Jersey Shore viewers have slammed MTV for holding out on showing Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola until the end of Thursday's show.
The network began teasing her return to Jersey Shore back in March, later revealing that her ex-boyfriend Ronnie Ortiz-Magro would also be back on the show this season.
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Despite hyping up the exes coming together for the first time in years, neither Sammi nor Ronnie appeared on Thursday's all-new episode until the final moments.
Ahead of a cast trip to Pennsylvania organized by Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, Angelina Pivarnick – desperate for an ally after falling out with Jenni "JWoww" Farley, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, and Deena Cortese – decided to take a shot in the dark and DM Sammi.
Much to her surprise, Sammi responded and agreed to meet up at her house.
The pair caught up and Sammi even agreed to meet with the rest of the cast but urged Angelina to keep her return hush-hush, saying: "I don’t know if I’m all about this yet.”
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She revealed during her meeting with Angelina that there is a bit of tension between her and some of the other ladies on Jersey Shore.
Ronnie, meanwhile, arranged his return with a meet-up at Mike's house.
Viewers, however, were left furious MTV would hold out so long, slamming the episode as "boring."
FANS GO OFF
One commenter wrote: "You know they won't show Sammi till the very end of this episode."
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Another tweeted: "If they don't bring Sammi out until the last couple minute I will rage."
A third Jersey Shore fan said: "I'm gonna watch regardless, but I'm saying it now – Sammi coming back isn't gonna be that exciting."
"This show loves a good cliff hanger. I'd be surprised if we see Sam this week," someone else shared.
One viewer added: "I'm here for Sam and she ain't here bro."
"They really gonna wait till the end to show my girl aren't they?" one person asked.
Someone else wrote: "They gonna milk the hell out of Ron and Sam return. We gonna have to wait another week..."
RONNIE'S RETURN
Ahead of Ronnie's return to Jersey Shore, viewers and members of the cast shared their thoughts.
He temporarily left the show amid legal woes and struggles with his sobriety and mental health.
He was left with strained relationships with some of his costars but no relationship was more damaged than the one between him and his ex-girlfriend Sammi, who also returned to the show in the mid-season premiere.
The full original cast has not appeared together on the iconic reality show since it debuted in 2009.
Mike reacted to the end of Ronnie's hiatus in an interview, explaining why the once-troubled star was welcomed back into the fold despite the drama.
"For many years, Ronnie was concentrating on his mental health. And I think that is a very sensitive topic and not everyone knows how to deal with that topic," he told Dexerto.
"I had, for many months, always had check-ins with Ron already… and as he continued to do the right thing, we saw Ron more and that’s why you see him on the Season this year because he, you know, continued to do the right thing.”
On May 13, 2021, Ronnie issued a statement that confirmed he was taking a step back from the show.
The reality personality said at the time: "After talking to the team at MTV, we have mutually agreed that I will step away from the show while I seek medical treatment for mental health issues that I've ignored too long.
"My number one goal now is facing my struggles head-on.
"This process will be difficult, but my #1 priority is to get healthy and be the best man and the best father I can for my daughter."
The show continued filming without him for several seasons until he decided he was well enough to return.
SHE'S BACK
In March, MTV teased Sammi's return to Jersey Shore.
The network shared the first photo of the beloved reality star filming the show.
She was seen sitting on a stool in front of a green screen surrounded by cameras.
The caption on the photo read simply: "She's still the sweetest b***h you'll ever meet."
A few months later, MTV released a new teaser poster showing Sammi in the middle while holding the infamous duck phone featured in previous seasons while the rest of the cast was tied up with the phone cord all dressed in pink.
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