Jersey Shore, Abridged: Domesticity Replaces Partying and Fucking, But Ron's Shit Remains
EntertainmentIn Jersey Shore, Abridged, Jezebel planned to recap the first season, and maybe the entire series, of Jersey Shore in 3 to 5 sentences followed by viewing comprehension questions and therapeutic prompts. An editorial decision was made to jump ahead to the latest season because rewatching the entire series was bad for my brain and heart. This series is in honor of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation and me, for my decision to watch and appreciate Jersey Shore for the first time. Please enjoy.
Season 1, Episode 1:
The words “we are back” are repeated multiple times by different roommates throughout the episode. Our cast is indeed back, minus Sammy, who has wisely declined to participate. It is a healthy decision, to put distance between yourself and an ex-partner with whom you spent eight years cycling in and out of dysfunction and violence, but it is treated among the housemates as a mistake to be corrected. Family, after all, never says no to a reunion. In the years since the last season, the women of the series have settled into domesticity: Snooki and JWoww are married with children, Deena is recently married. Their obligations to others set them apart from the men, who appear largely untouched by time in this regard. The exception here is the Situation, whose legal troubles and newfound sobriety have helped him gain perspective. In this new role, one of amends-making and accountability-seeking, he replaces Snooki as the emotional heart of the series.