Flanderization is the practice of taking a minor personality trait of a character and exaggerating it to the point they’re entirely one-note. Whether it’s Joey from Friends speaking gibberish and thinking it’s French or the entire cast of The Real Housewives of New Jersey speaking in an endless cycle of “fambily,” “old-school,” and “true colors,” this tried and true act has consumed many of the best TV shows.
That’s all to say, RHONJ Season 14 may have promised no Teresa/Melissa conflict, but don’t let that fool you into thinking this is a new era. We are simply in purgatory.
As one decade-long drama comes to a close, another has bloomed in Danielle Cabral’s convoluted, low-effort storyline. Although the AI amalgamation of every RHONJ Housewife past and present didn’t get a solo scene in the premiere, Danielle kicks off this week with an update on her family drama. Last we heard, she was going to see her brother the day after the Season 13 reunion films. But that wasn’t a kumbaya, apparently, as the only update is that Danielle is now estranged from yet another family member: her dad.
