Snooki and her merry band of orange guidos return to Seaside Heights, N.J., on Thursday night for a new season of Jersey Shore. Last season, which saw the gang recontextualized in Italy, was among the show's least popular yet. Of the 8.8 million fans who tuned in for the season premiere, just 6.6 million stuck around for the finale — the first time a Jersey Shore premiere outdrew the finale. While some loyal viewers are excited to see the gorillas back in their natural habitat in 2012, critics are rolling their eyes anew at the reality stars' tired, drunken antics. Five seasons in, is Jersey Shore on its way out?
Yes. The party's over: Sure, there are still infrequent glimmers of the charm and outrageous humor that originally won over fans, says Richard Huff at the New York Daily News. But for the most part, the drama on Jersey Shore now seems manufactured, mean-spirited, and repetitive. Tuning in to the fifth season is like showing up to a party just as the caterer is breaking down the buffet. "The event is still going, but it's not quite the same, or [as] filling." In other words, "it's time to stick a fork in the last meatball and call it a show."
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