'Gossip Girl': All Chucked up

I let out a few huge sighs of relief during tonight's episode of "Gossip Girl." One because it's finally back from what seemed like an eternal winter break. Another because it was apparent that a majority of the episode was going to be dedicated to Chuck and Blair. And lastly because Lily's and Rufus' long lost love child is male and not Georgina Sparks. Phew!

The central story, of course, involved Chuck's magnificent return to the Upper East Side. Not only would we believe he'd shack up in a Thai opium den for the holiday break, we'd also believe he'd emerge from the haze unaware of how he got back. He got some help from Uncle Jack Bass, Bart's brother who has sleaze seeping out of his pores. His and Blair's possible dirty, little New Year's secret already has me shuddering. They can't have hooked up, can they? Gross.

But back to Chuck. Ed Westwick apparently didn't exhaust his entire range of depressive, numbed or defiant looks in the funeral episode because he saved a few more for this one. Chuck's hopelessness, however, wasn't the most interesting aspect; it was Blair's reaction to it. Someone give that girl an Emmy! She's proved to be a master of the stifled cry, and although her love for Chuck is strong and genuine, it's by no means simple. Blair is just as tortured and dysfunctional as he is, which makes them the perfect TV teen couple of this generation.

Now that we've brought up dysfunction, can we talk about the Lily-Rufus-Dan-Serena situation? I didn't breathe a sigh of relief when Dan and Serena reunited because it was in jeopardy before I could even exhale. That extra breath instead went toward a gasp at the revelation that mystery Baby Van Der Humphrey was male. The wheels are already turning over who and where he could be.

In the midst of the drama, Jenny reenters the halls of Constance Billard with a newfound attitude and confidence. I also interpreted her grown-out roots as a symbol of her shedding her past persona (Her beauty choices make the best metaphors). I'm happy she and Eric got ample screen time and that it involved high school high jinks, an element that's been missing for a long while.

Time for your thoughts. Do you think Blair and Uncle Jack hooked up? Will Lily's and Rufus' son be a new character or someone we've already met?

xoxo

—Enid Portuguez

Photo credit: The CW

Comments

[40Rock]

Emmy for Chuckster! Also, someone please tell me they've seen these newyooooooork boys doing their Gossip Girl rap on Youtube. Hilarious yet too, too disturbing. Should guys really know this much about the show?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLRaJOnJHhU&feature=channel_page

[angelicaaa!]

BLAIR HOOKED UP WITH JACK, definitely.
but i wont be surprised if im wrong,
i mean, they coulda killed someone too,
or whatever.
hahaha, i think the van der humphrey baby is someone we've already met,
watchers are in for a surprise.

[jillian]

leighton meester was amazing on this episode. so was ed westwick. but i admit i was amazed at leighton's acting when she was alone in her bedroon infront of the mirror and on the verge of a breakdown. she broke down briefly and controlled it. wow! you simply get an essence of how blair dealed with it all in that one scene!

[David]

How about Vanessa as the post-op trannie "son" of Lily and Rufus? I mean, she's so annoyingly bland right now, at least give her a reason to be there.
It's a shame her character wasn't killed off instead of Bart Bass. That man had some depth at least.
I mean, where is Vanessa now, at a multi-cultural hipster convention for PETA members with the required number of gay siblings?
Her character is a tired cliche and hoax on the intelligence of the viewers of GG.

[JPea]

I didn't think that Episode 13 - "Oh Brother, Where Bart Thou?" was going to be surpassed - I mean, it was sweet, romantic, cute, there was anger (lots from it from Chuck), forgiveness, and of course, there's the humour that we all love from GG.

But episode 14 was GOLD. Blair really did show just what a complex character she is (KUDOS to Leighton Meester) in terms of the crying, the worrying, the defending, her detest towards Jack (or perhaps self-guilt?) and her issues with Dan and Serena and her hilarious relationship with Dorota, etc. I absolutely could not believe my eyes with the 'mirror' scene as well. As I said in my wordpress blog, "But she rightly fixes herself up like a true Waldorf..." and does not let that break the prisade that people take her for - the strong, unbreakable fortress that is Blair Waldorf.

Ed Westwick *look of utter amazement* CAN HE ACT OR WHAT? For him to be so many different 'people' in two seasons and maintain that sexy, very seedy voice seriously boggles my mind. What really interests me about Chuck is his unexplainable pull towards Blair. That at the end of everything, she's the one that he ends up being with - most of the endings of season 2 episodes have been like that. It ends up in tears, in joy or even if they just sit there in silence being in each others' arms... it's still always with the other and no one else.

I know that these two ARE busy shooting Gossip Girl week in, week out. But if any producers desire very delicious characters, these two are a hot pick and should not be by-passed.

People might discriminate them for the roles that they play or at the very essence, the SHOW that they were casted for... but in the many years that I have been in awe by some fine acting - I think Leighton Meester and Ed Westwick should be a part of the future generation's Oscar-winning actors and actresses.

[Laura]

Both Ed and Leighton deserve awards for their performances over the past five, six, seven, however many episodes it has been!!! :D