TV RECAP: Gossip Girl

Over the summer, teenagers tend to go through changes. Dan tried to get over his heartbreak by dating almost every girl in New York. Most fans thought he'd use Vanessa as a rebound, but by the sounds of it, he wasn't satisfied with just one girl. So distracted by his newfound hobby, he managed to screw up his mentorship and failed to write about his tragic breakup as the continuation to the love story that landed him in the New Yorker. His sister Lil J used her year of mastering bitchery to maintain a tough skin in the fashion industry as an intern. Serena avoided her usual partying ways by laying low in the Hamptons and pretending to shack up with Nate, who was actually bedding a married Duchess, which she didn't know about. And last, but never least, Chuck was brooding on the beach Dan-style times three with Brazilian triplets, until Blair returned to the states early with eye candy that would put Chuck into a diabetic coma. One of my favorite lines of the night was even inspired by the Queen B: "Aint karma a bitch? We know Blair Waldorf is."

After entertaining banter and sexual tension that steamed up the TV screen, the scandalous episode ended with Dan and Serena reconciling, Lil J gaining some respect from her boss after she crashes the White Party decked out in her own designs with Eric's help, Nate planning to continue his summer fling into the fall, Blair discovering that her Ivy League, All-American, boring beau Marcus was actually a dashing British lord in humble disguise, and Chuck resigning to give up his pursuit of Blair...for now anyway.

BEST PARTS

+ I absolutely loved the part when Chuck hovered as Blair tried to get Serena to pretend as though she were smitten with Marcus, the boy she brought to make him jealous. It was so high school.

+ Chuck's 3 heartwrenching facial expressions:

1) When he sees B get off the Jitney with Marcus.

2) When B lies about giving Marcus her treasured pin as a sign of her love for him.

3) The most excruciating moment of his existence, when he tried to sincerely apologize to her and get her to stay with him, but couldn't manage to say "3 little words, 8 letters": I love you. I swear to you, he was on the verge of tears.

+ When Dan tries to act all self-righteous about Serena's overly dramatic lifestyle and then gets caught having his own drama when two girls he'd double-booked one night poured their drinks on him.
+ Finally, Lil J wore an outfit of her own design that didn't suck. That monstrosity she made Vanessa wear to the Bass wedding nearly seared my corneas off.

+ Eric's consistent awe of how incredible Chuck is, stating "He's got a P.I. on speed dial!" Doesn't everybody?
+ When B finds out Marcus is a Brit and geekily spouts, "Not quite my lord."
+ Oh and of course B's 2 new favorite ways to refer to her beloved: "Mother Chucker" and "Chuck Basstard"

What were your favorite parts?

What are you looking forward to?