This week's episode lacked the normal table flipping drama we have become accustomed to in Jersey, but there were some notable highs and lows and a lot of in between in this week's The Real Housewives of New Jersey.
Melissa & Joe's open house was an interesting tidbit, as Joe Gorga built it and thought it was a masterpiece but as we got to take a closer look, as we rarely get to do, we found out that at least some parts of their home were phony and fake. I mean the bathroom without running water and what looks like fine marble is really just cabinet topper over wood?! To add insult to injury the wood is chipped and falling off - some masterpiece. In addition I still have to raise the fact that they are selling their supposed $6 million dollar house for $3.8 million just because the sister-in-law (Melissa) doesn't want to live close to Teresa? Really! Meanwhile Joe and Teresa are being mediated by Caroline to fix this relationship. So what happens when they fix it, and they took a $2.2 million dollar loss and they don't live by her anymore, thus straining the relationship? Crazy, plain and simple.
Caroline requested to meet Teresa after not having anything to do with her for quite some time and the last time they did see each other it didn't go so well. While Teresa thought Caroline might want to apologize to her, which is insane, she quickly found out that the meeting wasn't going to be that amicable. Bravo really played this "duel" up on the promotional clips for this episode but it was more of a puppy playtime than an cat fight. They went back and forth and basically, when the end came to the point where Teresa agreed more or less with Caroline and told her to report back to her brother Joe Gorga that if he came to her, she would accept him with open arms. The episode also showed a bit of Caroline and Albert's home life introducing another of Caroline's siblings who, after her divorce, has moved in with the Manzos. Caroline stated that she accepts strays, when someone she loves needs a place to stay Caroline takes them in. Her sister does the same...except with animals and she will even take in these animals in someone else's home. You can see the strain it is putting on Albert- living in a zoo, which might cause some waves up ahead.
We also see a stormy horizon with Kathy and Richie as they deal with their kids growing up. Both parents take their son, Joseph, out driving and while Kathy tries to teach him, all Richie does is make jokes and a lot of them were pretty inappropriate for his son. Things like always keep your eyes on the road even if there is a topless girl in the backseat. I mean really?! It is clear that not only Richie's jokes are taking a toll on Kathy but also the fact that their son is becoming more like his father, and Kathy does not want that! There is a big similarity here with Heather and her husband Terry on The Real Housewives of Orange County and the guys should learn that cracking jokes 24-7 pisses off the wife. Kathy and Richie also visit their daughter at her home town college and like we see the son possess traits of the father, we too see the daughter getting annoyed with daddy's antics. There are two things with the daughter I don't get, if she lives at home why are they visiting her at school and becoming a nurse practitioner is a year to a year and a half program you can actually do it while your still in high school so at 19 why wouldn't she be done with school until she's 25? She should have a bachelors, masters and maybe even a PhD at that point.
In the category of "real people problems", Jacqueline and Chris's struggle with their child's autism is sprinkled through this episode. I don't normally watch RHONJ to cry, it's more of an escape to watch them live out their petty problems as entertainment. However this episode did bring me to tears as we see the rollercoaster of emotions Jacqueline goes through regarding her son. In an interview with Parenting Magazine she cannot even recall how they first knew and finding a diagnosis without bursting into tears. I have a lot of medical problems myself and underwent brain surgery in 2009, so I know first hand how a disability effects ones life. However, I cannot imagine having to see my kids go through the pain I suffer. It was a definite "high" though to see Chris not only support his son, but also his wife as they travel this journey together. As a surprise, during a poker game with a large part of the cast, Chris brought the son in to tell his mother I Love You. Three simple words to most of us, that Jacqueline had not heard her son say in over a year. It was a beautiful moment that I think would have been better carried out in private, yet it showed not only the viewers but also the cast who shared the moment with them just how hard their struggle has been and not to take for granted what you have.
This week wasn't a jaw dropping episode but it had it's moments and I'm looking forward to next weeks drama as the season is just beginning to unfold.
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