by Jessica Blackwell

The opener of the season finale reminded me of all the juicy drama that went down this season. Although the Housewives franchise in general is known to push out some major drama, I think the New Jersians took the cake this time around!

 

To bring it back a bit, the episode started back at the table at the Posh Fashion show, and the sleaze ball (I will not dignify him with a name) who claims Melissa used to be one of his strippers has just walked away after greeting her like they were old friends. Melissa plays it off well, commenting to Kat that she knows him, but she just doesn't remember from where. Kat, innocently thinking the man was just trying to hit on Melissa, and was glad he walked away from the table. Teresa looked noticeably uncomfortable during and after the whole exchange. With Kathy still not having a clue, she suggested that Teresa maybe cut down her coffee intake when Teresa mentioned that her heart beating fast.

 

Ha! Maybe you should cut out the backstabbing Teresa!

 

From the way the man made it a point to ask Teresa how she was doing before he walked away as if they were old friends, I thought it was clear that Teresa did not have anything to do with his presence at the fashion show, but maybe that's what he wanted us to think. Teresa and Melissa headed to the bathroom, and Teresa revealed what the man said about Melissa. Now I'm not saying that she's lying, but she was still claiming not to remember where she knew the man from up until the point where Teresa told her what he said. Then all of a sudden, she remembered that she worked as a bartender at the place, which she called a bikini bar. Strange..

 

Meanwhile, outside the ladies room, the man was telling everyone who would listen about Melissa's past. Then he dropped the bombshell. He said that Kim D and Teresa wanted to set Melissa up because she acts holier than thou, so they arranged for him to come to the fashion show and go up to her. What???

 

Melissa decided that she wanted to call her husband and tell him what was going on. Teresa, who previously suggested that she confront the man herself, did NOT want her brother involved. Despite Teresa begging her, Melissa dialed little Joey Gorga. Teresa walked away in a huff, and tried to locate him before her brother could get to him. The man left, and Melissa told Joe not to come.

 

Jacqueline's friend overheard the man talking, and was sending texts to Jacqueline about the setup. Jacqueline felt that Teresa had everything to do with it, and she let Melissa know that. When Melissa told Teresa what she knew, Teresa almost lost it. When Teresa found out that it was Jacqueline who let the cat out of the bag, she went after her with venom, and accused Jacqueline of setting her up! Then Teresa outed Jacqueline as a stripper too, claiming that Chris told her husband that he met Jacqueline as a stripper! Shocker!

 

Joe ended up coming to NY anyway, even though Melissa told him not to. Since the main reason for his trip was gone, he decided to unleash on Kim D, since he figured she had something to do with the situation. He called her a coke head, scum, and a two-faced shit talker outside her own fashion show.

 

I was rooting for Melissa until she started egging her husband on, whispering to him to yell at Teresa out the window as they were driving off. Melissa and Joe made a good point bringing it back to their Christmas party where they threw a lawyer out of their home simply because she and her husband were suing Teresa, but yet Teresa could let this happen to Melissa.

 

I don't know who is innocent here. On one hand, Teresa was at a strange salon that she never goes to, mysteriously inhabited by this man when she met him. She also has been looking for an opportunity to deflower Melissa in her brother's eyes for like, ever. So there is motive for her to do this. Then there are the rumors buzzing that she knew something was going to go down two weeks prior to the event, Her brother in law Pete was also strangely in attendance, indicating that she knew she may need a backup but didn't want to be obvious about it. On the other hand, it did appear (on camera) that Teresa did everything she could not to be involved. If she knew about it though, it's just as bad as if she arranged it herself. My mom always says if you're not part of the solution, you're a part of the problem.

 

Now we finally know why Jacqueline didn't show up to the season 3 reunion - because this incident happened 12 hours prior! It's all making sense now.

 

Although I have thoroughly enjoyed all the fighting, drama, name calling, English language butchering as much as the next person, I am eager to see this reunion special. It looks like none of the ladies are speaking, so I'm wondering if they are shooting next season and if they will all be in attendance if so. So many lingering questions!

 

See ya next week for the reunion! Hold on to your tables people!

 

 

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

 


(Image courtesy of Bravo)