Yawn. I got sleepy midway through the fifth episode of Gossip Girl, though I can’t really figure out why. All the juicy elements were present — Serena and Dan finally get it on, resulting in one magical, hungry kiss (that only New Yorkers would recognize started in the Upper East Side but ended in the meatpacking district’s cobblestoned streets). And our social-climbing Jenny comes into her own, puffed up in makeup and self-importance, but then smartly beats Blair at her own game, walking out on B.’s 500-threadcount sleepover party with dignity intact and Eleanor Waldorf’s sequined bolero on her shoulders.
Maybe I’m weary because GG’s formula is starting to become all too apparent. At the crux of each episode lies some kind of event (Kiss on the Lips, Ivy Week, brunch), to which is added a divine, centrifugal force that catapults everything into pandemonium, inevitably leading to confrontation. Providing comic relief is Dan, who always finds himself entangled in the torrid affairs of the UES. "Wait, what are you doing here?" the kids will ask him, suddenly noticing an outside presence, to which Dan can only shrug. Then, like a blind person, Dan aimlessly throws a punch or two, but more out of confusion than real emotion.
Anyway, to recap last night’s show, Dan finally takes Serena out on a highly-anticipated date, first trying to impress her with a fancy meal at a place that he clearly cannot afford, then keeps it "real" by playing pool at a dive bar in the Brooklyn neighborhood of DUMBO. Some advice to these youngsters:
Lesson No. 1: Be yourself.
Lesson No. 2: Don’t pick up your phone if it’s Dad. S.and Dan zip to the club (Marquee, I believe), where Jenny and Blairtease a drunken Wall Street type by flirting shamelessly with him —thentormenting his girlfriend via his Blackberry. "After sticking my tonguedown his throat, I can tell you what a great catch he is!" Jennygiggles. The minority twins squeal, and queen bee Blair looks on, proudof the monster she’s created. (Um, aren’t they supposed to be 14?) Andspeaking of the minority twins,what was up with their totally unexplained kiss? Because I, too,randomly make out with my girlfriends for the sheer heck of it.
Lesson No. 3: Don’t steal. Blair’s daring theimpressionistic Jenny to steal the jacket from her mother’s storereminded me of a social phenomenon from my youth. It’s part initiationprocess, part willful humiliation — but in order to fit in with thepopular group, you have to first win peer approval with your bravado oroutright shamelessness. (Example: Third grade. While waiting in thelunch line in our school cafeteria, Collette, the most sophisticatedgirl in my class, stood impatiently, tapping her foot. "I dare someoneto say sh-t," she sang, then stared directly at me. Growing up, myparents’ faulty English led them to drop a consonant, change a vowel. Wood became oohd; fork, pork;and so forth. Occasionally, they would curse. So it came as a bigsurprise for me to learn that the expletive was not actually shet!,as my mother shouted it — mostly while driving — but rather thefour-letter word that slipped so easily out of young Collette’s mouth.The hall monitor who had whisked me away was not so understanding, butI didn’t care — not after earning the respect from my fuzzy-hairedclassmates. Confidence bolstered, I gleefully went home and educated myhorrified parents that same night.
So I completely understand Jenny’s position. What redeemed her in myeyes is her quick calculation while being interrogated by the police.This girl is smarter than she lets on. And that might be a Lesson No. 4 (for Blair): Be careful what you preach.
What kind of experiences did you have growing up, PopWatchers? Anyhorror stories in an effort to fit in with the popular crew? For theNew Yorkers out there, how incensed are you that scruffy Rufus’ galleryis named Bedford Avenue? And why is Lily always knocking on his door? Ten bucks say that a rekindling romance between them is in the imminent future.
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This show would never find its way to PBS or anything but I still love it!
Is nobody else creeped out by the show building relationships between *every* member of the VDW/Humphrey family?
Lily/Rufus, Dan/Serena, Jenny/Eric…they can’t all last. Otherwise, love the show!
But I agree, if I have to hear “the most important event/party of the ______” again… and it looks like I will next week, with the “masquerade.”
that kiss you were referring to (that of the “minority twins”) wasn’t unexplained. they clearly kissed b/c they were dared to. it followed blair telling jenny that it wasn’t your typical truth or dare game… also, only jenny (and eric) are 14. the others are juniors in high school (at least i’m fairly certain, since they’re having meetings with college reps), which would make them 16 or 17. not that it matters (14 or 16) when you’re a dinosaur like me.
“Um, aren’t they supposed to be 14?”: Jenny is a freshman so she’s 14, but the rest of the cast are juniors, so probably 17.
And as for the “minority twins” kiss…Blair said her truth or dare didn’t go like that (in reference to the eating marshmallows comment from Jenny) then it cut to the kiss insinuating her “truth or dare” was a bit more scandalous.
Blair may be an uberbitch, but I still love her.
I watched last night’s episode because I know somebody who appeared on it as an extra. Anyhow, this is easily one of the worst, if not the worst show I have ever seen on television. Mind-numbingly dull, cliched, banal, contrived. Worst of all, it represents everything that is wrong with youth culture of today. CW needs to step their game up and separate itself from a show that belongs on MTV with the rest of the garbage. Yuck.
Do you not remember the first season of The OC? Almost every episode that first season, especially durning the ones in the summer, they all revolved around a certain event or party. That’s why Ryan got into so many public fist fights. What else are they going to base the episodes on?
Do these kids ever go to class?
I love EW and read both the magazine and website on a regular basis, but,c’mon guys, you’re KILLING me with your uninspiring recaps of TV favorites!
With the exception of Doc Jensen’s ‘Lost’ Column, all your recaps feel so uninspired. NY Mag is stealing your thunder with their hilarious column on Gossip Girl.
More wit, less regurgitation, please!
Hi, I’m from Grand Rapids and I like EW gossip girl. I tried reading the NY MAGS but it sometime gets so esoteric and NY preachy, i got tired of reading it. Although I do also like Doc Jensen’s ‘Lost’ Column.
By the way, the NY Mag recaps are spot on.
This show rocks. She is so hot.
I really enjoyed how long that tanget on swearing was:)
I really cannot stand the disgusting, racist portrayal of the “sidekick” black and Asian girl…
hmmm, perhaps you grew sleepy because this is flat, contrived, cliched pig slop of a show. I mena really how can anyone begin to care for these cartoon characters and their fakety fake world.
I don’t know, Serena and Dan are kinda cute. But overall, the show lacks majorly.
The Minoritwins are highly disturbing. In the process of trying to be PC (I assume), they ended up just insulting
I really liked this episode. The 2 before were my faves but this showed that even characters from the pilot I didn’t think would do a lot like Jenny have depth. Plus it made me care about the parents storyline which I didnt think was possible. Next week looks good. I’m addicted!
Oh no! A blog about Gossip Girl opened up with a yawn! I admit this episode didn’t bring the same over enthusiastic reactions the first few did. But I still loved it.
The complaint about every episode revolving around a certain event..aren’t a lot of shows like that? L&O always follows the same case in an episode, don’t they?
Of course the episodes follow a certain event. Don’t all shows do? How random would it be if an entire episode focused on, say, biology class or Blair and Jen go to Barney’s? “Some people call maxing your BFF’s Visa on a Clements Ribeiro gown decadent. We call it Saturday Night Life. xoxo” Or if a 24 episode centered on Bauer taking a nap. Going for two: I do hope that the Humphrey-VDW hookup culminates in Dan finding out he’s the half brother of Serena.
This show is my new guilty pleasure. The 5th ep. wasn’t my favorite, but I’ll still keep watching.
Was sorely disappointed that there was no Chace Crawford on Wednesday, though. Where was my eye candy?! lol
I don’t watch the show, but the background in the picture totally looks like the Different Strokes apartment!
Can someone explain to me why the producers are setting up Serena’s family romantically with Dan’s family? It’s obvious the romance being setup with Rufus and Lily, then Serena and Dan, and Jenny with Serena’s little brother? Two of the three of those relationships are going to have to give it up… or that is one incensed situation.
Who doesn’t like watching cartoons? I have a theory, unproven but truthy, that the people who crave “real life” on TV probably don’t have it themselves. Me, I enjoy the madcap hilarity. Which GG needs more of. Like the OC. Over then (sic), when some party happened, everybody was aware it was absurd. More fourth-wall-breaking absurdity, please, Josh.
in point #3, the word you’re looking for is “impressionable.” “impressionistic” refers to the art movement; i did not notice that jenny was a 19th c. art movement.
the kiss wasn’t unexplained, it was part of a dare on the sleepover
Nah, this episode was a let down for me. Probably because I revel in Ed Westwick’s delicious [you-know-you-shouldn't-but-you-so,so-would!]evilness. I do like the show and all those in it, but it felt like this ep was just a filler for the show before the true good ’shet’ hits the fan.
It’s wary or leery, but not weary. That means tired.
i hate this show its just about a bunch of rich white people.
I absolutely LOVE this show! Penn Bagdley is so hot!!
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