The deed was done. Though Pauly D and Ronnie tried to convince Vinny to stay in Seaside Heights, the "Jersey Shore" little brother was simply too anxious to stick it out and threw in the towel. Vin looked a little defeated as a cab took him home to Staten Island, but Deena seemed to take his leaving even worse, declaring "He was like my soul" after JWOWW spilled the beans at the club. D's tears flowed until dawn crept up over the rooftop porch, while Pauly, Snooki and Mike honored their fallen comrade with celebratory smushes. Different strokes...
After Jionni headed home in the morning, Nicole realized she'd been neglecting her duties as a meatball and declared it MEATBALL DAY! She and D celebrated with boardwalk body shots, an unplanned reunion with a Cortese sister and fear that Snooki would once again be arrested for public intoxication. By the end of the night (and after Deena laid her mutilated extensions to rest), the house was ready to throw down at the club. Mike and "The Unit" had plans to out Nicole for her supposed indiscretions, but the duo's attempt was thwarted by a rogue bar fight.
An unfortunate shift at the Shore Store the following morning drew the ire of drones Mike and Jenni, but a young Bosnian in search of hot pants (and the perfect morning-after grilled cheese) sprung Sitch into life. Meanwhile, the group back at home dialed Vinny's digits to check up on their friend, and even though Vin said he was improving, he was still far from a return to Seaside Heights. Pauly took the news especially hard, Sam said, as the DJ's 31st birthday quickly approached.
A party at Aztec helped PD and Co. ring in the momentous occasion, and just as quickly as the seven arrived, the girl with the taste for grilled cheese found Mike. But Sitch only had eyes for a scantily clad Paula, who was also on the dance floor, sending the out-of-towner into Pauly D's arms. "I'm a nice girl," she told the blowout master. And that's what we call a "foreshadow," ladies and gentlemen.
Pauly noted how persistent the girl was and decided to take her home for an Episode 3 hat trick. The power play didn't go as planned, though, and after the girl asked if she could "just talk" with the birthday boy, he gave her the boot and plowed into his early 30s in an empty bed (watch the scene again in the video below). Mike successfully continued his fling with free-spirit Paula (in spite of the Bosnian's attempt to return and run interference), and Sam pointed out she thought Mike's steady hookup could amount to something more.
Pauly woke up to find the better part of his family tree at his front door for a surprise birthday BBQ and haircut. Mike, Pauly's seemingly ignored birthday twin, started to feel left out when the celebration extended into a DelVecchio tribe dinner. Mike's disappointment spiked when he returned home and found a second cake for Pauly from the girls waiting on the counter. The guy jetted out of the house without warning, unsure if he could last through the summer being treated as the outcast.
+ Think Mike is gone for good? Tell us in the comments, and check out his thoughts on the Bosnian girl and Paula in the "Jersey Shore Hook-Up" clip below.
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