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Dolores, drama & designer labels: What you should know before the season 14 premiere of The Real Housewives of New Jersey
There's lots of drama to catch up on, so buckle up!
The New Jersey ladies are back this week in the most mob wife way possible. Bravo dropped a major clip from the season, showing us Dolores at a table by herself following another iconic RHONJ sit down gone horribly wrong. The question is, how the hell did we get here?
Well were here to give you the run down on what you should know before you tune in on Sunday!
We have been lacking a Housewives franchise to fight over on social media for what seems like forever. But have no fear, because the ladies of New Jersey are back and ready to feed us all the drama. With the 14th season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey beginning this Sunday at 8pm on Bravo, what better way to get back up to speed than by detailing all the drama that's been happening as of late! This Housewives franchise has A LOT going on, with new feuds, group dynamics, and even some relationship troubles, so here we go...
Let's start off with the tricky parts. This season has come with a lot of buzz around it, considering it will be the first in 11 seasons where this family dynamic is completely off the table. Both Teresa and Melissa refuse to interact or speak to one another. No one, not even Andy Cohen, knows if this dynamic will work on the show going forward.
To be very real, these three have been having almost the same argument since season 3. They seemed to get along following Teresa's time in prison and once her ex husband was out of the picture. However, once her new husband Louie became involved, the entire situation was blown to bits. It's so unclear what this argument is still about.
During season 13, Joe Gorga blamed it on a business deal gone bad, but over the course of the season, other reasons began to pop up. Teresa not inviting Melissa's parents to her wedding or having Melissa in her wedding party, a pizza place that never opened, and finally, cheating rumors that Teresa allegedly may have started. By the reunion, these two couples were at each other's necks, blaming each other for the family falling apart. During the "Teresa Gets Married" special episode, her daughters made it very clear that Joe and Melissa not attending was the end of their family dynamic as a whole.
One thing is for sure about this feud, though — we will be getting absolutely no clarification on it. Neither of the ladies are discussing it. However, in the last 11 years, it's been hard for either of them to stay completely silent on the matter. One way or another... someone will start the fire.
This group of ladies has a very specific dynamic to it. For the last few seasons, the groups have been clear: Dolores, Jennifer, Teresa and Margaret, Melissa, Jackie. Now, following last season's additions Rachel and Danielle, the dynamics have changed more than ever.
Although Jackie is now a friend to the show, it seems like her presence will be more important this season. The trailers show Jackie on a friendly level with Teresa and Jennifer. For background, Jackie spent a majority of her time as a housewife arguing with both Teresa and Jennifer, and usually on the good side of Margaret and Melissa. We get a taste of a feud between Margaret and Jackie, which can only produce nasty rumors, comments, and secrets being exposed.
It's hard to say what will happen with Danielle this season. In last season's finale. Danielle tries her best to tell Melissa about the rumor she's heard. Unfortunately, she was not trained in the RHONJ Olympics, and in this group, the messenger ALWAYS gets shot, leading Danielle directly into a massive argument with both Margaret and Melissa. But it seems like her arguments this season are seemingly centered around Jennifer and Jackie.
Now let's talk about Margaret Josephs, the housewife with an arsenal. Since her arrival on season 6, Margaret has done a good job at keeping the drama flowing on the show. Although most of the drama she engaged with always surrounds Jennifer or Teresa, the new season shows that Jackie may be the target of her anger this time around, and it seems like the reason is Jackie's new found love for Teresa.
Newbie Rachel is not flying under the radar this season either, as both her and her husband John have been very vocal online in their ongoing feud with Teresa and Louie (stemming from what we have to assume is the reunion). During last season's reunion, a large part of the cast accused Teresa's husband Louie of hiring a private investigator to get information on the cast members. Specifically looking into John and Rachel, as well as the mother of John's first child. Both Louie and Teresa denied this at the reunion, but no real proof on either part was presented. It's anyone's game in this fight.
The newest addition to this crew, Jenn Fessler, is making her own waves within the group. We met Jenn through Margaret last season and she kept a pretty tight ship, engaging very little with the drama that was surrounding her. This season that doesn't seem to be the case, since from the trailer we can tell she is building a possible friendship with Teresa while pissing off Margaret and upsetting Rachel in the process.
Jennifer Ayden, the Princess of Paramus, is absolutely no stranger to the drama (if anything,she kind of loves it). Last season, Jennifer and Margaret could barely stand in the same room together, shouting the most vile things at each other on a regular basis. This season it seems like she may have a new found friendship with Melissa and a new rivalry with Danielle (another dynamic that is, quite frankly, insane). Melissa and Jennifer have argued for a long time and Danielle seemed to be pretty close to Jennifer last season.
Last, but not least, is the Patterson Princess herself, Dolores Catania. There is just one thing to say: If you can manage to stay neutral in this group of women, you should be running for congress (and maybe even president)! To say it's impossible would be a lie, because somehow, Dolores has managed. The sneak peek shows us Dolores as the matriarch of this group, but also the one left to pick up the pieces when they inevitably shatter all over the place.
As much as this show is about the ladies, the husbands make up a big part of it too. In past seasons we've seen the ups and downs of Joe and Melissa, Teresa and Joe Guidice, and Jennifer and Bill. In the upcoming season it seems like the spotlight is shifting to the other couples as things start to get rocky.
Margaret and Joe's marriage was a major plot point during a season of arguments. Although Margaret was very upfront about her cheating, some of the women still choose to weaponize it. It never seemed to affect the couple, as they always remained partners in crime. This season it looks as if their marriage will be tested. Jenn Fessler is seen in the trailer speaking to Margaret as she asks the question, "Are you like reflecting on leaving him?" in regards to Margaret's ex-husband who passed away. This is bound to be a very rocky situation.
Dolores and Paulie are Real Housewives of New Jersey's new IT couple. Since season 6, Dolores let us into her life with ex-husband Frank and their unconventional relationship. With the arrival of Paulie last season, that relationship began to change. Nevertheless, we were all excited to see Dolores taken care of. After the reunion, fans were excited to see an engagement in the future, but the trailer tells a different story. As the couple is having dinner, Paulie asks, "You think if I get divorced, I'm going to get down on my knee and get engaged to you the next day?" Dolores stans… we may have a problem.
Finally, the Queen of New Jersey herself, Teresa runs into relationship battles of her own with her husband Louie. Just coming off of moving in and getting married, it's surprising to see this relationship starting to explode. Rumors have circulated regarding Louie and his business dealings, as well as the involvement of Teresa's own money in all of this. At the end of the trailer, Danielle says, "Teresa is distraught because in the house there is not a lot of calm." Followed by Jennifer saying, "Every time I talk to her, her stomach is in knots."
There will be absolutely no shortage of drama in the upcoming season. We will be patiently waiting to see the sit down of the year. With all the chaos in the Bravo world, at least we can count on the New Jersey ladies to have us on our toes and gossiping all summer long! Get ready, because this one is going to be a scorcher!
