On last night’s episode of Mob Wives, the shiz hit the fan as Renee Graziano continued to deal with the fall-out from Junior Pagan. Renee worried that karma would find her and all of Staten Island would turn on her, just like she turned on Karen Gravano! Luckily for Renee, her friends stood by her and she even had an epiphany. Which, was over-shadowed by some drama concerning her best frienemy Carla Facciolo.
Things begin with an all too real and extremely distraught Renee learning that Junior‘s rat behavior has become front page news. As in everyone is talking about it and everyone knows she’s in love with a rat. Renee is in a tailspin worrying about what everyone is going to think and how she will be treated by her circle. It seems Junior’s cheating ways cannot be quelled and, unfortunately, he’s cheating with the feds this time! And the feds do not a good mistress make.
Someone who knows all too well about having a rat in the family, is Karen. Karen calls her mom to discuss what Renee is going through. Karen’s mother is empathetic to Renee’s plight and especially for how AJ will suffer from his father’s actions. Karen describes her mom as the family rock who held everything together and still does.
Learning of Junior‘s actions has forced Drita D’avanzo to reconsider the state of her relationship with Renee and she decides to pay her a visit. Drita is afraid—who wouldn’t be—but decides to put her fear in her purse. Renee answers the door, unarmed and alone, and not even wearing make-up. She’s a mess. Drita is sympathetic and offers Renee a hug and a shoulder to cry on.
Renee and Drita discuss Junior‘s betrayal, and Renee reveals that he was in cohorts with the feds before moving back in with her and before restarting their relationship. The realization that Junior not only ratted out her father, but used her to garner more information about her family is devastating. Drita is overcome with emotion and tears up. Renee, oh poor Renee. A broken Renee just wants to know the truth about Junior’s intentions for getting a back together.
Paralleling the effects of rattism years later, Karen is recording her book for audio release. As she struggles through Chapter 11, the memories are still painful for her. Everyone wants to know who and what is in Karen’s book and regardless of whether he likes it or not, one Lee D’avanzo has a prominent role in the story. Despite Lee’s insistence that he and Karen were scarcely a thing, Karen is holding firm to the notion that he was not only a huge part of her life, but that he betrayed both she and her father. Drita, of course, will also have a place as the least loyal friend who ever lived and the one person Karen cannot forgive. Karen doesn’t care who’s mad – sometimes the truth isn’t what people want to hear. Amen sister!
Drita announces she is training for a boxing match. Drita grew up boxing. Boxing is second nature to her; like putting lipstick, loving a man named Lee, and slurping wine with Carla. Drita’s prized possession is her mean right hook. And she believes training to box will help her channel some of her aggression. Sadly, during a sparring match she kinda loses it and ends up reverting to her kick boxing survival ways and kicks her trainer. Uhhh… this isn’t Mortal Kombat!
Big Ang Raiola pays a visit to Renee, who is quarantined at home and has taken up permanent residence on her sofa with a box of tissues and the newspaper bearing Junior‘s betrayal. Big And is wise and soulful, counseling Renee to go on for AJ‘s sake and reminding her that she mustn’t let this destroy her. Renee reveals that the worst part of all of this is being called a rat herself; which is both shocking and horrible. This has helped Renee put Karen‘s situation into perspective and she doesn’t want AJ to be treated the way Karen was when she returned home to Staten Island. At least Renee’s priorities are in whack!
The next day Karen stops by. When she arrives, Renee is up and moving around and she has lipgloss on! Victory in small things! Renee is also packing up Junior‘s belongings. Renee admits this has been the wake-up call, really the tidal wave of wake-up calls and reality has now come crashing down. She recognizes just how unsavory being a mafia princess really is and for the first time she is truly willing and ready to abandon the lifestyle which has become her identity and her sense of self.
Renee has been forced to reassess her entire life. Unfortunately, she also realized there is no more one big happy family when it comes to Junior. She has not only lost the love of her life, and her father, but also her identity.
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Renee is ready to start a new life, with a new set of priorities – and no more mafia nonsense. For the first time in her life she’s on her own and she likes it. God has given her a new life! Karen is shocked, but impressed, by how positive and strong Renee has become through the situation. As my grandmother would say, “That’s the spirit!”
After the sparring match, Drita starts to think about how boxing affect her life. A) she doesn’t want to ruin her face because she’s been doing a lot of modeling. B) She wouldn’t want her daughters to see her getting out of control with her anger and aggression. She ultimately decides to withdraw from the boxing match. Drita realizes fighting is fighting and she’s not going to sugarcoat her thirst for blood by calling it a “sport” cause really, it’s not – it’s just her wanting to beat the shit out of someone.
Carla and Karen have dinner, which is code for talk about Renee. Carla is the realist as usual and is willing to say what everyone is thinking. She basically says it’s a good thing that Junior is out of Renee’s life and he should have never been there in the first place. Karen tries to philosophize how Renee’s identity is being questioned as she recognizes she is now a victim of the lifestyle. Next time someone gives me mad hate on here for my comments about a reality star, I’m going to say I’m a victim of the lifestyle. Loves it! Also, Karen totally picked that up in therapy last week. We all know she did. Big Ang saying that, I could see it. Karen? No way.
Carla muses that she thinks Renee must have known something was going on because she admitted Junior had been acting differently lately and they had been fighting a lot. Karen warns that Carla should choose words wisely. Then she shoots Renee a text saying that Carla has been telling people Renee knew he was going to rat. I think anyone with half a brain could extrapolate that Carla simply meant Renee knew something was wrong with the relationship – not that she had any inkling that her boyfriend and ex-husband was planning to rat out her father to the feds. Carla basically said that Renee could sense something was going on, not that she knew what that something was, and really, that’s not so far off base. Renee had admitted to the girls that Junior was acting weird and she wondered what was going on. Karen is two-faced and of course, immediately relayed to Renee what Carla said.
The next day after yoga… wait! Yoga – Renee? Yoga? Apparently so! Renee and Yoga are about as likely a combination as Renee and fake fur. Or Renee and her natural nose. But, anyway after class she talks to her friend Nicole and what does Renee say? Only that she’s been “hearing” that Carla is telling people she knew Junior was a rat. I wonder where she heard that? Renee is furious – everyone knows she would never do that to family. And yes, everyone knows she wasn’t involved so why is she even giving credence to this ridiculous drama? Nicole advises Renee to “Throw the gaawrbage out!” In this case the gawrbage happens to be Carla!
Drita, Big Ang, and Carla get together for manicures and wine. God, I want their life. And whoa – Ang’s earrings are almost as big as her lips. Almost… Over manis, Carla is incensed that Renee has flipped the psycho switch again. See, it’s gotten back to Carla that Renee is now telling people what she said about Renee possibly knowing Junior was up to something ratty. Carla starts to rant about how Renee is delusional and paranoid; believing everyone is talking about her. Big Ang and Drita look nervous, uncomfortable, and at a loss for words by Carla’s bluntness, but comment that they haven’t even heard anyone talking about the situation (which we all know is a lie because THEY have been talking about it and so has everyone else!)
Carla calls Renee a puppet, that people tell her something and her mouth just reacts. Which is true. Carla also points out if the situation were reversed and one of them had the rat husband Renee would talk so much shit they would flee the country – then she would talk about how bad she felt. Again, true. Big Ang is tired of the drama and just wants everyone to get their priorities straight.
Carla decides she is completely over Renee and this newest round of drama. She’s spending Christmas with her family as it’s the first one they’ve had together in years. And the first one where Carla doesn’t have to schlep her kids to prison after opening gifts. Joe comes over to decorate and it’s decided he will spend the night Christmas Eve and be there when the kids wake up to open presents. Carla looks happy and so do Joe and the kids. I hope he is turning his life around.
Renee and AJ go out to dinner to talk about how Christmas will be very different this year. AJ is so mature and wise it’s ridiculous. Are we sure he’s not Big Ang‘s son? I kid, I kid… really though, he’s like the Mob Wives version of Yoda. He tells Renee it’s all going to be ok and she should support her family and do what feels right for her. I’m sure deep down he’s devastated too, but he’s so grounded.
Next Week: Renee vs. Carla round 3 million!
SO – THOUGHTS ON THE EPISODE? IS RENEE OVER-REACTING TO CARLA’S COMMENTS OR IS KAREN STIRRING THE POT AGAIN?
