Is there such a thing as a drama-free reunion on a Jersey Shore episode? The series carries the guilty-pleasure label, mainly due to the outlandish nature of Jersey Shore Family Vacation, its previous iteration, and the multiple spinoffs.
Jersey Shore Family Vacation Season 7 is already eventful, and given the characteristics of some of the show’s more dramatic personalities, future drama is inevitable.
According to Jenni Farley (JWOWW), the second half of Season 7 will likely contain more than enough to appease the drama-starved masses with the return of Ronnie Ortiz-Magro and his interactions with the rest of the cast, including Sammi.
“When I tell you that your jaw will hit the floor, your jaw will hit the floor. I have goosebumps right now.”
-Jenni Farley
I mean, it’s rarely a pretty sight when exes run into each other in real life. A show tailored explicitly for maximizing dramatic effect, raging scream-fests, and surprising sexual twists will probably take this reunion to the next level.
Is anyone surprised? While the reunion is the focal point of Season 7’s second half, it’s not the only thing that will have fans talking for weeks, if not months, following the season finale.
Angelina Is Stirring Things Up From Within, and Without
No one watches Jersey Shore Family Vacation without fully understanding that Angelina is a wild card. Her relationship with Vinny Tortorella may or may not be on the chopping block this season, but expect a turn for the worse.
“I’m not going to watch it because I just don’t think I can do it.”
-Angelina Pivarnick
Angelina is apparently worrying about reliving the experience, which doesn’t bode well for her relationship with Vinny.
Shortly after the first half of Season 7 ended, Freehold Township Police officers arrested Angelina, charging her with simple assault, criminal mischief, obstructing the administration of the law, and resisting arrest.
Who she attacked and why isn’t clear, but since the incident took place in her New Jersey home she shares with Vinny, it’s easy enough to guess. Her attorney is blaming her medication, but either way, absolutely no one is wearing their shocked face.
All we do know is that Vinny Tortorella was present throughout. Angelina has since gone on to host Deja Vu Kalamazoo, a national strip club competition, all while criminal charges are lingering in the background of every appearance.
Is a full-fledged meltdown on the way?
Will Ronnie Make Amends?
Ronnie returned to Jersey Shore in the first half of the season at an ill-timed moment. He is perpetually apologizing, while his ex, Sammi Giancola, is now engaged to Justin May, whom Vinny believes remarkably resembles Ronnie.
As cringeworthy as such a collaboration sounds, it wasn’t altogether bad when they all met in the same room the first time. But the crew is heading to Las Vegas, New York City, and Miami.
You already know this means lots of partying, lots of alcohol, and lots of drama. Seeing how this newfound, tenuous alliance will hold up will be interesting.
“Now, the nerves are starting to hit me.”
-Ronnie
Sammi and Angelina aren’t exactly seeing eye to eye right now, either. No one should ever put it past Angelina to stir up trouble in an already slightly uncomfortable scenario.
One of the biggest advert draws heading into the second half of the season is Jersey Shore returning to its roots. Translation: Party and sex. Lots of both, in no particular order.
However, it’s not all on Ronnie to determine how well things go. Put three people in a box, and two will figure out how to ostracise one. How Sammi and Justin continue to react will play its part.
Angelina Vs. Sammi
If you kept up with the first half of Jersey Shore, Angelina and Sammi aren’t exactly holding hands and singing kumbaya. Without grinding out the details of their spat, the end of the first half didn’t produce a concrete resolution or a sense of permanence.
It’s hard to turn attention away from Angelina. For good or bad, love her or hate her; she’s the unpredictable wildfire of the entire series.
Take a gander across social media, and anywhere that includes a conversation about any of the cast members ultimately devolves into spats over Angelina. Deena + JWOWW = Angelina. Sammi + Ronnie = Angelina.
She’s like the black hole of the reality TV universe, casually unnoticed at times, the center of attention at others, but constantly drawing everything in. Sammi certainly has her faults, and Angelina will straighten up for certain periods, only to descend back into the madness of turmoil.
On any given day, Sam can apply a little bit of pressure on one of the other personalities, resulting in no harm or foul. But that doesn’t work with Angelina. One thimble of unwanted pressure, she’s off to the races, burning rubber with no brake pads.
It’s easy to chalk off their spat by becoming absorbed in the Ronnie-Justin-Sammi triangle, but it’s just about guaranteed never to be that simple.
Mike’s Book Tour
Stuff like this helps mellow the show out. It needs it. Sticking with the above storylines for too long is an exercise in exhaustion.
Season 7 of Jersey Shore Family Vacation is not the first time Mike has opened up about his drug addiction. He even went through a stint in rehab back in 2015.
Now, he has a new book covering his reckless behavior and exorbitant spending on his habit over the years. It’s a feel-good story and, hopefully, a welcome break from the incessant absurdities saltating from the rest of the group.
At least, we hope so. Reality Check: Making the Best of The Situation — How I Overcame Addiction, Loss, and Prison reveals the details of the vast expense of Mike’s habit — roughly half a million dollars down the drain.
“When you think of that number, when you hear that number, that’s a good college fund right there. I gotta just be accountable and be like, yeah, that happened.”
That’s more than a “good college” fund, at least for most Americans. However, if Mike’s book improves a single life, then it’s worth the effort of writing it (assuming it’s not ghostwritten) and heading out on a book tour.
Of course, it’s important to remember that throughout Jersey Shore’s history, Mike has never been one to keep a secret, and he has a subtle habit of undermining and twisting dramatic scenarios.
Snooki’s DNA Test
Snooki (Nicole Polizzi) was an adopted child, so naturally, she’s interested in the possibility that she has siblings running around out there.
“I don’t even know where I came from, to be honest. I’m adopted, so I could be birthed from like, dragons and squirrels.”
-Nicole Polizzi (Snooki)
While the above snippet doesn’t reveal whether or not Snooki has siblings, we discover that she is not related to JWOWW and wants to have a baby. This apparently made JWOWW physically ill, of course, in a funny way. Maybe.
Pauly D’s Engagement and Another Reunion (Sort of)
Currently dating Pauly, Nikki Hall hasn’t been a part of Jersey Shore since season 5. Double Shot of Love and her ongoing relationship with Pauly (along with an off-and-on relationship with Jersey Shore) have been her primary claims to fame.
However, it’s apparent that Nikki has stepped back from reality TV, at least for the time being. Fairly or unfairly, Nikki was subjected to quite a bit of fan animosity. Fortunately, that hasn’t stopped her from considering a comeback.
She’s been on set, filming with the rest, and is expected to return for the second half of Season 7. Some of the fanbase hopes the two will get engaged in one of the upcoming episodes.
“I really can’t tell you exactly how their story ends or what’s gonna happen in the season, but I can tell you that I think this year, that someone’s gonna get down on one knee.”
-Mike Sorrentino (The Situation)
The Rest of the Crew
Angelina, Sammi, Ronnie, Mike, and Justin all carry the largest portion of the drama load, but it’s not likely that the second half of Jersey Shore will begin and end with them.
Speaking of drama, the first few seconds of the trailer reveal a “feast of peace,” which sounds altogether frightening for this group. Something tells me that a feast for peace will last about as long as the first bite.
In fact, Snooki immediately puts that entire idea to rest. At some point, all of the above are stuck on a yacht. That means there is no escape unless someone wants to go swimming.
Sammi is well into the IVF process, and that journey should be an interesting one that is hopefully free of any stress, anxiety, and drama.
Snooki seems to have a real problem with someone at the club. Whether that will become a big deal or just another example of a drunken night out on the town remains to be seen.
Vinny attempts to reinvent himself from a mildly entertaining reality show celeb to a comedian. If the trailer is any indication, he has a very, very long way to go.
For what it’s worth, the biggest drama of the season will likely end up playing second fiddle to something else we haven’t seen coming. There’s only one way to find out!
Comment below to let us know what you think about some of the ongoing choices and events in Season 7 of Jersey Shore!
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