The time has finally come. All of those obnoxious 30-second teaser trailers and promos promising the world the two-hour season premiere of Jersey Shore have left the airwaves and MTV is back to syndicating episode after episode. All the freakin’ time. In the past week they have probably aired the premiere at least 50 times.
But that is not the point. Jersey Shore is back for its sixth and final season, which will break the hearts of its Guido followers and crush MTV’s ratings as well. Have no fear, though! For, as MTV appropriately sloganed the final season, “It may be ending, but it will never be over.” Might this be a hint following rumors that the network might revive the popular reality show by inserting a whole new Guido/Guidette cast? Maybe.
For this being Jersey Shore’s final season, the cast mates plan to go out with a bang. And this they are doing even at the start of the season. When we first meet the cast again, Samantha “Sammi” Giancola and Ronnie Ortiz-Magro are back together after seasons playing the on-again, off-again couple. Deena Nicole Cortese has lost some weight and is in her first real relationship of nine months. Paul “Pauly D” DelVecchio and Vinny Guadagnino are still in a bro-mance, and Jennifer “J-Woww” Farley is living with her boyfriend of two years, Roger.
But these are not the characters MTV’s ratings care about. Over the course of the year, the show’s two breakout stars, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi and Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino, made headlines when it was revealed that Snooki was pregnant and engaged, and The Situation entered a rehabilitation center for prescription pills.
In the first episode, viewers see Snooki struggle with her decision to move back into the shore house while six months pregnant. The Situation is nervous during the group’s first night at Karma, their local club and frequent drinking spot. Fans of the show knew these were going to be pressing issues over the course of the season, but it seemed to be the only thing the other cast members would talk about for two hours. They made a bigger deal about Snooki’s pregnancy and The Situation’s sobriety than necessary.
Although, the premiere still contained all the essential Jersey Shore content: a home-made Italian dinner, drama from Ronnie and Sammi, a day full of GTL (gym, tan, laundry for those that are not familiar), tears, girls that are DTF (down to … fish), and stupid commentary from Deena. It was still great fun to watch, even though The Situation was making references to how he was trying to stay clean and made amends with others every five minutes.
With this being what MTV deems the “final season,” one hopes that all the drama was saved for this year. And by the look to the preview of tonight’s new two-hour episode, in which they showcase an enormous fight in a nightclub between the cast mates and other club-goers, our prayers might be answered.
This season promises at least one arrest (by Deena, for public drunkenness), a Guido-themed baby shower for Snooki, Deena crying over the loss of her boyfriend (even though he regularly visits), The Situation getting back to his roots by stripping for the house mates, more bar fights, and a scene too impossible to be true. Could The Situation be settling down with one girl? Tune in to MTV every Thursday night at 10 p.m. to find out!

By Mary Pickett