Oh mi oh my! Oh what a night! I know there was more to the episode than the throw-down between Melissa and Teresa, and I PROMISE I'll get to that. Bu first things first.
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| Photo Credit: BravoTV |
The show starts at the shore house of Teresa and Joe Giudice (Jew-Dice / Jew-Dee-Chay???) as everyone is gathering for a boat ride. Teresa and Jacqueline talked about how a tabloid magazine (that shall remain nameless) interviewed her for a piece about the week that Joe "went away" and they were asking her about her relationship with her brother. Although you see in the magazine that she "prefers to take the high road when it comes to discussing her brother, her husband is far more blunt" and says that Joe Giudice said that Joe Gorga "wouldn't do sh*t for his sister". Teresa said that the article was stressing her out. Jacqueline pointed out in her interview piece that was edited in that Teresa is agreeing to do the articles, she's posing for the pictures, yet she's making something public that she's never discussed with her best friend. Is she profiting from other people's pity?? They talked about the conversation that the siblings had at the shore, and Teresa told Jacqueline about what now has been referred to as the "Gold Digger" comment. Teresa is pissed that Joe told Melissa. Jacqueline asked her if she had any reason to think that or back that up, and Teresa said that "she rubs me like that type of girl". Jacqueline seems pretty surprised that Teresa said such a thing!
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| Photo Credit: BravoTV |
Once all of the Gorga's and Wakile's arrive at the Giudice house, everyone takes off on the boat. Rosie and her Mom agree to watch ALL of the kids while the adults are out. Which means they have the two Wakile kids (who are old enough to help out), the 4 Giudice kids, and the 3 Gorga children. Yikes!!!! Rosie is clearly stressed by all of the little ones, but you can tell how much she loves them all! Hopefully she got her "serious Scotch!" after the adults got back!! During the boat ride, we hear that Ashlee is doing well - which is awesome! They discuss Caroline and the possibility that menopause is the reason that she's been "crabby" lately. The Joe Giudice has to bring up the black eye things again and Teresa is ragging on Rich about it. Jacqueline tries to make peace with it and Teresa keeps going with it! They seem to all get along and there is no major bloodshed during this outing.
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| Photo Credit: BravoTV |
We see Lauren struggling with her diet, and telling her mother that she wants to be very rich so she feels successful in comparison to her brothers. She feels inadequate because of her size. I feel bad for her. Caroline is trying to do her best to keep her positive and focused on her goals. Lauren and Vito cook dinner for the family, and the boys are relentless with the teasing. You can clearly see that she is uncomfortable in her own skin with everyone - her brothers, her parents and even in her relationship with Vito. I hope that she goes to therapy (and I mean this in the best way) to deal with her issues of insecurity because I don't think losing 30 pounds is going to fix how she feels about herself on the inside. It's just going to manifest itself in different ways, and Lauren seems like such a wonderful girl it would be a shame to see her continue to tear herself apart over these things.
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| Photo Credit: BravoTV |
All of the ladies are attending a Summer Soltice party thrown by a local psychic (Tia) that they all seem familiar with. The purpose of the evening was to celebrate the first evening of summer and focus on ridding the bad energy in your life. In retrospect, it's kind of a foreshadowing of the night to come! Caroline, Jac and Melissa met at the Manzo's to head over together, and the ladies chatted about the conversation between Teresa and Joe Gorga last week. Melissa shared with Caroline that Joe had read the tabloid article that was out everywhere about Joe Giudice going away to jail and Teresa's life without him and Joe was moved to reach out to his sister. Unfortunately, it was during this conversation that the "Melissa would leave you for someone that has more money" (aka "The Gold-Digger" comment) was made. Melissa had not been running around telling people - Teresa told Jaqueline and you could tell that Caroline had to drag it out of Melissa. Jacqueline is torn - she expressed to the ladies that she doesn't know how to constructively criticize Teresa and how she chooses to handle some situations with out her questioning her loyalty, thus causing her to pull back. Caroline points out to her that what Teresa is doing to her is bullying. I'm not sure if I agree with the use of that particular word - I think that it is tossed around too much in our society and is diffusing the seriousness of it's meaning. But I get the point that Caroline was trying to make - it's emotional manipulation.
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| Photo Credit: BravoTV |
We see Teresa headed to the same Solstice party with Kim D, the owner of the Posche Boutique. Kim has been a bit of a volatile figure on the show - sometimes friend and sometimes pot-stirrer. Again, Teresa feels the need to discuss the conversation she had with her brother, the "gold digger" comments about Melissa, and her justification behind saying it. Ugh! She and Kim arrive at the party first (is it at the Brownstone??), followed by Jac, Caroline, Lauren, and Melissa. Caroline makes it clear by sitting at another table that she does not want to interact with Teresa. Last to arrive are Kathy and Rosie. Rosie (who we later hear from Kathy is upset with Teresa about all of the comments) pulls Teresa aside privately to talk about it. The two of them seemed to have a productive conversation - while not agreeing with each other there certainly weren't raised voices. Rosie let Teresa explain herself (again, justifying her actions as "sisterly advice") and then Rosie said her peace - defending Melissa, telling Tre that she should tread lightly when making comments because there's still friction there and that she felt that "maybe everyone should shut up." Frankly, I think Teresa is smart enough not to start anything with Rosie. I know I certainly wouldn't mess with Rosie!!! I agree with Kathy, if you are trying to mend a relationship than nasty comments are not the place to start.
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| Photo Credit: BravoTV |
They finish up their conversation, and Teresa sits down and immediately starts to rehash everything that just happened with Kim D and Jacqueline. Can she keep nothing to herself?? While she's complaining about Joe telling everyone what she said (Rosie, Melissa), Jacqueline gets cornered as to whether Melissa told her and Caroline. Clearly, Jacqueline wants nothing to do with this conversation and tries to avoid it but Teresa is having none of it. I wouldn't call it bullying - more like browbeating - but Jac finally admits that the three of them talked about it. She tells Teresa that SHE needs to talk to Melissa, and then calls Melissa over. God love Melissa, she walked right in to that sh*t storm and appeared to be willing to listen to whatever Teresa had to say. It was such a high school cafeteria situation it was ridiculous. They seemed to be speaking to each other just fine, Teresa asked her a question, Melissa responded, the word "JAIL" came out of her mouth and all hell broke loose! Teresa shot her the nastiest look and stomped off, walking out of the party. Apparently, the phrase "going away" is more socially acceptable than "going to jail". Teresa had been talking to the press about her husband being in jail but had refused to talk to her family about it. Now, when Melissa brings it up (not to throw it in her face, but just as a reference point in answering a question) she freaks out? That makes ZERO sense to me.
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| Photo Credit: BravoTV |
Melissa is talking to Jacqueline, trying to figure out what the point of her going over to talk to Melissa. Jacqueline is trying to explain that Teresa cornered her about what they were talking about earlier and that she felt the two of them should talk. After Melissa explained what happened, Jacqueline heads out to the parking lot to talk to Teresa. She is sitting in her car, pissed off at Melissa for making the "jail" reference (while Tia and Kim D are trying to talk her off the ledge) and has decided that she has been ganged up on and wants to go home. Jacqueline gets out there and is basically taking responsibility for the whole thing because she asked Melissa to go talk to her, and she is very upset. Teresa keep saying "I didn't like what she brought up" and "I didn't want to talk about legal cases". I'm confused and I'm honestly not trying to dump on Teresa right now. But why would you discuss your husbands arrest with the tabloids but not your family? Is it less embarrassing to talk to total strangers about it? I just don't get it. And Jacqueline trying to reason with Teresa AND Kim D was a complete losing battle. For me, I would never talk to my brother about his spouse and not expect that whatever I said to be repeated to said spouse. It's just not the way, in my opinion, a healthy marriage works. But clearly Teresa and now Kim feel differently because they are jumping on the "shame on Joe for telling Melissa in the first place" train. Teresa references a "text war" that the two Joe's were having and there was (according to her) sh*t talking about the Giudice marriage that Teresa saw and her brother was pissed that she saw it. Again people, if you say something to someone about their spouse - even if you tell them NOT TO REPEAT IT - you have to expect that it WILL be repeated. Most spouses tell each other everything. Teresa finally says that she will just mind her business and if she sees or hears something about her brother and his wife she will just keep it to herself. Jacqueline asks if she gets to do the same, and Teresa basically tells her no. Jacqueline, I love you dearly and I understand that you was under a lot of emotion strain with everything that was going on. But asking her permission? If you aren't her "soldier" as you put it, then why would you do that? Why would you allow someone to talk to you that way? And why in heaven's name would you go get Melissa and ask her to go out to the parking lot and talk to Teresa again?? Did you still feel after all of this nonsense that there was still a chance that these two were going to have a productive conversation? That's the only explanation I have - Jacqueline is an eternal optimist!
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| Photo Credit: BravoTV |
Melissa got up and went out to the parking lot. I can only imagine that she was fed up which is why she went. She said earlier in the episode that she keeps giving Teresa free passes - maybe this was one of them! At any rate, it started off okay I guess. Teresa was justifying her "gold digger" comment AGAIN and before she was finished, Melissa defended herself and her marriage saying that they had been married for 7 years and neither of them had ever stepped out on the other one. You can immediately see Teresa get defensive and start making excuses - "So! It happens". Melissa stood her ground and said that if her music career takes off, she is not going anywhere. She and Joe go to her events together. Teresa, still insisting that she was in the right, was "Well, just in case". Melissa's response of "Don't "just in case" my husband anymore" was right on the nose! Now, had Teresa been able to set her ego aside, this conversation would have been over right here. She would have apologized for saying such a nasty thing, explained that she was just looking out for her brother and that it won't happen again, and I truly think that Melissa would have been done with it. As we all know, that didn't happen. Teresa kept going with the "she's got three kids and she's singing and in clubs" schtick and Melissa was clearly frustrated that she wasn't getting through to her. About 5 minutes in, I think, we got to the real reason for all of this. Teresa admitted that her brother called Joe Giudice on the rumors that he was cheating on Teresa. I think that Teresa was hurt by the entire situation (the bankruptcy, the lawsuits, the arrests, the jail time, and the allegations that her husband was cheating) more so than the fact that her brother said something and this was her opportunity to lash out at someone. It's easier to shoot the messenger (or the messengers wife) than it is to really look in the mirror and your back yard and see the train wreck that is taking over your life. Once you acknowledge it, it's very difficult NOT to do something to change it. I don't think Teresa is in a place to want to see what's happening in her marriage and in her family - it's easier to lash out and make it some one elses fault.
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| Photo Credit: BravoTV |
At this point, the conversation had gone off the rails. Teresa is taking cheap shots, and Melissa has had enough. She flat out asks her if Teresa has issues with her that she wants to hash out. When Teresa says no, Melissa tells her "Leave Me Alone". Clearly, Teresa wasn't finished yet, and just kept repeating the same things over and over. I thought Melissa did an excellent job of thoroughly and articulately defending herself, her husband, and her marriage. And telling Teresa that there was nothing she could do to break them apart was something that Melissa needed to say, and Teresa needed to hear. Teresa then has the balls to tell Melissa to bring the family together? Really? Sh*t talking your brothers wife is NOT how you bring a family together. Just an FYI. I was very proud of Melissa for calling Teresa on her behavior, telling her to not be a coward and stand her ground for what she said, and to apologize to her for it. Right then and there, I think Teresa was done. There was no way she was going to let this woman, who she doesn't care for and (I think) is jealous of tell her what to do. Her argument had lost its steam and she is talking in circles. Melissa tells her flat out to never get in the middle of her marriage again - and Teresa fires back with "tell your husband never to get in the middle of MY marriage again". Melissa tells her to have a conversation with her own brother about it, she doesn't want to be in the middle. And here comes the "we don't communicate anymore since you came in to the picture" story. Standing there, I'm looking at a woman who is jealous of her brother and her sister in law so much that she can't see how much those feelings and her ego are destroying any good that she has in her. It's so sad to hear Melissa bring up the kids and their birthday and the whole gift thing and Teresa just stand there dumbfounded until she can think of a response. Joe throws the kids presents from the Gorga's in the garbage? Why? And FYI, you don't need to be invited to a party to bring a child a gift. Or drop a gift off for a child. It's supposed to be about the CHILD, not about YOU. There have been years that my brother and I have struggled to have a relationship and didn't see each other much. But my children always received an acknowledgement of their birthday, and so did his daughter. Because it wasn't about US, it was about the KIDS! Teresa has finally had enough of Melissa landing verbal blow after blow with no good retort so she does the only thing she can do - stomps off in a huff and says she's leaving. But Melissa isn't letting her off that easy this time, and calls her on it. Teresa comes flying back, the two of them square up and I thought, for just a moment, that we were going to have a physical altercation. Now it's an ego thing - Melissa telling her to go and Teresa telling her that she'll go when she's ready. It's just high school girls on the playground at this point. Teresa even tries to drag Kim (who's been listening the whole time) in on it for backup and Melissa shut her down immediately! Melissa has obviously said what she needed to say and, still respecting that Teresa is the aunt of her children, tells her that she is done and walks away.
YOWZA!!! Caroline summed it up best when she said "you can only be the punching bag for so long". She's right. I think on this night Melissa had reached a point where she had enough. She said her peace in the most constructive manner possible, never name called, and walked away before it got completely out of control. Teresa blaming her brother for the entire incident between her and Melissa during her interview at the end was appalling. I think she needs to take responsibility for the words that come out of her mouth and stop blaming people for repeating them. Just my two cents!!!!
Next week, it looks like Teresa and her brother Joe sit down to hash things out and it doesn't end well. Stay tuned for more!!!
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