Editor’s Note: Contains spoilers for all six seasons of “Gossip Girl”
Hey Upper East Siders,
One random day during my freshman year, I began the journey that would forever change my life — watching “Gossip Girl,” a 2000s drama series following the lives of Manhattan’s teenage socialites.
The show is inspired by the book series “Gossip Girl” by Cecily von Ziegesar. The core five characters are Dan Humphrey, Serena Van der Woodsen, Blair Waldorf, Chuck Bass and Nate Archibald. The show, which has six seasons, is narrated by and centered around a website managed by an anonymous blogger — Gossip Girl — who posts gossip about the characters.
During freshman year, I started watching the show whenever I was bored and needed something to do. Over time, I became more interested in the show and would sporadically binge it during school breaks. As a dedicated fan, I believe I am qualified to review the series and share my thoughts as to why it is so iconic and influential.
While I despise some of the characters (especially Serena) and I can admit that the series is inherently outlandish with ridiculous plotlines, I adore the New York City aesthetic and the 2000s vibes of the show.
Specifically, the show features nostalgic songs such as “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele, “Time to Pretend” by MGMT and my personal favorite, “Video Games” by Lana Del Rey. Clothing such as Serena’s gold deb ball dress and Blair’s school-girl headbands will forever remain iconic. The series was filmed in New York City, featuring landmarks such as the Metropolitan Museum, Empire State Building and Central Park.
I believe that the main reason the show has remained so timeless and relatable is because of my favorite character: Blair Waldorf. Blair is the most human character and carries the show’s plot. While I cannot relate to her luxurious lifestyle, Blair’s personality is very relatable for many teenage girls. Her character flaws make her personable, and she is one of the only characters whose problems go deeper than surface level.
For example, she is often jealous of her best friend, Serena, which leads to her being deeply insecure about her own beauty and social status. Additionally, her mother is the CEO and founder of Waldorf Designs, which leads to Blair feeling heavy pressure to succeed.
Caught in a web of insecurity and pressure, she tries to control others and is obsessed with perfection and achievement.
For a show that aired for about five years (from 2007 to 2012), there were many twists and turns that had to be resolved in the finale and it’s safe to say that I was only partially satisfied with the job the writers did.
I did appreciate that the ending brought back characters from earlier seasons to make cameos, such as Jenny Humphrey and Vanessa Abrams. However, the biggest plot hole toward the end of the series is that the characters randomly stop attending college and we never see them actually graduate.
Most importantly, let’s review the endgame couples. The series finale ends with a scene from Serena and Dan’s wedding. It is extremely odd that while the two were technically step-siblings and even share a half sibling, they still managed to date sporadically and ultimately be an endgame couple. I believe that the only reason that Serena and Dan end up together is that the writers wanted to make viewers feel nostalgic for the first season, when Serena and Dan had a mildly healthy relationship that took over the main plotline.
Of all the girls that Dan dated throughout the show, the only relationship I actually liked was when he briefly dated Blair. While they were an unlikely pairing, their opposite personalities really complemented each other and they were a couple worth rooting for. One thing I hate about this show is that as soon as any couple gets together, the writers do absolutely everything possible to break them up as soon as possible.
My favorite couple of the show that I am ecstatic about ending up together is Chuck and Blair. While they had their toxic moments, I love their pairing and believe that they are truly soulmates.
On the surface level, Chuck is a shallow character, but Blair brings out the best parts of him and his love for Blair makes him more likeable. While I loved that the couple was endgame, I was annoyed with how rushed their wedding was at the end. Considering how slow-burn their relationship was, the wedding felt anticlimactic.
The only character of the core five characters to end up single was Nate Archibald. In the beginning of the series, Nate was dating Blair but cheated on Blair with her best friend Serena. I consider this incident to be the “original sin” of Gossip Girl and a betrayal on both Serena and Nate’s part that I will never forgive either of them for.
Most fans love Nate because he is the only character who never sends a tip to Gossip Girl, and while I do agree that he is a relatively nice character, he really doesn’t serve a purpose besides being eye candy. To me, he was much better suited to Serena than Dan was and I would have preferred their relationship ending together.
One couple that was surprisingly not endgame was the relationship between Rufus (Dan’s father) and Lily (Serena’s mother). As young adults, the two had a passionate romance that the series spent way too much time reminiscing on. One thing I liked about their pairing was that they stayed married for about three seasons and did not take up too much screen time during that period.
Despite my disinterest in their plotline, I think Rufus and Lily should have ended up together considering how much history they had together. However, it would have been extremely strange if both Rufus and Lily’s relationship and Serena and Dan’s relationship were endgame. In that situation, Serena and Dan would have been married but also step-siblings.
Finally, the most anticipated and theorized aspect of the series: Who is Gossip Girl? In the series finale, it is revealed that Gossip Girl is … drumroll please … Dan Humphrey.
For such a dramatic show, I was disappointed by the lack of drama in this underwhelming reveal. It is painfully obvious that the writers made the decision to make Dan be Gossip Girl in the last season.
Especially looking back at earlier seasons, where Gossip Girl repeatedly exposes Dan cheating on his girlfriends and his younger sister Jenny’s romantic life, it is logically impossible for Gossip Girl to be Dan.
From a historical perspective, the series’ iconic music and fashion were main reasons for its popularity, but while I stayed for the style, it was Blair and Chuck’s relationship that got me hooked. This show is one of my favorites and I will absolutely rewatch it as I go through the stages of life that the characters are in.
Anyway, you know you love me. Xoxo, Gossip Girl.
Overall rating: 5 out of 5 Falcons
