Last night was the triumphant and highly anticipated premiere of "Gossip Girl [0]." Having never read the books, I came into the series with zero knowledge of what to expect — and I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. What can I say, Josh Schwartz [0] just has a way of making me want to watch privileged youth. So salacious! So scandalous! So full of beautiful people! I'm very interested to hear what fans of the books thought about the pilot, but here are a few of my snap judgments:

• I think the casting was perfect. I know that the character of Jenny isn't anything like she was described in the books, but how could you not love Taylor Momsen? She was Cindy Lou Who in The Grinch! I feel a little bad for Ed Westwick, who plays Chuck [0], because as of last night he will never, ever not be sleazy in my mind. No matter what other roles he gets in life.
• Absolutely loved the music — especially in the opening scene. It had me smiling and whistling along to Peter Bjorn and John's "Young Folks" before our Gossip Girl narrator even chimed in.
• Um, teen drinking much? Call me a fogey, but I was surprised by how freely the CW showed all the underage boozing. Then again, at the beginning of "The OC [0]" the kids drank a lot, but it was definitely phased out as the show went on. I wonder if these rich Manhattan kids will reform their ways, too.

To hear a few more thoughts, and my biggest gripe just

• I know that Serena is the star of the show, but I couldn't help being a little on Team Blair last night. I mean, her BFF slept with her boyfriend, ran away to boarding school and then returned without even so much as an apology. Plus, her mom blows.
• Random aside: Is it just me or does Nate look just like Boone from Lost [0]?
• Is Lily van der Woodsen a Julie Cooper or a Kirsten Cohen? Related: How long will it take me to stop making constant comparisons between "GG" and "The OC"?

• My biggest gripe: Gossip Girl herself. The narration bugged me. I know it's the whole premise of the show, and I'm sure I'll get used to it, but (again, not knowing the books) I just wanted her to shut up. Is there an eventual plotline trying to uncover who she is? Will Kristen Bell make a cameo?

What did you think? Love it? Hate it? Have a crush on Dan already? I've already set my TiVo for season pass — you?

Photos courtesy of The CW [1]