How Sammi Sweetheart's Return Saved Jersey Shore (2024)

The Big Picture

Sammi's return to Jersey Shore: Family Vacation saved the show, bringing new dynamics and real emotions to the episodes.
Sammi's debut on the spin-off show marked the first time all five female roommates filmed together, creating an entirely new dynamic.
Sammi's return gave the show a sense of nostalgia, bringing back the excitement and unknown that was missing before.

It was over ten years since Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola last filmed for Jersey Shore before she finally made her long-awaited return. Sammi was one of the original roommates when Jersey Shore first aired back in 2009. She remained on the reality show for all six seasons. Then, when the cast reunited in 2018 for the spin-off show Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, Sammi opted out of the opportunity, leaving fans quite disappointed.

Sammi was best known for her toxic on-again-off-again relationship with co-star, Ronnie Ortiz Magro. The two began dating early on in the first season of Jersey Shore. They continued to date on and off throughout the entire duration of the original series. Throughout their time filming, the couple had numerous messy, and at times violent, fights. Despite the constant break-ups and fights, neither Ronnie nor Sammi ever felt the need to stop filming alongside their roommates because of it, even when it caused issues within the house. They continued to date following the conclusion of season 6; however, they ultimately called it quits for good not long after the show ended.

When each of the roomies were contacted regarding returning for a spin-off show, Sammi was the only one to turn down the opportunity. At the time, Sammi was in a new relationship and did not want to be put in a toxic situation by filming alongside Ronnie yet again. One year after the spin-off premiered, Sammi announced she was engaged to her then-boyfriend. They later called it quits before tying the knot. While fans understood why Sammi no longer wanted to be associated with the show, they truly missed watching her alongside the rest of the cast every Jerz-day.

How Sammi Sweetheart's Return Saved Jersey Shore (1)

Jersey Shore: Family Vacation

TV-14

Reality TV

Past members of the cast of "Jersey Shore" reunite to live together and go on vacation in Miami and other destinations.

Release Date: April 5, 2018
Cast: Paul "Pauly D" DelVecchio , Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino , Vinny Guadagnino , Deena Nicole Cortese
Main Genre: Reality TV
Seasons: 7

Sammi's Debut On 'Jersey Shore: Family Vacation' Saved Show

How Sammi Sweetheart's Return Saved Jersey Shore (2)

Sammi's Return to 'Jersey Shore’ May Not Be Permanent

Is Sammi Sweetheart back for good, or will “toxic situations” chase her away again?

Before Sammi's return to filming, Jersey Shore: Family Vacation was starting to become repetitive and a lot less entertaining. Nearly every season was the same. There would be one large event that the entire season would revolve around. Every episode of the season would tease that event while also building up the suspense for the episode in which it finally took place. Additionally, the episodes were beginning to feel scripted and staged. With Sammi's return came a new personality as well as all-new, real, scenarios. This was her first time coming face to face with her former roomies in many years. Not only had she not seen them, Sammi had also not spoken to most of them. She had even blocked some of the roomies, such as Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, on social media. Therefore, when she stunned everyone by returning to the show, Sammi had some real-life issues to hash out with the other cast members. This brought real conversations and real emotions to the show, making the episodes perceived as less scripted than many of the past seasons.

Sammi's Return Marked the First Time All Roommates Filmed Together

How Sammi Sweetheart's Return Saved Jersey Shore (4)

When Sammi joined the cast to film for Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, it was the first time that all five female roommates had filmed together; however, Sammi had filmed with each of them in the past. When Jersey Shore first started in 2009, Angelina Pivarnick was the fourth female roommate. She ultimately left the show very early on in the season. She then returned for season 2 before ultimately doing the same thing yet again. With Angelina permanently off of the show, Deena Cortese joined the cast in her place for season 3. Therefore, although Sammi has filmed with both Angelina and Deena, she has never filmed with them together. Additionally, Sammi, Deena, Angelina, Nicole, and Jenni "JWoww" Farley had never all filmed together for the show until Sammi made her debut on Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. This showed the ladies in an entirely new dynamic than what fans have seen for the last decade.

Like the rest of the cast, Sammi is in an entirely different stage of her life than when she last filmed for the show. She is now in a healthy and happy relationship with someone outside the show. She is also a business owner and has matured. Just like it was exciting to see the rest of the cast take on filming for the spin-off show nearly six years after the original show ended, Sammi's return gives off the same type of excitement for viewers. There was initially so much unknown about her rejoining the cast, such as if she would get along with the roommates, how she would act, and how long she would remain on the show. To no surprise, after talking through some past issues, the cast picked up where they last left off. This ultimately made the show feel quite nostalgic, which it had been missing for quite some time.

As Sammi heads into her second season filming for Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, she will ultimately come face to face with her ex, Ronnie. This will be the first time ever that all nine roommates will be filmed together. As Ronnie will soon return to the show as well, it is unclear how much longer Sammi will remain on the show. There is a chance that she will continue to film but opt out of filming alongside Ronnie. Or, there is also a chance that Sammi and Ronnie find a way to leave their past in the past and be civil enough to film together with the rest of the cast.

Jersey Shore: Family Vacation season 7 will premiere on MTV on February 8, 2024, at 8pm EST. All seasons of Jersey Shore are currently available for streaming on Paramount+.Watch On Paramount+.