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RSSGossip Girl: Nobody puts baby in a corner
Welcome back, Upper East Siders -- I'm figuring out what you did last summer. "Gossip Girl" came roaring back tonight with everything you could want -- a loose rumination on gaining independence and becoming your own person, tabloids, paparazzi, daddy issues, kinky role playing, family warfare, sports cars, and insanely hot celebrity spawn. Oh, it's on.These spoilers are ripped from the tabloid headlines...
While Lily's off caring for her very ill mother, CeCe (i.e., Kelly Rutherford's real-life maternity leave), the Humphrey Gang plus Eric is living la dolce vita in South Hampton. And Jenny and Eric have been plotting to keep Serena's exploits unknown to Dan and Rufus -- until Dan gets a look at a tabloid when they all head back to the city to start feathering the communal nest at Lily's apartment. And Serena's limo pulls up and is immediately swarmed by paparazzi. God bless clueless Rufus, who only gets more clueless, though well-meaning, throughout the hour.
It doesn't take long to become obvious that Serena's "I was in an ashram, taking a vow of silence" story is bull, though Serena claims to have no idea why the paps are following her (the too-short, ill-fitting shorts can't help). But Blair calls her bluff about her wild ways all over Europe -- including with Paris Hilton cast-off Cristiano Ronaldo (I too hope Serena's gotten her shots).
For her part, Serena tries to warn Blair about the creepy/hot role-playing habit that she and Chuck have gotten into. She picks the mark, Chuck sets up a situation ripe for cheating, Blair breaks up the scene as the scorned woman, and all is the opposite of boring, at least in Blair's mind. I know Chuck and Blair are both over the top, but it feels goofy and contrived, and I'm glad when they bag it.
Then there's Nate, who's exercising his rebellion muscles upon returning from Europe and hooking up with his female counterpart from his family's political enemies, the Buckleys. Egged on by Chuck, he takes young Bree to his family's charity polo match to introduce her to his grandfather, return the generously proffered Ferrari, and stick it to the family. It feels a little like a Pops-engineered set-up to me, but I've gotten paranoid. We'll see how it plays out.
Meanwhile, in between her trip to Europe with Nate and letting her hair extensions get seriously skanky, Vanessa hangs out at the coffee shop with Scott, a.k.a. Rufus and Lily's long-lost (and thought dead) child -- but no one knows that yet. She's eager to introduce him to Dan, and finagles a couple of tickets to the polo match to do so. Scott ends up semi-bonding with Rufus, which will either help or hurt the final unveiling.
After Jenny, Dan, and Eric finally clue Rufus in on what Serena's been up to, she swears up and down that she hasn't fallen back on her old ways. Yet something's clearly haywire, because at the polo match where she promised to be on her best behavior, Serena sets Carter up by telling Blair he's been stalking her, then grabs one of the polo ponies and makes a dash for the woods. Carter follows in hot pursuit and confronts Serena, telling her (quite correctly) that all of her attempts to get attention won't make up for the fact that her father didn't come to meet her when she tracked him down in Europe. She softens, they enjoy a proverbial roll in the grass, and we move on.
In the end, Rufus' cluelessness about both Serena's activities and motives is almost sweet, as he throws a little bit of Lily's money around and buys up most of the paparazzi photos of Serena. But of course there's one snapper he hasn't reached -- and Serena's working with him to make sure the pics are published in Europe and Asia, so her father can't help but see her. What are the odds this will work?
A couple of odds and ends:
- The bit with the stunning Alexandra Richards (daughter of model Patti Hansen and Rolling Stone Keith Richards) at the polo match was hilarious.
- Not only was I mystified by the condition of Vanessa's weave, but I couldn't figure out what that was crawling up Chuck's lapel during his scene with Nate. A dandified poppy of remembrance? A compact squirting flower left over from his stint at clown college? A "Wrath of Khan" earwig slithering its way up to make his head explode? It was distracting.
- Hi Dan. This is a belt. And it's what you wear with a supposedly $3,000 suit at the polo grounds.
- It can't be that hard to put the lovely Blake Lively in a pair of shorts that fit, can it?
What did you think? Do you think Serena's desperate efforts to get her father's attention will work? Did you buy the Blair/Chuck Playhouse? Isn't Nate's hookup with the daughter of his family's mortal enemy just ring a little too "Romeo & Juliet" to be plausible?
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much of this epi felt goofy and contrived to me, i hope it's not a sign of things to come....
loved your odds and ends, Lisa.
I loved Carter and Serens, that's all.
I, too, was distracted by both Vanessa's hair and the thing on Chuck's lapel.
1) I think Serena's attempts to draw out her father will probably end in a trainwreck of ginormous proportions - whether he comes to see her or not.
2) I didn't buy the Chuck and Blair scenario at all. The Blair I know and love would (attempt to) have Chuck killed if he so much as looked at anyone else, in play or not.
3) And, yes, I feel that Nate is being set up by his grandfather. Again. What could be better publicity than publicly ending a family feud? Nate's grandfather would have a chance to influence the Buckleys and an "in" if things started to go bad between the families again.
I could totally get in to Serena and Carter - def. chemistry there!
Dan is kinda growing on me -- he has some pretty good snarky comments.
I couldn't decide if Vanessa had dreadlocks or bad extensions. And she was acting like a be-yotch to Dan, acting like Lily's money has changed him. Dan may have changed on the surface (fancy wallet and suit), but getting involved in Serena's life, trying to fix one of her problems is what he has ALWAYS done.
Not feeling the Nate-Bree connection yet. Love Joanna Garcia, but not sure about her in this role. For some reason, I have not thought Nate had chemistry w/any of the female actresses (except the second go round with Blair).
'What did you think? Do you think Serena's desperate efforts to get her father's attention will work? Did you buy the Blair/Chuck Playhouse? Isn't Nate's hookup with the daughter of his family's mortal enemy just ring a little too "Romeo & Juliet" to be plausible?
'
Bit disappointed by this ep...anyway it's just the season premiere so hopefully things will improve.
1) Yes...it'll work. I bet he'll appear for a few ep's then disappear.
2) Yes the Blair/Chuck thing was contrived, embarrassing and made they come across as desperate.
3) Yes Nate and what's her face are Romeo and Juliet part II. The storyline is way to obvious. I agree with the poster that Nate has not had any chemistry with any of the women he has dated at all.
I think the writers don't know what to do with him sadly. All he is, is just a pretty boy.
I'm hoping that Serena becomes a wild party girl. Because she was really interesting in Season 1's Thanksgiving ep's, when they showed the flashbacks.
As for vanessa...why oh why does she have to fall in love with Eric? (can't remember his name)? So contrived. Again another character the writers don't know what to do with.
wow, Dan sure has grown up nicely and he is looking HAWT! i love what they did with his hair.
he's the best character on the show...except for C & B!!
I don't know what you guys saw or if its just the blatant (unnecessary) hate that most people have for Vanessa, but Vanessa was right. When my best friend starts to lie about simple stuff as taking the subway and hanging out with their father when they are actually living it up in limos and swanky events, I would pull an intervention as well. That was a diss to Vanessa all day long and no matter how popular Dan gets with people, he will forever be on my 'ish list.
I loved Blair's dress and hat at the polo match, and loved that Chuck was wearing a seersucker suit. I think that I mostly watch this show now just to see what everyone will be wearing. The storylines seem to be getting a little boring but I'll still probably continue to watch.
i HATE what they've done with Serena's character. Now she's spoiled AND stupid.
While I could take or leave Dan, this is the first time I have thought he looked HOT.
Nate is a bore because he doesn't have anything witty to say, unlike the other characters. He just inhabits space.
Rufus looks like he gained weight.
Vanessa is a know-it-all, never fun.
Annnymous, i think you hit the nail on the head about Vanessa--she is a NO FUN know-it-all!!