Gossip Girl (8): Should Serena Really Be Giving Lectures on “Being Nice?”

New episodes of this show can redeem any Monday.

Jenny, Jenny, Jenny, what are you doing? I am working on an eyeliner-to-desperation ratio; the more eyeliner you wear the more willing you are to debase yourself for popularity. Jenny’s self-possession and integrity did not last very long, but she sure is a quick study. Setting Blair up to be alone at a restaurant, using Nate to be “forgiven” for her grand larceny, using tears to manipulate her brother; this girl is playing for keeps. Just wondering how long Blair will let her play.

Because, let’s be honest, Blair might be down, but she is far from out. I think that we can understand this as analogous to our political process: the longevity of a candidate is in large part determined by their ability to raise funds. Blair simply has the means to hold out a lot longer than Jenny.

But, Nate needs to stop letting these conniving ladies lead him around by the short hairs. Here he is, genuinely concerned about Jenny’s well being, enough not only to warn her about the dangers she faces, but also to go to Dan when he believed she needed familial intervention, and what does she do? Trots him out like a male escort to be passed along to the next rich-bitch airhead. I cannot wait for the (rumored) Nate/Vanessa thing to get going, because this boy deserves so much better than how he is being treated.

Also, Chuck deserves a little, tiny, itty bit better, or at least the benefit of the doubt from Serena that if he wanted to mess with her he would not resort to such pedestrian measures. He is good at being bad, not cheap porn in a box. And after convincing his father to kick him out and making her brother so unhappy, she goes to Chuck to fix her problem! Sorry, but I was less than happy with Miss Serena last night. What is with these girls?

And finally, I would like to congratulate Ed Westwick on having balls of steel. Did the leaping fish on that sweater happen to be bass? Was that sweater not only horrifying, but also punny? I hope he got a raise.

The TV Girl