Well, this past week’s Thanksgiving themed Gossip Girl episode is one for the books. I had a hefty helping of lies, deceit, and intrigue and wanted to go back for seconds, thirds, fourths and then take a doggie bag home for later. So I have to ask: is Gossip Girl heading back to top form?
Slowly, but surely is my answer. Would love to hear yours after the recap!
The Setting of the Table
The Upper East Side is prepping to celebrate the day of Thanksgiving and what started out as separate plans for each character, ended up becoming a Feast Of All ‘Saints’, and I use the word “saints” mildly…
Due to Serena working at the soup kitchen with Trip, Lily decides she wants to do take in instead of trying to have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. But she married Rufus Humphrey and Rufus loves tradition. So with the help of Jenny and Eric, Rufus plans on doing a live feed from CeCe’s (guest star Caroline Lagerfelt) house via a Verizon Netbook (product placement with your turkey, anyone?). CeCe, who Lily said was still sick and bed ridden, is actually fine and well. She’s doing so dandy to the point that she will attend the dinner after all to Rufus’ amazement.
Serena goes and tells Trip that she told her mother that she would be working in a soup kitchen with him to hide the true reason for their meeting. But Serena is really there to tell Trip that they are over and that Serena doesn’t want to be the catalyst to his failing marriage. But Trip still can’t forgive Maureen for what she did (and is using it as a idiotic crutch for his adulterous behavior, in my opinion). Serena gives in to one last night together in her hotel suit, but that night will entail watching movies and eating in.
I’m sure.
Blair, who is still pissed at Serena, talks to Chuck about that and her mother’s return home. Serena appears and Blair berates her for the tryst with Trip, that Serena still denies, but Blair knows better.
Dan talks to Nate about the threesome debacle and how things are weird between him and Vanessa. And who shows up on Dan’s doorstep? Ms. Abrams herself. It seems that Vanessa had another spat with her mother and she needs to crash at Dan’s since the dorms are closed. Awkwardness awaits, Dan.
But the biggest set up is that Lily runs into Maureen Vanderbilt, who is sporting the exact same coat that Lily is wearing. Lily asks Maureen if she could invite them to Thanksgiving dinner so that they both can spend time with Serena and Trip. Maureen, who had suspicions of another woman, agrees to the invite, but mostly to sniff out Serena as a suspect.
I’ll bring the wine. It tends to loosen up the mouth for secrets to flow through more fluidly.
The Appetizers
Jenny asks Eric if Jonathan is coming and Eric snarls back that they aren’t together anymore. Jenny then texts Jonathan an invite.
Blair makes it home and finds a package from her mother Eleanor’s lawyer, who is over Eleanor’s will. Blair freaks and wonders what could her mother want to change her will for. Eleanor shows up before Blair can open the letter. Blair suggests that they all celebrate Thanksgiving dinner at Lily’s since Dorota is working there, Eleanor agrees. Later, Blair spies Dorota clutching a bag as if her life depended on it that Dorota says is private stuff for Eleanor. Well to Blair that reads as “Open Me!” and she does just that, only to discover a pregnancy test.
Uh oh…
Serena goes to her suite at Chuck’s hotel and Trip is hot on her heels. On the elevator, Trip reveals that he and Maureen had been invited to have Thanksgiving dinner at Lily’s. Serena is shocked, but she doesn’t hold it long. She stops the elevator to have a make out session in the elevator. Aerosmith would be proud. But CB is not amused and reveals to Nate about the ‘transgressions’ that went down between Serena and Trip. Nate, who still has deep feelings for Serena, is pissed and calls security for a copy of the footage.
Dan and Vanessa discuss Gabriela’s latest boycott and how it enraged Vanessa. Dan acts all weird and Vanessa notices it, calling it “The Face”, but Dan denies it. There is a knock at the door and it is Gabriela, who asks to stay since Rufus invited them to the Thanksgiving dinner. Vanessa tells Dan that she will give Gabriela one more chance before giving up on her mother.
The Main Course, or The Thanksgiving Dinner I Would Have Paid Top Dollar to Attend
The table is set and the dinner is laid out ,so lets start slanging secrets and lies with a side dish of revenge to round out the festivities.
The guests arrive and the drama begins. First Lily nearly jumps out her skin at the sight of CeCe, then the awkwardness between Trip, Serena, Maureen, and Nate speaks volumes. CB (Chuck Bass) tells Trip and Serena that if they ever stop one of his elevators to
grope and kiss again, he will send Serena to the Marriott.
Maureen goes to Nate about her suspicions and Nate confirms them and shows her the footage he got from security of Chuck’s hotel. He then vows to stop the nonsense that is Strip. But when will Nate learn that he needs to leave the scheming to CB?! And if you couldn’t see the self-indulgence of having Serena to himself in Nate’s speech then I will order you a new pair of glasses asap.
Jenny pulls Blair to the side to see what Eric’s part was in the Cotillion fiasco, but is shocked when Blair tells her that is was Eric’s complete idea, not Blair’s. Queen Bee Jenny is soooo not amused.
So everyone is at the table and then the juice flies. Starting with Rufus and CeCe, who tells Rufus that she had been out of remission since this past August. This puzzles the both of them as to why Lily didn’t return home sooner. Gabriela takes this as a means of dissension in the marriage of Lily and Rufus. I can see why Vanessa despises her mother.
Then we move further down to Blair and Eleanor, who Blair is trying to have some champagne. When Eleanor declines for the umpteenth time, she asks Blair what has gotten into her. Blair then counters that she’s not the one with a bun in the oven before storming off.
Jenny finally confronts Eric on his dastardly schemes and Eric could care less, because Jenny’s sweet potatoes are bland.
Finally, we are at the main course. As Rufus tells a Thanksgiving joke at one end of the massive table, Maureen has had enough of Trip and Serena’s googly eye bartering. She voices her frustration at the table and when the two culprits play dumb, Nate provides the footage. Serena tries to form an apology, but Lily sees the footage and is disgusted and dismayed at her daughter’s behavior and she leaves the room. Serena is close behind her. Maureen threatens to go public if Trip goes through with the divorce. Sooo not the way back into a male politician’s heart!
Gabriela tries to get Rufus to question Lily about her secrets, which prompts Vanessa to angrily stomp off, because that is not Gabriela’s business.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I would say that I am full, but I would be lying. Anyone ready for…
DESSERTS!!!
Lily confronts Serena on how it feels to be left for another woman, but Serena claims this is different and that Trip loves her, which Lily counters that Trip loved Maureen, too, and look where she is standing now. Think, Serena!
Eleanor finds Blair and tells her that she is not pregnant, which prompts Blair to ask what was the changing of Eleanor’s will for. Eleanor brought property in Paris and is moving there full time and needed to rearrange some things in the will. So who was the pregnancy test for? Dorota. Turns out that she and Vanya are not talking and its due to Dorota being pregnant, which Vanya is clueless about. The two Waldorf women set up a joyous reconciliation between the two.
Trip can’t believe that Nate would set him up the way he did, but Nate says he did it for Trip’s image and the fact that Serena needs someone who she can count on. Bull crap is what Chuck Bass states as he later tells Nate. CB also thinks that Nate might want to grow some balls if he wants to admit his true feelings for Serena.
Lily tells Rufus that the reason she stayed later than she had to was because CeCe was a new person and a breath of fresh air, which prompted Lily to spend as much time as she could with her. CeCe overhears this and after Rufus leaves, CeCe asks why don’t Lily tell the truth and Lily says somethings should just stay buried. Lily, what the hell did you do?!?
Jenny asks Eric why did he do what he did and he says because Jenny was turning into a monster and had to be stopped. He got tired of defending her actions to Jonathan, who was growing tired of Jenny’s Queen Bee status (which I say was/is a personal issue that he could have dealt with). Jenny says that Eric’s actions is what made him lose Jonathan, but Eric says that it’s Jenny’s fault and that she might need to watch her back, because she is still going to go down. Now, I am an opposer to the whole hierarchy in high school crap myself, but Eric has went too damn far. Jenny is going to fall on her own, why fall with her? Anyway, later that night Eric texts to someone that Jenny knows and that they need to strike now. What the hell does he have up his sleeve?!
Vanessa confronts Gabriela about being concerned about everyone else’s business instead of her own daughter. Gabriela says she just loves people, which is not a good excuse, but I see where she is coming from. Later, Gabriela and Dan have a talk about Vanessa and while Dan talks so passionately about her daughter, Gabriela notices that Dan loves Vanessa. Later after Vanessa and Gabriela have a heart to heart, Gabriela lays down the law with Dan and says that Dan broke Vanessa’s heart once and if he does it again, their friendship will not survive a second go round.
Blair comforts a heartbroken Serena, who claims that she can’t be with Trip after all. Blair suggests that Serena come to Paris with her and Eleanor and Serena accepts. When the girls go to retrieve her passport out of the safe in Bart’s old office, Trip stops by and says that he told Maureen that it’s over and that he doesn’t care about anything except Serena. He asks Serena that if she wants to join him, then he will be waiting in the car out front. Blair, despite not liking the situation, tells Serena to go with Trip. But as Serena is about to close the safe, she comes across the letter from her father that Lily opened earlier this season. She reads the letter and Lady Fury is born again like a phoenix on speed. Serena confronts Lily on the letter and tells her mother that she is going to be with Trip and that Lily will never be in any position to judge her ever again after this latest stunt. What in God’s name is in that letter!?!?!
When Serena gets outside, Nate spills his guts about his feelings for Serena.This gives Serena a pause, which is all it takes before she hops in Trip’s limo. Chuck decides to take his best friend drinking to get Nate’s mind off things.
Upstairs, Lily rereads the letter and is startled by Rufus and she hurriedly puts the letter in her coat, which was actually Maureen’s coat. Remember they were rocking the same coats earlier that day?
Maureen picks up her coat and leaves, but finds the letter, reads it and you can practically see the light bulb come on over her head.
OMG!!!!!!!
News Alerts!
– What is in that letter? I have to know like yesterday.
– Eric needs to come off of his fake ass high horse and realize that he is in for a rude awakening. Jenny isn’t some first year idiot (to
an extent) and will crush him. Plus, what will their feud do to their family?
– Loved Blair tonight, for the first time all season. Will she keep it up though?
– CB. Give that man a frakking award already!
– Trip is going to wake up and realize that his career is more important than his woman. Think about it. If he is mad at Maureen about almost ruining his campaign, then what sense does it make for him to throw it away by being involved in an adulterous scandal? Common Sense really isn’t not so common!
– Dorota and Vanya plus baby equals spinoff. Get it poppin already.
See you guys tomorrow!
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