The first season of “Gossip Girl” left us with mixed feelings, partly because it did not match up to the original one and partly because the scandals felt a little too tame yet unnecessarily overhyped. However, it was decently enjoyable, even though we were less than happy about the development of some of the characters, like Max Wolfe. Yet, we had a certain curiosity about what the next season would bring. And with that, we have tuned into the first episode of this new chapter. Let us take a look at what happens on the first page of the new book.
Spoilers Ahead
A New Chapter For Julien, Zoya, And Gossip Girl
It’s a new season for “Gossip Girl,” literally and figuratively. After the debacle of last season, the online page has shown that it is far more than just a place for gossip. It is something that is completely self-serving and can turn back on the very people it sought to ‘entertain.’ Julien Calloway has partnered with Gossip Girl and sends tips that are a mixture of truth and lies so that she stays out of the ambit of suspicion. She has also moved in with Zoya and Nick, and there has been a subsequent clash of lifestyles, with her half-sister getting insecure about her taking up all of her dad’s attention. Allow us to say that we are not fans of how condescending she is towards Julien when she expresses her interest in doing an MBA. It is as if the idea of her sister wanting to pursue an education beyond the camera is the most hilarious thing.
Back in school, Kate is getting increasingly annoyed about the influence of the de Haan family on Constance and the subsequent manipulation of Monet’s grades. This is weirdly intertwined with Julien starting with a clean slate. After the events of the last season, she wants to put a more authentic foot forward, which means not caring about her appearances, again, literally and figuratively, at all times. This is just another reason for Monet de Haan to feel justified in her plans for a takeover as the new “Queen Bee” of the school. However, to keep up with her new college plans, Julien needs to engage in some extracurriculars, and the debutante ball is the perfect place for that. Whereas Zoya disagrees with the idea due to its outdated and regressive nature, Monet finds a perfect opportunity to make her move. The Ball is the first important event of the second season, and the promise of scandal is already brewing. Gossip Girl wants the scoop on Camille de Haan, and Julien is on her way there. Meanwhile, Kate is making plans to get to the Ball, as she doesn’t trust her source entirely. Zoya and Julien also get into a disagreement when the former points out that if it is such a noble cause, why isn’t Shelby able to bring her girlfriend to the Ball? Julien decides to let it rest since it is not her fight. To be honest, we can’t help but side with her on this. Zoya has a point, but there must be a limit to meddling, not to mention the choice of the queer community to present themselves on their own terms. What happens later on is convenient glossing over the complications of this matter and should have been handled more sensitively.
While the two half-sisters are struggling with their own made-up problems, Audrey, Max, and Aki are facing a more real one. Max wants them all to come out in the open about their polyamorous relationship, but they just don’t seem ready to do so. After a few mishaps that leave Max feeling humiliated, he tells them that it does not feel like an equal relationship, and they must rethink it all. On the day of the Ball, Aki and Audrey decide to do their coming out with Max, though they are clearly not prepared for it. In the meantime, Max talks to Luna, who tells him that for someone who has never had to struggle with the cis-het narrative of society, it is a daunting task to risk their social currency by revealing their true self. Being authentic requires courage, and that can take time to muster. Max sees her point and rethinks the pressure he has been putting on his friends to come out. But it’s not just productive socializing that’s happening at the Ball.
“Gossip Girl” Season 2, Episode 1: Ending Explained- Why Does Monet Declare War On Julien?
Nick, who was supposed to escort Julien, is called away by Monet’s minions with a lie that Zoya has gotten injured. Right as the girls are about to make their debut, Nick is missing, and Julien is unable to come down. Yet, Monet comes wearing a non-traditional dress, declaring that her escort will be a woman. It was a great move to make, one that would have skyrocketed her popularity if not for Zoya already having invited Shelby’s girlfriend and them being together at the Ball. Monet’s moment is ruined. Additionally, she had called for Davis Calloway to escort Julien, which was an extremely embarrassing moment for her. This leads to a fight on the dance floor, where all the girls are pulling at each other’s hair and tearing away their dresses. It would have been comical if it did not feel so out of place. It felt like a scandal for the sake of it instead of being something relevant to the plot.
Infuriated by all this, Camille drags Monet away and berates her for her choices. She brought a sexual predator among them and broke tradition in the most ungracious manner. She calls her out for taking her privileges for granted instead of stepping up to the plate. This entire confrontation is caught by Kate as she hides in the closet with the new Russian Literature professor. He will undoubtedly have a greater role to play as the episodes go by, but for now, he is a mystery. After it all blows over, Julien tells Davis that Zoya was not the one who invited him and figures out that Monet is behind this. Before she confronts her, Zoya and her makeup and talk about their new place in each other’s lives, coming to the understanding that they can make it work. On the other hand, Max tells Aki and Audrey that he is willing to wait as long as it takes for them to be ready.
“Gossip Girl” Season 2 Episode 1 ends with Monet and Julien confronting each other about their actions. Monet believes that she has what it takes to be the “it girl” of the Upper East Side, and she doesn’t want to be in Julien’s shadow anymore. But Julien is on a reformative path, and she doesn’t believe in this idea of war. Monet had done what she could so that she could make it clear that she was what everyone must look up to now before her plan backfired. And that is what we can expect more of in the upcoming episodes. The “war” between the former best friends
What Can We Expect From The Next Episode?
The most obvious thing we want to see is the development of Aki, Audrey, and Max’s relationship. Also, we want to understand what it means when Julien says she has put everything behind her. Is she not an influencer anymore, or does she want a different kind of influence? This is something the makers need to be clear about. Zoya is just becoming a tiresome, self-righteous meddler, and we like her less and less. The way “Gossip Girl” Season 2, Episode 1 was written makes us think that a lot of the plotlines are going to be serious force-fits into the narrative. Let us hope that we are wrong, and it maintains the standard of its first season.
