For better or worse, the now-iconic MTV reality series Jersey Shore was a game-changer for all of reality television. The series started out as a simple docu-drama about some young New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island natives journeying down to Seaside Heights, New Jersey for the summer vacation of their lives. Little did anyone know that this wild party atmosphere and these uniquely charming castmates would go on to become one of the most successful reality TV shows in history.
Although Jersey Shore was a smashing ratings success for all six seasons, it comes as no surprise that some seasons of the series are more beloved than others. How does each season rate, according to IMDb average score?
Season 6 - 4.58 Average
It's unfortunate but not very surprising that the final season of the original Jersey Shore series is also rated the lowest by IMDb fans. Although the season did feature a lot of the classic Seaside drama that fans had come to know and love, by this point it was obvious that a lot of the cast in the series were over it, ready to move on, or simply needed to move on as a result of major life changes.
On the one hand, it was wonderful to see Nicole settle down a sober and stable guy, however it was also obvious that a lot of the major players in the show just didn't fit into the show's format anymore.
Season 1 - 4.89 Average
While the lower rating of the show's final season doesn't come as a huge shock, the low rating of the inaugural season of the series is a bit more of a surprise. While the show certainly evolved and intensified over the years, and fans likely got to know and love each individual cast member as time went on, there's no denying that the first season of Jersey Shore was an absolute game-changer.
Angelina came and went quickly enough to make everyone's head spin, and it seemed like the roommates didn't form a significant bond until Nicole's horrific assault during a night out on the boardwalk. The show wasn't a success from the first episode, but as the season went on the ratings and popularity of the series skyrocketed.
Season 2 - 5.00 Average
Season 2 marked an interesting turning point in the saga of Jersey Shore. By the time it began filming the show was a bonafide smash hit, so the cast couldn't exactly keep it low-key when they abandoned the northeast for hot and sunny Miami.
Angelina made a not-so-triumphant return that once again ended with her making an early exit, but of course, the driving force of drama in this season was the animosity between Sam, Jenni, and Nicole. Ironically, despite the fact that Ron was the only person truly misbehaving in Miami, when Snooki and J-Woww tried to anonymously blow the whistle on him, Sammi turned on the girls instead. The roommates came to blows multiple times this season, and overall it was an entertaining entry into the Jersey Shore annals.
Season 3 - 5.14 Average
After the final Deena Nicole Cortese. She certainly made a memorable and feisty entrance, and although she initially got off on the wrong foot with Sam and Ron, they eventually all became friends.
Once again, the drama between Ron and Sam was a driving force behind the season as well, that Snooki and J-Woww had been telling her the truth the whole time and Ron had been playing her out in Miami caused a ton of conflict.
Season 5 - 5.28 Average
Although the audience obviously disagreed, the Jersey Shore crew couldn't have been more excited to leave Italy and return to the familiar Seaside shore. Obviously the back-to-back filming had been stressful on everyone, but Vinny had a particularly tough time rebounding from his trip to Italia and decided to bail on the show early on in the season.
Mike also went really far out of his way to stir the pot with the other roommates this season, which was a success in the sense that it made the storylines of the season more interesting but was a failure for Mike personally, as nearly everyone in the house could barely stand to be around him.
Season 4 - 5.30 Average
Although the stars of Jersey Shore seemed to have the most stressful season when they took a long sojourn across the Atlantic and filmed season 4 in Florence, Italy, the season wound up being a resounding success with the show's fans.
The Shore squad may have experienced quite a bit of culture shock on their vacation to Italy, but the drama was amped up to the highest it had really ever been. Of course there was Ron and Sam drama, Nicole's complete meltdown over Jionni became one of the most iconic moments in Jersey Shore history, and the fact that Mike managed to lose a fight against a literal wall was really the cherry on top of this nonstop intense season.