Gossip Girl: We Were Merely Freshmen

Gossip Girl:
"The Freshmen"

Well, I was looking for Gossip Girl to earn some redemption with this episode, but I don't think it did. The whole thing just felt tired. Every plotline tonight felt like we've seen it before or at least something very similar to something we've seen before. Plus, there was soooooooooooooo much Vanessa.

About the only thing this episode really achieved was getting The Verpe Pipe's "The Freshmen" song stuck in my head because of the episode's title. Still debating whether that's a good thing or not; the song's definitely kind of a downer.

Notables and my thoughts:

• Chuck: "The only queens at NYU have tickets to see Liza on Broadway." (I may have gotten that quote a bit wrong.)
• Oh, yeah right do random people recognize Dan Humphrey by name and regard him as a celebrity. Not buying this girl's act for a second. Is she a secret love child of Rufus' too?
• That's an interesting grey and coral pink shirt Scott is wearing. Maybe he is perfect for Vanessa.
• Chuck's hair looks slammin' today. Chuck looks decidedly less evil with this hair.
• Chuck: "For people like us, a college degree is an accessory, like a Malawian baby or a poodle."
• If Serena wants to hide out from her mom and Blair, maybe she should do so in the home of someone who is not her mom's stepson and Blair's boyfriend.
• Chuck's back to the speakeasy thing again. Is he going to call it the Victrola 2?
• I did appreciate the pure fear in Dan's expression when he first saw Georgina.
• Vanessa says, "Maybe we were a little too harsh"?! Why is it your decision how harsh to be, Vanessa? You didn't sleep with her! Oh, wait, I'm sorry, Dan didn't sleep with her, but he may as well have. How about we let the guy who "may as well have" slept with the girl decide if it's too weird to hang out with her now?
• When did Serena become a bumbling idiot? I mean, seriously, she has no brain. Chuck's right, she is a train wreck.
• Ugh, the first days of college are soooooooooo lame. You have sit around and watch Vanessa's documentaries if you want to have friends? Not worth it! Lol.
• Georgina: "Tears! Actual tears! When that gang member picked up his first carrot..."
• Um, no, Dan, "when it comes to fatherly advice," Rufus is no where near "pretty much the best there is." Dan is so misguided it's embarrassing.
• Of course Rufus is more afraid of Serena's mother than Serena is. Serena's used to doing whatever the hell she wants.
• Ugh, I cannot stand the sight of a group of people adoring Dan Humphrey.
• Dan: "No headbands in college." Is that a real rule? I don't think Dan gets to set the fashion rules.
• Does Dan realize he just threw a headband that probably cost $300 down the stairs?
• Whoa, Scott has a hair-string temper.
• Um, sorry, Dan, I think I want to leave with Blair if the other option is to stay and drink cheap beer with you.
• They're getting a lot of play out of Leighton's "Good Girls Go Bad" song. When's Momsen's band going to get some airtime?
• Blair: "There's a reason we never went downtown: it's awful!"
• Blair's dress right now is the best part of this whole episode.
• Wow, Scott knows how to use ratemyprofessors.com (and type up the results as though he wrote them on a typewriter?). I'm so impressed.
• Doesn't Vanessa find it strange how preoccupied Scott is with Dan?
• Aww, Serena's going to make Carter cry.
• Dan's still on the freaking roof?
• If anyone ever says "so we can download about the epicness last night" to me, so help me, I will smack him/her.
• Uh oh, looks like Dan "may as well have" just slept with Georgina again. Get an effing clue, Humphrey, because I am losing patience!

(photo: cwtv.com)