‘Gossip Girl’: The Rufus on fire

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Monday night’s “Gossip Girl” was not in favor of Rufus Humphrey. Our favorite easygoing dad practically laid himself down in front of Lily’s elevator to became a handy doormat for Serena to wipe her Louboutins. She even scolded him like a bad puppy -- definitely not one of his finest moments.
Sadly, Rufus’ difficulties in getting through to his new family lie in the fact that he’s so honest. He was willing to admit that he ensured William’s application to move into Lily’s building would be denied and that he suspected William of scheming to steal back his family. All of this was true, but truths aren’t things you say to Lily and Serena, the two most deluded characters on the show (unless, of course, you pronounce them in front of champagne-sipping doctors with no borders).

Instead of maintaining status quo and executing his wicked intentions covertly, Rufus constantly puts it all out there. It’s like his honesty is pathological. But his transparency is also what makes me root for him. He may often blunder by volunteering information that should be kept a secret, but he is also always quick to express his pride and appreciation for the people he loves. And although everyone (and I’m talking everyone, even Dorota!) is a much more exciting liar, cheater and schemer, you can always count on Rufus to do the right thing and give you the warm fuzzies inside.

So what to make of Holland’s accusations that Rufus cheated on Lily? Well, I’d say I don’t believe it entirely. She obviously had a huge crush on him and would have cause to seek revenge now that he’s run back to Lily’s arms. Maybe they kissed or perhaps their long, possibly confessional conversations could have been interpreted by Holland as emotional cheating. But if there’s anything Rufus was likely guilty of, it would be leading his neighbor on. It’s not exactly saintly behavior considering he was and still is married, but I don’t see how it could be any worse than Lily kissing William in Europe. They should just call it even.
Of course, no such thing happens on this show without casualties. Now that Serena knows Rufus’ dirty little secret, she’ll have him served on a platter if he so much as threatens her familial fantasy. What kills me is how passive Lily has become. She clearly looks uncomfortable every time William enters the room and rarely stands up for Rufus in his presence. It’s the type of discomfort that indicates a fear of the love that’s ready to surface or a trepidation that this guy is playing her once again yet she’s too genteel to call him out.

If Lily only knew it would be so simple to learn the truth! Does the woman not own a computer? No self-respecting neurotic New Yorker would have accepted a doctor’s diagnosis without self-diagnosing herself via WebMD first. The fact that 16-year-old Jenny had the foresight to Google “cancer” before anybody else in the house spoke volumes. I love that Jenny and Chuck, whose trustworthiness has been ripped to shreds by their recent actions, are teaming up to reveal William’s plot. They may be the only ones who can truly see the situation for what it is.

Meanwhile, Dan continued to stay clear of his family’s drama to focus instead on his own. Vanessa dropped yet another bomb -- she was offered an internship with CNN that would require her to spend three months in Haiti. She didn’t tell Dan because of a ridiculous pact they made to not talk about writing and jobs, but he accidentally found out from Rufus (surprise!). Vanessa made the obligatory gesture of turning down the job to be with him before he insisted that she take the opportunity. This doesn’t bode too well for Dan and Vanessa fans (any of you out there?). Without Vanessa in the picture, Dan can’t surely spend the rest of his days holed up in his loft. He’s definitely moving on.

Also moving on and away from her downtown hell is Blair, who can now officially call herself a Columbia student. The fact that Chuck had applied to the school for her was absurd, but it’ll be fun to watch Blair regain some of her moxie now that she’s back in “Gossip Girl” territory. Let the games begin!

Now I’m handing it to you, readers. What were your favorite or least favorite moments of the episode? Comment away!

xoxo

--Enid Portuguez

Upper photo: Matthew Settle as Rufus Humphrey and Kelly Rutherford as Lily Bass-Humphrey. Credit: Giovanni Rufino / The CW

Lower photo: Taylor Momsen as Jenny Humphrey and Ed Westwick as Chuck Bass.

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