Gossip Girl: 1x01

Gossip Girl
1x01
PILOT

Ah, the life of the privileged teen! Josh Schwartz, you've cornered the market.

Somehow, I failed to post in regard to my decision to watch Gossip Girl (or I did and don't remember, maybe I was at the hotel bar with Serena). I was iffy. Mainly because it's been done. In California. With the same creator. BUT, I had a chance to read the pilot and see the footage The CW released early and I liked it... but kept it a secret because, well, let's be honest, it's another soap opera. For teenagers. (Even though, if you have a teenager, you probably shouldn't let them watch it.) Still, we all need a guilty pleasure show. And it's set in New York, so eye candy in the scenery and, come on, Kristen Bell is the narrator (which is probably the reason I picked up the script to read it in the first place).

The pilot, as with most, is all set up. The characters as follows:

Gossip Girl: New York's most infamous teen blogger, identity unknown. The entire social scene depends on her for scandalous, "as it happens" information. Only secret she won't spill? Her name.

Serena: Beautiful, mysterious Queen Bee who disappeared, without reason, to boarding school and has returned, throwing everyone's world into turmoil. Most notably Blair (her wayward best friend) and Blair's boyfriend, Nate, with whom Serena shares a secret. She's trying to change her ways, deal with family issues (a troubled brother) and is genuinely a nice, sweet character.

Blair: Seems willing to do anything to hold on to the power she's gained in Serena's absence... especially when it comes to Nate. Not so nice. I smell a bitch in the making.

Dan: The regular Joe, living in the world of the elite. He goes to school with all the trust fund kids, but isn't one of them - an instant outsider. He's got a thing for Serena and finds himself suddenly, luckily, thrust into her company. Is that... do I hear... oh, yep, yep, that's a love triangle, ladies and gentlemen. Perhaps even a trapezoid.

Nate: Blair's boyfriend "since Kindergarten," who's beginning to question his privileged world and all that comes with it. Not to mention his relationships with Blair and Serena.

Jenny: Dan's little sister, whose desperate to be one of the "in crowd."

Chuck: The asshole. Reveling in his world and milking it for all it's worth.

And yeah, there are parents (it appears Serena's mom and Dan's dad may have had a little somethin' back in the day), but who really cares about them?

You're either gonna love GG (oh my gosh, I don't know if I can call it that, as Gilmore Girls held the letters for 7 years) or hate it. It's not gonna rock your world. It's no House or Friday Night Lights, by any stretch of the imagination, so take it for what it is. Enjoy with a pint of ice cream and move along to something smarter the next night.