Gossip Girl

Monday, 7 May 2012, 8:00PM – 9:00PM

Despicable B: 

Blair feels like her Upper East Side status might be slipping away and devises a plan to assure that doesn’t happen. Meanwhile, Lily throws a family gathering — including William (recurring guest star BILLY BALDWIN), Carol (recurring guest star SHEILA KELLY) and Lola (recurring guest star ELLA RAE PECK) — in an attempt to prove the van der Woodsen family is as united as ever. Finally, Nate digs into Diana’s (recurring guest star ELIZABETH HURLEY) past and is surprised by what he discovers. New York Social Diary’s DAVID PATRICK COLUMBIA appears in the episode as himself.

Monday, 30 April 2012, 8:00PM – 9:00PM

Salon of the Dead: 

To celebrate their official coming out as a couple, Blair and Dan host a glamorous British-themed Salon, including guests JULIAN TEPPER and JENNA GRIBBON (founders of The Oracle Club). Lola (recurring guest star ELLA RAE PECK) lands the audition of a lifetime, but Gossip Girl may have other plans for the Upper East Side’s latest It Girl. Meanwhile, Lily and Rufus disagree over the best way to handle the Ivy situation, and Serena and Diana (recurring guest star ELIZABETH HURLEY) face off over secrets they both would prefer remain secrets.

I’ve blogged about my favourite TV series’ numerous times now and upon reflection, have noticed that all of them are American shows.  No real surprise but why?

As BBC costume drama Upstairs Downstairs has been axed, we ask, why are British drama series’ just not up to scratch with their US counterparts?  

Sunday nights should have been all about Upstairs Downstairs and Titanic while instead most people abandoned ship on Titanic before it even got underway.  In stark contrast, Channel 4 have seen a steady viewer count with the successful US show Homeland and we must say, quite rightly so.

Homeland has been a huge success in the States and we’re glad that its seen similar acclaim over here in the UK.  We like Homeland because its star is a) female and b) played by the incredibly talented Claire Danes.  The plot swings in roundabouts and keeps us guessing which is no doubt a talent its creators have refined and honed since they worked on 24.

It also stars Brit Damian Lewis who despite the annoying voice, if you get past that, he’s both well cast and a great actor.  

Delving deeper than the surface in Homeland are the various different relationships between the different actors and its enough to detract from the main plot line while providing great sub plots; something the creators have clearly also refined since their 24 days and the ridiculous sub plots involving Jack Bauer’s daughter Kim (Elisha Cuthbert).

The US also have two huge vampire serials; True Blood and The Vampire Diaries while over here, despite their best efforts, nothing can compare in terms of fan base or popularity.  I’ll admit that I haven’t really given them a chance, namely I mean Being Human.  While the premise sounds like something i’ll love, for some reason TVD and True Blood seem to keep me occupied so I’ve never watched one episodee and how many things can I watch?

The US also have huge girly drama serials such as Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars and The Secret Circle.  It’s nothing new, they always have done and done it well but the UK have yet to really match them.  In fact the only TV series’ that come to mind that have captured the hearts of the UK and even the US is Downton Abbey and Doctor Who and in all honesty, I haven’t seen either of those.  Am I missing out?

I love my US TV shows.  For as long as I can remember it’s been all about US shows which have captured my attention from my teenage years – from the Buffy days to Smallville (which, while not the most critically acclaimed show in the world, I do deeply miss) to the greatly and universally missed Lost and 24.  It seems like every moment there is a US show being worked on and while some have not worked, there’s always a replacement lurking around the next corner.  Am I wrong in my thinking that there really are no great British dramas out there?  Tell me I’m desperate to know.

Monday, 2 April 2012, 8:00PM – 9:00PM

The Princess Dowry: 

Blair thinks a potential loophole may have been found in her pre-nuptial agreement. Chuck and Georgina (recurring guest star MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG) partner up in a scheme, but it has an unpredictable outcome. Meanwhile, a family crisis brings William van der Woodsen (recurring guest star BILLY BALDWIN) back to the Upper East Side.

Monday, 5 March 2012, 8:00PM – 9:00PM

The much-anticipated 100th episode will open with a musical dream sequence featuring Serena, Blair and all the men in their lives. Also, while Chuck wrestles with the reality that Blair is about to walk down the aisle with Prince Louis (recurring guest star HUGO BECKER), the return of Georgina Sparks (recurring guest star MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG) might make the royal affair a royal disaster.

Monday, 13 February 2012, 8:00PM – 9:00PM

Riding in Town Cars with Boys: 

Lily throws Charlie a party to officially introduce her to New York society. Meanwhile, Charlie’s ex-boyfriend, Max (recurring guest star BRIAN J. SMITH – SGU Stargate Universe), throws a wrench into Charlie’s future as an Upper East Side princess. Dan decides it may be time to tell Blair the truth about his feelings for her. 

Monday, 6 February 2012, 8:00PM – 9:00PM

Rhodes to Perdition: 

Lily, Charlie and Serena eagerly anticipate the Studio 54 party being thrown in CeCe’s (recurring guest star CAROLINE LAGERFELT) honor. Nate takes on a new role at the Spectator, but his first big story turns out to be about someone he knows all too well. Blair turns to an unlikely person for help. 

It only took 5 years and 100 episodes to do it, but the 100th celebratory episode of Gossip Girl sensationally revealed who Gossip Girl is.

Or did it?

If you hadn’t already read about it, you certainly wouldn’t have been expecting it.  

The fifth season returns to ITV2 on Monday and while the UK plays catch up to the US, the episode has already aired revealing her identity.  Without giving too much away, all we can say is it left us wondering if this is the same Gossip Girl from the start or a new one.

In the very same episode, it’s Blair’s wedding day to Prince Louis.  Again, we won’t spoil what happens but the show certainly does go all out for the 100th show.

It leaves us wondering if any dynamics of the show will change now that Gossip Girl has seemingly been revealed?  Though, it may not change things as much as a revelation would in Pretty Little Liars, Stephanie Savage of Gossip Girl reckons that, “You get to go behind the curtain with the wizard and see.”  Meanwhile Josh Safran from GG added, “The Gossip Girl storyline continues the whole year.  A plot with Gossip Girl will continue (this season) but whether this arc with Gossip Girl concludes or not, I will not say.”

While we admit Pretty Little Liars is more irritating in its concealment of identity of A, we haven’t often been bothered who Gossip Girl is and we don’t see how knowing is going to change things with the show.  

For 5 years and 5 seasons, Gossip Girl, especially in the start, served as an instigator of story-lines and revelations while latterly, we haven’t been so concerned with her big reveals.  We could be wrong of course but only time will tell.

Pretty Little Liars meanwhile, leaves every episode hanging now with a mystery hand and body up to no good.  

While the first season was fine, we kind of just want to know who A and the mysterious blackmailer is now.  

The girls don’t even have to know, we just want to know.  

It’s annoying.  

We know it’s the whole premise of the show but hurry up and make the big reveal because we don’t really know how much longer it can continue with no one knowing?

Maybe we should just read the books to find out?

If you want to know what happens in the 100th episode keep scrolling to beneath the images but if you don’t STOP reading now!

100th Episode Review

The 100th episode of Gossip Girl gave us more of what we want in every episode.  More Louis/Blair/Chuck, more Blair/Dan, more Serena/Dan and of course with the obligatory random Nate nonsense interspersed throughout.

No anniversary episode would be complete without starting off with a dream sequence and this one didn’t fail to comply however we wish it didn’t because the dream sequence with Serena (though beautiful) appearing as Marilyn Monroe was nothing short of a cringe fest. 

With Gossip Girl being off the radar for a while, she kicked off the show saying she would be back (Terminator stylee) and back with a bang.  Someone else who was back, Georgina Sparks (Michelle Trachtenberg).

The first half took a while to build up the momentum with Blair going through wedding anxiety, Serena lusting after Dan, Nate walking around, and Chuck sitting around with his dog after stopping the Monaco priest in his bid to stop the wedding.  See, he is good now!

The show ups the ante when Blair’s mother sees her daughter as a nervous wreck and realises from her wedding experiences that she is nervous because she knows she is marrying the wrong man.  She takes it upon herself to go to Chuck and tell him that he must stop the wedding.  This despite Chuck just telling Nate that he won’t stop the wedding because if he needed to there would be a sign.  Sign received, he goes to visit Blair.

Georgina, who already failed in her first attempt to stop the wedding by planning to seduce Prince Louis and film it for Blair, manages to get a prime position on Blair confessing that she loves Chuck and always will but can’t marry him.  She then leaves the phone in the hands of Chuck who, like everyone else is dismayed when it appears on the new Gossip Girl’s website, mid vows.  Well she said she’d be back with a bang.

After everyone blames Chuck, he is insistent he didn’t send the video to Gossip Girl and after Louis is called to have a word with his mother, the wedding continues.

Blair and Louis get married and Serena confesses her love for Dan – again.  He doesn’t say anything back of course, because he is in ove with Blair. 

As Blair and Louis share their last wedding dance before jetting off to their honeymoon, Louis drops her a bombshell on the middle of the dance floor.  He tells her that he had to marry her to save face but that there is nothing between them anymore and she must do everything that he says.

Blair is distraught and calls upon her hero.

Not Chuck, no, Dan.

Dan is seen driving Blair off to help her as Gossip Girl is seen typing on her computer in the aftermath of her bombshell video.  

Gossip Girl is revealed to be Georgina.

Check out the trailer for the episode below:

Wednesday, 30 November 2011, 8:00PM – 9:00PM

The Big Sleep No More: 

Several of our favorite Upper East Siders attend a performance of Punchdrunk’s provocative theater experience “Sleep No More,” which means masks, anonymity and some surprising romantic twists by the end of the evening. 

Meanwhile, Diana (recurring guest star ELIZABETH HURLEY) sets her sights on Serena in her quest to ruin Gossip Girl. Plus, Dan is out on his book tour, but things aren’t exactly as they appear to his friends and family. 

Wednesday, 23 November 2011, 8:00PM – 9:00PM

I Am Number Nine: 

Blair makes all of her former minions and Charlie compete to secure the coveted bridesmaid spots in her upcoming royal wedding. Nate is tired of keeping his relationship with Diana (recurring guest star ELIZABETH HURLEY) a secret, so he decides to use Charlie to make Diana jealous. Serena’s boss, Jane (recurring guest star MICHAEL MICHELE) is determined to acquire the film rights to Dan’s book, so Serena must put her personal feelings about Dan and the book aside in order to close the deal.