Here's How Snooki Made Her Triumphant and Emotional Return to Jersey Shore

Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi just couldn't stay away from "Jersey Shore: Family Vacation."

After taking a season off from the show following the fallout from the wedding speech debacle at Angelina Pivarnick's reception, Snooki made her big return to the series on Thursday's new episode.

Her on-camera reunion with the rest of the cast coincided with Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino's five-year sober-versary, as his wife Lauren reached out to Jenni "JWoww" Farley to help plan a surprise for him. Instead of yet another Zoom call, she organized a "hardcore drive-by," recruiting Vinny Guadagnino, Deena Nicole Cortese and Angelina to join her outside Mike's home -- while Pauly D and Ronnie Ortiz-Magro sent in a video to be played on a mobile billboard.

On a "super long shot," she also invited Nicole, leaving her a voicemail about their plans -- "even though," she added, "I know she won't most likely come."

Before showing up at Mike's, the rest of the group talked amongst themselves about how far Sitch has come since his early days on the show. "Was that even the same person? How can one go through such a transformation?" wondered Vinny, who revealed Sorrentino's substance abuse got so bad, "there were years I did not even speak to Mike at all."

Meanwhile, Snooki filmed herself getting ready to surprise them all at the driveby. In a self-recorded confessional, she exclaimed, "It's happening! So I'm going to Mike's right now, he has no idea about the surprise party ... and the roomies, none of them have any idea I'm coming. It's going to be a s---show, let's get started!"

Finally, it was time for the big reveal. As Mike and Lauren got on a Zoom with Ronnie and Pauly, they heard honking outside and came out to find Jenni, Zack, Deena, Chris, Angelina and Vinny. Ron and Pauly also sent a pizza truck to the house.

But then one more car zipped around the corner -- with Nicole in the drivers seat. The entire group was shook and Jenni ran over to hug Snooki immediately.

"I'm literally hysterically crying because I did not think this moment would happen, ever," she exclaimed. The episode ended with Mike in tears ... and Angelina in the wings, waiting for her first face-to-face confrontation with Nicole since the wedding.

"Jersey Shore: Family Vacation" airs Thursdays on MTV.