Episode Report Card Lady Lola: C | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Fabu-lash Out
By Lady Lola | Season 3 | Episode 19 | Aired on 10.09.2011
Kathy and Rich have also gotten a copy of the book, and Kathy zeroes in on a passage where Teresa says she wishes her cousin would stop making lame jokes about her. Clearly that's a jab at Rich. Kathy thinks the negativity comes at a bad time when things were getting better between them, though she speculates that Teresa probably put snippy details like that in the book to drum up interest in the behind-the-scenes gossip from the show. Kathy thinks it's unnecessary: "If your recipes are really good, you don't need any of that." Kathy says she's got enough on her plate to indulge Teresa's backbiting and drama. Rich is less forgiving and throws the book in the garbage.
Gorga house. Melissa's sister Lysa visits, and Melissa also has a gripe about Fabulicious! She says Teresa called her a copycat, but she refuses to talk to Joe about it because she doesn't want to fan the flames and start another fight between Teresa and Joe. It's not her forgiving spirit so much as a spirit of self-preservation, though, because she doesn't want to be blamed again for stirring the pot.
Meanwhile, Teresa brings home the family portrait all wrapped up and talks about her new book's "huge success." She says everyone has been "like, 'Wow!'" about the stories she put into the book. Well... that's one way to phrase it. Jacqueline arrives, and Teresa unveils the portrait. As she goes to look for a hammer, Jacqueline asks Gia if she's still spending time with her cousin. Gia says yes, adding, "I hope it stays. Zio Joe is busy working. Melissa kind of controls him." Jacqueline glosses over the brainwashing. Based on her experience, she worries for Teresa's family because she doesn't think they're getting to the root of the problem.
Apropos of that, Jacqueline admits that her stress over Bratshley is manifesting itself physically, with bags under her eyes and breakouts. Teresa admits she hasn't been the most supportive friend through Jacqueline's conflict with Bratz and promises to be there for her moving forward. Jacqueline says Bratz has returned to old form, going out all night and sleeping all day. She says she's reached a breaking point and needs to cut Bratz off. Teresa thinks Chris should take on the traditional father role and be stricter and gives Jacqueline a hug to comfort her.
Back at the Manzos, Lauren reads a passage where Teresa likens Caroline's cooking to the Olive Garden. Caroline thinks it odd that she just saw Teresa the other day and wasn't given any warning. She interviews, "Jacqueline is loyal to a fault. I'm loyal to a degree. There comes a time when you have to recognize that the tides are changing... and I recognize that now." Ohhhh, but there's more. Lauren finishes reading from the introduction (yes, all this trash talking has happened before the book even starts). She reads, "I'm a fan of Caroline Manzo -- even if she's only one-sixteenth Italian... or whatever she is." Them's fightin' words! Christopher asks, "I wonder who did the math on that." Greg snarks, "Maybe their accountant." Caroline sits silently, turning the other cheek. So Lauren goes on to a section where Teresa bashes Christopher for his stripper car wash idea. Like Kathy, Christopher says it's a sign Teresa's not confident that her cooking is good enough to sell books. Lauren is less generous, doing a nasal Teresa impression and predicting that Teresa will claim she was joking.