Like the Kardashians, the cast of Jersey Shore has defied the odds (and the haters) by extending their "15 minutes of fame" into more than a decade of relevancy.
But ten years is a long time for any reality show to remain on the air, and even if the ratings remain steady -- as they have with Shore -- there's always a chance that the franchise will be brought down by strife from within the cast.
And all it takes is one ticking time bomb like the Staten Island Hamster to blow the whole operation sky-high.
Yes, as you're probably aware, the Shore dynasty has been on the verge of crumbling ever since Angelina Pivarnick's wedding back in November of 2019.
Angelina's castmates delivered a bridesmaids' speech that stunned fans and left the bride in tears.
In context, it was actually pretty tame, but the damage was done well before fans ever laid eyes on the actual footage from that fateful night.
Long before the episode premiered, Snooki announced her retirement from Jersey Shore, attributing the decision primarily to the backlash from irate fans who felt the need to stand up for Angelina.
The night that the speech aired, Snooks confirmed her decision and reminded fans that this would be her "last episode."
This prompted Jenni to follow suit and claim that she, too, was planning to quit the show that made her famous.
“I am way to [sic] ride or die to see you leave… if you’re done, I’m done,” Farley tweeted.
“There’s no Jwoww without my Snooki.”
For obvious reasons, fans assumed that both ladies would not be returning.
From there, many jumped to the conclusion that this was the end of Shore as we knew it, as a cast made up entirely of Deena, Angelina, and a bunch of guidos who mostly sit around doing impressions of each other would probably get old pretty fast.
But just as Pivarnick was beginning to take flak for singlehandedly killing the Jersey Shore franchise, JWoww stunned fans with a surprise announcement.
"For those of you who are reality TV fans….YES, I will be getting ready to film another season of ‘Jersey Shore: Family Vacation,’” she wrote on her newly-relaunched Miss Domesticated website.
“Despite the rumors, I’ve made the decision to stick with the show and reunite once again with my second family,” Farley added, as reported by The Ashley's Reality Roundup.
It's mildly hilarious that Jenni addresses "those of you who are reality TV fans," as though there's anyone else reading her celebrity news site but that intro also speaks to why she may have chosen to return to the show without her best friend.
The fact is, Snooki and Pauly D are the two Shore OGs who have done the best job at branching out and bringing in additional revenue streams.
JWoww and the others have certainly tried (see: Miss Domesticated), but Shore remains their main cash cow.
So while Snooks may feel she has the freedom to quit the show and still maintain her relatively ritzy lifestyle, Jenni is much more tethered to MTV.
That's why, instead of quitting, Jenni is begging her BFF to sign on for another season of Shore.
"Pleaseeee tell me you have made up your mind too and will also be going back to film another season of jersey shore," Farley tweeted this week.
"I will not be returning but so excited to watch this season with all of you," Snooki replied
Yes, it sounds like Snooks is sticking to her guns on this one.
But the good news is, that means Jenni will be all the more pissed off at Angelina, which should lead to some enjoyable, wine-bottle-wielding fights!