Gossip Girl

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday ever. Think about it. The holiday doesn't have any basis in religion, and there isn't any obligation to give gifts. Sure, you'll have to sweep the genocide of the indigenous peoples part of the holiday under the rug, but what better way to ease your conscience than to dull your senses with a turkey and pie-induced stupor?

Thanksgiving in real life is still more than a week away, but in Gossip Girl-land, it has already come and gone and imparted important life lessons to all and sundry. This year, the lesson learned was that snooping around in other people's business is bad and if you do such a terrible deed, you'll likely have to spend Thanksgiving alone, in a car, keeping tabs on your wife as she shares a happy, wholesome meal with her old flame.

At least, that was definitely the case with Bart Bass. Being a Basshole, he of course has a private investigator on retainer, and has doggedly compiled a dossier on every member of the Bass-van der Woodsen clan. Lily (Kelly Ruthorford) finds out about it and is so disgusted that she takes her children off to Brooklyn, natch, to have Thanksgiving dinner with Rufus and the Humphreys.

As evil and spoiled and ruthless in revenge as Blair (Leighton Meester) can be sometimes, she isn't a snoop. It was Dorota who told her about Cyrus and Eleanor's plan to get married. And for that, she must be punished by spending the holidays away from her vaguely Eastern European homeland, waiting hand and foot on the Gossip Girl-reading Upper East Side elite.

Vanessa (Jessica Szohr) is a little snoop in training, stealing the letter in which Nate (Chace Crawford) declares how much he cares for Little J (Taylor Momsen). I think this is going to turn into some kind of tawdry love triangle, but both girls should know better than to fall for a boy who writes in all capital letters. If Vanessa keeps up with her snooping ways, she'll probably have to spend next year's Gossip Girl Thanksgiving extravaganza all alone, just like Bart.

It makes sense, doesn't it? If you don't trust your friends and family to come clean about things to you, you're also probably constantly on your guard about other people snooping on you. You'll never be happy with the knowledge you gain because you'll be constantly wondering if you're missing more juicy bits of information. If you snoop, you are doomed to be unhappy and alone forever.

OK, well, I'm going to make an exception to my above paragraph for Aaron Rose, a.k.a. Boron. When Serena (Blake Lively) hands you her dossier, you read it. You don't take the high road and wait for her to tell you about her past. It's not snooping if you have her permission, and I find it difficult to believe that anyone would turn down the chance to learn all about Serena's juicy past. This is just further proof that Boron doesn't have an animated bone in his body. I hope Serena comes to her senses and dumps his ass, and soon.


Best In Show

Best Quotes:

“And how do you plan to introduce him? 'Mom, you DVR Big Love. This is Aaron, and he's just like Bill Paxton, only younger and with scruff.'” – Blair, upon hearing that Serena's new beau Aaron will be meeting her family.

”When I was 13, I find the most amazing surveillance photos of Gina, my hot Italian au pair. Those photos and Gina changed my life.” – Chuck to Eric, explaining a whole lot about how he came of age.

”This is the worst Thanksgiving of all time, and if we have to wander the Upper East Side like outcasts in a Jane Austen novel, so be it.” – Blair again, this time to Dorota

Best Moment: Call me sappy, but I loved when Jenny and Rufus reconciled their differences and all the Humphreys (sans Allison) came together in a big group hug, I almost got a tear in my eye. I've been hard on Rufus lately, but I was pleased to see him showing love for his daughter.

Best User Comment: “Aaron has to go. Boring indeed. More Chuck!!!” – dream316, echoing just about every Gossip Girl fan out there.

Did you love or hate this episode? Rant and rave about last night's episode in the comments section below, and also check out our Recap of “The Magnificent Archibalds.”



-Debbie Chang, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of the CW)