At the 2022 BravoCon, Teresa Giduice said that the husbands will appear in many scenes in season 13 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Teresa said, “You are going to see the husbands a lot in the upcoming season. You guys will get to know Luis better," according to Variety. Every cast member on RHONJ has made an impression on viewers. But in each season, one housewife sticks out the most, whether they have an incredibly dramatic storyline, they get into a big fight with a best friend, or they're the calm "voice of reason" amidst all the tension.
Fans don't always agree with the way that cast members behave, but one thing is for sure: RHONJ is always fascinating and fun to watch, and viewers will always tune in to see which cast member is the most impactful in each season.
Updated on October 25th, 2022 by Aya Tsintziras: Fans are looking forward to the upcoming season of Bravos' The Real Housewives of New Jersey, especially since there has been so much talk of a fresh feud between Teresa and Melissa Gorga. With the news that Melissa and Joe didn't go to Teresa's wedding this past summer, viewers wonder what went wrong in a relationship that seemed like it was in a better place in season 12. When looking back on the past 12 seasons of the popular reality series, one person is the most memorable for a variety of reasons, sometimes because they show compassion and try to move past the drama.
Season 1: Danielle Staub
When fans think of the most classic Real Housewives moments, Teresa Giudice flipping a table at Danielle Staub is at the forefront. Since Danielle Staub played such a big role in the early episodes of RHONJ, she's definitely the best cast member in season 1. While Danielle has returned to the series since then, it's her first group of episodes that are the most remembered because they were so intensely dramatic.
While many fans dislike Danielle because of her poor behavior and tendency to be mean, she's still a huge part of Real Housewives history since her co-stars researched her past. Without Danielle on the reality series, it's hard to imagine there would have been a table flip.
Season 2: Jacqueline Laurita
Season 2 is all about Jacqueline Laurita as she continued her friendship with Danielle, which caused major issues between Jacqueline and the other cast members. Jacqueline also tried her best to help her daughter Ashlee, who was struggling. And when Ashlee pulled Danielle's hair at the Posche fashion show, things got even more dramatic.
Jacqueline stood out in season 2 as someone torn between love for her child and compassion for her friend. She was often in the middle and this caused the kind of tension that fans look for.
Season 3: Caroline Manzo
Caroline Manzo was the best cast member in season 3 as she played a significant role in the tough relationship that Teresa and her brother Joe Gorga had at this point. Caroline did a great job trying to convince them to make up and forget the anger that they both felt. Because she showed that she cared so much about this tough family situation, she proved herself to be the best cast member.
Teresa and Melissa Gorga's difficult relationship was a massive part of the early seasons of RHONJ and it was heartwarming seeing Caroline do what she could to fix it.
Season 4: Kathy Wakile
Some of Teresa's most dramatic RHONJ arguments have been with her cousin Kathy Wakile, who stands out as an excellent season 4 cast member. She wasn't on the series for a long time, but her screen time did feel memorable.
Kathy was upset that Teresa was very insulting about her and other family members in her cookbook, and it was interesting to see this situation from Kathy's perspective. She always stayed kind, calm, and collected, no matter how much tension there was between her and Teresa.
Season 5: Melissa Gorga
In season 5, all Melissa wanted was to get along with Teresa, and she also wanted her husband Joe to finally mend his relationship with Teresa as well. The episode "Scum One, Scum All" included several unforgettable huge fights that fans will never forget.
Melissa is the best season 5 cast member thanks to her desire to get her family back together. When she got down on her knees and begged Teresa to stop hurting them and said she just wanted things to be normal again, it was impossible not to sympathize.
Season 6: Dina Manzo
Teresa's good friend Dina Manzo came back to the show for a little while, and season 6 was her most entertaining one yet. Dina was a housewife at the beginning of RHONJ and she and Teresa explained that they were good pals.
Most of all, season 6 will be remembered because while Dina was working on her Ladybug charity event, Joe and Teresa were in court. Dina was always kind, funny, and had a great sense of humor, and her energy on the show was welcomed. Dina's scenes were often much calmer and more peaceful than some others, which was needed.
Season 7: Dolores Catania
While RHONJ fans supported Dolores Catania at times, the cast member has also been part of some bad fights. But back in season 7, Dolores was new to the show and it was a lot of fun getting to know her.
Dolores really shined in season 7 because fans learned that she's still super close with her ex-husband Frank, they share two lovely kids, and she enjoys renovating houses. It was sweet seeing Dolores work on her house and look to the future.
Season 8: Teresa Giudice
Teresa has been a housewife ever since the first episode, and she has made a splash in every season, including the first one when she flipped the table. But a few years after that big event, Teresa was also a memorable member of the cast. Season 8 of RHONJ showed Teresa at home with her daughters while her husband Joe was in prison. She also grieved her mother and wondered what her future would be like.
These episodes showed Teresa in a soft, sweet, vulnerable place, and fans liked learning more about her thoughts and emotions during this difficult time. This was must-see TV as it added some layers to the news story that viewers had read about.
Season 9: Jennifer Aydin
Jennifer Aydin has said some awful things on RHONJ, but in season 9, her complaining during the Oklahoma trip makes her the most memorable part of these episodes. She just couldn't calm down and have fun and her comments felt frustrating for the other cast members, who wanted to have a nice vacation.
When the housewives go on a trip, there's often one person who hates the room that they have been given or thinks that the group should do something else, and in season 9, this was Jennifer's role. Her attitude was unpleasant.
Season 10: Margaret Josephs
Some Real Housewives fights are too intense and in season 10, Danielle pulled Margaret Josephs's hair in a wild and awful moment. When fans look back on this season of RHONJ, Margaret is the best cast member since she was struggling to understand how her good friend could do this to her.
This was a season that really changed how Margaret saw Danielle. Margaret was so nice during Danielle's wedding planning process, and she didn't feel that her kindness and compassion was returned.
Season 11: Jackie Goldschneider
Once Teresa spread the cheating rumors about Jackie Goldschneider's husband Evan, it was clear that season 11 would be Jackie's season. Jackie stayed classy and polite and showed a ton of strength.
Jackie explained several times that the rumors hurt her feelings and were bad for her family's reputation, and it was admirable that she kept expressing herself even though Teresa kept repeating the rumor.
Season 12: Margaret Josephs
Margaret had another stand-out season with the most recent group of RHONJ episodes. Margaret's friendship with Teresa changed a lot here, as Teresa felt that Margaret was spreading rumors about her now husband Luis Ruelas and Margaret didn't think that was true at all.
Margaret was as calm as she could be throughout season 12, sharing that she was tired of Teresa blaming her for the rumors that were out there and that she just wanted a peaceful time. When things got really bad during a trip to Nashville, Margaret stayed polite and compassionate, and it was clear that she didn't want to fight or be part of drama.