Episode Report Card Lady Lola: D | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Overcooked Turkeys
By Lady Lola | Season 3 | Episode 4 | Aired on 06.06.2011
As dinner wraps up, Jacqueline brings up Teresa's letter to Caroline. At the same time, Joe tells Kathy and the others what Teresa wrote. He admits he doesn't know what to do about the letter but does hope that he and Teresa can get back to the place they once were. Kathy starts to cry imagining the same fate befalling her two children. Over Giudice way, Juicy thinks Joe should respect Teresa because she's the older sibling. He says everything that Joe has he's gotten through Teresa. We flash back to the housewarming party where Teresa introduced Joe to the whole crowd, insinuating that the only reason they're on the show is because of Teresa. (Though Melissa and Joe might beg to differ.)
Then there's a brouhaha about some stupid handwritten card that Melissa wrote to Teresa about her "re-done home." Apparently it's a petty pun that no one in this gathering appreciates, though it seems the pettiness isn't restricted to the Gorga side of things. Juicy says Melissa wasn't brought up with class, and Teresa insists that she's a new woman who won't let these machinations get to her. Then she says, "I'm sure there's going to be another opportunity for me to get her back." Glad to see you've grown up, Tre. She also relates the curious incident of the cookies in the night, wherein Melissa brought Teresa some sprinkle cookies to Christmas the year before. Teresa alleges that no one ate them, so she threw them away and told Melissa she should have brought pignoli cookies. Even Caroline is all, "Well that was a stank move." Apparently said stank move was justifiable, though, because Teresa knew she was being a hag. Do we see the distinction?
Finally Caroline has enough. She tells everyone it's not about the cookies and to shut the hell up already. Chris agrees that somebody needs to take the high road and diffuse the situation. Jacqueline says that, no matter how angry Teresa is, she's obviously hurt deep inside about it. Caroline advises her to start by repairing her relationship with Joe, then move on to Melissa. Teresa says the ball is in Joe's court.
Back at the Gorgas, Melissa likewise advises Joe to reconnect with his sister. She says she'll give up her grudges if Joe tells her to and start fresh. The whole family remind Joe that Teresa is his only sister and encourage him to embrace this opportunity to men the relationship. Melissa interviews that she's especially willing to let her problems with Teresa go because she knows how traumatic it is to lose a family member since her father died when she was a teenager. She tells Joe, "You need to talk to her, or else I'm going to talk to her." Joe promises to call Teresa and hear her out, then wishes everyone a happy Thanksgiving.