TV Review: Gossip Girl 6×06 – “Where The Vile Things Are”

Gossip Girl Episode 6×06 – “Where The Vile Things Are”- Aired on 11/19/2012

As we get closer and closer to the end of Gossip Girl, I get increasingly antsy. How is this all going to end? How can it even be a good ending with all this going on now? This episode did nothing to resolve my worries. I love Gossip Girl. I just wish it wasn’t so hard to love it.

In “Where the Vile Things Are,” Dan and Serena are hanging out once again, and it’s clear that these two are on a path to get back together again. It’s so easy to watch them, and as I said last week, I’m welcoming Derena back with open arms. As they spend the day together, the episode makes little allusions to their past. Dan finally takes Serena on that Vespa ride, which reminds us of their first date when she prematurely freaked out thinking Dan was going to take her on a Vespa. (Remember he got a limo instead, so he can “impress” her.) They end up playing pool, just like on their first date. And they also get stuck in an elevator which has happened before. In other words, the writers are marking a new beginning for these two. If this spoiler is any indication, it looks like this time it’s going to last.

All the while, Ivy and Rufus go to war with Lily over an art auction. They’ll do anything to show Lily up, and well, you know Lily will try her best to not let that happen. A bidding war over Lily’s own piece of art ensues with Ivy and Chuck. Chuck is hell-bent on getting the piece because the evidence of Bart’s illegal exploits is hidden in it. Ivy ends up winning the piece, which later Chuck buys from her. Unfortunately, Ivy seems to still be the true winner because before giving the art to Chuck, Ivy ends up taking the evidence of Bart’s oil deals.



Finally, Blair is trying to prove that she can run her mother’s business to Eleanor. At first, Eleanor is disappointed and tells Blair to try to make amends with Nelly Yuki, all to no avail. Blair can’t let go of her scheming ways. Despite how immature she can be, that’s why we love her. Eventually, Blair realizes to embrace her dark side and use it for the good of the business. If there’s one thing that Blair’s tyrannical high school reign taught her, it was that she was always idolized for her fashion sense. Now, she wants to cater those high school girls looking to be as fashion affluent as she is.

This episode was pretty dull. It focused too much on the whole “Ivy vs. Lily” thing. And we all know that I mentally tune out when Ivy is onscreen. She’s just a terrible villain. I don’t feel threaten by her at all. Even though by the end of the episode she’s holding all of the cards, I still don’t feel scared. We all know that whatever she has planned is not going to work out and eventually be completely irrelevant.

The Derena thing spiked my interest, but once I figured out that writers were paralleling the beginning of their relationship, I didn’t feel the need to keep paying attention. We’ve seen it before; can’t we have something fresh?

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The only truly refreshing element of the episode was Blair’s self-realization. Blair may wear bright colors and florals, but the girl has a dark and complicated mind. The show only ever scratched the surface of it. Still, she’s one of the best written characters on the show, and it was fascinating to see her come to terms with her “Grace Kelly” and “Grace Jones” sides. It ended on a good note because she didn’t choose to change who she is, just discovered a way to make it work for her and others.

Overall, it was a decent episode, and I am looking forward to next week. The preview indicates some drama will be going down, especially Chair angst. (Sigh.) I just hope it’s more interesting.

(And yes, I still think Bart Bass is Gossip Girl.)

Rating: 6.5/10

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Gossip Girl airs Monday nights at 9/8c on The CW.

Watch the preview for next week’s episode below:

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