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How Well Do You Remember This Season of Gossip Girl?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 07:00:45 -0800

Gossip Girl got good this year. While a lot of shows that used to provide solid entertainment foundered or are in need of a makeover, the kids of the Upper East Side kept things interesting and hilarious - and had us coming back for more. If you're like me, you couldn't get enough - but how closely were you paying attention this year? Take my quiz!

Photos courtesy of The CW

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Gossip Girl Rundown: Episode Eight, "Pret-a-Poor-J"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:30:11 -0700

On this week's Gossip Girl, Jenny gets edgy, you guys! In other words, she piles on the eyeliner and makes some questionable friends. It's all part of Little J coming into her own and finding her way in the cutthroat fashion biz. This time around, she does need someone to save her from herself, though - hmm, is it her dad? Her brother?

The rest of the episode belongs to Blair, who spends the evening longing for Chuck and soliciting love advice from a most unexpected person. Oh, and Serena hovers around Dan a lot, hoping to give the friendship thing the old college try, but it turns out she has another motivation as well. The drama! Ready to discuss? Just read more.

First of all, I was just getting my Chinese food situated when the show opened, and I couldn't believe I was basically seeing a Blair masturbation scene. And then Dorota scolds her with "God is always watching," and I knew I hadn't imagined it. So, um, tell me what you thought of that opening! Yowza. We're not in '90s teen dramas anymore, Toto.
Then we fly right from Blair's den of self-love over to the wholesome Humphrey pad, where Jenny premieres her new haircut. Yay or nay?
And then she has what I'm sure many a female fan of the show has dreamed of: a run-in with a half-naked Nate on his way out of the bathroom. I would have been so stoked as a teenager if my parents let Nate live with us.
This doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me: Dan wants to do his best to be a nice guy and stay friends with Serena, so to do that, he has to befriend Blair? The biggest perk of breaking up with Serena for poor Dan is supposed to be ridding himself of her insufferably self-absorbed friends ("You have to help me to destroy Chuck Bass!"). He's a pushover.
Dan's advice session with Blair is pretty entertaining, though. Blair: "I have an itch that only Chuck can scratch!" And when she tells Dan she doesn't want to tell Chuck she loves him, Dan responds, "Why don’t you just say it and get what you want? Frat guys have been doing that since forever." I doubt Cappie sees it that way.
Jenny just got her dad to let her be home schooled, and then she goes and lets a model (Agnes) talk her into imploding her entire situation with Eleanor? Do you think Jenny had no choice but to stand up for her designs, or should she be humble and wait her turn?
Agnes mentioned Nylon magazine a lot last night. Made me feel like it was the definitive arbiter of cool or something.
How hilarious is the whole thing with that guy Max taking pictures of the girls in the bar? It gets really awkward when Max just sticks the camera in Jenny's face and snaps away. I would have been like, "Dude. Give the camera a rest."

Blair's attempt to throw herself at Chuck, like when she "oops!" spills a drink on his pants and tries to wipe it up, gave way to some amazing Chuck Bass lines: "I gave you a shot, and while your efforts were admirable, I’m bored. You ruined my pants."
How do you all like Aaron the artist, the new guy Serena has a crush on? I felt like he was a "meh" in the cute department.
Vanessa gets upset with Dan for befriending Blair and tells him about last week's twisted game, concluding that "Chuck wound up being the more human of the two."
If Blair's opening scene wasn't boundary pushing enough, the folks of GG thought they'd throw in young teens dancing around in their bras for good measure. Jenny! Those photos are going on the Internet immediately! What generation were you born into that you don't realize how inevitable this is?! Sigh.
Nate is concerned, and Jenny doesn't get it! Why is he so concerned? He's not her brother or her dad! Turns out he's into her. Jenny and Nate! Making out! Will they fall in love? Will Vanessa be mad? Will Rufus tolerate Nate in his house now that he's got eyes for his daughter?

Do you like the idea of Aaron and Serena? Were you satisfied with Blair and Chuck's "can't live with you, can't live without you" sad conclusion? Did you see Jenny and Nate coming, or were you surprised? And was it a happy surprise or a bad surprise?

To see how to get all the fashion from this episode, check out CelebStyle!

Photos courtesy of The CW

Gossip Girl Rundown: Episode Seven, "Chuck In Real Life"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:33:04 -0700

Does it get much better than a Gossip Girl episode mostly centered around Chuck? I think not. The guy is entertaining, especially when he's sparring with Blair. This week, the two of them play a little seduce-and-destroy game that reminded me of Cruel Intentions, only to find that messing with other innocent, well intentioned people only seems to exacerbate their own insecurities.

Yes, in the world of GG, it's not easy being a filthy rich kid. In addition to the Chuck and Blair angst, this episode also reveals the family stress Serena and Eric have endured over the years and poor Nate's sad spiral downward as his family collapses into financial ruin. Ready to chat about it? Just read more.

First and foremost, let's talk about Vanessa saving the speakeasy. For someone who hates to interact with Dan's wealthy schoolmates, it was strange that she'd force her way onto campus to hand out fliers. Really? There's nowhere else you could hand out fliers?
Also, why would Vanessa head straight over to Blair and decide to blackmail her with video footage of the Duke that no one would really care about? Vanessa is supposed to be above all that and dismayed by the dirty tricks these rich kids play - so why would she herself blackmail anyone? And why mess with Blair? ("I own you now.") That's just insane.
Eric has a boyfriend! That's all I really have to say about that.
Blair and her girl squad hold a "hearing" for an underclassman who's committed the terrible crime of wearing leggings. While seeing the poor girl in tears while the others viciously tear into her was disturbing, I have to say I was excited to see someone take a stand against those which are not pants.
Bart's back in the picture, big time, and Serena is not having any of it. When he hints that her image might hurt his business, she puts on a pretty skimpy dress, saunters by him, and tells him that she's headed "anywhere we can find some paparazzi" and then exclaims, "Oh! I forgot to put on underwear."

Sometimes Chuck and Blair are cute/sexy together. But last night, I found myself squirming when they interacted. Like when Blair first tells him to have sex with Vanessa and his reward will be to have sex with her. Ew. That's a lot of swapping sex for deeds. Plus Blair basically taunts Chuck by reminding him he has "mechanical problems." Yuck.
I love when Jenny and Rufus point out to Dan that he never really hangs out with guys. And he proves them wrong with a call to his new bff Nate and throws in a lot of "Sweet"s and "Bro!"s and "I got my boy waiting for me"s.
I also liked how cute Dan gets while explaining to Jenny the fun of soccer: "So then the ball came to me. And he kicked it to another guy and then he kicked it to another guy!"
So Vanessa sees the good in Chuck, and Chuck acts nicer when anyone makes him feel human. Which means Bart must enter the picture and cut him down to size with a scathing line or two about what a colossal disappointment he is. Getting a little predictable, no?
And then things get really nonsensical: Blair tells Vanessa it was all a game when she thinks Chuck likes Vanessa or something . . . and then declares Chuck the winner and tells him to "claim your prize," which gives way to another cringe-worthy Chuck and Blair sex scene with odd stop-motion cinematography.
Chuck then flips the script, asking Blair to say those three little words - which she vows never to say to the likes of Chuck Bass.
Meanwhile, at the housewarming, Serena realizes Lily, not Bart, is responsible for all the new house rules and goes on a rampage against her mom. She tells the press she once wanted snow for Christmas, so it was a good thing one of Lily's exes left "blow" all over the shinny surfaces. She later apologizes during a sweet family moment with Bart ("I’m sorry I embarrassed you in front of a national magazine").

I really liked the little truce on the steps between Serena and Dan, and it's hilarious and sweet that the Humphrey family has taken Nate in (where's his mom again? Is she really in the Hamptons?). I don't know how I feel about Blair and Chuck, though. I like them maneuvering around each other, but the sex games stuff is weird, and right now they don't even seem to like each other. What do you think?

To see how to get all the fashion from last night's episode, check out our new site, CelebStyle!

Photos courtesy of The CW

Gossip Girl Rundown: Episode Six, "New Haven Can Wait"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:39:27 -0700

On this week's Gossip Girl, the whole gang goes on a field trip to Yale to try to impress the dean and secure admissions. Because suddenly, Yale is the school everyone (save for Jenny and Vanessa) dreams of attending. Dan and Nate conveniently gave up on their previously chosen schools for various reasons, and after a tongue-lashing from Blair about how Brown is "an enclave of trustifarians" and dreadlocked hippies, Serena decides Yale is the place for her, too.

And what criteria is Chuck using to determine what institution of higher learning will help him meet his life goals? Secret societies, of course. All in all, a pretty fun episode, wouldn't you say? Let's chat about it - just read more!

I love how Serena has turned into the Paris Hilton of the show (early years Paris, anyway) and is all over the press for being a socialite and in a fashion show. She's a bigger star than her own mother ("Sorry they called you my unidentified friend.").
Chuck has so many fun lines based on his thoughts about college it's hard to pick a place to start, but his early conversation with Nate is full of gems like "We are three hours away from horny women's studies majors" and something about creating his own freshman 15.
Yale's dean tells Dan he needs more letters of recommendation and should go to the English department to get one. Does this strike anyone else as weird? Why would professors of the school you are attempting to get into recommend you when they don't know you?
Chuck and Nate sit around campus waiting for the Yale secret society Skull and Bones to find them. The way they pop out and grab Chuck is so funny!
We learn that Nate's dad is basically responsible for any financial hard times these rich kids have endured - like losing a vacation home on the coast - so they all hate him ("He's the new Milken").

The Skull and Bones dudes tell Chuck they love him because "rumor has it you’ve slept with more Maxim covers than John Mayer." Lovely.
While Nate makes out with a girl who thinks he's Dan and Chuck arranges a party for the secret society, the girls actually work on getting into the school by impressing the dean. He fawns over Serena but finds Blair to be boring. When he asks her for a fun personal anecdote, he cites Serena's story about being in a fashion show. Oh, sure, that would impress the dean of Yale. Sheesh.
Blair sort of loses it with the dean after that: "My hair might not sparkle when it catches the light!" Brownnosing her way into his exclusive party via some cat figurines for his secretary was brilliant, though.
At the party, Serena corrects Blair in a conversation about an old Pope and later tells Blair she learned that by watching The Tudors.
So of course Blair freaks out about Serena winning the Yale war and brings up the guy Serena killed in front of the dean. Ha!
Best line Blair screams at Serena: "I’m sick of always looking like Darth Vader next to Sunshine Barbie!"
Their fight was crazy mostly because of the bow in Blair's hair. Serena: "I hate your stupid headband!" Blair: "Ow! My headband!"
The best part of the night for me is when Chuck tells the Skull and Bones dudes that he basically set up the whole naked girl party to frame them with pictures. Because they're the future leaders of America, this was all part of the plan, as Chuck aims to rule the world one day, I'm sure.

So the girls are friends again (so soon?), Dan and Nate seem to be getting along well, Jenny gets to be home-schooled, and Chuck is brooding. What did you think of last night? Let's discuss!

To see how to get all the fashion from last night's episode, check out our new site CelebStyle!

Photos courtesy of The CW

Gossip Girl Rundown: Episode Five, "The Serena Also Rises"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:31:29 -0700

While there was a whole lot of girl-on-girl drama in this week's episode of Gossip Girl, I am mostly concerned with Dan's dive into the dark side. That's right: he's spending time with Chuck. Those two are great together and I actually like earnest, sorta nerdy, talks-too-much Dan more than sappy in-love-with-Serena Dan. And we're learning so much about Chuck's psyche! He puts up such a tough exterior, doesn't he? His daddy issues run pretty deep, and he really wants someone to be his friend (Nate's been falling down on the job). Basically, Chuck needs a hug.

I'm glad the Duke and Duchess and that icky Nate/Duchess drama is behind us, and in its place we now have a new character - the hilariously named socialite Poppy Lipton. Are you ready to chat about it all? Just read more.

Did you catch them slipping in Dan wanting to go to Yale now instead of Dartmouth (and the previews in which both Blair and Serena visit Yale)? I think that's a hint at where season three will take place, what do you think?
I love having Lily back and I love even more that she has a naked portrait of herself which wants to show. . . her children.
Chuck's really perfected lurking in the school courtyard and obsessing over dethroning Blair. Their fight about who has fewer friends reminds me of similar fights I had in say, sixth grade. Although, I do love when Blair pulls in Dan, just because: "The only person with fewer friends than you is Dan Humphrey and at least his lame '90s dad likes him." Poor Rufus, apparently the '90s are lame.
Also lame now? Kirsten Dunst, according to the folks working on the seating chart for Elinor's fashion show. She's "so 2007." FYI.
OK, Dan's "mentor" guy is kind of cheesy. Maybe the whole "Dan's a published writer" is cheesy to me but regardless, when his mentor instructs Dan to "go find your Bukowski," I laughed a lot.
Turns out that Chuck is Dan's Bukowski! Chuck and Dan's initial exchange on this matter is amazing. Dan: "I need to experience new things." Chuck: "Are you gay?" Dan: "I'd like to experience the world of Chuck Bass." Chuck: "You're lucky I'm bored."

OK, sorry, more Chuck and Dan. Dan on drugs and booze the first night (what were those pills?) make their limo ride so funny. I love when he excitedly asks, "How do you know so many twins?!" followed by, "My feet are hot, my feet are hot."
Blair throws a lot of screamy fits in this episode but this was the best: "Don't ever go to high school, Dorota!"
At first I thought Blair was rather intolerable - sabotaging her own mother's fashion show, taking her anger out on Little J, etc. - but ultimately I'll take her bratty evilness over Serena and her "sparkle" any day.
Jenny quit school? What?! I think if I were Rufus I'd be a tad more upset.
Lily and Bart are creepy together and his box of her secrets is even creepier. What's in the envelope?!
And finally, two words: Charlie Trout.

Do you think Jenny is smart to align herself with Blair over Serena? While having Blair on your side can be extremely useful, she turns so easily and once she's your enemy, you're toast. Seems risky. Do you like Dan and Chuck as friends? Do you think Chuck will ever forgive Dan for Charlie Trout? I guess we're picking teams now, too: Serena or Blair? Should Rufus just enroll Jenny into public school so it's cheaper for him when she skips class? Let's discuss!

Photos courtesy of The CW

Gossip Girl Rundown: Episode Four, "The Ex-Files"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:30:07 -0700

Amazing how much more entertaining things get when love isn't in the air on Gossip Girl, don't you think? I knew things would get wickedly funnier/better without all that shmoopy Dan and Serena love-fest stuff - and of course it's always best when Chuck and Blair are flirting via scheming instead of actually trying to be together like normal people. All of these nonlovey elements came together to make a pretty dramatic return to school for these Upper East Siders.

We not only went back to school with the gang, but we witnessed the return of the so-called "Bad Serena" we've only heard delicious rumors (and seen scandalous flashbacks) about. This version of our girl appears to be less overtly mean girl than Blair but far more icy and scary. Dan asking a girl out ("Dan with boobs" as Blair describes her) does not help matters. Anyway, there's so much to talk about, so let's get started.

Yay, Lily's back! And unhappy in her soulless marriage (of course). And she calls Chuck "Charles."
The Bass-van der Woodsen family breakfasts might become my favorite scenes on the show. I love how Lily sorta listens as Serena and Chuck trade insults but doesn't interject or anything. For example, I'm pretty sure Serena calls Chuck a "unit" (ah, or was it "a eunuch"?) at breakfast this time around.

More to discuss, just read more.

This episode reminded me of all the drinking these kids get away with - at some of the swankiest bars in Manhattan! And they're not even taking it easy with a beer or two - it's all Belvedere Vodka martinis for Serena, which is kind of amazing. I'm trying to think if I even knew what a martini was at 17 years old . . .
Rufus has his secret new lady friend spend the night at the Humphrey pad and asks Dan to keep it a secret for some reason. Something's going on there. I need to know more about this woman.

Jenny educates her family (and us) on the first day of school process in which Blair and her crew categorize freshman girls into two groups: projects and victims. I love that this process comes complete with file folders on these girls' lives that Blair somehow has access to.
Serena and Dan hemming and hawing over running into each other post-breakup was so very dramatic. They were both like, "But what if . . . what if I see her/him?!" To which everyone else basically replies, "You say hi and be nice, duh."
Of course Blair had the best advice for Serena: "Breakups are easy. It’s having to see them date someone else that’s hard. Why do you think I rub it in Chuck’s face every chance I get?"
Dan and Serena this episode are a little bit like that chicken/egg conundrum - it's hard to tell what comes first. Does Dan's self-righteousness make Serena feel terrible about herself, therefore pushing her to be conniving and mean? Or is Serena really conniving and mean, therefore pushing Dan to unload a world of self-righteousness?
Either way, I'm calling this round for Serena - Dan really shouldn't have asked another girl out their first day back. That really was mean. If I were Serena I would have gotten drunk (on maybe, like, a beer. Martinis give me a nasty hangover) and flirted with hot lacrosse players, too, honestly.

I guess we should have guessed that the Duchess was having sex with Marcus but I was still surprised . . . and then I laughed . . . and then I winced. I winced even more when Marcus talked in his awful British accent about a crackling fire or something or other. Hurray for this storyline coming to an end!
A Nair martini? Ew! And would it really make hair fall out that quickly? These girls get really, really mean! I was scared for "Dan with Boobs" before I knew she was in cahoots with Chuck, and I'm still scared for poor, tortured Jenny.

What did you think of this episode? Are you prepared for the rise of Queen Serena? Do you like how there's never room for two at the top and so Blair is already on the outs? It strikes me as funny that this whole "queen of the school" thing comes down to the opinions of three background girls who get maybe one line an episode. I'm so curious to hear what you thought!

Photos courtesy of The CW

Gossip Girl Rundown: Episode 3, "The Dark Night"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 10:31:26 -0700

OK, why is Gossip Girl so hilarious right now? I can't take any of it seriously, but I'm really loving how ridiculous this season is. I think I had at least three "spit out my water in laughter" moments on Monday - you?

While I, a grown adult woman, am having fun watching, GG's not doing much to quiet those "totally inappropriate for teenagers" complaints and in fact poured about a gallon of fuel on that fire last night. Nearly every plot point pivoted around sex: who's having it, who's not, who wants to have it but can't, who's getting paid to have it, who only has it to avoid talking about "issues," etc.

This episode starts out hot (literally), then gets dark (also literally, see Chuck lurking by candlelight above), at which point things really heat up (figuratively). Here are some of my thoughts from last night:

Does anyone else find the constant references to Dan and Serena's "issues" kind of funny? It totally reminds me of high school and the need to psychoanalyze relationships with vague, adult-ish terms.
How'd you like those three little Dan/Serena stalker girls in the park? I thought they were hilarious and slightly creepy but ultimately a welcome respite from Dan and Serena's PDA/"issues"-speak.

To see the rest of my thoughts on Chuck, Blair, the Lord, and Nate the gigolo, read more.

So yeah, Nate's a gigolo! Or sex slave . . . or something. His body's being held hostage by an evil "aging beauty enjoying her last hurrah before the surgeries start," as Blair puts it.
And Nate's a moron for telling the Duchess where his dad is. Think, Nate, think!
Back to Serena and Dan for a moment: I'm just not sure why he gets so mad that his girlfriend comes with perks that make life a teensy bit better. I know: He has overriding philosophical objections to the uber-wealthy and their ability to get away with stuff the rest of us can't - but I think he needs to choose his battles. Getting righteous over a shortcut out of that elevator is pretty annoying.

Chuck can't have sex with random girls. Ha! Is that karma talking? How'd you like his cigar jacket, by the way?
I loved that when Dan asks Serena how her day went, her answer is, "Chuck had a Japanese stewardess over today."
Nastiest line of the night goes to Serena, who warns Chuck, "You are not using Blair as sexual Drano." I needed a hug after that.
Blair also does some scheming around Nate, dragging poor Vanessa into it. "You think I'm just going to sit back and watch you have an affair on my boyfriend's mother? Guess again!" Oh the tangled, icky webs these kids weave.
A really funny moment after the lights go out: Vanessa asks Blair if she's seen Nate, and Blair replies, "Um, no. It's a blackout."
I nearly died of laughter when Chuck appears in the dark bedroom where Blair is waiting for her Lord and speaks in an accent. That is exactly why I watch this show.
I liked the story around Eleanor Waldorf and Jenny bonding, especially when they send Rufus and his new girlfriend (?) to fetch sandwiches.

Ding-dong, the Serena/Dan relationship is dead! Are you as happy as I am? I'm all for love, but . . . they're boring. Are you rooting for Nate and Vanessa? What about Blair and the Lord?

Photos courtesy of The CW

Gossip Girl Rundown: Episode 2, "Never Been Marcused"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:43:15 -0700

You guys, Gossip Girl is so freaking fun right now. This season is starting off with a bang, don't you think? Last night everyone was back, including Rufus from his band tour, Jenny from playing in the Hamptons with Eric, and Vanessa who has been watching the gallery and decorating it and turning it into a cafe or something.

Also! Dan and Serena are seriously back together (and by "back together" I mean "getting it on") even though they feel like they should think about it a little since they really haven't explored the reasons they broke up. "Thinking" is all in vain, though, because they are both attractive, hot-blooded young teens who are apparently extremely in need of some sexual healing.

Besides Dan and Serena's PDA, the episode truly belonged to Blair, who's decided she's in love with "the Lord" (haha) and hatches a scheme to impress his step-mother the Duchess in order to hang on to him. Which of course means that Chuck had to hatch a scheme of his own to get rid of him. So much to chat about, so let's get started - just read more.

First off, that strawberry that Serena seductively ate on the bus home in front of Dan was extraordinarily large, which took away from the sexiness for me and made me laugh. Hello, prop people, can we get the girl a regular-sized berry? How about a cherry?
Secondly, Dan was decidedly less annoying this episode! It probably has to do with letting go of his often self-righteous inhibitions and following his ~~crotch~~ heart.
Nate's family drama was back, with his dad on the run and his family in serious financial trouble due to the feds constantly buzzing around them. The scene with his mom was funny too - there was a lot of nothing said other than "Don't worry, I'll figure this out" and "No, you don't worry, I'll figure this out."
Also, "I'll figure it out, I just need time" was seriously all Nate said the entire episode. Well, that and, "I just need someone to talk to!"
And then he sold his body to the Duchess! I felt so dirty at the end when he took an envelope full of money from her, she rubbed his thigh (ew!), and then he made sad eyes out the window.
So, backing up for a second, it turns out the Duchess is Marcus's step-mom, and she's doing it with Nate, and Blair and Nate are exes . . . and apparently there's a book club involved or something? You get the drift. As usual, the only person who doesn't know any of this is Dan.

Oh yeah, did you see those huge dogs with Nate's mom? Update: Check out PetSugar's post on the dogs!
I loved when the Duchess tried to make Blair feel like, OMG, so middle-class. Blair to Serena: "She made Waldorf rhyme with Spears! I might as well go commando!"
I really do think Chuck is pretty irresistible when he's doing good deeds. Trying to help Nate was actually pretty cute, even though Nate was mortified by his friend loaning his mom money.
Chuck was also trying to strike up a "bromance," as Gossip Girl put it, with Marcus in order to get to his step-mom and ensure she would hate Blair. Doing evil and good in one episode? The dichotomy of Chuck.
Lastly, it looks like Vanessa still has a little thing for Nate. Too bad he's now sold his body (and soul?) to the Duchess. XOXO.

OK, so who thinks Nate should give up his low-life dad to the FBI already? How awesome was Blair last night ("Oh my effing God!")? I wonder if now that she isn't insecure about the commitment levels of her new man, he'll become totally uninteresting to her again. Clearly she enjoys the little chess match she has going on with her true love Chuck. And Serena and Dan: Yuck? Get a room? Or totally cute?

Photos courtesy of The CW

Gossip Girl Rundown: Episode 1, "Summer, Kind of Wonderful"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 07:00:00 -0700

Welcome back, Gossip Girl fans! If you weren't still basking in your Labor Day vacation last night, then you too watched the awesome and mostly hilarious premiere episode of season two like I did. True to form, the writers of Gossip Girl packed in a whole lot of plot, and the back-and-forths were at times mind-boggling. After covering the slow, deliberate Mad Men line delivery, it was a jolt to the system to hear these kids talk a mile a minute.

I would do a bit of season one recapping here, but the first three minutes of last night's episode were pretty darn comprehensive, so let's skip it and get to the good stuff. Blair's new man! Nate's Summer fling with a married lady! Dan's writer's block (try not to laugh) and new nickname courtesy of Gossip Girl herself! Jenny's internship and inexplicably awful Devil Wears Prada boss! Chuck's Chuckness! Ready, set, read more.

First of all, the production quality as a result of shooting in the Hamptons was pretty extraordinary. Some of the scenes were gorgeous, including the shot of Chuck and Blair at Serena's grandmother's house under a grove of trees and the final scene of Dan and Serena on the beach with the fireworks overhead and the adirondack chairs off to the side near the bonfire. So picturesque it was scrumptious.
I'm still laughing at the way Dan and Serena coped with their break-up. Serena was essentially "sitting Shiva," as Blair observed, and Dan was dating a different girl every night, according to Jenny. Really? Dan the player (or "Playboy," as Gossip Girl would say) is hilariously far-fetched and silly.
When Blair accused Serena of sitting around moping all Summer watching The Closer I laughed . . . and then felt lame because that's essentially what I did. Crap!
So, ever since Dan was published in The New Yorker (ha!) he is a hot young talent and spent the Summer interning for his "literary idol."
Nate's affair with the married lady: not much to say, other than we see his chest a lot, so yay?

In grown-up news, Serena's grandmother is now on the side of good (helping Dan) and Rufus is on tour with his band and making fun of Jack Johnson. Glass houses, Rufus!
You know, every heavy, unrequited love-type scene between Blair and Chuck had me baffled. Obviously when they're snapping at each other and scheming, it's a lot of fun, but when the music slows down and Blair sheds a tear, I kept thinking, "Um, am I supposed to feel something here?" Because I didn't feel a thing. Not one thing.
Speaking of snapping at each other, Blair was full of newly minted Chuck-isms including: "Damn that mother-Chucker" and "Chuck Bass-tard." Language!
Another amazing line from Blair came when Serena's lifeguard date showed up to take her out: "A honk instead of a knock? Did someone order a townie?"
OK, when Blair's boy toy started talking in a British accent, I just about died of laughter. Then he said he was a Lord and I was done. So hilariously outrageous, it's hard not to love it.
And finally, with the help of Eric, Jenny impressed Tinsley Mortimer with her style in front of her really mean boss.

So, here's a question: Did you feel like there were many, many moments that could have ended last night's episode and kept you coming back for more? I felt like right when Serena kissed Nate in front of Dan, they should have stopped right there. Or when Blair's guy said "I'm a Lord," it should have been boom - until next week! Essentially, it felt like two episodes to me, and just like that the Summer is over for the Upper East Siders. What do you think? Are you glad it's all tidied up before the kids head back to school in the city? Or do you think it was a little too breathless?

Photos courtesy of The CW

First Look: Gossip Girl's Summery Start to Season Two

BuzzSugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:30:15 -0700

Those marketing gurus over at the CW are at it again: We now have some cute teasers for the upcoming season of Gossip Girl from the folks who brought you OMFG. Gossip Girl returns September 1, and these clips reveal just how juicy S and B's summer in the Hamptons has been (hot lifeguards included).

Can you wait for the new season to start?! I bet as soon as you hit "play" on this video, the mere sight of Chuck in a fedora sipping a drink on the beach will give you the case of the LOLs (as Gossip Girl herself might put it). To check it out, read more.

Photo courtesy of The CW