Creators: Joshua Safran, Stephanie Savage, Josh Schwartz
Stars: Jordan Alexander, Whitney Peak, Tavi Gevinson
After successfully standing out as a worthwhile reboot, HBO Max's "Gossip Girl" must now grapple with continuing the new story unfolding while continuing to appeal to fans of the original show. Naturally, the comparisons to the original series hold up, as the mythology deepens and the success allows the continuity bridge to open further. But with Gossip Girl Season 2 it's a balancing act, as the success of the show allows for things like the return of Michelle Trachtenberg as original series antagonist Georgina Sparks, but it can also lead to the series relying too much on the past instead. of your present and future.
While "Gossip Girl" has been a sequel from the get-go, still very much in the same world as the original series, just within a 2020s social media-obsessed Zoomer world, there's an obvious difference between having Eleanor Waldorf, Cyrus Rose, Dorota and Vanya appear in the first season and Georgina Sparks (after introducing her son in an earlier episode) appears in the second. (While Wallace Shawn is a national treasure, he's not the kind of returning actor who will have faithful "Gossip Girl," new and old, lighting up social media. Even if they should.) If anything, Georgina's promised and promoted return is a sign.
As is tradition, each episode continues to focus on a lavish event of the week. The season opener takes place at a debutante ball, and while Joshua Safran remains showrunner for this iteration, viewers familiar with the work of executive producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage should be excited about the characters. from "Gossip Girl". It will come up in that configuration. It's an obvious way for the series to come back with a bang, paving the way for the "second semester" of these characters, which Zoya's best friend Shan claims will be "even bigger and crazier" than the first. .
This also feels true in the character of Zoya (Whitney Peak). On the bright side, this season allows us to see more of her friend Shan (Grace Duah). Not only is it a breath of fresh air, but it's also nice to see Zoya break away from the main group of friends and struggle to have Julien (Jordan Alexander) as a real sister who has to learn to live, and share her father. her. with. There's a lot of potential with Zoya and Nick (Johnathan Fernandez), but while there are glimpses of fascinating stuff, the execution can ultimately feel a bit like a repeat of Season 1 patterns as Zoya tests the limits and he rebels over Nick's choices that he disagrees with.
Season two shines when it allows initially marginalized characters to spend their time in the spotlight. Monet (Savannah Lee Smith), hilariously nicknamed Attila de Haan at one point, is the prime example of this, with his ruthless pursuit of power delightful to watch. She, it seems, is constantly playing 3D chess, always one step ahead of whoever she's trying to take down. It's especially fun to see her being in charge of her own minions of hers.
As it was brought forward to the end of last season, much of season 2 sees Monet trying to start a war with Julien. Don't get me wrong, Julien is a likable character. The problem, sometimes, is that she is too nice, too nice, too unwilling to get involved in conflict. While her quest for self-improvement is noble and authentic to the modern influencer, she often feels too passive to go toe-to-toe with Monet in a way that is truly satisfying to her. She is an intriguing character: the problem is that she feels misused, both by Monet and by the show. The bombshell she dropped last season where she said she wanted to work with Gossip Girl doesn't capitalize on the ability she could be, which she feels a bit of a disappointment.
Fortunately, Monet also gets more depth and material to work with outside of Julien. This season highlights her complicated relationship with her mother, who you may remember dragged Kate within an inch of her life last season. It quickly becomes clear that Camille's (Amanda Warren) toughness can extend far beyond the teachers, and no one is safe from her wrath: you can't help but warm to Monet despite her dictatorial tendencies at such times. . Her sexuality is explored a bit more, too, though an intriguing plot is disappointingly wasted for quick, undercooked shock value. Here's hoping Monet eventually gets the messy, intense romance she deserves.
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