Television Review: "Gossip Girl" – Episode 14 Recap & Review

Television Review

"Gossip Girl" – Episode 14 Recap & Review

By our guest blogger, Gita Gupte

Let’s start off this week with the two characters who got no love last week--Dan and Vanessa. These two are in their little NYU wonderland, quite literally soaking up the college experience by attending a “South Beach” themed party. In my opinion, these two native Brooklyn wannabe hipsters would never be caught dead at such an event, unless of course it was strictly ironic. But irony aside, they spent the entire episode getting jealous over each other’s fake love interests, only to settle on the fact that they both love each other and are afraid of acting on their feelings. This doesn’t last long, because they end the episode in bed. They were quite the happy couple this week and have almost surpassed Nate and Serena in my “this couple is too much like brother and sister to be dating” category. Awkward.

Speaking of the new runner-ups in this category, Nate and Serena continued to go at it hot and heavy. Did I need to see them engage in soft-core porn with strawberries and cream right at the start of the episode? No, but thankfully their animal instincts died down later in the episode when they took their relationship to a serious level to discuss Serena’s summertime quest to find her father. The support they give one another is endearing and almost makes me accept them as a couple. (ALMOST).

Chuck started the episode determined to find out if Elizabeth is truly his mother. He succeeds on his mission and finds out that in fact she is. He then decides that he wants nothing to do with her. Enter busybody Serena. Ex-step-sister S. decides to go behind Chuck’s back and continue to inquire about why Elizabeth walked out on him when he was a child. She gets to the bottom of it for selfish reasons; but some good does eventually ensue. Elizabeth decides to stick around NYC for a while so she can get to know Chuck, which Chuck eventually agrees to. All is happy in Bass-land.

Actually not quite--ex-Mrs. Bass, Lily, is suffering symptoms of depression from the exit of her husband, Rufus, from their home. While Rufus is off living in a man-cave, avoiding his life, his daughter, Jenny, is on the Upper East Side canoodling with drug-dealers and playing one herself! Except, she gets caught and for a minute we think something outrageous will happen when Rufus forces her to move back to Brooklyn with him.  But alas, he forgot that Jenny has a defiant streak, and so the episode ends with Rufus alone with a bunch of suitcases and Jenny nowhere to be found. But found she is, by her Danish drug-dealer boyfriend. They get closer by way of admission that Danish drug-dealer’s dad is a drug addict and this couple ends on a happy note too.

Some overall observations: I continue to find it impossible to take Serena seriously when her boobs are hanging out of a low cleavage shirt in every episode. Blair continues to have a flair for saying a million words without opening her mouth and just blinking her eyes and making a sulky face – Tyra Banks would be so proud of her for smiling with her eyes. Also, where is Eric? Has he been written off the show? He hasn’t been in an episode since it started re-airing and I noticed that he has conspicuously been left out of the cast promo photos.

Moving on, can the writers please make Rufus less of a spineless, passive-aggressive little twit? He gets more annoying with every word that comes out of his mouth. On an up note, I must give the show props for featuring Julian Casablancas’ music extensively on this episode (not so subtle marketing, sure, but at least it gives us something to be happy about on a show that gets lamer by the week).

The previews for next week hint at the de-flowering of Jenny--leaving us wondering will she or won’t she?

Grade: C+