Since 2009, I have been regularly sitting in front of the TV watching the movie Real
Since 2009, I have been regularly sitting in front of the breast channel to watch The Real Housewives of New JerseyLike many loyal fans, I watched the tables turn on Teresa Giudice. I watched Caroline Manzo deliver her unforgettable mob speech. I watched cast members come and go. I sat through a decade-long family feud that never went away. But even through it all, I somehow managed to stand with the women of the Garden State. But something about the Season 14 finale made me sick to my stomach. I didn’t want to believe it, but the franchise had gotten a poisoned apple, and everyone had taken a bite.
Unpopular opinion, but I hated the ending.
Since May, Bravo has been teasing viewers that this will be the end of the series. But we saw the same scene in Season 4 with Jacqueline Laurita in the same dining room. While I appreciate that everyone is dressed in their best clothes, no one was acting so crass at first. There was so much yelling and cheering that I was left wondering, “What is the point of this lunch?” Even host Jennifer Fessler backed out of the event.
The episode wasn’t supposed to make it to the cutting room because it was so hard to understand what was happening. I had to watch it with subtitles and rewatch it multiple times! Fans had to endure 14 years of schoolyard fights that basically went like this;
RHONJ Cast Member: You’re a liar. Trey: No, you’re a liar.
RHONJ Cast Member: Don’t Talk About My Family! Trey: Don’t Talk About My Family!
This kind of fighting in the whirlpool has exhausted me, and I must get off the game now.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey Are Getting Too Toxic
I was still holding out hope until the end. But it was clear that the women—each and every one of them—were becoming increasingly annoying. From the moment each of them walked down the runway to Rails, the fans felt like the stage was set for a toppling. I wasn’t even there, and I could tell that the dining room was dark and ominous. Honestly, it probably needed an exorcism from a priest. I needed a day to process what I had witnessed before I could even begin to write about my feelings. And I don’t think I was alone.
I thought Teresa was just making up stories to secure her career on The Real Housewives of New Jersey, but alas, she wasn’t the only one. Teresa always knew how to play the game. I never expected some of the ladies to learn to do it better. I thought one Teresa was enough, but having two or three women who would stop at nothing to ensure they kept their spot was more than I could handle. The finale proved to me that no one in the cast is above making things up or dropping life-changing bombshells if they felt offended in any way. At some point, the show stopped being about reality and became more about women’s perception of what makes good prime-time television.
I’m at peace with the reboot.
During the final episode of season 14, I said a few words of resignation, especially when Jackie Goldschneider was revealed as the villain. If the show could turn a lawyer into a story-seeking, sycophantic, morally disregarding housewife, I didn’t want to be a part of it. I’ve come to terms with the fact that the women I used to watch every week will likely never return to my screen. That’s okay, because most of them have changed their lips so much that I no longer recognize them. However, I may never be able to look at a hot dog the same way again.
I’ve always loved The Real Housewives, especially New Jersey. But seeing how deep some people will sink for just 15 minutes of fame is no longer worth it for me. I don’t want to see Jennifer Aydin’s body or wealth exposed. I don’t want to see Danielle Cabral jumping on a table. I don’t want to see Dolores Catania continue to enable her friend’s bad behavior. So go on, Bravo. I think viewers are ready for some new faces.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey can be streamed on Peacock.
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