueline keeps saying it was a set up.  Joe Gorga slipped away and headed inside the club to look for Angelo.  Finding Teresa, he asks her about it and the two of them seem to walk  He comes across Teresa and asks her where he is.  They are walking around looking for him, when they come across the "salon owner" from earlier in the day.  Joe introduces himself and asks if Angelo works for him.  He says no, he jsut worked for him for the day today.  Really???  (That's not suspicious AT ALL.)  Joe tells him to call Angelo and tell him to come back.  Teresa keeps telling Joe that its not worth it for him to confront the guy, that she wanted Melissa to go up to him.  They are soon joined by Pete Giudice and Melissa, who is asking the owner of the salon not to call or text Angelo.  Teresa keeps trying to tell Melissa that she wanted HER to handle it, when Melissa turns to her and says that she just overhead that it was Teresa that set her up!   Melissa doesn't want to talk about it anymore, she just wants to get her husband out of the club and she refuses to tell Teresa who she heard it from.  Melissa gets outside with everyone and we hear in the voiceover Melissa saying that she's been fooled once by Teresa, she's not going to be fooled again.  Jacqueline tells them all that it was a set up the whole time, her friend was texting her all of the information about the conversation with Angelo.  Insert interview clip from Teresa, where she says that her "conscience is clear, I had nothing to do with the set-up.  If Melissa wants to blame it on her and ruin their family, then go do it."  Caroline can't believe how sad the whole thing is, Melissa is sick to her stomach.  Out walks Kim D. saying "What's the problem?"  As soon as Joe sees her, he realizes that Kim and Teresa must have been in cahoots.  Joe tells her to go away, and Kim gets loud QUICK.  "I play with the big boys!", she yells.  The two of them are unpleasant to each other, to say the least, and Melissa is tyring to get them both to stop.  Finally, someone drags Kim back inside and Melissa gets Joe away and it ends.

Kathy is in disbelief with everything that's happened.  She feels that Teresa is involved at some level, even if it was just that she didn't stop it.  Melissa tells Joe that it was Teresa. Caroline, Lauren and Jacqueline are just standing there watching this craziness.  Jacqueline was told by her friend that Teresa knew two weeks prior that this was going to happen.  Caroline gave Joe a hug, and told him that he's better than this nonsense and they should go home.  Everyone feels that Teresa stirs the pot, creates a mess, and then hides inside.  Both Lauren and Caroline acknowledge that Teresa has told them previously that Melissa used to be a stripper.  Jacqueline and Joe were talking about how she was getting texts from her friends about what Angelo was going to do and that Teresa knew the whole time.  Joe says that he is fed up and he can't give anymore.  A person that tries to hurt you that much can't love you. He has to just try to move on.  Jacquline said that she would send them the messages, she doesn't know if it's true, but she will send it to them and they can decide.

Teresa finally came outside and confronted Jacquline about what she said to Joe and Melissa.  So now Teresa says that maybe someone is trying to set her up and Jacqueline is involved.  That is the straw that broke the camel's back as far as Jacqueline is concerned.  She cannot believe that Teresa would try to shift the blame from herself to Jacqueline to cover her backside.  During her interview Jacqueline questions who has the motives to do things like this?  Teresa - because she doesn't like Melissa.

As the Gorga's are pulling away and see Teresa, Melissa tells Joe to roll the window down and tell her "shame on  you".  Joe yells to his sister that he doesn't undertsnad why she would't kick the guys a** for saying something like that about Melissa.  Teresa said she didn't know he was coming.  Melissa said he came to the fashion show just to say that to her and then leave.  Teresa is still sticking to the "but I WAS going to go up to him and stick up for her" story.  She wanted her and Melissa to go talk to him together.  Joe tells her that at their Christmas party they threw out a woman that they don't even know solely for her because she was uncomfortable.  How dare she not defend Melissa.  It seemed like Teresa wanted to ask Melissa (on camera of course) if she really was a dancer before she stood up for her so she wouldn't look stupid.  The Gorga's finally just drove off as security pulled Teresa away from their car in the middle of the street.  Melissa is trying to figure out what the end game is.  If she HAD BEEN a stripper, would that justify why Teresa hates her?  Why she says the things that she does about her?  Is that what she is looking for - something that everyone can say "oh, NOW it makes sense why you don't like her and have been so nasty to her"?

After everyone has left, Teresa goes back inside and starts telling everyone what happened outside.   Teresa is surrounded by a bunch of Kim D. friends who tell Teresa that they knew Melissa was a dancer because they knew her from BEFORE that time. Teresa says she doesn't want to hear it and walked away.  It blows Teresa's mind that Jacqueline got involved like she did. Teresa ponders during her interview that maybe Jacqueline feels guilty because Chris has told Joe Giudice that she used to be a stripper too.  WTF??  Let's throw rocks at EVERYONE and see who you can hit??  That was some classy name calling in your interview, Teresa.  If you didn't like that your husband called you that awful word earlier in the season, you shouldn't be using it yourself!

12 hours later - we see footage from the reunion last season and Jacquline not appearing. The Posche fashion show was the night before.  Melissa feels that she let her guard down in California and has got dragged through the mud ever since.  She hates that all of this has happened.  According to Teresa, Joe sent her a text the day after the fashion show telling her that she was dead to him.  It was all just too much for Jacqueline and she just needed to step away and focus on her kids and her family, which is why she refused to attend the reunion.

 

At the end of the episode, we saw an update on each of the ladies: 

Caroline has not spoken to Teresa since last years reunion show.

Lauren lost 35 pounds with the Lap-Band surgery, and Cafface is thriving

Albie and Lindsey are no longer seeing each other.

Kathy's homemade cannoli kit will hit the shelves this year.

Victoria is attending college in NJ

Kathy and Teresa have been communicated lately via text.

Melissa single "How Many Times" made it to #4 on the iTunes charts.

They put their house ont he market for $3.8 million so they can be away from Teresa.

Teresa wrote another NY Times bestseller "Fabulicious! Fast & Fit"

Joe is still awaiting his trial date for his 2011 arrest, and could face possible jail time.

Teresa has not seen her brother since the Posche Fashion Show

She recently apologized to her fellow castmates (except Kathy) in a magazine.

Jacqueline is focused on raising CJ and Nicholas.

Ashlee is still living in LA, and their relationship has never been better

Jacqueline and Teresa have not seen eachother since the Posche Fasion Show.

 

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**Holy craziness!!  The reunion is sure to be just as intense as these last couple of episodes have been.   Just an FYI, I have not been compensated in any way for this blog post.  I am sharing this recap and my thoughts on it from the perspective of a viewer/fan of the BravoTV show 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey".  I hope you enjoy it and welcome your comments!  P.S. Don't forget to sign your name - comments from that "Anonymous" person don't get published!** 

Note from the author:  I try very hard not to interject too much of my opinion in to the recap posts I write.  Given that this is the end of the season, I feel that it's ok to comment regarding "the set up" that has been widely discussed over the last two episodes.  Something I have not heard or read anywhere is the possibility that  that this was all a huge PR stunt for Teresa that went bad.  Follow me on this:


Teresa finds out that Kim D. knows this person (Angelo) who knows Melissa and is willing to say not very nice things about her.  Whether she finds out weeks before the fashion show or the day of, who knows.  But how interesting would it be for someone to make these nasty comments about Melissa, and have Teresa tell the guy off and come to her defense??  Wouldn't she look fabulous to her family, the big hero that stepped in when a bully was picking on her sister-inlaw?  She could then sell that story to the tabloids on how the fracture is repaired between her and Melissa and LOOK WHAT SHE DID TO PROVE IT.  Think about how long she could cash that in with her family and hang that over Melissa's head?  And if she stood up for Melissa like that, what would Jacqueline and Caroline have negative to say?  Wouldn't THEY now look like the petty ones if they continued to not like her?  Couldn't she manager to repair her imagine in the press, with her family, and with the ladies AND regain the power position that Melissa took from her when the Gorga's left Sonoma with them in one shot?  Folks, I'm not a huge Teresa fan.  I'll be honest about that.  However, I don't think she is that good of an actress to fake all of the looks of shock and surprise at what went down the night of the fashion show.  Maybe she was frustrated that nothing turned out the way that she thought it would - Melissa called Joe, Angelo left, she didn't get to confront anyone on Melissa's behalf and someone was texting Jacqueline throughout.  So the plan she had to make herself look better in the eyes of everyone backfired and made a bigger mess.  It's just my opinion. 

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