The cheerfully low-rent dating spin-off ends with some drama.
I caught feelings forDouble Shot at Love, bro.
Then twoJersey Shorecastmates and 20 women spent 13 episodes dating toward love or whatever.
Credit: MTV
This was all obviously artificial, the AstroTurf version of a dating competition.
The house became a prison, even with the occasional getaways to a private jet or a bowling alley.
You imagined the walls smelled like laundry.
It always looked like rain outside.
There was a family visit, confused relatives shaking hands with men kissing their daughters on national television.
This very important meet-the-parents situation featured a special dinner… in the back yard!
Im a realist, Vinny said in the finale.
Im not gonna sit here and say, Im in love!'
Vinny still looks awkward on camera, which is his superpower.
Whereas Pauly D has ascended (descended?)
to a futuristic state of being: He seems to assume that he isalwayson camera.
So he was the brightest star.
Most of the women barely seemed to notice Vinny in the early weeks.
Surprisingly, that was another Vinny superpower.
And it turned into Paulys secret tragedy.
Everybody wanted to truly know him.
Double Shotexecutive producer SallyAnn Salsano imported the goofy spirit ofJersey Shorealong with her stars.
And Salsano found contestants who were pretty chill.
With one exception, everyone seemed to get along.
My favorite person on the show was Maria, who sparked gawky-sweet chemistry with Vinny.
Marias problem, I guess, was that she wouldnt open up, language that sounded like offscreen producers.
Last week, Maria got eliminated, a choice Vinny accurately regretted.
But heres whereDouble Shots secret authenticity comes in.
Pauly D and Vinny understood the synthetic quality of the show.
So, like, really: Whynotmeet the love of your life on a sex-idiot soap opera?
Stranger things have happened, and never forget how many costars marry.
So it was possible to laugh atDouble Shotand feel invested in the potential for romance.
Vinnys great life is relatable, at least.
He felt a connection with Alysse: When you ask me why, I cant even really name it.
They seem sweet together!
You could tell me theyre still dating, and you could tell me they already wound down.
But, then: Pauly, Mister Positivity, local supernova, dominating every room.
He spent the season in close prox to Nikki.
She told Pauly that she loved him; she said he knew her better than anyone ever had.
These are ludicrous statements, and yet you could buy Nikki as an ideal match.
And yet she also seemed to care entirely too much, a whiplash energy that mesmerized Pauly.
Nikki consumed me, he admitted in the finale, Consumed my energy.
For obvious reasons, I was rooting for Nikkis nemesis Derryn.
She wants to open up a club, said Pauly, and yo, hes a DJ!
I was bummed to see her eliminated, would happily watch aDouble Shotwith her and JWoww.
The final cab ceremony was held on a platform in the pool in the back yard!
It was a freezing cold night in Los Angeles.
Derryn left, leaving Pauly and Nikki staring at each other, Vinny and Alysse hugging for warmth.
Nikki looked so happy.
The final twist: Pauly chosenobody.
Hes rolling solo for now.
The soundtrack forDouble Shotleaned toward ambient party junk, songs written by a vending machine.
The final tune was legitimately catchy.
KEEP WAAAAALKING, said a computer-sounding lady tone, KEEP WAAAAALKING.
(The song is Keep Walking by the Night Pulses.)
In this very cuckoo moment,Double Shotturned sincere, even sad.
You realized Pauly had been (has always been?)
going about this dating thing wrong, sparking chemistry with everyone, walking away with nobody.
Theres too many dope things in life to do them alone, Pauly said last week.
