XOXO! Every Time the New 'Gossip Girl' Has Mentioned OG Characters
Warning: This story contains spoilers from HBO Max’s Gossip Girl.
It may be nine years since the original Gossip Girl came to an end, but the characters live on in the new HBO Max sequel series of the same name.
The new show follows an entirely new group of rich students at the Upper East Side’s Constance St. Jude’s and just like those before them, they run the school. However, a few teachers are done putting up with it.
In the series premiere, a few of the administrators decide to come together to create a shift. How do they do that? Well, relaunch Gossip Girl, the blog that knocked some of the most elite students off their high horses by revealing some of their deepest and darkest secrets.
Since blogs are now out of date, apparently, the group — led by teacher Kate Heller (original influencer Tavi Gevinson) — decide to relaunch Gossip Girl from an Instagram account. That way, they can reach the popular group faster than ever.
While there are early mentions of the original cast, including Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively), Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley), Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford) and Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick), don’t expect any of them to show up in person.
“We made a decision early on — and I was nervous about this decision, but definitely came to believe it was right — that the audience would never accept these characters if they were in the shadow of the original characters,” showrunner Joshua Safran told The Daily Beast ahead of the premiere. “They’re already in the shadow of the original characters, but if the original characters were there with them in some way, why would you want to briefly get to know Zoya if you suddenly can see Nate? Also, this show is much bigger than the first show. It’s got 16 series regulars instead of seven, and 22 recurring instead of 12, so because the show is bigger, there isn’t enough screen time.”
The producer added that he knew if Blair or another fan-favorite appeared early on, audiences would only want more.
“The decision was: Let’s get season 1 under our belt, and should we get season 2, we’ll have the chance to bring in cameos that are more than glorified cameos but actually give them storylines,” the Soundtrack creator said. “Hopefully we’ll get there and will reach out to the cast if that time comes and see if they’ll want to come. There are some cameos in season 1 from people on the original show, but not the series regulars.”
So, how are the original cast mentioned? Scroll through the gallery below for every single reference:
The fan-favorite couple are not only still together after tying the knot in the OG series finale, they also have a child together. “This is Dan and Serena’s house. They fired their staff when they thought someone was breaking in,” Georgina (Michelle Trachtenberg) said during a season 2 episode of the HBO Max reboot, revealing she is still tormenting the pair. “They put up cameras everywhere. I had my son loop the image, so now they’re bringing in a paranormal expert. … At first it was small annoyances — taking a sock or two, turning the heat down — but then I wanted a little more fun, like replacing the oat milk with full dairy. Their kid’s lactose intolerant. They’ve seen every specialist, and no one knows what’s wrong.” A J Sokalner/Shutterstock
While in the teachers' lounge, Kate complains about the students but adds that the school has "produced great people" including "Caroline Kennedy, Colson Whitehead and Nate Archibald." At that moment, a fellow teacher reveals that she went to Constance St. Jude's too — and Nate "wasn't such a saint when it started." Cw Network/Kobal/Shutterstock
That teacher goes on to explain what Gossip Girl was, showing the group the blog. "It was actually [created by] one of my classmates, Dan Humphrey,” she says, with Kate asking, "The novelist?" Cw Network/Kobal/Shutterstock
When deciding to create the account, the teachers remind each other to always tag "the popular kids — the Serenas, Blairs, Nates and Chucks. Make them think there's another Dan Humphrey in the mix.” Karolina Wojtasik/HBO Max
They also work on getting the voice down by reading an old post. "Spotted: Chuck Bass losing something no one knew he had: His heart,” they read, with Kate noting that she can definitely create that voice. Cw Network/Kobal/Shutterstock
“Gossip Girl would have been nothing without Blair vs Serena," Kate says as they create a feud between Julien (Jordan Alexander) and her half-sister Zoya (Whitney Peak), who just moved to town. When the girls are brought into the drama, they immediately understand why. "There were these two best friends she was obsessed with years ago," Julien says of Gossip Girl. "It's kind of a badge of honor that she chose us. All we have to do is take a page from the Blair and Serena's playbook." YouTube
In episode four, Georgina Sparks' son, Milo, shows up in town to help Zoya — and to stir up drama just like his mother (played by Michelle Trachtenberg) did in the original series. At his mom's house, there's even a shrine to Blair Waldorf on the wall. HBO Max/The CW
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