‘The Real Housewives of New Jersey’ Season 7, Episode 2 Recap: Teresa Returns Home In “A Very Hairy Christmas”

At the end of last week’s premiere of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, we finally got to see Teresa return home to her family after serving an 11-month prison sentence. Let me just say I am ecstatic to see Teresa back home. I’ve been a Tre Hugger since the first season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey and am so happy to have her back in my living room every Sunday night. Anyway, this week’s episode is about Teresa adjusting to being back home and discovering where her relationships with the other women stand.

‘The Real Housewives of New Jersey’ Season 7, Episode 2 Recap

It’s Christmas Eve at the Giudice household and the family is taking their annual Christmas photo. As the camera is flashing we learn that all of Teresa’s businesses and book sales have suffered tremendously while she was in prison, and with her husband Joe starting his own sentence soon, she must sell her Christmas photos to magazines in order to make some money.

After the photoshoot raps up, Teresa and her family head to her brother Joe and wife Melissa’s house for Christmas Eve to celebrate the death or resurrection or something of Jesus according to Juicy Joe Gudice. After dinner Teresa and Melissa have a private conversation in the kitchen in hopes of rebuilding their fractured relationship. Melissa tells Teresa that she loves her like a sister, and Teresa, unconvinced, tells her to “show it to me”. After a slight rehashing of all the times both Teresa and Melissa have hurt one another, the sister-in- laws make a pact to always have each other’s back moving forward (YES!).

Fast forward through several unimportant, filler scenes and it’s New Year’s Eve. Teresa, known for her extravagant parties, hosts a small New Year’s Eve party at her house. Jacqueline, who wasn’t invited, has her own New Year’s Eve gathering and invited ex-housewife (and Teresa’s cousin) Kathy and her sister Rosie over, both of which were not invited to Teresa’s party either.

As new housewife, Dolores, is leaving Teresa’s, she lets her know that she is going to stop by Jacqueline’s party. Teresa, hoping to extend an olive branch, calls Jacqueline to wish her a “Happy New Year.” The conversation starts off nicely, with the two women wishing each other a “Happy New Year” full of “new beginnings.” However, the conversation quickly turns cold and awkward when Kathy and Rosie yell “Happy New Year” to Teresa from the background. Teresa’s relationship with Kathy and Rosie is very clearly estranged and upon hearing their voices she becomes cold and distant towards Jacqueline and the conversation ends on an awkward note.

Despite the hope of a new year ripe with new beginnings, the episode ends with Teresa' s eldest daughter, Gia, crying to her Nonna. The emotional response is triggered by the realization that in just a couple of months her father, Joe, will begin his own 41-month prison sentence. At this point the future of Teresa’s family and her relationships with the other women are uncertain, but I’m excited to be along for the ride and look forward to next week’s episode.

Housewives Side Notes :

Melissa:

•  Melissa’s husband, Joe, makes another characteristically misogynistic remark, this time about her attempting to start her own business: “I don’t want you to work, I want you at home. I didn’t want a part time wife” *eyeroll*/*groan*/*facepalm.*

Dolores:

• She’s Italian and doesn’t like to talk about her feelings.

• Said to be a cop and used her “detective skills” to uncover her (now ex) husband’s infidelity.

• Her and Teresa have been friends for a long time and are both “old school” Italians.

• Is single for basically the first time in her life and is now trying to find herself.

• Did I mention she’s Italian?

Jacqueline:

•  Is very vocal during sex, according to her daughter Ashley. *cringe*

•  Wears her boots on Ashley’s bed. Ugh, stop it.

Siggy:

•  Only a flashback of Siggy from last week in this week’s episode.