Gossip Girl Round Table: "Cross Rhodes"
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Welcome to our weekly Gossip Girl Round Table discussion! Below, our panelists gather to break down Monday night's episode (see our official Gossip Girl review from last night) in even greater detail.
In a Q&A session below, TVF CEO Eric Hochberger (Gossip Guy) editor Steve Marsi (Mister Meester) and staff writers Courtney Morrison, Christina Tran and Leigh Raines discuss all things "Cross Rhodes."
Weigh in with your take on the following topics after reading ours!
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1. What was your favorite quote or scene from the episode?
Courtney: I’m going the sentimental route. Have to pick Blair being there for Serena when Cece dies. This show spends so much time on love triangles and feuds that it's pretty great when you get to see two best friends actually being friends. Plus, Serena’s verbal smackdown to Ivy was pretty much awesome.
Christina: Blair: "We have feelings, but we can suppress them, stomp them out like bugs." Clever, B ... but even you proved that we’re only human and feelings really aren’t like bugs at all.
Leigh: My favorite scene had to be when the Rhodes "crossed" in the hospital with Ivy and Lola. FINALLY!!! And Carol looked so dumb, which made me happy.
Steve: Pretty much the entire scene below, with Blair awkwardly trying to "record her friendship" with BFF Dan to prove her point to S, Lola getting involved, and the Muppet being thoroughly confused by it all.
Eric: Dorota locking the girls in the dining room. She's your employee. Pff. We all know Dorota's the boss.
2. Is Dan winning?
Courtney: He is... for now. I have a feeling that when Louis gets back in town, things might not go as well. But if Lonely Boy is the reason we can get rid of the most boring prince ever, well then, I would bet on him.
Christina: For the time being, but like Chuck said... Dan simply can’t compete.
Leigh: I love Blair, but I no longer consider her someone to be won. She already has two dudes at this point. Plus she is extremely fickle and will likely have a dalliance with Chuck in a matter of weeks. Then go back to Dan, maybe throw in a rekindled day with Louis. See what I mean? Blair's love life is getting a bit Kardashian.
Steve: Dan is totes winning. Blair basically admitted as much and the kiss at the end - their second one, before he left the hospital - showed that Dair has progressed beyond any "caught up in the moment" rationalizations B might have tried to use. We know he wants more (he wants her!), and it looks like it's mutual at last.
Eric: Is attempting to steal a married woman ever really winning? No matter how boring her husband may be or fake their marriage, I can't stand by my muppet here. Eh, who am I kidding, in world where we're borrowing terms from the ultimate sleaze ball, Charlie Sheen, he's totally bi-winning with both S & B at this point.
3. Chuck seducing Alessandra to screw over Dan: Justified and entertaining or pathetic and cruel?
Courtney: A little bit of both sides. Chuck is supposed to have grown up and become this better person. People like that don’t send in faux book proposals because they are angry. I mean you are messing with someone’s life. On the other hand, he is the Basshole and it felt good to watch him do something other than pine after Blair for a minute. Even if the root of the plan was about B herself.
Christina: Pathetic and cruel, for sure. I’m with the rest of the gang, though. Welcome back, Basshole!
Leigh: All of the above, but most of all entertaining. Chuck is a Basshole and nobody is moral or mature in the fictional world of GG, so that's why we love Chuck anyway. If he's finally doing something other than pining over Blair, GREAT.
Steve: If you take morals out of the equation and look at the scheme purely from a logistical standpoint, that was a pretty good one by Chuck, and you appreciate him moving on, in a sense, as Leigh said. Blair is right, though. Being a good person entails being nice to more than one other human being. No need for twisted mind/sex games anymore ... unless they're of a kinky, consensual, piano variety.
Eric: Pathetic and cruel. But it's kind of nice to have our Basshole back. That whole change Chuck was pretty fake and boring. Plus, I'm sorry, A is no B. Or even the many P's we're using to seeing C hire.
4. How much do you like the real Charlie?
Courtney: Not too sure yet, I need to see a little more of her when she is not cater-waiting. But I do know one thing, I am definitely liking her with Nate!
Christina: She’s like a breath of fresh air from the rest of the UES. I’m definitely digging her relationship with Nate, and was pleasantly surprised she turned down Serena for coffee.
Leigh: I actually genuinely like her. She seems smart, confident and unfazed by the UES. All characteristics that make her perfect for my Nate.
Steve: She's a cutie for one, but mostly I like her for the true outsider status she brings to the table. ChIvy was an impostor who wanted to feel like part of the UES world ... Lola was born into it but wants none of it. At least for now. How will she react now that the cat's out of the bag? Something tells me her ambitions may extend beyond cater-waitering and acting.
Eric: 3. Did you see that headband? Worst. Claire. Ever.
5. Hardest to believe: Dan not backing up his files, Serena going to see Blair for no reason and walking in on Dair kissing, ChIvy not bailing when she had the chance, or Lily wearing jeans?
Courtney: Dan not backing up his files. I mean, come on. He is a writer! S wanted to see her friend, ChIvy felt for Cece, and Lily used to be on house arrest. Of course she bought some jeans online so no one would see her doing it. What else did she have to do?
Christina: How about Dan (or anyone on Gossip Girl for that matter) NOT having a password? Seriously?! Folks, this is how identities get stolen. Just ask the real Charlotte Rhodes.
Leigh: Dan not backing up his files. That's just stupid. Of course Serena would walk in on Dair kissing, ChIvy does have a heart and was attached to CeCe, and I recall Lily wearing jeans in the first season.
Steve: I'm going with option two of those four, because I'll never get over the immediate run-ins like that in a place as giant as NYC, or the lack of explanation for why she had to go over there in person that instant.
Eric: Dan, meet iCloud. iCloud, meet Dan. You're welcome.
6. Will Hurricane Georgina live up to that nickname? How?
Courtney: I’m going to be hated for saying this, but I hope not. The character has been a bit of a letdown since she got back. Either go big or go home, G. The only way she’s bringing a storm is if she gets rid of Louis and drops the bomb to all about the Rhodes girls, even the fake ones.
Christina: Probably not. I predict Hurricane Georgina to be downgraded to a tropical storm with heavy winds and rainfall ridiculously tormenting our UES. Hurricane Georgina, like most hurricanes, will be all about the hype and false alarms.
Leigh: Despite her strident effort and amazing dialogue, Georgina hasn't had the force of a hurricane since she first swept into Season One with her bags of coke, crates of Champagne, dirty toys and SVDW sex tapes. I think she lost a bit of her edge when Blair had her banished to boot camp.
Steve: Well played, Christina. Based on the last two episodes that featured G, I also predict that much like the downgrading of Hurricane Irene this summer, we'll end up with a storm system strong enough to shake things up and ruin a lot of plans, but incapable of inflicting a true catastrophe by the time it reaches Manhattan.
Eric: No way. Everyone knows they rotate male / female names and this year, G was totally a dude. But next year, it can totally be the year of the Hurricane G. When they officially promote her to a full time cast member. I hear with Chivy gone there may be room.
7. Write a brief eulogy for CeCe.
Courtney: CeCe Rhodes - the matriarch of the Rhodes Family. Loved her family (even her fake granddaughter), Studio 54, Cotillion, and expensive clothing. She leaves behind a will that is sure to shake things up on the UES.
Christina: RIP CeCe! You raised two daughters – one of which was classy, while the other was quite trashy. You will certainly be missed by all of your grandchildren, including Eric who was MIA, the fake one, the real one you never met, and lastly, your beloved Serena.
Leigh: Rest in peace, dear CeCe. You were the ultimate HBIC and I'm sure you will somehow continue to run sh!t from beyond the grave. Mostly in the form of your will that is likely to wreak more havoc than we've seen in some time. You may even find reincarnation on another network known as ABC on this show called Revenge. Your grandson is way more badass in the Hamptons.
Steve: CeCe Rhodes. A woman so image conscious that she told no one about her failing health and would've died without saying goodbye to her own family if it weren't for the kindness of a faux granddaughter. RIP.
Eric: CeCe Rhodes, whose real name I don't know and feel silly referring to as CeCe in her eulogy, was a loving mother and grandmother. She is survived by her fake granddaughter, Chivy, who was the only one actually by her side, her real granddaughter Serena, who was too busy being jealous of her brother making out with her married BFF to care, her new granddaughter Lola, who pretty much just met her minutes before her death, her grandson Eric, who we pretty much all forgot existed until this eulogy, and her two lovely criminal daughters. Quite the legacy. Also, I'll miss you.
What do you think? Sound off in the comments!
Steve Marsi is the Managing Editor of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Google+ or email him here.