Jersey Shore Family Vacation, the MTV spinoff that reunited the original Jersey Shore cast, ended with its series finale on Sept. 3, nearly 16 years after Jersey Shore first premiered in 2009. The episode centered on Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola's wedding to Justin May and a final farewell to the Seaside Heights house where the franchise began.
According to People, the finale opened with the cast meeting Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, Jenni "JWoww" Farley, Pauly D and Vinny Guadagnino gathering for an early celebration where they met Ronnie Ortiz-Magro's new girlfriend, Kirsten. The group shared their favorite memories of the reality star, and his castmates teased him that his ex-girlfriend's wedding fell on his 40th birthday. Mike even brought a wedding cake to the table to needle him about it.
A Wedding on Ronnie's Birthday
Sammi and Justin's wedding took place at Park Chateau on Ronnie's actual 40th birthday. Ronnie did not attend, choosing instead to celebrate with his family, but Pauly, Mike and Vinny had breakfast with him that morning before heading to the ceremony.
There was extra history at the venue: Angelina Pivarnick married her now-ex-husband, Chris Larangeira, at Park Chateau in 2019. She told the group she had turned down invitations to other weddings there, but made an exception for Sammi. "I've been invited to a few weddings at Park Chateau, but I declined all of them," she said. "I'm only doing this because I want to be there for Sam. That's why I said OK to this."
The wedding itself became a memorable night for the cast. Angelina caught the bouquet, while self-described "meatballs" Snooki and Deena Cortese fist-bumped on the dance floor.
Back to Seaside Heights
Two days after the wedding, the group returned to the original Jersey Shore house for a Sunday family dinner, a tradition dating back to the OG series, which ran for six seasons after its 2009 premiere. The dinner served as their official goodbye.
"For the first time, we don't know when the next family vacation is," Pauly D said in a confessional. "So, before we all leave, let's go back to where it all started."
At the house, the cast looked back on 16 years that included weddings, business ventures, sobriety journeys, pregnancies and plenty of drama. They also read letters they had written to themselves and left inside the house to open years later.
End of a 16-Year Era
The finale closed with the cast sharing a hug outside the house, echoing the ending of the original Jersey Shore series, before shouting, "Jersey Shore forever!"
Jersey Shore Family Vacation revived the original cast for MTV in 2018, following the group as they balanced adult lives, families and careers while still returning for group trips. With the Sept. 3 episode, the franchise that turned Snooki, The Situation, JWoww, Pauly D, Vinny and Sammi into reality television staples has come to a close.
What's Next in TV
Alongside its finale coverage, the outlet's television roundup pointed viewers toward other premieres in the same window, including the Love Island USA season 8 reunion on Peacock, TLC's 1000-Lb Sisters, Netflix's The Gentlemen and Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, and NBC and Peacock's The Traitors: New Blood, hosted by Alan Cumming.
