Gossip Girl’s third season definitely started off with a bang—including a threesome, a Lady Gaga cameo and a lot of the scandal we all love. As usual, I was skeptical. Most shows tend to go downhill when the characters go off to college, but I had a feeling that this might be the one that does it right. And what do you know…they all end up at NYC schools.
I was of course wary about Chuck and Blair’s new relationship. Most couples get boring very quickly. I should have known that these two could be anything but boring. Their ridiculous games were definitely entertaining to watch. And it was nice to see Chuck be the voice of reason when it came to Blair’s sometime irrational freak-outs (i.e. thinking her mother was pregnant). Though, it was rough to watch Chuck battle his inner demons and live in the shadow of his father. And, in one of the most shocking scenes ever his apparently deceased mother shows up just in time for a fall cliffhanger. Crazy!
Serena makes bad decisions regarding her love life this season…as usual. Between Carter and Tripp, she becomes an adultress and a European lush—and ends up in the hospital after a horrible car crash. Luckily, Nate swooped in as her knight in shining armor, helping her out several times throughout the fall episodes. These two are finally heading towards a relationship…at least I hope so. They seem to be the only onees with real chemistry (apart from Chuck/Blair of course).
Jenny has become even more irritating than before. She and Eric are on the outs after she becomes Queen Bee at school. They bump heads over her new status and he calls her out for it. She causes the breakup of Eric and his boyfriend Jonathan while he is responsible for her lack of a date for Cotillion. Basically, it’s war. Personally, I’m rooting for Eric. But it doesn’t matter really because it looks like little Jenny is getting caught up in some shady deals with Damien (guest star Kevin Zegers). Always the badass, that Jenny.
As for Dan, I don’t know how I feel about his newfound interest in Vanessa. He’s in love with her all of a sudden? I don’t think I buy it. I’ll give this a chance (particularly because I want to see Nate/Serena together), but no promises. The biggest shocker of the fall half of this season was the threesome—no contest. Did I really need to say that? My draw dropped as Olivia (guest star Hilary Duff), Dan and Vanessa started hooking up and woke up in bed together. The writer’s sure know what they’re doing. I actually enjoyed Duff’s story arc. She’s not the best actress, but it kept me watching.
No surprise here: Rufus and Lily tie the knot. But, there’s trouble in paradise as it’s revealed that Lily had a fling with her ex (Serena’s father). Thanks to Tripp’s pissed off wife, Rufus finds out. Things go downhill very quickly and it looks like Rufus might be interested in someone else…or revenge. We shall see.
All in all, the first half of season 3 was very good. The writer’s played it smart and surprisingly gave us more scandal than ever. The thanksgiving episode was genius. That whole dinner scene was hilarious with the awkward tension and multiple fights. I’m excited to see what’s to come for the rest of the season. Be sure to mark your calendars for the spring premiere on March 8. Also, check back soon as I will address some spoilers and discuss what we can expect!
Sharon Tharp is a freelance writer who has contributed to a variety of publications including Hamptons magazine and the Web sites of both Marie Claire and CosmoGIRL!.
