by Jessica Blackwell

 

This episode chronicles the housewives' Thanksgiving, and it begins with their preparation for the holiday. Melissa and Joe make the regular trip to the grocery store while Teresa and her Joe make their way to a farm where they get to bond with their turkey before it's killed. Kathy showed off her baking skills, which look to be professional but she says she never had formal training.

 

Caroline and Albert go to meet Lauren's boyfriend Vito's family. Despite him being Albie's best friend before he was Lauren's other half, the families never spent much time together. Meanwhile, Albie and Chris try to talk some sense into Ashley about her future. It seems to work because she goes home and cleans her house, to the surprise of her parents. She told her parents she gave up her hopes of living in the city. It's about time someone got through to her.

 

The entire cast attends either Melissa's thanksgiving or Teresa's friendsgiving. One thing that was the same in both houses was that the males sat around and did nothing while the females slaved in the kitchen.

 

The desserts that Kathy brought to Melissa's house looked amazing! Before dinner, Joe tells Melissa that he has a surprise for her. She was hoping for diamonds or a puppy, but what she got is a mechanical bull. Joe thought it would be funny for their family and friends. The appropriate slew of lewd jokes followed as everyone took a turn riding it. Of course, Joe's feud with his sister was brought up when someone asked if he wished his sister was there.

 

Teresa called her event a "friendsgiving" because she wanted to pay tribute to the people who have been there for her during one of the hardest years of her life. The issue with her and her brother was also brought up at her dinner.

 

It baffles me how Joe and Teresa both go back and forth in their respective houses saying that they mean the world to each other and they don't know what happened. I don't know why they just don't talk and hash it out. It seems that people really realized how tragic it is that a brother and sister as close as can be are now estranged. Joe has yet to respond to Teresa's olive branch.

 

As the story of what happened between these two unfolds, the more confused I become. Teresa brings out a card that Melissa gave her for her housewarming that stated "congrats on your re-done home". Teresa took the time out to try and teach her daughter that material things don't matter, but her husband Joe jokes that the card that was given to them cost 2 cents. I really don't get it, but according to Teresa it was really offensive that Melissa mentioned the house being re-done. I thought I was crazy, but then Caroline as angry as I was baffled, and I felt normal again. She, like me, couldn't wrap her head around the pettiness.

 

The feud brought up between the 2 families seemed to bring up sentiments of loss from Melissa and her brother in law. They expressed that they know how it feels to lose someone, and that life is short.

 

It looks like there may be some contact next week, stay tuned...

 

 

The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Mondays at 10/9c on Bravo.

 

(Image courtesy of Bravo)