Gossip Girl is many things to different types of people. It's a visual Bible for tweens, a guilty pleasure for teens and young adults like me, and a source of corruption for adults. Rarely is it considered a genuine television drama worthy of praise.
Well, that may change soon because tonight, Josh Schwartz presented the best episode in the entire Gossip Girl series. Emotional, powerful, intelligent, and shocking, tonight's episode, entitled "O Brother, Where Bart Thou?", should silence the critics who brand the series as mindless fluff.
SPOILERS COMING UP
The episode focused on the aftermath of Bart Bass' timely death. For such a minor character, Bart's passing definitely caused a ripple effect. By ripple, I mean massive waves that threaten to crash onto the show's already shaky canvas. His death left many of the characters shaken, but no one more than his very troubled son Chuck. Usually impeccably composed in appearance and demeanor, the Chuck Bass seen tonight was completely dissheveled. His eyes were weary, his hair was scruffy, and his voice was gravelly. What was more interesting was Chuck's attitude throughout the episode. Chuck has always been a kinda bad guy, but he was bitter cold, even dealing with his step-brother Eric. The ice veneer finally cracked, thanks to Blair. Never one to give in, Blair fought hard to get through to Chuck. She even went as far as to say the words she never wanted to; "I love you". The words struck a chord with the broken Bass, who showed up in her room during her mother's wedding to Cyrus. There, Chuck finally broke down, crying sobless tears in Blair's waiting arms. It was a beautiful scene, probably the best in the show history. Ed Westwick's performance in this episode was a revelation, and if I wasn't certain that teen dramas will never be nominated Emmys, I would consider him a lock for a Best Supporting Actor nod.
Another big storyline affected by the death of Bass was Lily and Rufus's on-and-off relationship. The two met in Central Park, where he declared he would wait for her this time. Lily, after episodes and episodes of denial, finally admitted she loved him too and the two planned a getaway. However, that rendezvous seems to be postponed indefinitely, especially after the bomb that was dropped in the jaw-dropping cliffhanger.
The last few episodes have revealed that Lily was in fact institutionalized, like her son Eric. Bart's digging into her past was definitely unwelcome, but we didn't know why until tonight. She was sent to the institution because of attempted suicide or drug addiction. It turns out that Lily was pregnant, with Rufus' baby. BOMB DROPPED.
Just when you thought that the path was cleared for the longtime lovers to reunite, a whole mess of bricks are dropped in front of them. If Rufus' word can be trusted, than the chances of the bricks being lifted are slim to none.
The only weak spot into tonight's episode was the slightly dreadful Aaron/Dan/Serena love triangle. Amongst death, emotional breakdowns, and dirty secrets blowing up, these three are trying to decide which guy gets the girl? Honestly, there's no one to root for anyway; Aaron's annoying, Dan's an obnoxious, pretentious jackass, and Serena has REALLY bad taste. It's a lose-lose-lose situation.
Except for that small, but annoying blemish, tonight's GG was exceptional. The acting, particular Westwick's, was excellent, the storylines were appetizing while leaving us craving for more, the cliffhanger was shocking, and there was significant character development.
It makes me wish that new episodes ran through the Christmas season.
To vote for Gossip Girl as Best Primetime Show, visit the BWU Website at http://brandonbestworst.webs.com and click on the "BWU Awards" link at the top of the website
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