Season:
1
|
2
Year:
2007
|
2008
Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot
19 September 2007At a privileged prep school for teens on Manhattan's Upper East Side, the students first learn that Serena van der Woodsen is back in town the way they learn all the important news in their lives: from the Internet blog of the all-knowing, albeit, ultra-secretive 'Gossip Girl'. No one knows Gossip Girl's identity, but everyone in this exclusive and complicated vicious circle relies on her website and text messages for the latest scoop. Even Serena's closest friend, Blair Waldorf, is surprised to find that Serena has suddenly ended her self-imposed exile from a boarding school in New England and returned to Manhattan for school. Once the Upper East Side's most notorious party girl, Serena's reasons for returning are mysterious, although they may have something to do with her younger brother Eric, who's secretly in the hospital following a suicide attempt which is kept under wraps by their overprotective mother Lily. Whatever the reasons, the change in Serena is obvious, especially to Blair, whose friendship with Serena has always been competitive and difficult. Into this crowd comes Dan Humphrey, a kid from Brooklyn and whose freshman sister, Jenny, tries a little too hard to fit into Blair's circle of gossip friends, whom include 'Gossip Girl's contacts, Isabel and Kati. Blair's nice-guy boyfriend, Nate Archibald, is also troubled by Serena's return for his best friend, Chuck Bass, the school's snobbish cynic and resident bad boy, knows about a fling that Serena and Nate had which is why Serena left town to avoid a scandal which, in the snobbish world of high society, is social suicide. Elsewhere, Dan and Jenny's father, Rufus, a former rock musician and art gallery operator, also has a return of feelings for Serena and Eric's mother, Lily.
26 September 2007Serena confides in Blair that she had sex with her boyfriend, Nate, right before she skipped town. But Blair, being the person she is, vows a cruel revenge against Serina who decides that Dan would make a good escort for the fund raiser brunch at the Palace Hotel... a brunch hosted by none other than Jenny's would-be rapist, Chuck, and his uptight father Bart. Meanwhile, 'Gossip Girl' posts on her web bloc that Jenny, the eager freshman, paid a visit to ultra-cool Blair, who quickly realizes that granting the eager wannabe access to her elite inner circle might just prove useful. Elsewhere, Lily meets with Rufus about how their lives went since they parted 15 years earlier, and Dan discovers Lily's relationship with Bart, while Blair sends him running after she tells him all about Serina's sordid past.
Season 1, Episode 3: Poison Ivy
3 October 2007'Gossip Girl' narrates Ivy League week as the teens on the Upper East Side schools of Constance Billard, and the rival St. Jude's, prepare for a much-anticipated visit from the Ivy League representatives. Blair uncovers a scandalous secret about Serena that may not remain a secret much longer. Dan has his heart and future set on the coveted usher position for the Dartmouth rep, only to be beat out by the snobbish Nate, who has no interest in the school despite pressure from his controlling father, The Captain. Meanwhile, Jenny bonds with Serena's younger brother, Eric, and Rufus must swallow his pride and ask Lily for a favor to help his son, Dan.
9 October 2007Blair is thrilled when her mother, Eleanor, chooses her to be the new face of her clothing line. However, Blair's happiness soon turns to feelings of betrayal and jealousy when Serena moves into the spotlight and Blair finds herself back in Serena's shadow. Meanwhile, Serena and Dan are reminded once again that they come from two very different worlds, and Nate and Chuck indulge in a boys' weekend to blow off steam after Ivy Week.
Season 1, Episode 5: Dare Devil
16 October 2007Dan makes elaborate plans to impress Serena on their first official date. That same night, Jenny is invited to the infamous Blair Waldorf sleepover and finds herself in a high stakes game of "truth or dare." Meanwhile, when Lily discovers that Eric is missing from his treatment center, she finds herself seeking help from her ex-boyfriend, Rufus.
24 October 2007Dan is torn between two girls when his childhood friend, Vanessa, returns home and declares her feelings for him, just as he and Serena are trying to figure out what they mean to each other. At the infamous masked ball, Blair sends Nate on a scavenger hunt, but Nate is ultimately still distracted by his feelings for Serena. Although Blair makes it perfectly clear that outsiders are not welcome, a disguised Jenny and Dan sneak into the ball. Elsewhere, Lily asks Rufus to accompany her to an Eleanor Waldorf event in order to make Bart Bass jealous.
7 November 2007Things heat up between Serena and Dan when they admit they are in love with each other, despite that they come from polar opposite worlds (she from wealthy Upper East Side Manhattan, and he from working class Brooklyn). But Serena and Dan's plans to be alone to consummate their romance is interrupted by Vanessa who shows up wanting to spend time with Dan. Meanwhile, Chuck thinks of investing in a strip nightclub to make his father, Bart Bass, proud of him. Jenny discovers a secret that her parents have been keeping from her. Also, Blair is devastated by Nate's actions when Jenny reveals to Blair that Nate kissed her by accident at the masked ball the night before after he mistook her for Serena. Blair, (being the cynical b*tch she is), tells Jenny they are no longer friends. Nate's parents think that he should tell Blair he wants to marry her, even though he doesn't have strong feelings for her. The Archibalds and Waldorf's have a dinner party celebrating their new business deal together and it's obvious that Blair is giving Nate the silent treatment. Nate confronts his father about the drugs he found in his house, but he denies having a problem. The two get into a brawl and Nate's father punches him and as a result Nate turns his own father into the police. Afterwards, Nate gets ready to go see Chuck at the strip club he opened, but Blair stops him and tells him he needs to be with his father. Blair tells Nate that she doesn't need him and they break up and she heads over to the strip club saying she wants to "escape", which leads to a sordid tryst between Blair and Nate in the backseat of his limousine.
14 November 2007Blair is devastated by the current state of her relationship with Nate and the guilt from her recent indiscretion. But she manages to put on a happy face for her 17th birthday party and attempts to hide her feelings from her friends. Hoping to ease the tension between Serena and Vanessa, Dan takes Vanessa to Blair's party so the girls can bond together, but this ends up making Serena more uncomfortable. Jenny brings her mother home as a surprise visit, but Rufus isn't ready to forgive and forget. Also, Nate's parents ask him to make a huge sacrifice to save his father's business as he faces charges of embezzlement and fraud.
28 November 2007Although it is Thanksgiving, hardly anyone has the holiday spirit. Blair and Serena have a fight once Serena admits that she saw Blair with Chuck; Nate and his family share a strained Thanksgiving meal before Mr. Archibald ends up in the hospital after a suicide attempt; having been uninvited by Blair to the Waldorf Thanksgiving meal, the Van der Woodson family has dinner with the Humphreys and the tension between Lily, Allison, and Rufus is palpable; Blair revisits her bout of bulimia after discovering that her mother forbade her father to join them for Thanksgiving. Through the entire episode there are flashbacks of last year's Thanksgiving. There is a stark contrast between its joy and the present's strife.
5 December 2007As 'Gossip Girl' posts news of the annual Cotillion Ball to take place on the approaching weekend, Blair decides not to go with Nate, but she finds herself being featured in The New York Times and is enjoying her secret affair with Chuck. Serena decides not to go either, so her grandmother, CeCe, shows up to change her mind. Meanwhile, Jenny volunteers for the ball and Lily takes her under her wing. But the night of The Cotillion is the night of Alison's first art opening, and Rufus and Alison tell Jenny that she cannot attend the ball. Jenny decides to defy them both by secretly attending the dance anyway. Refreshed by Blair's newly buoyant attitude, Nate asks her to the Cotillion and she accepts, which makes Chuck jealous. CeCe tells Lily and Serena that she is sick with lung cancer and her last dying wish is to see Serena go to the ball, and she wants Serena to go with the wealthy Carter Baizen. The snobbish CeCe takes an instant dislike to Dan and she approaches Rufus with an offer pay him to convince Dan not to go with Serena. Dan learns of this and tells Serena that he does not think very highly of CeCe by telling Serena about how CeCe tried to bribe his father to persuade him not to attend. Surprisingly, the skeptic Serena refuses to believe Dan that her compassionate grandmother is a crafty snob, and she ends up going to the ball with Carter... both her and Dan having fallen right into CeCe's ploy. Also, Chuck manipulates Nate into thinking Carter is having an affair with Blair to provoke a fight with him.
19 December 2007When Blair's estranged father, Harold, comes home for the holidays with an unexpected guest: his gay lover Roman, Blair finds it difficult to hide her disappointment and hatches a plan to get rid of Roman for good. Meanwhile, Jenny and Vanessa help Serena plan the best Christmas surprise ever for Dan, who may have a surprise of his own in mind for Serena. Chuck informs Blair that Nate has joined him in Monaco, worrying Blair that Chuck may disclose the details of their hook-up. Also, Rufus refuses to remain the understanding husband any longer after Alison's former lover calls the house.