Gossip Girl Episode 6×10 – “New York, I Love You XOXO” – Aired 12/17/2012
As someone who has faithfully watched Gossip Girl from the very beginning (and had even read the books before), I don’t know how to feel right now. I loved this show. I loved the characters, the fashion, the drama and New York City. To be honest, there was no way for it to end without me feeling sad or disappointed. The progression of the show the past few seasons wasn’t exactly good, but I always tried to remain positive, as you probably saw in my recaps and reviews of season 6. Still, I had hope that the writers were saving their best for last. What we got in tonight’s series finale were some quite great moments mixed into an okay episode. We also found out who Gossip Girl is, and well, you’ll know my thoughts on that later in this review.
The finale wasn’t two hours to start off. The first hour had the show creators, Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz, take us down memory lane of the past six seasons. It was unexpected, but I really enjoyed looking back on when Gossip Girl was great and I had so many reasons to love it.
Finally, the finale, “New York, I Love You XOXO,” began, picking up right from where last week’s episode ended. Blair and Chuck flee the roof and hide in Chuck’s limo’s trunk as they speed away to upstate NY. There, Uncle Jack finds them and for once, is actually there to help. He tells Chuck that if he married Blair, it would be illegal for her to testify against him. At first, Chuck is hesitant because he believes that Blair deserves something more romantic. Blair convinces him though, and the “Chair” fan in me awed at Chuck’s proposal.
All the while, Serena comes back to Manhattan after she reads Dan’s chapter, where he describes how he’s always felt about her. She confronts Dan, and he tells her of how he was always obsessed with her. We get treated to a flashback of when Dan had first met Serena at a high school party. Serena is still confused, yet isn’t as mad as with him as she was in the last episode. Their conversation gets disrupted when they’re told to get to the Met immediately.
At the Met, all the characters we adore are there, and it’s revealed that Blair and Chuck are getting married… like now. Because of two nosy high school girls, the wedding ends up happening in two minutes. It was funny seeing Chuck and his best men, run toward Blair and her family and their friends to get married before the cops showed up to arrest him. Chuck and Blair finally tying the knot was one of the only deeply satisfying parts of the episode.
A little before their wedding, Dan gives Nate “the final chapter,” which will reveal who Gossip Girl is and help save The Spectator from financial ruin. Once published, everyone finds out who Gossip Girl is, and for me, it was disappointing.
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Gossip Girl is Dan Humphrey.
Surprised? I am. Yet, I’m more surprised by how disappointing this felt to me when it was revealed. Sure, the episode goes on to show some good points that support this fact that Dan is Gossip Girl. But… but. It just doesn’t feel right. I guess because it’s just so… boring? Not to say Dan is boring, he being Gossip Girl ruins the show for me a bit. I can’t ever go back and rewatch my favorite episodes knowing this. And even if I do re-watch, I feel like I’d find some evidence that would go against Dan being Gossip Girl. In my previous reviews, I was adamant that the writers reveal who Gossip Girl was, and now I totally regret it. I think leaving the show’s biggest mystery ambiguous would’ve worked out better for me. Although, one cool thing that the show did was showing how everyone reacted to the news that Dan is GG. We get a brilliant cameo from Kristen Bell (who voices GG) and Rachel Bilson, that almost makes up for Dan being GG.
The show ended five years into the future. We see Nate walking out of his own private jet, and arriving to a gathering, which turns out to be Dan and Serena’s wedding. We see little Henry Bass running around, Chuck and Blair’s adorable son. The two are living their happily ever after. Lily and William Van Der Woodsen seem to be back together, which is sort of weird, but whatever. Rufus was there with Lisa Loeb. (Wait, what?) Blair’s parents are there, along with Dorota, as they all sit in the living room as Dan walks in with a tux and waits for his bride to descend the staircase. Finally, we see Serena in a lovely gold and white dress. She and Dan finally come together, and it’s another one of my favorite moments in this episode.
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The camera pans out the window, and Gossip Girl exclaims that she’s not dead yet. It focuses on a faceless “lonely boy” walking down the street as he passes a new generation of young Upper East Siders. There will always be a Gossip Girl, and with that, one of my favorite shows ever ended. The last sequence felt unnecessary and weird. I wished they ended it with Dan and Serena and that perfect moment.
Endings to loved things are always bittersweet. Unfortunately, this ending felt a little more bitter than sweet. However, even though this episode is “the end,” it shouldn’t be considered everything that Gossip Girl is. We still have Serena arriving at Grand Central Station while Peter Bjorn John’s “Young Folks” played; we still have Blair and Chuck’s limo rides; we still have Nate and his cougars; we still have Paris; we still have all those amazing moments that made us love Gossip Girl. I can be upset about its ending, but I refuse to let this episode be the final say on what Gossip Girl is to me.
There won’t ever be another show like Gossip Girl (The Carrie Diaries is sure trying hard though). I’m sad it’s over, but I understand it was its time. There will always be moments I absolutely loved and some I vehemently disliked. Regardless, this show has entertained and moved me for the past six seasons, and for that, I thank the writers, actors, and everyone involved in making Gossip Girl a part of my life.
Goodbye, Gossip Girl. You know I love you. XOXO
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