Delayed obligatory Gossip Girl post
Apologies for what's going to essentially add up to a whole load of TV spam over this weekend, but I'm making the most of having time to catch up.
Heh, I can't believe that the episode featuring Hilary Duff and Tyra Banks was the one that took me so long to get around to watching. I note with interest that given they were actresses in the same movie, I don't recall them having any actual scenes together. Then again, schedule conflicts, I guess. Those shorties aren't going to teach themselves to model, right?
Anyway, I really enjoyed this episode. Weirdly, I think Nate works well when he's paired with Dan - especially when he's basically sat there looking at Dan like he's from another planet. It's a shame he didn't really get more to do this week, but it kind of confirmed my suspicion that the Bree storyline is a waste of the character and they need to integrate him more.
The Olivia storyline was predictable, of course, but it worked rather well. And I'm pleased they didn't drag out the Dan-just-misses-her-being-a-celebrity stuff for too long. Hilary Duff was...fine. Not earth-shatteringly brilliant, but she did a satisfactory job. Tyra Banks...well, she was DOING ACTING, which was pretty funny, but at least they had the sense to cast her as an insecure diva with a flair for the dramatic, since it wasn't going to require much of a stretch. There was the usual disconnect that happens in this storyline where people talk about a movie like it's some great work of art and then when we get to see it it's essentially a parody, but I suppose that's par for the course.
It's great to see Lily back, and I love the idea of Serena working as a publicist - it seems like a genuinely good fit for the character. The whole 'publicists are EVIL' thing was a bit of an obvious choice, and if the entire plotline is going to revolve around Serena winning the day with her HONESTY and REALNESS I reserve the right to get tired of it, but by and large, I find it acceptable.
I really liked Chuck's suit when he was plotting with Jenny. And Eric was in some scenes. Yay, Eric! Invariably the best part of any episode.
I'm glad there's still going to be Constance Billard stuff this year, even if Jenny is determined not to rule with an iron fist. And I like where they're taking Blair - the feeling of being lost and unsure of yourself is both fitting for her position and an interesting direction, and it makes total sense for her to essentially try to recreate her position at Constance at NYU instead.
So yeah, I thought this was a good episode. Hurrah for that. But why can no one on this show pronounce the word 'hierarchy'? Or is 'hyeearky' just how it's pronounced in America?
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Well, there was a whole lot of "oof!" in the way those song titles were meshed into Gossip Girl's narration, but two of them made me smile: "oh-oh-oh lovechild" (just because) and "for Georgina Sparks, love is always a battlefield" (because surely the whole Georgina Sparks/Jordin Sparks thing there was deliberate? I refuse to believe otherwise).
Anyway, I didn't enjoy this as much as the last episode, perhaps because the central focus of it was on a less interesting plotline. That's not to say there wasn't some good stuff in there - Serena/Carter continues to be a good pairing, and I hope that wasn't the last we've seen of him. Any episode with Georgina in it is never a waste of time (and whatever, people who rag on Michelle Trachtenberg's acting ability - she might not be Meryl Streep, but her delivery of "congratulations! It's a boy!" was wonderful) - I assume that's the last we're seeing of Georgina for now, but if Mercy tanks, which it probably will, I dare say they can revive her. Then again, it's best just to get Georgina in small but lethal doses. It stops her awesomeness from being diluted.
I sincerely hope that's the last we see of Bree Buckley. Joanna Garcia was as cute as anything in Privileged, but this character just didn't work for me at all, and Nate was kind of dragged down by her - as I mentioned earlier, he's a much better character when he's properly integrated with the core group.
Jenny's little pre-wedding moment with Lily was lovely (although any time Taylor Momsen wants to lay off the zombie make-up is absolutely fine by me), and Kelly Rutherford's moment when she was talking about the 20 years she's spent thinking about her long-lost son was excellently acted - she absolutely sold what's arguably a very clichéd bit of scripting. And I'm glad that Scott isn't going to become a permanent fixture, because that guy is a dreadful actor - he just looks confused the entire time. Plus, season two kind of suggested he was going to fuck around with Dan's head, and he never really did, and frankly if you're not here to fuck with Dan Humphrey, then I have little use for you.
Otherwise - solid B episode, I think. Brought down because the editing seemed rather choppy, and that performance from Sonic Youth at the end was a bit cringeworthy.
Heh, I can't believe that the episode featuring Hilary Duff and Tyra Banks was the one that took me so long to get around to watching. I note with interest that given they were actresses in the same movie, I don't recall them having any actual scenes together. Then again, schedule conflicts, I guess. Those shorties aren't going to teach themselves to model, right?
Anyway, I really enjoyed this episode. Weirdly, I think Nate works well when he's paired with Dan - especially when he's basically sat there looking at Dan like he's from another planet. It's a shame he didn't really get more to do this week, but it kind of confirmed my suspicion that the Bree storyline is a waste of the character and they need to integrate him more.
The Olivia storyline was predictable, of course, but it worked rather well. And I'm pleased they didn't drag out the Dan-just-misses-her-being-a-celebrity stuff for too long. Hilary Duff was...fine. Not earth-shatteringly brilliant, but she did a satisfactory job. Tyra Banks...well, she was DOING ACTING, which was pretty funny, but at least they had the sense to cast her as an insecure diva with a flair for the dramatic, since it wasn't going to require much of a stretch. There was the usual disconnect that happens in this storyline where people talk about a movie like it's some great work of art and then when we get to see it it's essentially a parody, but I suppose that's par for the course.
It's great to see Lily back, and I love the idea of Serena working as a publicist - it seems like a genuinely good fit for the character. The whole 'publicists are EVIL' thing was a bit of an obvious choice, and if the entire plotline is going to revolve around Serena winning the day with her HONESTY and REALNESS I reserve the right to get tired of it, but by and large, I find it acceptable.
I really liked Chuck's suit when he was plotting with Jenny. And Eric was in some scenes. Yay, Eric! Invariably the best part of any episode.
I'm glad there's still going to be Constance Billard stuff this year, even if Jenny is determined not to rule with an iron fist. And I like where they're taking Blair - the feeling of being lost and unsure of yourself is both fitting for her position and an interesting direction, and it makes total sense for her to essentially try to recreate her position at Constance at NYU instead.
So yeah, I thought this was a good episode. Hurrah for that. But why can no one on this show pronounce the word 'hierarchy'? Or is 'hyeearky' just how it's pronounced in America?
*********
Well, there was a whole lot of "oof!" in the way those song titles were meshed into Gossip Girl's narration, but two of them made me smile: "oh-oh-oh lovechild" (just because) and "for Georgina Sparks, love is always a battlefield" (because surely the whole Georgina Sparks/Jordin Sparks thing there was deliberate? I refuse to believe otherwise).
Anyway, I didn't enjoy this as much as the last episode, perhaps because the central focus of it was on a less interesting plotline. That's not to say there wasn't some good stuff in there - Serena/Carter continues to be a good pairing, and I hope that wasn't the last we've seen of him. Any episode with Georgina in it is never a waste of time (and whatever, people who rag on Michelle Trachtenberg's acting ability - she might not be Meryl Streep, but her delivery of "congratulations! It's a boy!" was wonderful) - I assume that's the last we're seeing of Georgina for now, but if Mercy tanks, which it probably will, I dare say they can revive her. Then again, it's best just to get Georgina in small but lethal doses. It stops her awesomeness from being diluted.
I sincerely hope that's the last we see of Bree Buckley. Joanna Garcia was as cute as anything in Privileged, but this character just didn't work for me at all, and Nate was kind of dragged down by her - as I mentioned earlier, he's a much better character when he's properly integrated with the core group.
Jenny's little pre-wedding moment with Lily was lovely (although any time Taylor Momsen wants to lay off the zombie make-up is absolutely fine by me), and Kelly Rutherford's moment when she was talking about the 20 years she's spent thinking about her long-lost son was excellently acted - she absolutely sold what's arguably a very clichéd bit of scripting. And I'm glad that Scott isn't going to become a permanent fixture, because that guy is a dreadful actor - he just looks confused the entire time. Plus, season two kind of suggested he was going to fuck around with Dan's head, and he never really did, and frankly if you're not here to fuck with Dan Humphrey, then I have little use for you.
Otherwise - solid B episode, I think. Brought down because the editing seemed rather choppy, and that performance from Sonic Youth at the end was a bit cringeworthy.