Even following a season that featured a prison release, an arrest for domestic violence and the most controversial wedding reception speech in reality TV history, many thought this was it for Jersey Shore.
Despite all that drama - or perhaps because of it - things have been looking bleak for the future of Snooki, Sitch & Co.
The fallout from Angelina's wedding was so severe that more than a few fans wondered if she just killed Jersey Shore.
Not so fast.
According to MTV, Jersey Shore Family Vacation (technically the name now) will be coming back for more in 2021!
It was announced on Thursday that the beloved franchise will air an unspecified number of new episodes next year.
Wrote the cable network in a press release:
On the heels of its highest-rated episode in nearly two years, MTV today announced a season four renewal of its powerhouse series Jersey Shore Family Vacation.
Last week’s season finale delivered a strong 1.11 among P18-49 (LSD) and was the highest-rated episode since 2018.
Additionally, the episode drew 1.7 million total viewers across L3, solidifying it as the #1 cable series on Thursday night.
We legit have no idea what any of that means, but it sounds like MTV is happy with and bringing the show back as a result!
The episode referenced above centered on Angelina Pivarnick's wedding to Chris Larangeira last November.
It also featured the s--t show that played out between Pivarnick and her co-stars after Snooki, Jenni "JWoww" Farley and Deena Cortese delivered a now-infamous off-color bridesmaid speech.
Snooki, JWoww and Deena repeatedly dragged the bride on her big day, receiving boos from everyone in attendance.
In the days since this finale aired, Angelina shared a revealing string of text messages sent between the various stars.
In doing so, she appeared to expose the staged nature of this infamous speech - which she initially seemed to laugh at.
The women discussed how Shore producers told them to make their toast as derogatory as possible - in order to ensure the wedding episode made for compelling television, of course.
Moreover, Angelina encouraged the insults.
On air, however, she blasted her colleagues for embarrassing her on her big day, which prompted the most shocking development:
Effing Snooki quit!
She said on air that she was sick of all the in-fighting and peaced the f--k outta there, later telling People:
"I needed to move on."
"It's just not for me anymore," she says, offering the hilarious explanation that "drama has never been my thing."
"Especially now, I don't want to leave my kids and not see them for days on end to do that."
"I want to leave and have a good time with my friends and roomies, and then come home and be a mom."
Does this mean Snooki is done for good with reality television? And will JWoww follow her "Ride or Die" out the door?
Not necessarily.
Jenni's certainly fired up about the whole Angelina situation right now, but that could blow over ... and money talks.
Besides, Snooki seems like she wanted out for more reasons than just the backlash coming from the wedding.
She's got her hands full at home, after all, and people grow up. And even the best job in the world is still a job.
"I just wasn't having fun. I want to do something that's more uplifting in my life," she added earlier this year.
"I'm definitely not done with TV," the 32-year-old mother of three added. "I'm just done with that show now."
It remains to be seen what JWoww's plans are, but clearly the network plans to run it back in '21 regardless.
This despite losing what, at one point, a girl who definitely one its most well-known, popular cast members.
Hard as it is to envision Shore without Snooki, the show has always been greater than the sum of its individual parts.
Assuming Jenni returns, she's got a lot going on, given her divorce, her romance with 24 and Pauly trying to get it in.
You know he wants to get it in so bad,
See, we told you. Just needs it in.
Anyway, part of the reason MTV brought the show back after its first run came to an end was the gang growing up.
There are still shenanigans, to be sure, but we're also dealing with some real s--t these days - not like back in '09.
The Situation is out there trying to pull his life back together after a stint in prison, and trying for a family with Lauren.
Ronnie is dealing with his own drama these days, Pauly's got a kid, Vinny's ... doing whatever it is Vinny does.
And Angelina has pretty much morphed into Kim Kardashian now, on a super random and eerily sexy note.
In other words?
There's plenty of material to go around, even if Snooki really does remain out of the picture from this day forward.