Hey there, Upper East siders. If you’ve spent the last few weeks doing homework instead of downing cocktails and catching up on sleep instead of indulging in late-night gossip and subterfuge, you probably need a quick refresher on the latest happenings on everyone’s favorite Manhattan soap opera. Last May on Gossip Girl, we left our favorite group of over-privileged, cosmopolitan youth in a state of disarray. Serena Van der Woodsen (Blake Lively), New York’s favorite “it” girl and her boyfriend from across the bridge, Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley), find themselves unable to work out their differences, and finally call it quits in an emotional breakup. The dysfunctional relationship between queen socialite Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) and Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick) functions momentarily – until Chuck leaves Blair stranded at the airport before their supposed romantic trip together while he chases after one of his stepmother’s interns. The fall of Jenny Humphrey (Taylor Momsen) from the top leaves her completely out of the social loop, and the fling between Vanessa (Jessica Szohr) and Nate Archibald (Chase Crawford) doesn’t even make it to the beginning of the summer. Nate’s father skips town to avoid massive legal charges, leaving his wife and son stranded. Season two kicks off in the Hamptons. With the government leaning hard on Nate and his mother to divulge the whereabouts of his father, the Archibalds find themselves short on money, and Nate turns to his new girl – or woman, as he is having an affair with a married woman – for help. Blair, completely humiliated by Chuck’s abandonment, arrives in the Hamptons with a new boy-toy to make him jealous – one she doesn’t much care for until she finds out he is actually an English Lord. Chuck, still harboring feelings for Blair, makes it his duty to sabotage Blair’s relationship. Little Jenny is working hard as an intern in the bustling New York City fashion industry, while Serena, still not over her breakup with Dan, spends the majority of the summer moping on the beach. Our favorite couple is briefly able to patch things up when Dan makes a bold move and arrives in the Hamptons to try to work things out, but their differences and complicated history soon sabotage their relationship once more. And of course, the anonymous Gossip Girl reports on all the drama on her online blog. While the acting is generally sub-par, Gossip Girl’s cast is still one of the hottest on television; the group has graced the covers of several major magazines to date. The high fashion and couture add to the allure, and the show boasts all of the seasons trendiest fashions – from Waldorf’s signature headbands to brightly-colored tights. The complicated web of relationships and over-the-top drama make the show completely unrealistic yet utterly enticing. Rich kids, stretch limos, bottomless bank accounts, never-ending access to clubs, drugs and apartments devoid of chaperones all add up to an addicting and extremely successful series. Gossip Girl has been one of the highest-rated shows since the pilot episode, and will most likely continue to reign as our number one guilty pleasure as the second season progresses. Xoxo.
