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Gossip Girl, The CW, Airs Monday 8/7c

Episode: “The Magnificent Archibalds” (Season 2, Episode 11)

Synopsis: Serena hounds after Aaron like a little puppy, despite the repeated kicking. Jenny continues on the path to emancipation, right up until a heartwarming speech sends her spiraling back to the bosom of her family. Nate’s father takes one step too far, prompting Chuck and Vanessa to work together once more to rescue Nate from his own family. Blair’s Thanksgiving family traditions get repeatedly dissed, but Eleanor proves that she really does have her best interests at heart.

Review: After a string of strong episodes, Gossip Girl returns to the mundane with a drab grab bag of story lines, each as bland as the next. Oh, little J, your sudden independence and streak of stubbornness were such a major part of the last few episodes, but the return to meek and mild rendered the whole arc an intellectual experiment. However, Jenny wasn’t the only one acting as though her character had had a course of electro-shock therapy. Eleanor’s interaction with the little one may have occurred on a holiday, but a Waldorf doesn’t just shrug off major slights, and Jenny’s blow out with Eleanor over designs was a doozy. Yet she was happy to cocoon her in a jumper and worry after her like a lost waif. Someone in the writers’ room forgot to read the back story, perhaps? Yes, it was only a short moment, but the devil’s in the details.

The entire episode faded to a dull blur of rising and falling voices, mostly with sappy music cued over it to make the audience believe we were experiencing the mirroring emotions. One positive aspect about having to deal with the mundane, Nate’s father and that tedious arc have finally been laid to rest. Now hopefully the Archibalds can go back to their regular lives, without angst. Not likely, though.Aaron and Serena’s relationship continues to play out, and despite him now making the sacrifice to “settle down” with her, she still finds that she needs to change. Is this how an abusive relationship starts? Little nips and tucks at personalities until you’re no longer you? Hopefully he’ll disappear, as though a bad dream, but it seems that they’re playing him for the long(er) haul.

Though painful, the episode did have a couple of bright spots, sadly both were at the end. The discovery of Bass Snr’s dirty little filing cabinet filled with sordid details on Serena, Lily and Eric has led to quite the familial upheaval, but what we really care about is why Lily was hospitalised way back when. Couple this with Vanessa’s inner bitch sneaking out to add petty theft to her list of crimes and it’s possible that next week will result in a more entertaining episode.

Up Next Week: “It’s a Wonderful Lie” – The annual Snowflake ball is upon us and Blair & Chuck’s competitive sides are at play again. Death and sadness lie around the corner, but who’s leaving the party early?

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