Gossip Girl Review: Who is the Father?!

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Gossip Girl has been all about Blair Waldorf this fall. Sure, there are some other developments, but B's pregnancy and all her resulting quotes and facial expressions have been the defining story.

Tonight's episode, "The Jewel of Denial," was no exception. Although the episode had other intriguing and funny aspects, everything else seemed less relevant as the anticipation slowly built around that pesky envelope. Finally, thanks to the inaugural Chair scene of the season, we finally learned the identity of her baby's father.

Or did we?

S, B and C

When Blair revealed to Chuck and Monkey that she was pregnant with Louis' baby, the tension was so thick and the heartbreak so evident, I believed her too. But a couple of scenes soon gave her away.

That glance at the envelope didn't look like something one with closure would give. Did she even open it? If she had, she'd have just tossed it after, right? Or does she actually, secretly know it's Chuck's?

"Part of me really hoped it was yours." Blair wants to be with Chuck but feels she can't. The surprise pregnancy combined with the fairy tale convinced her of this, and with this lie, she tried to let him go.

By doing so, she can embrace her new life, for better or worse. Lying may not be right (you could see it hurt her), but it is as good a solution - in her mind - as she can find for an impossible situation.

That's my theory. It could be wrong, and there are still several directions the show could go with this as the season progresses. Only time will tell, but three things are undeniably clear right now:

  1. Chuck, as evidenced by his awkward o-face/heart attack/emotional breakdown at the end, can feel again. His four-legged friend may have twisted the proverbial cap, but Blair's bombshell opened the bottle. The question, obviously, is what he does now, and when and if Blair's "situation" changes.
  2. Dan's bond with Blair grows stronger weekly, romantically or otherwise.
  3. Leighton Meester is carrying the show this season.

I love Leighton and the way she conveys a wide range of emotions with such authenticity. I'm genuinely wondering what happens with Blair every scene, no small feat with storylines that stretch belief.

[Don't get me started on the practical impossibilities of having a paternity test done on an eight-week-old fetus without the potential father's involvement, or the publishing plot ... or Charlie, in general.]

Dan's involvement with both Blair and Chuck, independently of the other, was a highlight tonight. We can only hope for more scenes of Duck trading advice, constructive criticism and good-natured insults.

It's pure gold. As for Dan and Blair, if next week's promo is to be believed ... did they actually have sex, or did he just invent that in the book because he wished they had? If it's the former, he's still alive in the poll below! What else did he embellish (besides making you-know-who gay) and what is real?

Will Lonely Body be more lonely after Inside's release than he was in Season One?

Crazily enough, I actually liked Noah conning Dan into stepping forward and claim authorship. Come what may, that Muppet needed to man up and reap what he sowed ... be it acclaim, abuse, or both.

Nate and His Lovah

The rest of the episode, sponsored by Jenny Packham, featured the full-on ridiculous Charlie story taking even more twists, Nate starting work at the Spectator, and Rufus and Lily actually playing a role!

I realize watching Gossip Girl implies a certain suspension of reality, but something about the Ivy/Charlie story just does not click with me. At some point, I keep think she'll become interesting. Not yet.

Ivy getting paid by Carol to masquerade as Charlie, then wanting to stay in this affluent world ... fine. I just don't care. Thank goodness Nate found Ivy's phone, which could finally raise the stakes a bit.

Speaking of our favorite intern/boy toy, his hair and sleuthing were both surprisingly slick this evening. The good news is that our boy finally impressed the boss with something other than stamina.

The bad news? It's legally questionable, to say the least.

At least he made sure Blair and Dan's phones weren't among the ones he and Diana combed for gossip, a la Newscorp (great reference by the way), but wow. How far will Diana push him next?

We learned that she will stop at nothing to remake the paper and compete with Gossip Girl, and that Nate may prove invaluable in that endeavor. Invaluable and so easily manipulated.

Will he be forced to go up against his friends? I'm guessing that in future weeks, we'll see him in a situation where protecting the NJBC isn't as easy as stashing phones in a separate drawer.

Seeing Nate in a situation of real significance and struggling with a moral quandary, bolstering his career by blurring professional and ethical lines? He may not use words that big, but we're intrigued!

It was good to see Lily and Rufus too. I missed them. They don't need to dominate the show, but it's nice when they're around ... and the first shot of Lily being her ankle monitor was pretty classic.

At some point, Serena is going to step into the forefront again. Chances are her storyline will also involve Ivy/Charlie and Lily in some capacity. Cross your fingers that it's entertaining.

As for Rufus, he'll fire up that waffle iron for more than two people if nothing else.

That's all for now, but "The Jewel of Denial" should give you plenty discuss with TV Fanatic as you hit the comments! Come back tomorrow for news, promos and our Round Table! Finally, tonight's poll:

Who is the father of Blair's baby?

The Jewel of Denial Review

Editor Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 (181 Votes)

Steve Marsi is the Managing Editor of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Google+ or email him here.

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Gossip Girl Season 5 Episode 3 Quotes

Blair: Go away! I'm preparing for my interview with Hello magazine.
Dorota: But doctor office call again. They have test results.
Blair: Hang up or I'll tell the reporter you're undocumented.

They say the only way to conquer your fear is face what you fear the most. You must walk into the belly of the beast. And risk the possibility of failure. But try to hide from your fear, and you risk it swallowing you whole.

Gossip Girl