“Jersey Shore Family Vacation” marked a milestone on Thursday by airing its 200th episode. And when Season 8 comes to an end, the MTV series will be celebrating with yet another major moment.
“The season ends with their 15-year anniversary party. It’s unbelievable. It is the first time in the history of the show that they’re all under one roof,” creator/EP SallyAnn Salsano told TheWrap. “I mean, Sam and Ron have never been in the shore house together since they broke up. Ron’s family’s there, and Sam hasn’t seen them. So much drama coming.”
This week’s episode saw Angelina, Deena, DJ Pauly D, Jenni “JWoww,” Mike “The Situation,” Nicole “Snooki,” Ronnie, Sammi “Sweetheart,” Vinny and the extended family make their way to Jamaica for their first full international cast trip since Italy.
“Jamaica really puts everything together. It makes them all reflect, I think it hit them. We never really talked about the 15th year, and then when we were all in Jamaica and it was like a month away in real time,” Salsano said. “They all just started going to this place of like, ‘We’re older. What did we even know? We were strangers. Oh my God. What is our life without this show?’ Like, they were not adults when we all met. Pauly was the oldest, and Mike, but the truth of the matter is, all of their lives were just forming.”
In honor of the milestones, the reality TV mega-producer broke down exactly why “Jersey Shore” still works so long after it debuted in December 2009.
“On a lot of shows, you’re either the villain or you’re the good person and that’s just your role on that show. But I could say in my own life, I’m every character, right? I’m all of those things depending on the situation that I’m in. I feel that way about the cast,” Salsano said. “If you look at the seasons and the arcs, they’ve all had good seasons and they’ve all had bad seasons. But in the end, that’s what makes a well-rounded, honest, real person, and I’m proud of all of that.”
“What they do is hard, being a reality star. To me, being an actor, you have a way out – ‘My hair was for the role, they made me wear that outfit, that was just the script, the writing wasn’t ideal’ – this is their life, their decisions,” she added. “If their ass looks weird in the jeans, they’re their jeans. It’s their ass. They own it. They own their look. They own their style, or lack thereof, but they own it and there’s something about that that we all have.”
And as plenty of the stars know, fame does come with its fair share of criticism. But luckily for both them and the fans, neither aspect has really changed any of the “Jersey Shore” cast since Day 1.
“Sometimes when the cast members feel that the audience is turning on them the most is actually when they’re supporting them the most, because it’s a direct correlation. They hate to see them go down, but they root so hard when they go up. It is a wild, wild, wild ride,” Salsano shared. “The demise of Mike was something, but everybody rooting for Mike now is unbelievable. Angelina is so up and down, but the audience takes the ride — it’s such a push and pull.”
And ultimately, it’s the cast’s relatability despite being over-the-top characters that makes the show such a success.
“They go out with their friends just like every person in America does. They get a break. They go out with their friends. These guys, when they get together, it’s just a little wilder than when I go out with my friends,” Salsano concluded. “I think that’s why we have this many episodes, there’s not a scripted narrative.”
“Jersey Shore Family Vacation” airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.
