Six months into Teresa's prison sentence, the Giudice family faces important milestones without their beloved matriarch - from Gia's eighth grade prom to the anniversary of Joe's father's death. Extended family, including Teresa's brother Joe Gorga, sister-in-law Melissa and cousin Rosie Pierri, rally to support Joe Giudice and the girls as Teresa's daily emails and calls prove that even though she may be absent, she still runs the house from the inside.

Summer means frequent trips down to the Jersey Shore for the Giudice family. During what may be the Giudices' last trip to their shore house before it goes on the auction block, Joe Giudice and the girls celebrate the 4th of July with the Gorgas, but the trip is bittersweet as Joe Giudice prepares the girls for his own prison term. Later, Joe Giudice dines with an ex-convict in Little Italy to hear all about prison life.

The Giudices and Gorgas continue to grow close as they embark on a pizza-making, quad-riding adventure at Joe Giudice's late father's house in the Catskills, but questions remain as to whether this newfound closeness is too good to be true. Meanwhile, Teresa shares shocking stories from prison. Later, Joe Gorga visits Teresa in prison for the first time.