There is a new queen in the realm of teen soap-operas that has just been picked up for its third season, and we don’t even know her name. However, she is our trusty guide through the lives of the rich and privileged, with a tongue-in-cheek approach to all the drama and shocking news that are served daily on her blog. Still doesn’t ring a bell? It’s Gossip Girl, of course!
Gossip Girl - Not Another Teen Soap Opera
Based on the hit book series of the same name, written by Cecily von Ziegesar, the CW show is all about the lives of the teenagers living on the Upper East Side, drinking martinis when they are feeling blue, hiring stewardesses for casual sex or just ruining each other’s lives when they are bored – all the while being gossiped about by an anonymous blogger (narration by Kristen Bell), only known as Gossip Girl. The premise will probably sound silly to an average TV addict, but the series is extremely addicting, for a number of reasons.
First of all, the performances are excellent. The cast is young, fresh and mostly unknown and the teen stars all act splendidly and rarely go over the top. Especially convincing are Leighton Meester, who plays the super-bitch Blair Waldorf, and Blake Lively, who is gorgeous as the party girl Serena van der Woodsen. Senior cast members are satisfying as well, holding our interest when it comes to their plot lines, but never upstaging the young cast. Another name worth mentioning is the one of Ed Westwick, who obviously enjoys playing the deliciously wicked antihero Chuck Bass.
What Gossip Girl Is All About
Secondly, the plot is terrific. In a nutshell – Blair is in love with Nate, who cheated on her best friend Serena, before she mysteriously disappeared. Now that Serena is back in town, a simple guy from Brooklyn named Daniel Humphrey is in love with her, while his younger sister Jenny is trying desperately to be welcomed into the popular circles, led by Blair, who took Serena’s queen-bee title right after the party girl disappeared. Add Chuck Bass into the equation, as well as various drunk parties, attempted rapes and greedy parents, and you have a heck of a first episode.
The amazing fact is that no matter how many Prada handbags this show packs, it never loses its believability (something most teenage soaps struggle with), simply because it portrays the essence of today’s teenagers extremely well. It has a great balance of its different elements – a talented and beautiful cast, smart writing (“He looks like Matthew McConaughey between movies!”) and a great plot complete with a Desperate Housewives – style mystery – if only Desperate Housewives had MySpace. Where did Serena go? Why did she come back? Will Blair remain on her throne? And who the hell is Gossip Girl?!
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