Happy anniversary, Gossip Girl! In honor of The CW series turning 10— the first episode premiered on Sept. 19, 2007— it’s time to revisit some of the most memorable episodes in the show’s history that left you saying “OMFG.”
Starting sipping on a Martini and grab your minions friends, and get ready to celebrate and re-fall in love with the glamorous lives of Manhattan’s elite.
Pilot
Someone saw Serena getting off the train at Grand Central… and life was never the same. After running away to boarding school, Serena van der Woodsen returns to the Upper East Side to try and win back her best friend/ queen bee Blair Waldorf and repair her relationship with her family.
Enter lonely boy Dan Humphrey (and his sister Little J), brooding Nate Archibald, bad boy Chuck Bass and an anonymous blogger tracking their every move and it’s only a matter of time before the drama unfolds at the ‘Kiss on the Lips’ party.
Victor/Victrola
Blair’s got moves, and she’s ready to show them to… Chuck. Following a disastrous dinner between the Waldorf’s and Archibald’s, we see Queen B like we never have before when she visits Chuck at his new night club and then in his limo.
Blair Waldorf Must Pie, The Magnificent Archibald’s, The Treasure of Serena Madre, Gaslit, It’s Really Complicated
Thanksgiving on the Upper East Side = major drama. Highlights from the annual holiday episodes include flashbacks to life on the UES before Serena went to boarding school, Nate’s father being arrested by the FBI and dinner guests exchanging insults and revealing secrets about each other (cue Jason DeRulo’s “Whatcha Say”).
Hi, Society!
There’s nothing like a party on the Upper East Side— and the debutante ball is no exception. Dan and Serena face their biggest challenge yet, Serena’s grandmother Cece, while Blair tries to juggle Nate and Chuck, and Jenny tries to juggle her family life in Brooklyn and her desire to find her place on the UES.
Woman on the Verge
Blackmail! Cocaine! And murder?! Georgina Sparks (played by Michelle Trachtenberg) just might be the best villain to ever take on S and B over the years, and nothing beats her initial return into Serena’s life just before the first season finale. The non-judging breakfast club rallies together to stand up for Serena and get to the bottom of his messy web Georgina is spinning.
Summer Kind of Wonderful
The group travels to the Hamptons to kick off Season 2 and the drama has higher stakes than ever. Contrary to popular belief, Nate is sleeping with an older/married woman and NOT Serena.
And Dan goes to his first white party to learn the truth the hard way. Plus, who could forget the beginning of Chuck and Blair’s countdown to “I love you?” Three words, eight letters…
O Brother, Where Bart Thou?
After Bart Bass dies (the first time), Chuck begins a downward spiral that no one— not even Blair— can shake him out of. This is by far one of the most emotional episodes of the series, but because it’s Gossip Girl, the relationship drama doesn’t stop (even for death).
Lilly and Rufus, Dan and Serena (plus Aaron… remember him?) and Eleanor and Cyrus all take big steps in their respective relationships.
The Goodbye Gossip Girl
Nothing ruins (or makes?) high school graduation like Gossip Girl giving out superlatives and releasing every tip, confirmed or unconfirmed, they have ever received. The Season 2 finale is full of juicy and emotional moments, including one of the best in the series— when Blair hands her Queen B crown AKA headband over to Little J.
Belles De Jour/ Double Identity
Spotted: S and B in Paris… looking more chic than ever. The first two episodes of Season 4 took place in France, and it was a vacation fans will never forget.
It wasn’t all fashion and macaroons though, because after Serena tracks down Chuck and learns the truth about what happened to him, it’s up to Blair to convince him to come home and be himself again (“It wouldn’t be my world without you in it…” SWOON).
Juliet Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
Gossip Girl returned to its roots when Nate, Chuck, Blair and Serena worked together to takedown Juliet Sharp (guest star Katie Cassidy). This episode is also a classic because it reignites the Nate-Dan-Serena love triangle and Chair reunites… everywhere.
G.G.
Gossip Girl reached its milestone 100th episode in Season 5, and the opening scene did not disappoint. The drama always did dream sequences well—never forget Blair’s “All About Eve” nightmare— but it doesn’t get any better than seeing Serena sing “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” as Marilyn Monroe and Blair channeling her inner Audrey Hepburn (again).
The return of Georgina (and her fake Gossip Girl reveal), and Blair’s royal wedding disaster also made this episode one to remember.
New York, I Love You XOXO
The series finale certainly had its lows—I stand by the fact that we never needed to know Gossip Girl’s identity— but it also had its highs, including Blair and Chuck’s wedding and adorable child, Kristen Bell’s cameo and seeing our favorite group all together (even Lisa Loeb got the invite!) one last time.
