Holy mother of meatballs, it's finally here. The "Jersey Shore Hook-Up: Live Edition" is happening tonight at midnight. We're setting up shop in MTV's Times Square studio, and we'll be bringing you live updates--and pics--from inside the show, all freakin' night long. Want me to weasel my way into the action such that I become an annoyance to the entire cast? Done! I'm here for you guys!
HERE'S THE ACTION AS IT HAPPENS:
12:51 And that's all from Times Square! Hope you enjoyed the show, and make sure to check back soon for the latest from Season 5.
12:50 Pauly leads the group out with a toast, AND EVERYONE IS YELLING AHHH WOO YEAHH AHAAA!
12:43 An MTV staffer is carefully trying to balance five glasses of champagne in preparation for a final toast. I don't want his job.
12:42 Guess who said this? "When I'm at home I fall a lot. I fell into a bush the other day."
12:41 Updates! No, Mike does not talk to Brittany anymore.
12:40 We're 40 minutes in, and the guys are still giving Vinny a hard time about his purple pants. It's Spirit Day, get off him!
12:38 We see you, SSCM.
12:37 Someone named "Sesame Street Cookie Monster" just sent in a fan question. We have no idea what they asked because the audience laughter was too loud, but we love the Twitter handle.
12:36 Whoa, Kenny brought up Russ, the guy Snooki fell asleep with on the beach a million moons ago. Flashback! Elsewhere, Deena is sure she knows that girl--you know--the one from North Jersey..? Yeah, the one from North Jersey!
12:33 It's GAME TIME!!! We're looking at the lucky peeps that have shacked up with the cast. Vin says, "Wait, are these real people?"
12:32 I'm pretty sure Vinny just said something really salacious that we're almost uncomfortable writing. Fine, we will. Only because it's the reason we're here...We changed our mind. You'll have to catch the show On Demand.
12:31 Pauly says he's taking auditions for a girl. Clean up your head shots, ladies. Send 'em to us first. We'll help facilitate. (JK, don't do that.)
12:29 Pauly and Vin are having a major bromance moment. "Look at that face," Pauly says from across the set. #FPC. Never forget.
12:26 JWOWW shares a story you never saw--a terrible accident at the pizza place landed her at the hospital with a pretty severe hand burn. Deena says employees "like, flung" the pizzas around the shop, and the work environment was more dangerous than she originally was led to believe.
12:22 JWOWW's on deck. Kenny says she looks radiant--she does--and wants to know if she and Roger are getting hitched. She laughs and says the whole thing--which thing?--was a joke. Now the pressure's on Snooki. Same question...She says maybe one day, but she's still young.
12:21 Snooks says her favorite memory is going out in pajamas without makeup--OMG, is that a "thing" now? Please say YES!
12:15 Mike's giving the play-by-play on the Big Wall That Could (take him down). OK, that was lame, but we've heard this story once or twice.
12:12 Snooki just said some...not nice things to Mike...which stems back to the pair's drama in Italy. We're kinda uncomfortable right now...not gonna lie. Mike says he misses his friendship with Snooks, but it doesn't look like the feeling is mutual. Can we please move on from this topic? This. Is. Weird.
12:09 Pauly breaks the awkward silence after Kenny probes SamRon to spill the juice. Are they are or aren't they ... Sam's response is "cricket." She actually said that.
12:07 We can hear people outside screaming because we're streaming live above Times Square. Kinda wish we could go down there and holler with the fans...
12:05 Two minutes in and Vin makes the room laugh by saying the season was "educational," and Snooki said the special "Meatball Sauce" was vodka sauce and nothing but vodka sauce.
12:04 OMG can she hear us? She just played with her ear!
12:03 Um, hai. We are loving Snooki's earrings right now. We seriously want them.
12:01 But now we are!
11:57 Pauly keeps screaming "We're live, people!" We're...not yet. They are playing really fast house music, and it's making all of us in the studio type really fast. A producer just shouted, "3 minutes!" So you know what that means....
11:55 One of Pauly's friends--maybe Jerry--just asked me if I have an extra iPhone charger for Pauly. If only...
11:53 Pauly D just walked in, made SERIOUS eye contact with me and said, "Is this the control room?" Yessss, we spoke. Kilimanjaro: scaled.
11:44 The photographer just asked the cast to squeeze into a really small gray couch. He takes a few shots before Vin flashes his shirt. We got what we needed, now off to the studio.
11:34 Snooki's in makeup! Gettin' a good glimpse of that Guidette glow! Did you see that makeup tutorial in the Dailies? She knows how to get the perfect amount of blush on those cheekbones.
11:26 Time for a commercial break--and Vinny makes a rush for the antipasti! An insatiable hunger...
11:25 Pauly is teasing Deena about her voluminous hair in the reunion. Her response? "It's Jerseylicious." Absolutely is, D-Nicole. He, meanwhile, is wearing purple in support of Spirit Day. A round of applause for this DJ.
11:24 Deena is touching up her makeup while watching the reunion.
11:23 Snooki just asked me if she could squeeze by to get to the restroom. Don't mind me, just trying to catch your likeness in a photo!
11:17 In the green room! Jenni is getting her makeup done.
11:12 Here we go! I just spotted Pauly and Vin--both sporting purple--heading to the green room. I'm on my way now to snap some photos. Be back!
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Photos: Brendan Tobin