Gossip Girl Review: The Implosion of Blair Waldorf
As Gossip Girl episodes go, no one will accuse "While You Weren't Sleeping" of being one of the more boring installments. There was enough going on to make your head spin.
All in all, it was a pretty good episode if you can overlook some major plot holes and storytelling that seemed a bit jumbled at times. The best part was Miss Leighton Meester.
I'm still on the fence regarding Dair (although inching closer to the YES column), but I'm a card-carrying member of Team Leighton. She's been carrying the show these days.
Watching the disheveled, scatterbrained Blair try to keep it together was priceless, funny and sad at the same time. You loved seeing her crash and burn, yet sympathized.
That's how a great character should make you feel, and Leighton brings Blair to life with such panache. Her new foil/friend/possible hookup, Penn Badgley, is no slouch either.
Last night, we saw the once-unflappable Blair falling apart at the seams, and who was there to pick up the pieces but Dan. Not Chuck, not Nate, not even Serena, But Dan.
These two are so cute, and the Gossip Girl writers, for all their convoluted and absurd plots, deserve credit for really allowing Dair's relationship to blossom over many weeks.
Watching Dan trying to help his non-friend multitask, brushing off her rapid-fire knee-jerk insults and ultimately being there for her was the highlight of the night, bar none.
When they ordered pizza together and fell asleep watching movies at the loft, I found myself really happy. I don't know if the fan community at large agrees, but that's me.
Of course, the episode wasn't ALL Dair-related (unfortunately, some might say). There was a whole lot else going on, ranging from drug deals to double agents ...
- Chuck and Lily buried the hatchet, duping Russell into thinking they were still feuding. She then flirted with Russell while Chuck broke into the Thorpe's office, and even Rufus got in on the gamesmanship a little bit. Woo!
- Nate was tasked with keeping Raina busy during Chuck's espionage. Nate enticed her to skip a lunch date with Ivanka Trump with some video games and weed. The return of stoner Nate? Definitely another highlight.
- On his 18th birthday, Eric was blackmailed into becoming a drug mule for Damien, whose smuggled cocaine was waiting in packages of pink tulips that he somehow couldn't grab himself because of his father's watchful eye.
- We know, it makes no sense. The short version: various mishaps lead to the wrong stuff getting picked up and Damien crashing Eric’s party wanting $100,000 to pay off his clients or else he'll unveil the secret of Lily’s forged affidavit.
- Ben is warming up to Lily and so in love with Serena.
- Vanessa showed up for some reason.
In the end, Damien was thwarted by one of about 600 holes in the blackmail story - Ben refusing to cooperate. Never mind that it was Serena’s testimony and proving Lily forged anything based on Damien's testimony would be near-impossible. Anyway.
The final moments show Damien teaming up with Russell Thorpe (now there's an unlikely, ridiculous alliance) to bring down the Van der Woodsen/Bass/Humphrey alliance.
Regarding the love connections, do you see a spark between Serena and Ben? I'm indifferent on that couple. As for Nate and Raina, hey, crazier things have happened right?
Watching their impromptu date, I couldn't help but think there was more chemistry there than between Raina and Chuck. Not that the bar was set too high there, but still.
As for Dan and Blair, what happened after the credits rolled and what the fallout will be next week, we leave you with the CW's promo for the February 28 episode ...
What did you think of last night's Gossip Girl, and how do you think things will play out next week? Who are your favorite couples/characters these days? Discuss!
Steve Marsi is the Managing Editor of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Google+ or email him here.
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March 20th, 2011 8:17 PM
Everytime I comment on a Gossip Girl blog, I always say how much I love Chuck Bass/Ed Westwick. Today is no exception, I love him. As the whole Blair and Dan thing started off, I was pretty annoyed because I want Blair and Chuck to get back together soon. But the writers of the show are doing such a good job with Blair and Dan that I’m sort of cheering them on. They are so sweet together, I kinda want them to get together. They were adorable watching the film together last week and more so snuggled up on the sofa this week. We all know it’ll be short lived as I think Blair and Chuck are end game. Although perhaps it’s Blair and Dan that are end game, and it’ll be ironic as they disliked each other, but we all know Gossip Girl loves a good twist in the plot. Anyway, the reason I don’t want Blair and Dan together, is that it would mean that pretty much everybody has slept with everybody else.
Also, Chuck and Nate are best friends, so why did Nate so willingly fall for Raina?
March 1st, 2011 12:33 AM
@ charles..
i am not sure if your last comment was directed at me.. the one about why the hell i am commenting on a show that i don't watch.. but i would say to re-read my post.. and you will see that i said that i LOVED my GG hour.. not episode. if it wasn't directed at me..then my bad.
as far as the sequence of events in dawson's creek.. i know. was an avid fan.
@ the grey one.. loved that you recognized the similarities of their relationship.. i actually re-watched some creek episodes.. just to re-live!
tonight's episode of GG was amazing.. for one simple reason.. dair. It's been a long time since a couple on the tv screen.. made me so delighted:)
can't wait for the return in april!
Rank: New User
February 28th, 2011 4:31 PM
Take it slow, but go Dair! Sounds fun.
I still had hopes Chuck and Blair would be back together, but now Chuck has destroyed any possibility of it. He does not deserve her at all.
Let's just see what is gonna happen.
February 28th, 2011 8:02 AM
I love Dair, but there's been so much talk and polls ¬¬ about it that discussing it now bores me to death, although I love watching it.
My only question is how would trolessa recognizes Damien and Ben? ¬¬ Ok, so she may have seen pictures of them but that must have been some time ago and yet she is able to recognize them on the street and AT NIGHT? Really?
February 25th, 2011 8:30 PM
I'm in love with Dan and Blair's relationship, but just as friends. I think they're very cute and interesting and I would like it if they'd keep like that. I don't think they'd work as a couple.
As for Ben's growingly ridiculous storyline and his mindnumbingly boring relationship with Serena, I just want it to be over SOON. It's so freaking not believable (is he really going to forget all about Lily putting him in prison just because Serena asked?! C'mon! And the Damien thing is just stupid), I don't even know why do they keep it going. Please, please writers, just make him disappear already.
I think the Raina/Nate interaction was kind of cute, but also kind of irrelevant. But whatever.
I'm actually willing to know what silly shenanigans will Vanessa be up to this time when she tries to use her new information. Might be amusing.
February 25th, 2011 10:58 AM
I thought I was the only one happy at the last scene. I like Dan and Blair. I realized my favorite character on the show was Blair. Indeed, she is carrying the show right now.
Do I want Dair to happen? Yes. But I also want them to be really good friends. Those two actually has a lot more in common. If they end up in a relationship that we all know wouldn't last, then that beautiful friendship might be over too. I love their banter.
BTW that Chuck's face in the promo is priceless.
February 25th, 2011 2:59 AM
1) I LOVE Dair, want them as a couple!
2) I prefer Raina & Nate than Raina & Chuck, but still there is something not attractive about them...
3) Ben & Serena: WTF???!!! It doesn't make sense at ALL.
and 4) WTH, is Jenny really not coming back to the show??
Rank: Extra
February 24th, 2011 8:10 PM
I must be the only one here and won't be very popular with what I'm going to say, but well, it's my point of view: I hate Dair. Totally. To me they have zero chemistry. With Chuck and Blair I've been angry, smilling, laughing, having chills, they made me cry, they gave me so many emotions.
Dair makes me bored and sad, and really gets me angry by now.
Would Blair be with Chuck or anyone else, she would have never looked at Dan Humphrey and I understand why. Pairing them because they're both having difficulties in their relationship is really a fake plot. And about their so called "common interests", please... it doesn't mean anything (they have never been close before because of that, why this sudden change, when Blair can't stand Brooklyn, Jenny and Dan?). Chuck and Blair used to talk about movies when Blair did her nightmares for example, they shared way more things.
Anyway, don't get me wrong, I'm not a blind chair fan. I'm a fan of Blair and Chuck for what they are individual
February 24th, 2011 1:56 PM
Kitty, I agree: it's nice that they are showing how attached Dan and Blair still are to Serena and Chuck. It's also nice that they aren't thrusting this story upon us suddenly. Rather, for a few months now we've seen it develop, but we know they're not "just" friends because neither one wants to tell Serena about it.
I think of Chair and Derena as the childish relationships left over from highschool, when they became smitten with each other for more superficial reasons, and when each party was hoping that the other could fill some emotional hole or need. Neither one of those couples is well suited, though. Serena and Dan literally have nothing in common! Serena is like his boyhood crush, and Dan is the only "nice guy" she has dated (besides Nate, with whom the circumstances were far from "nice"). I don't think they have any chemistry whatsoever.
Blair and Chuck, by contrast, have chemistry in spades, but the relationship is completely destructive for both of them. At some point o
February 24th, 2011 11:49 AM
DAIR is fine im a loyal Chair fan but DAIR is fine cause chuck is falling for the new girl and Blair diserves someone but CHAIR better be engaged by the end of the show or i will hunt down the writers and KILL THEM. jk of course....