Will you ever be able to watch Jersey Shore the same way again following Snooki's big announcement that she's both pregnant and engaged? Is our hard-partying meatball gone for good?
Well, that remains to be seen, as this season was filmed way before her happy news arrived, but how appropriate that this week's episode is all about how in love Snooki and now-fiancé Jionni really are?
It all starts with last week's bombshell that Mike is finally going to tell Jionni about his alleged hook-up with Snooki before Italy. Jionni will be mad, right? We'll see fireworks? He'll march upstairs, confront Snooki and demand to know the truth? Clearly, that's what Mike is hoping for, but sadly for him, he has to make do with no response but a handshake.
A whole season's worth of build-up to this moment concludes with Jionni calmly nodding his head while Mike talks, before disappearing off upstairs to cuddle with a sleepy Snooki and say how laughable he found the entire story.
Mike has to make do with telling himself that Jionni's lack of reaction means he just doesn't care about Snooki, a theory which Sammi and the guys seem to share. The next theory is that Jionni doesn't care because he's hooking up with girls on the side. "Their relationship is a joke," decides Pauly D.
But, while Jionni is taking the news well, Snooki is seriously annoyed at Mike's betrayal and tells him he's a "psycho" and there is no way they will ever be friends again. Side note: we learn Jionni hates starting arguments and confrontations, while Snooki is more than willing to start throwing pickles around to defend herself. Maybe opposites really do attract…
For his part, Mike remains calm. "I couldn't look your boyfriend in the eye, take shots and be friends knowing that had happened," he says. "I want you to go f**king die and rot in a hole!" screams Snooki. "Well, that's not very nice," chides Mike.
They manage to get their frustrations with each other out later that night in the civilised, grown-up manner of a messy food fight. Snooki's armed with milk and screaming "You like milk, Popeye?" Mike's going into battle with ketchup and mustard. God help whoever has to tidy the Shore House.
Bottom line is that Snooki's furious at Mike (aka the "worst friend" she's ever had), Mike thinks he's done nothing wrong and has ultimately won the war.
Whatever. Snooki's confident she and Jionni will be just fine. "Me and Jionni are getting married when he proposes," she declares. "I don't know when he'll do it, but it better be in the future."
One person not so happy with Snooki's loved-up state, however, is Deena, who feels like "one meatball standing alone" now that her best friend is wrapped up in a relationship.
It all comes to a head when Deena arranges a date with Joey, who, obviously, the housemates can't stand. In fact, they're so against the match that Pauly gets on the phone with Joey to tell him Deena's sick and can't come out.
"What a joke," fumes Joey, who's been waiting outside on the street for her to come out. That comment clearly irks Jenni who thinks he should be offering chicken soup and soda, so he gets an earful from her when he calls back and is politely told Deena won't recover from her illness, so bye bye.
An emotional and tearful Deena just wants to let loose on a big night out, but Snooki's upstairs cuddling with Jionni. She heads off with Jenni, Sammi and Ronnie instead, where it emerges both she and Jenni miss spending time with Snooki.
They get the chance to voice those thoughts when Snooki comes up with the genius idea to go camping. The gang - minus Pauly and Vinny - head off to the woods to pitch tents and chat around a campfire, where Snooki says that she's sorry her friends feel that way, but she's in love: "Don't make me feel guilty."
So, while it's getting pretty heavy out in the wilderness (or wherever they are), back at the house Pauly and Vinny clearly have too much time on their hands as they plan the mother of all pranks, even roping in Shore Store owner Danny and his friends to help them.
The basic idea is they're flipping the house inside out, so the living room furniture is going in the patio, the patio stuff is coming inside, etc. How will the other housemates react? Guess we'll find out next week…
Jersey Shore airs Thursdays at 10/9c on MTV
