Real Housewives of New Jersey fans say 'enough of Melissa and Joe'

While viewers were happy about the return of The Real Housewives of New Jersey season 13, they were less pleased to be reunited with two of its cast members: Melissa and Joe Gorga.

That's because, just like so many past seasons, the main drama that dominated the Gorgas' screentime during the season 13 premiere — which debuted on Bravo in the US on Tuesday, February 7, and is available to stream on Peacock beginning Wednesday, February 8 —was their never-ending beef with Joe's sister and the franchise's leading lady, Teresa Giudice. 

Last time we saw the feuding family members onscreen was The Real Housewives of New Jersey season 12 reunion special last spring, during which Joe stormed out of filming after a fight with his sister, announcing: "I quit. Thank you very much. Thank you, Bravo, thank you for 12 years. I love you, I'm done, f**k you people!"

Alas, much to some fans' chagrin, the Real Housewives of New Jersey husband wasn't gone for good. While the premiere quickly caught us up with the rest of the cast — Dolores is happy with her new man Paulie, Jennifer is unhappy with a fractured toe and a stolen Ferrari — we find much hasn't changed in the Gorga household, with Melissa and Joe still stuck on Teresa not making her sister-in-law a bridesmaid to her upcoming wedding to fiancé Louie Ruelas. 

"11 minutes in and we have our first scene of Melissa and Joe whining over Tre's wedding lol," one RHONJ fan posted on Twitter. Another added: "Does anyone else get the sense that Melissa and Joe aren't upset about not being in the wedding, but rather not being in the Wedding Special ?!??"  (The much-talked-about nuptials were filmed last August, with a special slated to air a week after the season 13 finale.) 

In fact, nearly all of Melissa and Joe's scenes revolved around Teresa, from deciding not to attend her 50th birthday celebration to then inviting her to Melissa's '80s-themed roller-rink Memorial Day party, but ignoring her when she arrives with Louie.  (For her part, Teresa has largely moved past their drama, having traded in the table-flipping rage of her past for talk therapy since last season.) 

"Melissa and Joe have mentioned Teresa in every single scene. This is actually pathetic," one Housewives fan posted. "I see Teresa is STILL Melissa and Joe's ONLY storyline," another added. 

The ever-revolving Teresa-Melissa-Joe tornado has seriously lost its windspeed for long-term fans of the franchise, who aren't just calling for a plotline shake-up but a full-on removal of the couple from the RHONJ cast.

"I wish Bravo would just fire Melissa and Joe already so we can move on from this Teresa vs. Melissa storyline," one viewer wrote, with another succinctly summing up fans' frustrations: "Nothing's changed in 10 years. Same old tactics. Enough of Melissa and Joe Gorga."

New episodes of Real Housewives of New Jersey season 13 air Tuesdays on Bravo.