Gossip Girl: Going Bass-Ackwards

Gossip Girl:
"In the Realm of the Basses"

When last we saw our beloved Upper East Siders, Bart was dead, Chuck was spiraling out of control, Blair told Chuck she loved him but could not stop the young Bass from continuing his downward spiral, Serena went to Argentina with greasy Aaron for her mom's benefit (?), Nate was useless, and Rufus and Lily had a love child (to which I said, "phooey on the love child!").

So now we've made it through the holiday season, and Gossip Girl has mercifully returned! Chuck is still a wreck, Serena and Dan are still trying to figure out just what in the heck is wrong with their parents, Blair is still trying (mostly futilely) to get Chuck to rally, Nate disappeared, Vanessa is (thankfully) still with her parents, and Jenny celebrates her return to Constance by waging an immediate battle with the Stairs Girls.

Highlights and thoughts:

• Why is Serena tangoing with that old guy?
• Yes, Jenny, go learn something!
• Where in the world is Chuck Bass? This looks like that really bad episode of Lost with the flashback of Jack in Thailand!
• Nelly Yuki!!!
• Wow, all the popular girls are wearing winter white coats!
• Chuck is not in good shape.
• I kind of wish we'd gotten to see Serena break up with Aaron. We were cheated out of that small satisfaction.
• Ugh, if Serena and Dan are already kissing, I guess it's going to be tough going for Chuck and Blair. Because surely everyone can't be happy all at once.
• Serena: "Did Jack find Chuck?"
  Blair: "Yeah, what's left of him. I'm surprised he made it through customs. His body odor could have given half of Manhattan a contact high."
• Blair: "I'm really happy for you. I'm going to go vomit now."
• Rufus: "Being a father's who I am." Really? Really?! Then why are you such a bad one?
• Nelly Yuki has hit hard times.
• Chuck: "Well, hello to you too, lover."
• Wow, suddenly Rufus is laying down the parental law (telling Dan that he and Serena shouldn't be in the loft unsupervised) and everyone is justifiably stunned!
• Jack: "You don't remember our rickshaw ride...the 15-hour flight?"
  Chuck: "That was you?"
• Ok, I know Chuck's seriously messed up and heading for a lot of trouble, but nevertheless he's totally cracking me up.
• This Desmond Harrington fellow who is playing Jack Bass does bear a certain resemblance to Bart.
• I like Blair's tights.
• Iz: "You're getting into the Colony Club? They never take anyone from high school!"
  Blair: "I know, I was so surprised. No, that's not entirely true."
• Why is Eric letting himself get dragged into the Jenny vs. the Mean Girls war?
• Chuck: "Now is that it, or are you going to tell me you love me again?" Ouch.
• Aww, poor Blair. She's cracking. And now she's fine. Nice recovery. Those Waldorfs sure are resilient.
• He he, Penelope is sleeping with her dad's junior partner.
• Ha! What in the hell is Blair wearing? I mean, it's awesome, but it's hilarious. At least the hat is.
• Wow, Serena, be a little more judgemental, why don't you? Blair has tried very hard to help Chuck; she doesn't really enjoy the guilt trip. Especially since no one else (esp. Lily, Serena, and Eric) seem to be making much of an effort.
  
• Dan: "He was in Boston visiting orphanages."
  Chuck: "How Dickensian."
• Yeah, sharing a sibling is a bit much; Chuck's right.
• Blair: "Public service: I frequently feed the ducks in Central Park."
• LOL about the society ladies saying that Serena dresses like a skank. I'm glad somebody noticed.
• Hazel got drunk and hooked up with her cousin! Twice!
• Uh oh, Ed Westwick finally gets an opportunity to sing!
• Blair: "No! You don't surprise someone standing at the edge of a building!"
• Blair: "So whatever you want to do to yourself, please don't do that to me."
• No, Dan, just tell Serena about the secret kid anyway. Screw what Rufus and Lily want.
• Why doesn't Chuck stay with Blair? She's the only one who can ever succeed at corralling him.
• Blair: "He can't know what happened on New Years." Oh no.

Well, I for one don't even want to know what happened between Blair and Uncle Jack at New Years. In the immortal words of Summer Roberts: eew, eew, eew! And I don't want Chuck to ever find out either, although based on next week's promo it looks like he's going to find out imminently. Nooooo.

Headband Monday was reinstated in honor of the new episode of GG. I wore my black one.

(photos: cwtv.com)
Speaking of the photos, when did Chuck talk to Dan and Serena at the party (as pictured in the top photo)? That totally didn't happen, did it?