“Gossip Girl,” Season 2, Episode 3, was nothing short of pure hell. And we are not saying this because we think that the “Gossip Girl” that came out a decade ago had better plotlines. But there is something called the evolution of taste. What was funny then is caricaturish now, and what was relevant then feels too outdated right now. Season 2 of “Gossip Girl” has really failed to keep up with the times, which means that it is not doing the one thing it set out to do: mold the show to the tastes of the audiences of today. If we had to be charitable, maybe we would say that people not looking for something tasteful would like this episode. Otherwise, it is just scene after scene of second-hand embarrassment, and this is how it all unfolds.
Spoilers Ahead
Before The Party
Continuing the train wreck from the previous episode, “Gossip Girl,” Season 2, Episode 3 starts with Monet’s minions finding some matches for her so that she can form a power couple and become the undisputed queen of Constance. How did the writers come up with these ideas? Adding to this pettiness is the falling social rating of Max Wolfe. It has gone from 4.2 to 4.4, which means that his name doesn’t have the social currency it used to ever since he started a relationship. Shouldn’t his being in a polyamorous relationship have upped his social quotient due to the scandal it brings? Do the writers not realize how the world works? Either way, Zoya’s dad is desperately trying to find the money to repay Julien’s father and has to lie to Zoya before he goes for an interview. But she catches on to it with the help of Shah. When she confronts him about it, he tells her a half-truth that he is just seeking a better job and doesn’t mention that it is with Monet de Haan’s father.
Elsewhere, Julien is trying to be friends with Grace so that she can mend her relationship with Obie. At the same time, Monet wants to get in her good books so that she can be introduced to Tiffany Myers, Grace’s best friend and also the ideal person to form a power couple with. Therefore, the logical result is that Monet, Julien, and Grace end up spending a whole day together. Seriously, why is Grace Byron so dense? Does she really have no idea what is going on in the world? Why on earth would she want to spend a day with two people who are publicly feuding? Anyway, after spending hours trying to get her attention, Monet snaps when Grace says that she cannot introduce her to Tiffany. She tells her exactly what she thinks of her, and that causes her to misunderstand Julien as well and leave in a huff. But that’s not all for the Byrons. Grace’s mother, Charlotte Byron, tells Obie that while she likes him, she wants him to stay as far away from any drama as possible, which also includes the one brought on by his company. Meanwhile, our very own Gossip Girl, Kate, welcomes her dad to town. Kate is worried about what Mike Shubin would think of her since he believes that she sent in the tip that got the previous headmistress fired. She wants to keep the fact from the current headmistress, but Mike is not responding to her arguments. However, when he comes to meet her, Kate gets a call about her dad being drunk. She goes with Mike to get him, and when they return, due to the whole thing they have gone through, they are able to talk a little bit more freely. Kate talks about her insecurities about never having achieved everything she wanted to. Mike tries to tell her that she is a good person, but he doesn’t know her alter ego. Kate is becoming increasingly aware that Gossip Girl is just a crutch for her insecurities, and it is one that she is not willing to let go of. Just as the two are about to have a moment, Mike decides to leave. They part on good terms and decide to talk the next day in school.
Coming to the party, the whole group is going to be there for different reasons. Zoya has caught on that her father is lying to her and is going to the party to confront him. Monet is going to set herself up with Tiffany. Max, Audrey, and Aki are going because the party they tried to throw was even more lackluster than the cast of the show, and they find that one way to salvage Max’s social rating is by going to the party and meeting all of Max’s previous “friends,” who are in town and haven’t invited him. Hence, it is the set-up for another social event where people are going to try and resolve non-existent issues of privilege.
‘Gossip Girl’ Season 2, Episode 3: Ending Explained – What is the Aftermath of the Guggenheim Party?
We will say that the one sweet moment from this episode is when Obie and Julien finally resolve their issues by talking through how they each approach conflicts. We have to admit that as unremarkable as we find the cast, it is the character of Obie who should have been written out of the show simply because he adds no value to it. Obie lacks both charm and substance, and it is hard to be invested in him. Elsewhere, Zoya is annoyed when she misunderstands her dad and tries to show what he is doing to Mr. de Haan in front of the other company he is interviewing with. Luckily, he is not held back by his daughter, who lacks common sense. While the company rescinds its offer, Mr. De Haan doubles his offer because he likes Mr. Lott’s shrewd sense of business. But Zoya is less than happy about it. She seriously needs to get over herself.
Coming to Monet, she hits it off with Tiffany until she discovers that she has just been queerbaiting on social media. Monet is silly to the bone, but this is a limit for her. As she is sitting morosely, Julien comes and encourages her to stand up for what she believes in instead of engaging in an unnecessary way. Elsewhere, our in-house polyamorous couple manages to brew some trouble when they show Max’s friends from Brooklyn videos of the time they spent together. They encourage them to take some recreational drugs for old times’ sake, and this endeavor succeeds. The boys take the pills and run across the museum, close to being fully unclothed. It is at the same time that Gossip Girl posts the truth about Tiffany’s queerbaiting. It is mayhem with the half-naked boys running and the girls fighting, but of course, it becomes a night to remember as all the friends laugh with each other before heading home.
The next day, Charlotte Byron makes it clear to Obie that she wants him to stay away from Julien. Max’s social rating is up again, and he wants to celebrate it by spending time with Audrey and Aki. Monet and Julien patch things up publicly through an Instagram Live. Things seem to be alright between Kate and Mike, as Kate herself tells the new headmistress about her involvement in the previous one’s firing. She is supported by her, and Mike tells her that he wasn’t going to create a problem for her. But Mike is still bad news, as later he makes a call and tells someone that he is close to finding out who Gossip Girl is. Another eventful thing to happen is that Shah finds out about Nick Lott’s debt when she accidentally overhears his conversation with David Calloway. However, she has yet to tell Zoya about it. On that note, this episode comes to an end.
What To Expect From Season 2, Episode 4?
We know that there will be another party for sure. While we are talking about that, can we say that Audrey’s outfits are probably the best of the lot? Her blue gown in this episode was stunning. Her character is not getting enough screen time, but she could genuinely be the one to add some substance to the series. There would be something with Zoya and her dad. She was supposed to be the mature character, but right now, she is the most insufferable one, even more than Chuck Bass 2.0. We would also see who Mike Shubin is working for. Our suspicions lie with David Calloway. Julien is also thinking of getting back into the internet game, and good girl Gracie is cheating on Obie, so we can expect the coming episodes to be sufficiently scandalous, that is, if they manage to avoid making it unintentionally funny.
