Hey, Gossip Girl fans! What did you think of the highly anticipated '80s time warp on this week's episode? Do you think it can work as a spinoff? My first reaction is lukewarm. Don't get me wrong: I love '80s music, clothes, and Andrew McCarthy as much as the next gal, and learning about young Lily is totally fascinating. But for some reason, those flashbacks didn't do as much as I thought they would for me.

Which is fine. Shows can improve over time. But as the episode progressed, I started to feel resentful of the flashbacks, and then . . . angry. I couldn't figure out where these strong emotions were coming from, and then it finally hit me: This spinoff stuff completely cheated us out of our Gossip Girl prom episode. Hello?! Proms are 90 percent of the reason I watch teen shows! Craziest of all, I didn't even realize prom was on the menu until about a third of the way into the episode. There's much to discuss, so read more.

  • Let's start with the present. Serena is still in jail. Everyone knows Lily did it. Nate, Chuck, and Blair are all peeved. Nate: "I can't believe she had her own daughter arrested. Who does that?"
  • But they're not as peeved as Serena. Check out what she says to her mother: "I would rather give my kids up for adoption than end up like you. . . . Oh wait. You did that." Harsh! But probably deserved.
  • Meanwhile, back at the Brooklyn loft, Dan, Jenny, and Vanessa are hanging out when Rufus comes storming out of his room. He's so moody and bitter after his nonproposal ("You guys are the Gossip Girl generation, don't try to pretend like you aren't interested in this gossip"). Hey, Rufus, this is more than mere gossip!
  • Aw, since Dan ruined everything last week, he calls CeCe to bail Serena out of jail, and then he takes her to prom — because even on Gossip Girl, nobody should miss prom by being behind bars.
  • Speaking of which, would Serena really just check herself back into jail? I'd think she'd run away before she'd willingly submit to incarceration.
  • It turns out Blair keeps a prom scrapbook full of hilarious princess drawings under her bed. Who would have thunk it?
  • I love how Blair thinks the idea of "prom queen" is lame and for "suburban schools" and "teen comedies" until of course she learns she's nominated.
  • Chuck maneuvers this whole dream prom scenario for Blair. Touching? Or weird? Do you wish we could have spent more time on that instead of flashing back? (Do I sound bitter?)
  • Nate and Blair's breakup has to be the tamest teen breakup I've ever witnessed. It's almost sweet!

  • Meanwhile, in the past . . . could they have shoved more obvious '80s references into the spinoff scenes? Fanny packs! Rubik's Cube! Tapes! Music videos are a "new art form!" They even insert a random '80s outfit montage that Brittany Snow works hard to sell.
  • Ew, I can't believe that Keith van der Woodsen d-bag is Eric and Serena's dad. He even had sex with Lily's sister, Carol.
  • I loved Lost's Cynthia Watros as a young CeCe! (And I especially loved her legwarmers.)
  • Do you guys find Lily's love interest, Owen, interesting/attractive/worth caring about? Or do you want to just fast-forward to the part in the future where she meets Rufus?

Are you as sad as I am that the flashbacks took away from b>Gossip Girl prom? Do you think Brittany Snow did a good job as young Lily?

Photos courtesy of The CW

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