For five seasons, viewers have watched the Manzos, Giudices and Gorgas deal with very real -- and sometimes not-so-real -- issues on "The Real Housewives of New Jersey."
But with Teresa Giudice facing jail time for 39 counts of fraud, and fellow original cast member Caroline Manzo departing, is it finally time to pull the plug on the show?
Here's five reasons why Bravo should:
1. The show has gotten really ugly.
Sure, table flips and baptism brawls make for great reality TV, but the show sunk to a new low Sunday with a violent brawl that one of the participants claimed was staged.
The entire cast -- Teresa, Caroline, Jacqueline Laurita, Melissa Gorga, Kathy Wakile and their families -- attended a party at Moxie Salon when things got physical. Watch the fight unfold:
Unclear about what went down? So are we. Apparently, Johnny Karagiorgis -- the guy in the hat -- got into a fight with Jacqueline, her husband Chris Laurita, and Melissa's husband Joe Gorga. No punches were shown on camera, potentially for legal reasons. RadarOnline reports Johnny is planning to file civil charges against Jacqueline, Chris, Joe and the producers, claiming the fight was pre-planned.
The footage does show cameras following Johnny and his burly friend right when they entered the salon. Johnny wouldn't have a camera crew following him if he was just a random guest. Regardless of whether or not the brawl was staged, these fights have turned the show into "Jerry Springer" -- gratuitous and mindless.
2. The storylines are stale
The Moxie Salon brawl allegedly started because someone was spreading rumors about Melissa, with Teresa either originating them or willingly not defending her sister-in-law.
Sound familiar? Those are the same accusations that flew around two years ago during the now-infamous "Strippergate."
Producers have gotten as much mileage as they can out of this storyline, and it seems like random people are always rehashing it. As Caroline in the clip above, "Who are these people and why are they so infused in our lives?"
3. The families are at peace ... for now.
It took a brutal brawl, therapy and many tear-filled sessions for Teresa and her brother Joe to reconcile. For the sake of their ailing father and young children, turn the cameras off and let their relationships heal.
4. Teresa may be locked up for a very long time.
If found guilty, Teresa may be jailed for 50 years and Joe deported back to Italy. Their four daughters may grow up without their parents.
That's truly damaging, unlike silly allegations of being a stripper.
5. Family's no longer first.
While the cast espouses "family first," in recent seasons it's been "business first."
"The Real Housewives" has always served as a vehicle to promote each housewife's ventures. The product placement has gone overboard.
Things just don't feel real when Jacqueline and Chris are sitting around at home in their BLK water t-shirts, having their autistic son Nicholas proclaim "I want water," and then drinking the product.
We love the show, but we don't love what it's become. Do you agree that "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" should end? Vote in our poll below.
