'The Real Housewives of New Jersey’s' Season 14 Finale Ruined Any Hope for a Reunion

Those who pay close attention to Bravo know the network has a unique formula for its The Real Housewives franchise. Each show's season often opens with an event hosted by one of its stars, there are always one or two cast trips involved, and the season ends with a reunion that can range from one to four additional episodes.

For many Housewives fans, the reunions are must-see TV. It’s where the cast addresses all of the beef, fun and dangerous shade, and has tearful moments.

Since its launch in 2009, The Real Housewives of New Jersey has had explosive reunions (Caroline Manzo and Teresa Giudice’s shade will forever be iconic). However, the cast’s 13th and 14th seasons might have been too much for its network to endure.

In June 2024, reports surfaced that, for the first time in its history, RHONJ wouldn’t have a traditional reunion. Unfortunately, viewers of the show aren’t that surprised it has come to this.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey cast has developed a reputation for tussling since Season 1 with Teresa Giudice’s now legendary table flip. But Seasons 13 and 14 were so brutal that Bravo canceled a sit-down RHONJ reunion to wrap up Season 14.

Throughout both seasons, Teresa and Melissa Gorga’s ongoing feud caused a clear divide among their fellow cast members, Jennifer Aydin, Danielle Cabral, Margaret Josephs, Rachel Fuda, and friends of RHONJ, Jackie Goldschneider and Jennifer Fessler.

The explosive event reportedly caused Bravo to shut down a traditional reunion that would have forced Teresa, Melissa, and the rest of the divided cast into the same room. According to a source reportedly close to the series, the finale will show how irretrievably broken the cast has become.

“A reunion is meant to have a resolution, and it's clear in the season final that there is no path forward in that type of setting," the source told People in June 2024. "So the network is figuring out a different concept to wrap up the season."

The highly anticipated RHONJ finale aired on Bravo on Aug. 4, 2024, and wrapped up the season as best as possible. Fans finally witnessed the cast's "Last Supper" at Rails Steakhouse, one of the cast's cornerstone restaurants for years. Dolores Catania, who is tight with each of the divided groups, brought everyone together with another neutral member, Jennifer Fessler.

"I'm, like, sweating already," Dolores admitted before the dinner. "I'm getting a little nervous because I care about everybody like family, I want them to get things off their chest civilly."

Dolores's wish was only half granted. Did the cast all come together for the sitdown? Yes. Was it civil? Of course not! The dinner quickly turned sour once the group could air out their grievances. After arguing back and forth after their explosive fight at Teresa's Tulum party, Danielle Cabral and Jennifer Aydin sparred again at Rails, this time with Danielle tossing a pitcher at Jennifer. This forced Teresa to be Jen's personal bodyguard until the producers stepped in and separated the women.

Just when you thought the drama between the women was over, it had only just begun. The rest of the dinner included Teresa and Melissa finally speaking after Tre vowed never to speak to her sister-in-law again. However, the words were only insults, as Melissa called Teresa hypocritical for scolding Danielle and Jen for fighting, telling Teresa, "you're the queen of this s--t" and calling her "white trash." Tre fought back by telling Melissa "my brother married a w---e."

Teresa and Melissa's verbal spar wasn't the biggest bombshell of the season, by far. That title was given to Jackie Goldschneider, a friend of the show. During the dinner, Jackie's former friend, Margaret, tried to resolve her beef with Teresa by telling her Jackie met up with Louie's ex-wife before a video of him shirtless in a desert with a group of his "brothers" surfaced. Initially, Jackie vehemently denied talking to the ex until she eventually folded moments later.

"I met with her," Jackie admitted. "We hated each other; you went after my husband. But you know what? I’m glad you know because I was always nervous that you would find out."

In a surprising twist, Teresa decided to let bygones be bygones and remain friends with Jackie. The decision further divided the groups, with everyone going home still as angry with each other as they always were. After sharing her frustration about the dinner having "no resolution," Dolores gave a chilling message suggesting the end of RHONJ as we know it.

"Family is everything, but this group is no longer a family," Dolores admitted in a confessional. "How did it all come to this? It came out of really just people don’t know how to stop hating. It just built up and everybody just cuts so deep. It’s toxic. I look at this sit-down like a death."

While RHONJ isn't ending for good (yay!), the show will undergo changes after the finale (yay?). After the finale, Bravo filmed a special in which the ladies could discuss the season in the cliques they formed throughout. What happens after the special has yet to be determined.

In May 2024, Andy Cohen told Distractify that RHONJ could be the next show in the Bravoverse to receive a cast shakeup. Andy said the cast is on “two very clear teams.”

The producer has since confirmed that a reboot will happen, sharing on his Sirius XM show that he agreed changes needed to be made.

"We're gonna see what we can do," Andy said. "We'll see. I don't know. Maybe just all fresh faces. We'll see."

Andy also mentioned the reboot on Watch What Happens Live! with Dolores on Aug. 4 after the finale aired. While there aren't any concrete plans to renew the show, Page Six reported that filming for Season 15 of RHONJ has been paused until 2025.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs on Bravo on Sundays at 8 p.m. EST.