Vanessa was only in a handful of scenes on tonight's Gossip Girl, but she still managed to ruin EVERYTHING by planting a seed of distrust in Dan that he later passed along to Blair, who then botched up her big "I love you" moment with Chuck. Anti-LOL on that, yo. It seems like every episode, her character screws up everyone else's best laid plans, and while I know she's not a real person, dammit if I don't tense up when I see her boho-lovin' face on screen.
The only one worse than Vanessa is, well, Dan, but thankfully, he's been in slight remission the past episode or two. Any attempts he's made to get on a high horse have been skillfully undercut by other's sarcasm (most notably Blair), and as a result, his preaching has been kept to a minimum. Nate, on the other hand, seems to have had some Humphrey wear off on him now that he's traded in his empty townhouse for the invisible guest bedroom at Casa Rufus (who knew that loft had a bathroom? We learn something new each episode!). When Nate saved Jenny from a potentially embarrassing situation with a sketchy photographer named Max, he did so with Ryan Atwood bravado, which is not a good thing. Look, I'm all for Nate being the knight in shining armor, but let's not forget that he's one of the cool kids. Albeit, he's a brooding cool kid, but this is a guy who shtooped his girlfriend's best friend at a wedding. He knows a little about partying. His suddenly squeaky clean and protective impulse felt just a tad off. This is Gossip Girl. We like when our teens do mischievous things. Just as it was great to see Serena be a wild child for a few episodes there, I think we need to see Nate loosen up a little. Resist the urge to Atwood-ize him, Josh Schwartz!
Along those lines, I think it's about time the writers put some attention into the Nate character. Nothing ever properly develops with him anymore. His stories always feel sprung on us — sort of like the writers are just trying to get from point A to point B plot-wise. His sudden romantic interest in Vanessa last season came out of left field — same for his new bromance with Dan (granted, the latter example doesn't feel as contrived, but still, it just happened without any real motivation). Now comes Little J, and while I'm not viscerally opposed to their union, their courtship seemed beyond rushed. Nate's interest in her was nonexistent last week, and then tonight, he stepped out of the shower and was all gaga to see Jenny for no explainable reason. Meanwhile, I'm still wondering whatever happened to his aching heart for Serena. Wasn't he head over heels about her for all of last season (at least until he arbitrarily started liking Vanessa)?
At least Serena's budding romance with her camp buddy/artist-crush Aaron is developing at a proper speed: a few flirtatious conversations here and there, nothing too much, and then next week, I imagine we'll get a bit more. I'm not saying I particularly care about these two, but at least we have time to digest the concept of them. Luckily, we still have Blair and Chuck, who continue to steal every single frame they're in. Ed Westwick deserves serious award consideration for his portrayal of Chuck Bass. Emmy (and Golden Globe) voters may turn their noses up at a teen soap on The CW, but Westwick is just so amazingly good, he can't be ignored. He can do more in one harrowing stare than most other actors can in a long, bombastic monologue. He's that good, and I'm really not exaggerating.
What did you think of tonight's episode? Did you enjoy the Nate & Jenny coupling? What about Little J's rebellious fight with Eleanor Waldorf? And seriously, what is the deal with the gallery café? Does anyone even go there?
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hello did you notice mini-coop? marissa's little sister turns into model agnes for gossip girl. best part of the episode i'd say.
Loved the episode...and your'e right. They might as well change the name to "The Chuck and Blair Show" because that's who I really care about these days.
I hate Vanessa as well....I just can't wait to see what happens to her when she catches Nate and Jenny making out.....cuz you KNOW she will haphazardly stumble upon them somehow....and then be crushed. MUAHH HAA HAAAAAA
..and Serena's new crush Aaron?? hot hott hottttt!!
Lurved Little J as a Debbie Harry-lookin' badass. I also like how Dan's judgmental nature is starting to bite him in the butt--and the occasional scenes where he and Blair kinda-sorta bond (like last season with the modeling fiasco) are really cute.
I honestly don't care what they do with Nate's character as long as he takes his shirt off occasionally. (Shallow but true.)
And AMEN, BROTHA on Chuck and Blair. Ed Westwick is amazing, and I'm starting to get a Logan/Veronica vibe from them. Which is awesome.
Vanessa and all the Humphreys suck. Am I the only one who finds her interactions with Rufus borderline inappropriate/creepy? I seriously think they're on their way to hooking up and possibly dating.
I could NOT have cared less about that ridiculous Jenny story. How stupid. Hopefully it'll be dropped just as quickly as many of the other plots on this show. Not just what B-Side mentioned about Nate's romantic exploits, but so many others -- the Georgina thing, the Serena murder thing, I'm sure there are more I just can't think of. I wish some of those things had remained part of the plot for longer than they did, but I can't say the same for this Jenny BS. She sucks more than Vanessa. There, I said it.
Read somewhere that Cicely Ziegsar (the author of the books, I'm sure I butchered her name) HATES how Vanessa is portrayed on the show. Not the actress herself, but apparently in the books the character has a shaved head, wears all black, and is a total badass. Maybe she'd be more tolerable on the show if they'd kept her true to form. Does anyone read the books and know anything about it?
Mini-Coop was the only talented actor/actress under the age of 30 to ever be featured on the OC. I'm glad she got this role and I hope that she's the only one from the OC who remains in the acting business.
mini coop as the only talented actor?
LEST WE FORGET THE BULLET!!
:)
DIE VANESSA YOU POOR HIPSTER RAG DOLL
I didn't mention Mini Coop because I try to block out later seasons of The OC.
btw, this was the episode I saw being filmed on Ludlow last month. Quite QUITE exciting.
As for Little J, I loved her last year. Her role as downtrodden freshmen was great. She put a face to the high school pecking order drama we know and love. This season though her adventures in fashion feel less authentic. It doesn't seem like the writers have a good grasp on it; so the whole thing comes off as phony and silly. I say put her back in school and let her go at it with Hazel!
I too would like to see Hazel again. I would also like Danny Devito to be introduced as her father.
Jash, you're right Bullet could do Shakespeare on the London stage if he wanted to. I said mini- coop was the best under the age of 30 because all the other young actors sucked pretty bad.
I loved how Vanessa just failed mention how she was just fed what she was trying to dish - humiliation - by attempting to blackmail Blair. Because, obviously, B's entire existence is to make Vanessa's hell. I mean, seriously!: She turned up to a school she doesn't go to (and which NONE of her friend(s) go to!), asked B for a favour she doesn't owe, blackmails her to do said favour, then has the nerve to act like a victim when she was out-played?
Gah, I've never had so much animosity towards a fictional character than I have V.
Oh! And the whole petition thing last week: She seriously thought Blair has nothing better to do than get signatures?? And what exactly are you doing, Ms Vanessa "I'm home-schooled!" Abrams??
So I agree that Ed is decent but Blair (leighton) makes the show for me, Ed is VERY one note but leighton can make a character that an annoying twat on paper likable and seem like "the good guy."
They can take more risks with chuck b/c he really cant get any "badder" since in the pilot he tried to rape 2 girls, because of that everything they do with his character qualifies as growth and they can basically take any risks they please with him.
I totally agree with your recap. Especially about Ed Westwick. I watched him in an English tv show before Gossip girl, in which he already caught my eyes. He's the best actor of the show hands down. He's very charismatic and talented. Actually he's maybe a little too good for a teen show.
While Leighton Meester is perfect FOR A TEEN SHOW.
I totally agree with you. I normally love Vanessa, but this week she was clearly just a prop to get Chuck and Blair where they needed to be. And I love your love for Ed Westwick. I think he's great. He gets so into the character, I don't see anything left of "him" there. I'm sure the accent helps, but I also think he's very polished and has natural talent.
Leighton is brilliant as well, of course. Together they make the show for me.
And I was very upset with Dan for sabotaging Blair like that, but I'm glad he redeemed himself with Chuck somewhat.
Word that Nate has literally no story lines our character development. It's almost like they know Chace can't act and have just given up on him, lol. I almost wouldn't care if the character got killed off, except I know it would make Chuck, Vanessa, and Serena sad.
This was hilarious. Have to bookmark this blog. And I agree so much about Ed Westwick. Amazing young talent and he'll only get better. He makes this show for me.
Alright. I feel the need to defend Nate a bit. He's really one of my favorite characters, and I like how he helped Jenny. There were moments in the first season where I thought the 2 of them would get together (like after he kissed her at the one party thinking it was Serena). And they never really showed him as a rich kid/party type of person (we just know of his past based on what he did with Serena), but I've always seen him moving away from that personality (I agree that slumming it with Vanessa was blech).
But otherwise, Blair and Chuck are awesome and Gossip Girl is one of the best shows on TV. It did well in the teen choice awards (?) and I wish the Emmys or Globes would give the show the recognition it deserves.
Even Supernatural is a brilliant show, maybe if it was on a network other than the CW it would have won some awards as well...I dunno how these things work. Why is two and a half men winning shit?
In fact, shows like Gossip Girl and Supernatural are so much more consistent in turning out great episodes than Heroes, Lost, and numerous other award-winning shows are.
Now that I got that off my chest...how hot was Jenny dancing around in her knickers? That reminds me, I loved how a couple of episodes ago (I just finished watching the last four) Nate called Dan out on having a giant chip on his shoulder!