* Blair’s All About Eve dream sequence marked the Gossip Girl debut of Vanessa’s cleavage. Let’s hope it’s a recurring role!
* Not to be outdone, Chuck makes his first appearance in a purple paisley bathrobe. For those keeping score at home, Prince is now the second-coolest man to (presumably) have worn this garment. And Chuck is two-for-two for sleepwear this season.
* I was pretty impressed with the poker storyline. Clearly they’re going to keep the “schemes” portion of the show as larger-than-life as Chuck and Blair’s earlier anti-Carter machinations would indicate. Betting for a man’s life is about as big as it gets.
* Blair listed Mao as one of the philosophers she wanted referenced in her speech? Alert Glenn Beck!
* Despite getting off to an auspicious start, Vanessa was really loathsome in this episode. That was some bush-league psych-out stuff from her regarding Olivia, Dan, and the speech. With each scene she dug herself deeper, fucked over her supposed best friend for no reason even worse, and made me hate her more. And it wasn’t just her that was annoying, it was the whole mix-up storyline, which is the sort of thing I almost physically can’t stand. Cleavage pass revoked, Vanessa.
* And here’s the funny thing: The kind of behavior that makes you hate Vanessa makes you love Blair. “You really think you’re that much better than me?” “Oh, I think we both know the answer to that?” We sure do, Blair!
* She was so horrible that I kind of enjoyed that her mom was even more insufferable than she was, to the extent that it made her life worse. Mom walking in to hear Vanessa declare how much she hates her was just icing on the schadenfreude cake.
*Related: By all means, Gossip Girl writers, lay shit like “He’s installing the solar panels on the chicken coop at the co-op” as thick as you please. In the Gossip Girl world, that is of course the only lens through which progressivism could possibly be seen.
* That said, Vanessa’s instantaneous reaction to her mom blowing her off at the coffee place was beautifully acted by Jessica Szohr, and actually moving. The Missus and I just turned and looked at each other and made sad faces, which is saying something given that we’d spent the whole episode hoping they’d kill her off.
* Okay, okay. I know what you’re really here for. And yes, the Chuck-on-dude kiss was a cop-out. (I wanted tongue, goddammit.) But here’s the thing: The lead-in and follow-up were sooooooooooooo magnificent that I couldn’t stay mad if I tried. Chuck’s affirmative smile and nod when Blair revealed the target was a guy and asked him if he was still up for it…”Can I help you?” “Oh, definitely.”…”You think I’ve never kissed a guy before?” Hoyay to the UNNNNNNNNF power. Chate shippers, there’s still hope!
Of course my DVR chopped the first ten minutes again and I missed this Vanessa cleavage. Sigh…
And of course Gina Torres, one of my least favorite actresses out there yet one who seems to stalk me from show to show, would be Vanessa’s mom. Appropriate.
Is it just me or is Hilary Duff quite good? I’m really going to miss her when she’s gone.
Also, I just had the thought that any girl Dan brings home from now until (if) Lily and Rufus’ marriage implodes, he will have to introduce Serena to them as “My stepsister who I lost my virginity to.”