It seems almost impossible to remember at this point, but Teresa Giudice was once in prison.
It’s true!
She was behind bars for admitting to her role in a bankruptcy scheme and her future on The Real Housewives of New Jersey was in doubt.
Now, however? She isn’t merely back on the show – this ex-convict and her family are the show!
This was made very clear on Wednesday night’s Season 10 premiere.
When this opening episode was filmed, Joe Giudice had a week remaining of his 41-month prison sentence for bank, wire and mail fraud.
Bravo cameras therefore captured the heartbreaking and bittersweet moments among his wife and four daughters, as well as the cruel things that were being said about these same folks behind their backs.
In the end, everything came back to the Giudices, Joe’s situation in particular.
Just consider the following scene:
We had Teresa, Gia, Gabriella, Milania and Audriana cooking dinner with Teresa’s dad, Giacinto, and discussing Gia’s decision to attend Rutgers University in the fall.
The 18-year old said she wanted to be an attorney.
Milania then accused Gia of copying her desired profession, but everyone laughed because they had never heard Milania express interest in law before.
“I’ve been saying I want to be a lawyer for a while because it gets me so mad that our dad is in jail and might be getting deported,” Milania said, as Gia added:
“Yeah, but I mean, he’s fighting the battle.”
As a very quick refresher:
Joe was ordered by a judge to be deported in the fall of 2018 because he broke federal law as a non-U.S. citizen.
He is appealing the ruling, but most reside in Italy while he does so… and no matter what Teresa says here, she’s totally gonna divorce him.
“I just don’t know how the whole thing’s gonna go,” Teresa said sadly on the premiere.
It’s hard to feel badly for Teresa or Joe because they’re entitled criminals who suck on, like, every level.
But there are four young girls involved here, as Gia said on the premiere that she’d end her relationship with her father if he refused to fight the deportation.
“I’m going to prom, I’m going to graduation, I’m going to college. Those are three big things I want my father here for,” she added, but Milania interjected:
“No one cares.”
The sisters then argued some more before Milania simply walked away.
Teresa later opened up to her brother, Joe Gorga, saying:
“I hate that my kids have to go through all this. Like, he’s done his time! And now, I’m fighting to keep him in the country.”
Joe then conferred with wife Melissa about this conversation and cited the “cheating allegations” that are also following Teresa around.
Joe claims Teresa told him she and the younger man with whom she was photographed several months ago are mere friends.
“Friends it is,” Melissa reiterated.
“I just feel like everything that’s gone on in her life always gets in the way of our relationship. It is what it is. I’m not one to hold a grudge.”
In a confessional, Melissa explained there were “a lot of pictures out there, but if Teresa says she is not cheating then I go with what my family says.”
She added: “There was a lot of tension between Teresa and I, but she called me and apologized.”
Other Housewives also touched on this chatter.
“There’s tons of cheating rumors going around about Teresa. There’s photos of her with some 20-something-year-old guy,” Margaret Josephs told the camera.
“If she’s stepping out on Joe, who can blame her? He’s about to get deported, and he’s been gone for three years. She’s been through enough.
“It doesn’t matter to me if the rumors about Teresa are true or not. What goes on behind closed doors is frankly none of my business.”
(Editor’s Note: We can blame her! She’s still married!)
In another scene, Jackie Goldschneider, came across a video Teresa posted to Instagram of Jennifer Aydin doing her best impression of Jackie. It was far from flattering.
“Teresa, to me, she’s broken,” Jackie fumed to the ladies. “She should be home with her children instead of sitting in a restaurant and making fun of me.”
Melissa attemped to defend Teresa by saying she had “a lot going on” and wasn’t “thinking about what she’s doing,” but Jackie felt that was “such an easy excuse.”
Jackie also said she believed that Teresa cheated on Joe.
(Editor’s Note II: Joe also believes this.)
Later on, Dolores stopped by Teresa’s place and was given an update on Joe’s standing with prison and ICE.
Teresa focused on the financial aspects of the process at first, but then elaborated as follows:
“This appeal is costing me so much money, but I don’t care. I’ll spend the money. I don’t care. And then at least I’ll know I did everything I could.”
Dolores left with the impression, however, that Teresa was over her husband and only doing this for her kids, namely Gia.
Finally, the premiere ended the way nearly all Real Housewives episode end: With tension between the co-stars.
Dolores told Teresa that she spoke to Margaret after Margaret’s dinner with Jackie and told her what Jackie said about the cheating rumors. Teresa was mightly peeved over it.
“F-ck Jackie,” she replied.
Meanwhile, Teresa went off to Melissa about the rumors she felt Jackie was continuing to perpetuate.
And when she saw Jennifer had walked away from Jackie, Teresa swooped in to confront her.
Jackie claimed someone had asked her a question about Teresa, but Teresa didn’t want to hear it.
“Just keep my name out of your mouth?” she asked, as Jackie asked the same from Teresa.
The two agreed to not talk about each other, yet Melissa said she knew the truce wouldn’t last.
The episode wrapped up with Joe’s release from prison. He called Teresa from what is believed to be the ICE facility.
“Everything is like lock down over here,” he said, concluding:
“I’m telling you, it’s bad. My time is done, and I’m wasting my life away in this freaking crap. I don’t know what could happen.”
“I could just freaking go nuts!”