The best Jersey Shore episodes usually contain an iconic catchphrase, a knock-down fight, plenty of alcohol, and a healthy heaping of drama. Since the premiere of Jersey Shore on MTV in 2009, it has created some of the most viral moments in television history. From infamous terms, such as “grenades,” to memorable episodes that are still talked about over a decade later, the show changed reality TV for years to come. Jersey Shore set the tone for all the reality shows that followed, with its cast and drama being more relatable for many teens and young adults compared to the other shows that were on TV.
The best Jersey Shore episodes are ranked according to how many iconic moments and quotes they have, considering the fact that the series isn’t necessarily critically acclaimed. Despite critics snubbing the series, Jersey Shore is a classic reality TV show that’s still quoted. The series follows a number of young adults partying it up in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. While some cast members like Deena and Angelina were only around for a few seasons, the main cast that audiences fell in love with were JWoww (Jennifer Farley), Pauly D (Paul DelVecchio), Sammi Sweetheart (Samantha Giancola), Vinny Guadagnino, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Snooki (Nicole Polizzi), and The Situation (Michael Sorrentino).
20 One Shot — Season 1, Episode 9
One of the best Jersey Shore episodes is “One Shot,” as it spawned one of the most iconic Ronnie scenes in the series. In the installment, Pauly has something of a stalker, and the drama between Sammi and Ronnie is only just beginning. However, the main event is the fight that breaks out between the cast and another group. When another girl insults Snooki’s “Halloween costume,” most of the cast comes to her defense. Things get particularly heated when Ronnie decides to fight one of the men and knocks him out cold with one punch. While some may find this impressive, the cops obviously didn’t, and he was arrested.
19 The Hangover — Season 2, Episode 2
The aptly named installment does feature a few references to the film franchise and it’s arguably one of the best episodes of Jersey Shore. This chapter is iconic in terms of Jersey Shore history as it’s the beginning of Sammi’s full investigation into Ronnie’s womanizing ways. While both Sammi and Ronnie try to piece together the night before, none of the group is talking – yet. Ronnie certainly didn’t come out of the situation looking good, as his night included some three-way kissing and hands-on interactions with women who weren’t Sammi.
18 Dirty Pad — Season 2, Episode 9
Another one of the best Jersey Shore episodes, and possibly one of the best Angelina episodes, was also one of the grossest and saw a lot of hypocrisy from the housemates. One thing that the reality TV show made clear is that each of the cast members isn’t known for keeping the house clean. However, this installment saw the cast pointing fingers and complaining about Angelina’s cleanliness which resulted in a serious fight between her and the Situation. When she left a used menstrual pad on the bathroom floor, he put it under her pillow resulting in a fight in which he famously called her a “dirty little hamster.”
17 Where’s The Beach — Season 3, Episode 3
Many viewers will remember this as one of the best Jersey Shore episodes for its iconic ending of a hungover/drunk Snooki being arrested by the beach police on the sand. Some audiences may also remember that this was the episode where Sammi attempted to make amends with the girls, while Snooki and Deena planned to get closer to Vinny and The Situation. The house also ended up having an eventful night out between JWoww linking up with her ex-boyfriend and Deena getting kicked out of the bar 7 minutes after entry. By the end of the episode, audiences were intrigued to see how the events would affect all the housemates.
16 All In The Family — Season 2, Episode 8
Another one of the best Jersey Shore episodes sees the gang meeting Vinny’s family and Snooki getting on poorly with Angelina. Out of the many ways that Angelina upset the house during her time on the show, her “stupid” hook-up with Vinny in this particular episode doesn’t help her popularity with the other roommates. Vinny’s entire family also shows up at the house and brings them tons of food and clothing to last for weeks. But who can forget the infamous hot tub night, which ends up in Angelina hitting Snooki in the face with an inflatable volleyball? It was another action-packed episode.
15 Cabs Are Here — Season 3, Episode 7
“Cabs Are Here” is one of the best episodes of Jersey Shore because it contains one of the most famous Ronnie outbursts in the entire series and definitively proved once and for all that he and Sammi were toxic beyond belief. Tired of Ronnie’s lies and womanizing, Ronnie and Sammi’s bickering escalates, causing general tension among the rest of the cast. Things eventually come to a head and Ronnie goes completely rogue, destroying most of Sammi’s possessions. Sammi decides to leave the house, and Ronnie. However, she’s really only gone for two episodes, but this installment nonetheless marked a significant shift in her and Ronnie’s relationship.
14 The Letter — Season 2, Episode 5
The letter is infamous among Jersey Shore viewers, making this one of the best Jersey Shore episodes. In the installment, the other girls reach their breaking point with Ronnie running around on Sammi and decide to do something about it. Snooki and JWoww write an anonymous letter to Sammi, chronicling Ronnie’s exploits whenever she was away, including making out with two girls, putting his head between a coctail waitresses’ bosoms, taking a girl’s phone number, and grinding on a number of women. No one is willing to fess up to writing the letter when Sammi asks. Unfortunately, the letter was one of Jersey Shore‘s fake moments.
13 Back To The Shore — Season 3, Episode 1
This episode was one that changed the entire franchise and is one the best Jersey Shore episodes as Deena, Angelina’s replacement and Snooki’s friend, is introduced into the house. Her introduction couldn’t have come at a worse time though as her arrival coincided with the fact that there was still tension between Sammi and JWOWW. Sammi and Ronnie weren’t impressed with Deena either as they struggled to click with the new girl in the house. To make matters worse, Sammi, JWOWW, and Deena end up getting into a fight near the end. If Deena wanted to make sure her entrance was remembered, she sure got her wish.
12 Good Riddance — Season 1, Episode 3
Snooki is iconic for a lot of reasons, and one of those is her love for pickles. She expresses this early on in one of the best Jersey Shore episodes, even explaining the finer details of how she chooses to eat this delicacy. Of course, this earned the ire of the men in the house due to the food’s phallic nature, but her love for pickles – even drinking the juice straight out of the jar – became a facet of her personality and a symbol for which she’s known by. Pickles have become so connected with her character that when South Park parodied her she was holding a pickle.
11 Like More Than A Friend — Season 4, Episode 2
Another one of the best episodes of Jersey Shore sees one of the few times Deena garners some sympathy. Florence was a crazy ride for all the housemates, especially for Deena, who was seen to become interested in Pauly D after they shared a kiss. When this news reaches the rest of the house, they are seen to express their concerns over the situation and worry that Deena will fall for Pauly D. Especially since he makes it clear that he doesn’t reciprocate her feelings. To make matters worse, Pauly D and the rest of the house decide to make fun of Deena for attempting to “cuddle” with The Situation.
10 The Tanned Triangle — Season 1, Episode 2
“The Tanned Triangle” introduces audiences to the memorable pre-game concoction known as Ron Ron Juice, making this one of the best episodes of Jersey Shore. Ron Ron Juice was a staple at every Jersey Shore themed party in the 2010s considering it’s not that difficult to make. Ronnie didn’t reveal his recipe until a reunion episode, but the specialty cocktail was made famous from the series. The episode also sees Snooki in her earliest arc of feeling like an outcast and the gang still getting to know each other. It showcases their very first night out at Karma, which must be seen to be believed.
9 Going to Italia — Season 4, Episode 1
The season premiere finds the cast relocating from their usual Seaside Heights home to a new “home” in Florence, Italy and it turned out to be one of the best Jersey Shore episodes. Iconic moments from this installment include JWOWW’s bronzer exploding in her luggage, Snooki struggling to convert her money to the correct currency, and Deena falling on the way to the bus. As everyone arrives, successful DJ Pauly D starts the celebration with limoncello while Deena talks about getting with him. On top of this, The Situation develops feelings for Snooki, who is warned by Ronnie not to try anything on her since she is in a relationship.
8 Boardwalk Blowups — Season 1, Episode 6
While every cast member wasn’t afraid to throw hands, Ronnie was by far the most hot-headed of the group, and one of the best Jersey Shore episodes sees his first big blowout brawl. However, the episode also launched one of the most famous phrases spoken in the 2010s: “Come at me, bro.” In the episode, the group are at the boardwalk and Ronnie and Sammi are being antagonized by a drunk guy. Sammi starts verbally sparring with his girlfriend Ronnie tackles him out of nowhere and Sammi tries to deescalate
7 Hurricane Situation — Season 5, Episode 1
This is the first episode back in America for the cast, who just spent a crazy summer in Italy. With everyone returning to their old rooms, The Situation confronts his roommates and promises to start on a clean slate, specifically to not cause any more issues with Ronnie and Sammi — because he has a new target. Things go well until The Situation infamously claims that “Hurricane Situation is heading for Snooki Island.” No one really believed the truce to last very long, but as one of the best episodes of Jersey Shore it contained a ton of relationship drama between the triangle that was Mike, Snooki, and Jionni.
6 Fade To Black — Season 1, Episode 4
One of the best episodes of Jersey Shore was “Fade to Black,” and it saw one of the most controversial and harrowing events of season 1, if not the entire show. The installment also saw fist pumping for the first time, a “dance” that’s commonly associated with the series and was an all-time favorite for audience members hitting the clubs in the 2010s. “Fade To Black” saw Snooki get into an argument with a man at a bar, accusing him of stealing drinks. What did this man do? He punched her in the face. This incident had reverberating consequences for Jersey Shore and subsequently put the series on the map.
5 And The Wall Won — Season 4, Episode 5
While there had been many fights on Jersey Shore, none of them were as memorable as the one between Ronnie and The Situation — or rather, in one of the best Jersey Shore episodes, the Situation and the wall. After a major fight between Ronnie and The Situation ends in the latter smacking his head into a concrete wall to amp himself up, Mike realizes he may have a concussion. The episode also sees another side of Mike as he opens up about feeling alienated by his roommates. Mike wasn’t the only one questioning their place as Ronnie also contemplated returning to America after apologizing to the house.
4 Meatball Mashup — Season 4, Episode 7
In one of the best Jersey Shore episodes, viewers find that Sooki is at the center of the drama when she ends up contemplating what to do about her future with Jionni. After getting into an argument with Jionni, “Team Meatball” decides to start the evening by drinking, drunk shopping, and having a day of dancing. The show implied there was going to be more drama between Jionni and Sooki, especially after she and Deena kissed, and Jersey Shore certainly delivered. However, the drama was further amped up as Snooki soon found herself in even more trouble when she gets arrested after driving into a cop car.
3 Love At The Jersey Shore — Season 5, Episode 7
There was a lot going on in this installment, making it one of the best episodes of Jersey Shore. While JWOWW and her boyfriend, Roger, continue to fight, Deena and Snooki bake a cake for their Shore Store manager, Danny, since they ditched their work shift to drink at the bar. However, after a piece of cake is missing before they can take it to Danny, chaos ensues after everyone points fingers at The Situation. Although Pauly D ends up confessing, it proves to be too late as Mike has already begun planning his revenge against Snooki by attempting to expose Snooki’s alleged cheating on her boyfriend, Jionni.
2 Fist Pumps, Pushups, Chapstick — Season 4, Episode 6
A lot happened in the season 4 installment “Fist Pumps, Pushups, and Chapstick,” but keeping audiences entertained from beginning to end makes this one of the best Jersey Shore episodes. The installment sees Pauly and Vinny put on an outlandish “Guido-themed” comedy show, which, in a bid for complete irony, mostly sees them poking fun at themselves. This is a much-needed comedic break as the other plot threads in the installment see Ronnie and Sammi trying to repair their awful relationship and Snooki up in arms over the tumultuous nature of her own long-distance relationship.
1 Crime And Punishment — Season 4, Episode 4
The Jionni/Snooki/Mike drama took center stage in what is one of the best episodes of Jersey Shore, as The Situation decides to show his true colors and start some drama by telling the guys he hooked up with Snooki. Snooki isn’t happy when she hears what he has been saying as she feels that this could jeopardize her relationship with Jionni. Snooki admits that she turned down The Situation’s many advances and is just causing drama since she refused to hook up with him. Even though things seemed fixed at dinner, Snooki and The Situation are shown not being on speaking terms with a lot of tension between them.