Television Review: Gossip Girl, "Summer, Kind of Wonderful"
by R.J. Carter
Published: September 1, 2008
Spotted on the CW after a long hot summer: The return of Gossip Girl, sporting heavy PDA and accompanied by a few new SOs. So what can fans expect with the debut of the second season of everyone's favorite guilty pleasure?
Summer vacation is drawing to a close in the East Hamptons, where Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) and her new stepbrother-from-hell, Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick) hang out separately together, with S avoiding the attentions of handsome lifeguards and CB using his questionable wiles to successfully get three lovely bikini tops to come off all at the same time. Now that's the Gossip Girl we know and love -- rife with the impossible dreams of the wealthy and powerful.

Like Scarlett and Rhett? Is Blair and Chuck's
relationship finally gone with the wind? |
But devilish Chuck can't enjoy his hedonism when he gets the text that his broken-hearted ex, Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) has been spotted returning from Europe -- and on the arm of a new man. "Ain't karma a bitch?" asks our narrator (Kristen Bell). "We know Blair Waldorf is." But surely Blair didn't latch onto a man just to make Chuck jealous? She's above such pettiness right? Yeah, Chuck doesn't believe that, either, and he's going to find out everything Blair doesn't know about the new kid in town.
And as for Chuck's BFF, Nate Archibald? Good old Nate (Chace Crawford) has landed himself in the arms of another woman, and it looks like it could be love. Too bad she's older. And married. Oops! That could put a kink into his love life. Then again, maybe a little kink is just the thing he was looking for. It sure seems that way for Catherine, the trophy wife using him for her boy toy.
Over on the wrong side of the tracks, Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley) is exploring ways to get Serena out of his head, now that she's dumped him. And it seems the best way Dan has found to evict her from his heart is to crowd her out. Yeah, Dan's no longer 'lonely boy' -- Dan's getting around, making the circuit, kissing the girls and making them cry. So if his head's on so straight now, why can't he finish his writing?

Cute Makes a Comeback. Being a mean girl
didn't turn out well for Jenny (Taylor Momsen).
Has Little J learned her lesson? |
His little sister Jenny (Taylor Momsen) has problems of her own, slaving away as the unappreciated intern for a fashion design scene. She's created the cutest little number that she'd love to have seen at the exclusive White Party in the Hamptons. Too bad she's not invited, and her boss is too much of a bitch to give her any slack. But little J's daddy (Matthew Settle) does some long-distance parenting and comes up with the perfect solution: Jenny should go to the party herself. All she has to do is swallow her pride and beg the forgiveness of Eric van der Woodsen (Connor Paolo). Seems like a longshot to me, but it actually works! Even Dan makes it to the soiree, on the arm of no less than Serena's grandmother!
So all our players are in one place, and of one discord. What will happen when Catherine sees Nate with Serena? What will happen when Dan sees Nate with Serena? Will little J's boss blow a gasket when she sees her at the party? And exactly who is it that Blair has hooked up with? Even she doesn't know the full secret behind that one -- but when she and Chuck both discover the truth, it's gonna change their game entirely!
You know you love it. XOXO.
Gossip Girl season two debuts on the CW, Monday, September 1, 8pm/7pm CT).
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