Gossip Girls

Tonight on Gossip Girl: Blair and Vanessa fought fire with fire over the freshman toast, and both ended up getting burned, while Dan and Olivia learned the hard way that using a middle man in your relationship is an easy way to (almost) end it. Plus, Serena played cards for Carter Baizen's safety from one merciless family while Nate played Serena to help his own. And, of course, how could I forget? Blair tricked Chuck into kissing a guy, all so she could shine at his expense. So, who played the game well, and who simply got played?

We're going to try something a little bit different this week, Gossip Girl fans. Instead of a straight, this-is-what-happened recap of tonight's "Enough About Eve," we're just going to hit the highlights, lowlights, and catfights of the night. Let me know how you like it!

The kiss, of course! Not that I exactly enjoy seeing Chuck Bass macking on a man, but his sheer sex appeal even when flirting with the opposite sex was admirable. Plus, he was so unphased afterwards. And then we found out why: "You really think I've never kissed a guy before?" Gotta love a man who's confident enough in his relationship--and sexuality--to share that tidbit with his girlfriend! Chuck's the king. Too bad this kiss lowered him to pawn status.

Vanessa out-Machiavellis Blair. After preaching and preaching to Vanessa about how you've got to get down and dirty in order to ascend the throne, Blair saw the fruits of her teaching backfire when Vanessa turned on the mic during one of Blair's evil queen speeches while the whole freshman dinner audience listened in. It was a bittersweet moment, watching the annoyingly honest and sympathetic Vanessa stoop to her enemy's level, and the usually triumphant Blair get tricked by a lesser foe, but then again... what doesn't kill Blair will definitely make her stronger. And wiser, next time.

Nate and Serena play right into each others' hands. A high-stakes card game ends up being fodder for the not-so-bright but beautiful pair to try out their poker faces... and both lost big, thanks to each other. Where Chuck and Blair can only succeed when they put their manipulative heads together, Nate and Serena seem doomed to just dig deeper (about $50K deeper?) holes for themselves together. Tragically (but hilariously) fitting. The good news? They both learned something. Nate learned not to wager his political agenda on a desperate girl in love, and Serena learned that when you're gambling for human lives, what's in your winning pot most likely won't stay there for long. At least that's what I hope they learned.

Best Quotes:

Chuck to Blair: I know it might take time, but one day you will hold that school in the palm of your dainty hand.

Blair to Vanessa: See, that's where you and I are different. I would never put my fate in someone else's hands. That's why I always win. And you lose.

Blair: He double crossed me, and I...
Chuck: Demand satisfaction.
Blair: Oh, my wonderful man. I'll just go powder my nose for... ten minutes?
Chuck: I only need five.

Chuck: I'm not that kind of girl.
Ellis: Do you have a boyfriend?
Chuck: Not exactly...

Blair: Out, you cableknit queen!

Olivia to Rufus and Lily: Totes! So, anyone famous here? I mean... besides me.
Olivia (later, on her cellphone): I love you too, bitch.

Chuck: Dinner was canceled. He had to fly home.... Something about a revolution.

Blair to Lily: Where did you learn to give a pep talk? Guantanamo?

The Episode's Worsts:

Vanessa's mom. Just as unorthodox, outspoken and annoying as her daughter, and with the same penchant for over-accessorizing. Get back to your chicken coops and homemade-rhubarb making, PLEASE! One Abrams is quite enough.

Olivia's NYU Freshman Dinner dress. The only thing saving Hilary Duff's character from life in fashion jail without parole is the hope that that too-tight, too, short, too-orange-and-matching-her-fake-tan and totally inappropriate for a parents' dinner dress was directly related to her "plot" to insult Dan's parents with her "shallow Hollywood pinhead"-edness. The earrings definitely helped in that department, too.

No Dorota or Eric?! Please. Blair was having a full-on meltdown, and the Humphrey-Van der Woodsen clan was having waffles. They both would have been there.

Blair's most recent fall from grace. Can't our favorite queen catch a break around here? Granted, Blair had it coming to her this time, when she manipulated the one person she cares too much about (besides Serena... right?) to use and abuse. But Blair's been downtrodden so much this season that we can barely remember what she's like at the top. Carter's line about how he'd rather have Serena hate than pity him might just as well apply to Ms. Waldorf, who is in serious danger of character-assasination! Can't the writers find a way for Chuck and Blair to be together, for Blair to rule NYU, and for us to both love and fear her again... without the whole show becoming boring? Is that so much to ask? No? Then let's also ask for Chuck to be shirtless more often. That oughta do it.

Burning Questions from the episode:

• Will Chuck and Blair break up now that Chuck thinks Blair doesn't respect him?
• Are Vanessa and Blair actually bonding over the fact that their favorite people despise them right now, and does that mean they're going to be FRIENDS NOW?
• If Carter is really going to Texas on an oil rig, why did we see him getting into a limo?
• Will Sophie keep her Minion #1 status over what's-her-face?
• Now that it's officially fall, will Serena ever invest in pants?
• Will Rufus get to keep his Welcome Back, Kotter mugs?!

What did you think of tonight's Gossip Girl?

Were you happier than a complimentary Japanese watch, or sadder than a pink disembodied goblin claw?

Let me know YOUR favorite quotes, moments and more in the comments!

While we're all still reeling from the backstabbing, game-playing toast-feud of the century that happened last night on Gossip Girl (only Blair and Vanessa would care so much about giving a silly toast, after all), let's all check out the promos for next Monday's episode, "How to Succeed in Bassness."

Looks like Chuck and Blair's relationship is still on the rocks after she duped him into kissing a dude, and Dan and Olivia are setting sail for rough waters, too, when Dan maybe-kinda-sorta sees an Olivia sex tape?!

Oh yeah, and Chuck is opening his hotel with a flapper party! Happy Halloween, Gossip Girl style (which means very little Halloween at all).

Check out the promo and extended promo for the next Gossip Girl episode, airing at 9 PM on Monday, October 26 on the CW.

Chuck is just oozing with sex appeal. A kiss from him, after all, is item #27 on the Tribeca Scavenger Hunt, something that became even harder to accomplish with Blair (Leighton Meester) taking him off the market, and I'm sure the fact that it wasn't the first time made the hearts of little gay boys and guys palpitate a trifle quick. For his part, Mr. Ellis (Neal Bledsoe) is not a bad-looking chap himself, and I'm sure that Chuck Bass kiss is going to be up there in his credentials: maybe not the most major, but certainly the most memorable.Did Chuck enjoy the kiss? He certainly didn't look the least bothered by it. Though, on second thought, few things rattle the Mother-Chucker, so it's really hard to tell.

Was he just playing a part to help out Blair? Or does the brilliance of Chuck's ability to "play their little game" lie in that fact that it all comes so naturally to him, and it's not really playing a part at all? He did say "Tut, tut, I'm not that kind of girl," like a practiced pro.

And he did say that it wasn't the first time. Watching the kiss again (which I'm sure a lot of you did...), Chuck's eyes were closed, we're sure there was no tongue involved--bummer--and he was his usual suave self, with the inviting flutter of the eyes and such.

Glamour magazine recently put out their latest celeb-rankings for the "30 Sexiest Stars Under 30," as voted by their readers, and four of our favorites from Gossip Girl made the list!

Not that we're surprised, but congratulations are in order for Chace Crawford, Leighton Meester, Ed Westwick and Blake Lively, anyway.

Better luck next year, Taylor Momsen, Jessica Szohr and Penn Badgley. You're still part of the all-around best-looking cast in Hollywood.

Check out where the fab four landed in Glamour's countdown, and why each of them is so super sexy:

Blair Waldorf may be just a fictional character on Gossip Girl, but the Upper East Side Queen B has such a wide influence on our fashions (Hello, headbands), values (aristocracy is in again!), and arsenals of insults (A personal fave: "She is the loosest girl in class, don't you know Chuck doesn't like his fruit pre-picked?") that she might as well be a real person by now.

Which might be why MTV News asked actress turned songstress Leighton Meester (who plays Ms. Waldorf on Gossip Girl) whether Blair would approve of her newest single, "Somebody to Love," the video for which she was in the middle of filming.

Is Blair in Leighton's target demo with her dance-y, poppy techno-inspired tune?

"I think it hits that... that audience, for sure," she explained to MTV News.I think it's still sophisticated, which is special to me, and it's you know, definitely my style of the lyrics and it definitely has a lot to do with my experiences in life. But it's... you know... I don't think [Blair] would be mad at it," said Meester.

(Listen to "Somebody to Love" and decide for yourself!)

Waldorf-approved, apparently. I guess if anyone would know, it's Leighton!

Not sure she'd be able to say the same about the skintight black leather, shoulder-padded dress and major eyebrows she was sporting for the video shoot, though. Blair's style is much more... traditional, you might say.

Crawford took over the lead role for the remake when High School Musical star Zac Efron dropped out in March this year. He'll play Ren McCormack, the role made famous by Kevin Bacon. The movie is set for a summer 2010 release.

Why isn't Gossip Girl taking advantage of Chace's dancing ability? That can be one hell of a plot, perhaps even crazier than Chuck-kissing-another-guy plot that happened in the last episode.

Q: I'm tired of some people bitching about Gossip Girl being in some kind of creative slump or funk this year. I'm loving this season. Got any good scoop?

A: I'm (mostly) loving this season, too. The Chuck-Blair stuff continues to be immensely satisfying. And Hilary Duff isn't as annoying as I predicted.

 

On the scoop front, there's a big Blair-Serena blow-up coming. The frenemies will definitely be on the outs for a little bit.

 

So, why could Blair and Serena be on the outs? I have a few theories.

Theory 1: Blair chooses Chuck over Serena, and Serena gets jealous.

Theory 2: When Chuck asks Serena to help open his new hotel and doesn't invite Blair, Blair lashes out and blames Serena.

Theory 3: Serena gets insecure about being a college drop-out (and doesn't realize you're not even a "drop-out" if you never showed up for the first day) and gets insecure when she thinks everyone talks to her like she is stupid. Blair responds with, "That's because you are."

Theory 4: In a moment of weakness and co-ed drunkness, Blair kisses Dan. She then exacts an elaborate plan to stalk and murder Dan so that no one will ever find out. Serena finds out.

Theory 5: Blair and Serena decide to take on the project of giving Jenny a makeover, but disagree about whether they should model her new look after Audrey Hepburn or Aubrey O'Day.

Theory 6: Blair steals and destroys all of Rufus's Welcome Back, Kotter mugs so she never has to hear about them ever, ever again.

Happy Friday, Gossip Girl fans!

By now you must be putting on your special weekend power headband, picking out your most expensive dress, and downing a bottle of Dom before the special gala, art auction, wedding or other special invite-only occasion you are undoubtedly attending tonight. Right now you must be wondering: which length of hair extension looks best with this neckline? What witty retorts do I have at my mental beck-and-call for when I am next publicly scorned? Do I have my extra $25,000 in case there's an impromptu underground poker game?

Isn't real life just grand?

Just, please, be safe out there this weekend, kids, and don't give all your money to a mysterious Ponzi schemer, or get locked inside your friend's mother's couture shop in the middle of the night, or ruin your friend's cousin's Senate campaign, okay? I worry about you. Life is full of good and evil forces just waiting to fight over your well-being on the harsh New York City streets.

Speaking of which! Before you go: are you old enough to remember what a Tamagotchi is?

I hope you are, and not just because I could basically be your grandmother if you don't. It's mostly because Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester was in a TV commercial advertising those fabulous fad toys "back in the day," and it's adorable. She plays an angel! Check it out:

What's a new NYU student to do when she's no longer queen bee? Work her connections to get Lady Gaga to play a private show, of course! That's what Blair (Leighton Meester) does in an upcoming episode of Gossip Girl set to air Nov. 16.

PEOPLE was on set while the pop star filmed her performance -- set to her new single, "Bad Romance."

"My little sister is the hugest Gossip Girl fan ever," Gaga (with Penn Badgley and Meester) tells PEOPLE.

 

Word is that Gaga will live up to her out-there fashion reputation Gossip Girl as well, and will be performing on the show in a "30-foot long stage dress." Yowza. We can only hope the more traditionally stylish Blair Waldorf will have something to say about that!

See video of Lady Gaga leaving the Gossip Girl set.

Tune in on November 16 for the Gaga-infused Gossip Girl episode, and every Monday (that's tonight!) at 9 PM on the CW.

Well, I didn't see this coming. And neither will Chuck Bass or Lily Van der Woodsen-Humphrey, if Kristin's latest spoiler over at E! Online really is about the stern patriarch that Gossip Girl buried last spring.

For the spoiler-adverse fans out there, take solace that three other primetime shows could be the one hosting a "back-from-the-dead dad" plotline. Nothing is set in gravestone just yet.

For those spoiler sleuths out there, check out Kristin's hint-filled post after the jump (including the three other shows), and then tell me: could it be Bart?

Hooray for zombies!

In honor of Halloween, we're dropping this spoilertastic bomb on all you TV lovers:

• A father who is supposed to be dead is coming back.
• And it looks like he might be aliiive, baby!

Spies on of one of the shows we love best--Gossip Girl, Lost, Dexter or Supernatural--tell us that the father of one of the hot TV men (Jared Padalecki/Supernatural, Ed Westwick/Gossip Girl, Matthew Fox/Lost, Michael C. Hall/Dexter) will be making his grand return in the next few months. And it probably goes without saying, but it's gonna be shocking.

So who is it?

I'm going to give you the answer--yes, the answer, as in the name!--in today's Spoiler Chat, which will post later this afternoon.

In the meantime, a few clues to get you guessing:

• This father is good-looking.
• This father had good reason to disappear.
• His return will make not one but two beautiful blondes all atwitter.

My questions for Gossip Girl spoiler speculators:
- Do the other shows have "two beautiful blondes"? Because Lily and Serena certainly fit that bill.
- Does the word "might" insinuate a flashback, dream or vision to you? Or will the dad really be back from the dead?
- How would you feel about Bart returning... alive? Would the move be juicy and awesome, or too soap opera over-the-top?

Your guesses and theories go in the comments!

"Ah, yeah, it's me, myself and I, and we get busy," the 24-year-old who plays villainess Georgina Sparks joked. "It's going to be, like, in split screens. So it's going to be like Michelle, Michelle, Michelle, like, 'What body part is that?' But it's all mine."

Meanwhile, we don't know if she's kidding when she answered the next item: who are her dream threesome partners onscreen?

"We'll go with Blake [Lively] and Leighton [Meester]. It would be a crazy lady threesome. It's not going to happen," she said. Speaking of things not going to happen, she admitted that she's a big fan of Lady Gaga, who had booked a guest spot on Gossip Girl, but wasn't on set when the episode was taped. She was working on her other series, the NBC medical drama Mercy.

"She performed on the show, so that's pretty fantastic 'cause I'm a huge Gaga fan. I was not there. ... I missed out on Gaga," she said.

The outrageous performer appear on the November 16 episode of Gossip Girl, where she'll perform her new single "Bad Romance."

Who do you think will engage in that Gossip Girl threesome?

Last night on Gossip Girl, episode 3.08, "How to Succeed in Bassness":

Blair and Chuck work out their issues, Chair style. Serena is a working girl. Rufus is creepy, and Lily is nice. Jenny is the new Miss Queen Bitch and Eric faces her wrath. Dan and Nate watch porn together. And there are some really awesome rockstar pumpkins.

For a more detailed summary, see below.

Blair and Chuck still need to figure out their trust problems. While Chuck claims to have forgiven Blair, she feels otherwise. When she listens in on his conversation with Serena and finds out Chuck doesn't want her involved in his club opening, she takes action. She begins to call numerous people to plan things that are unclear, but clearly against Chuck's wishes for her to stay out of it.

Serena tries to impress her boss, KC, by secretly planning Chuck's opening party. KC does not appreciate this and wants Serena to get Olivia to come to the party without Dan and with Robert Pattinson, I mean Patrick Robinson. KC thinks this will up Patrick's much-needed publicity.

Meanwhile, Nate shows Dan Olivia's naughty scenes in the "Endless Knights" series with her alleged then-boyfriend, Patrick. Dan freaks out and confronts Olivia. She tells him they only pretended to date for the paparazzi.

Jenny embraces her new position as queen and takes Eric and Jonathon down a few steps, literally. They refuse to back down and Jenny gets her minions to pour the famous yogurt on Eric's head.

Chuck can't seem to get the alcohol license he needs for the club opening, and Blair underhandedly steps in. She obtains the help of Jack Bass and gets the permit Chuck needed. Chuck hears of this and uninvites Blair.

The Gossip Girl gang is ready for a roaring '20s party at Chuck's club. It turns out the license Blair got was a fake, and Jack was only trying to set up Chuck. Chuck and Blair immediately have the same plan to call the cops themselves to give the guests a night they will never forget.

Olivia tells Dan that she didn't pretend to date Patrick Robinson, she actually did date him. Dan is shocked, but Olivia assures him she never felt the way she feels about Dan with Patrick. They resolve all their issues and Serena has them kiss in front of all the paparazzi while she kisses Patrick herself.

KC approves of her hard work, and Serena keeps her job.

Lily convinces Jenny to apologize to Eric in a heartfelt step-mother and daughter talk. Jenny only apologizes after ordering her followers to egg Jonathan on his way to the party. Eric and Jenny momentarily reconcile at the party, but when Eric finds out about what she did to Jonathon, he decides he wants nothing more to do with her. She symbolically ditches her homemade "rocker" clothes and sewing machine to continue with her reign of terror.

Chuck and Blair come to a conclusion that their lack of trust is what keeps them interesting. They forgive each other for good and finally get things back to normal, or something like it.

Oh, and the Halloween part: Rufus is obsessed with Halloween. He makes elaborate KISS inspired pumpkins and dresses as a Ramone. Lily pays the doorman to bring kids to the building so Rufus won't be disappointed, and can hand out all the candy he bought. Rufus finds out her scheme, but is thankful that she cared so much to make his Halloween special.

Remember how we were theorizing why Blair and Serena might be on the outs this week? Well, last night during "How to Succeed in Bassness," we certainly found out. And it looks like next week's episode of Gossip Girl, "The Grandfather: Part II" will just make matters worse for our favorite frenemies.

Check out the first promo for next Monday night's episode, which airs at 9 PM on the CW, plus the synopsis for the episode, which throws yet another guest star into the Gossip mix.

Oh, you Gossip Girl fans. I post a teaser-ish article about how Bart Bass might come back from the dead this season, and you tell me to keep my spoilers to myself! Or at least out of my headlines. If Chuck's dad does indeed come back a zombie, you want to be just as surprised as Chuck will be!

Point taken. My apologies, friends and frenemies.

So now, if you've come this far in the article, you must actually want to know more about if/how/why Bart Bass might be making his way back to the Upper East Side. Thank Ausiello over at the EW for this tantalizing hint... (Spoiler ahead!)

Q: What's this I'm hearing about Bart Bass returning from the dead on Gossip Girl? this season? Is Chuck's father alive or is it a flashback?

A: Neither. Totally unrelated question: Are you a fan of A Christmas Carol?

So: could Bart be a 'Ghost of Christmas Past' for one of our central Gossip Girl characters? Who do you think: Chuck or Lily? Someone else?

Thoughts on a Christmas Carol-inspired Gossip Girl dream sequence? On Bart's return? Share!

Whoa. Hold the phone.

Is that Blair Waldorf... trying to make a new friend?

After the jump, check out two more sneak peeks of Monday's Gossip Girl episode (to accompany the two other "The Grandfather: Part II" videos we already got) which, judging from the glimpse we got of Serena shoving Blair's head into a cake, promises to be a dramatic one indeed.

In the first clip, Blair sees a striking blonde who rivals her in riches and fashion knowledge: a worthy replacement for Serena if she ever saw one. In the second, Serena once again has to balance her new job as a publicist with her social problems as Tripp Vanderbilt's election party approaches.

I've got to hand it to Gossip Girl (imaginary as she may be), because I really don't know how she does it. I spent one Halloween weekend out of town without a computer, and suddenly I'm a mile behind on keeping up with the happenings of the Manhattan elite!

Fortunately, that's what news round-ups are for.

So, for anyone else who spent more time being spooky than reading scandal this weekend, gear up for tonight's feud-tastic Gossip Girl episode by brushing up on your off-screen GG news with me.


Life imitating (last year's) Gossip: Thanks to an anonymous "source" close to Blake Lively, she and boyfriend Penn Badgley could be engaged by the end of the year. Sunday marked Penn's 23rd birthday (BTW: Happy B-Day, Lonely Boy!) ad the source had this to say: "I think if Nov. 1 was Blake's birthday and not Penn's, he might have surprised her with a ring. But my guess is it's going to happen over the holidays.'' Glad to know their transition from lovers to siblings on the show hasn't affected the romance off-screen, but I'll believe the ring rumors when the "source" has an actual name: and that name is Blake Lively or Penn Badgley.

A Stroke of Brilliance: Were you wondering who that short-haired solo artist was on last week's Gossip Girl playing at Chuck's club opening? Well, don't kick yourself for not recognizing this normally bushy-haired rocker, but it was none other than Albert Hammond, Jr. of The Strokes, playing an acoustic version of one of my favorite tracks off his solo album Yours to Keep, called "In Transit." Relive the understated (and underhyped, for Gossip Girl) performance here, and get your hands on Hammond's solo work, because it rocks.

Chace Crawford Too Girly for Woman Who Wants to Put Makeup on Boyfriend: Leona Lewis says she turned down the chance to mack on Chace Crawford when he appeared in her latest music video because she thought it would make her boyfriend, Lou Al-Chamaa, jealous. And he's just not her type: "He needs roughing up a bit! He'd be a really pretty girl ... He's so beautiful, I mean, look at him. But I just don't think of him like that." This coming from a girl who says of her beau's best qualities: "Sometimes I'll look at him and be like, 'You have really nice eyelashes, can I put mascara on them?' "

Leighton Meester joined Weezer on stage on Halloween to sing their new single, "(If You're Wondering if I Want You To) I Want You To." Watch the performance here, as it might be your only chance in life to see Teletubbies rocking out in the same room as Blair Waldorf.

Blake Lively covered Nylon mag this month, and gave some of her more... interesting quotes to date, including, ""I swipe my friends with, like, my phone or something, - I slide it in their butts. Like in middle school! You say 'Visa! Mastercard!' Just to give somebody a jump. I'm a prankster." At least the pictures give us some pleasing mental images...