Ramblings...Not Drunk This Time!
This really needs to be longer and have more detail, but it just something I was musing over at some point.
Dan's immaturity often shows through when he is with Serena. Judging her, guilting her, missing interviews for her, but with Blair it's the opposite. With her, he refuses to treat her with kid gloves, and his maturity shows through, most of the time at least. He doesn't whimper or go behind her back. He doesn't hold her weaknesses against her when she is annoying him, instead, stands toe to toe with her and form coherent arguments. He is willing to superficially play her game, but never to point of emotional destruction. Even when he hates her the most, he can step out of his own little bubble of emotions, assess the situation, and provide guidance, if necessary, or just distract her.
This is something Dan had a hard time doing with Serena, and I think it goes back to she and her world not being what he expected. He had her on a pedastal for years before he actually got to know her, and it took very little to knock her off. Whenever he gets upset at Serena, he has a hard time stepping outside of himself because that disappointment will always linger.
I also think it is interesting that his first interaction with Blair is her protecting Serena. Superficially, just protecting her from the him, but really Blair didn't want Serena being taken advantage of, so he was just potential hazard, not that guy from Brooklyn. When they meet again, she is just trying to hurt Serena. So once again he isn't Dan, Serena's new boyfriend. He is weapon that could be used against Serena. The next couple of times they meet, he barely exists. He is the guy serving juice at Ivy week and talking with Nate, and then, he is guy in the background, interrupting girl-time with the smell of pork... and cheese. I really think it wasn't until the moment he sat down near her in the hallway that she even realized he was now a person in her life. So her first real impression of him is him being kind to her, picking her, being honest with her, when no one else would.
Dan's immaturity often shows through when he is with Serena. Judging her, guilting her, missing interviews for her, but with Blair it's the opposite. With her, he refuses to treat her with kid gloves, and his maturity shows through, most of the time at least. He doesn't whimper or go behind her back. He doesn't hold her weaknesses against her when she is annoying him, instead, stands toe to toe with her and form coherent arguments. He is willing to superficially play her game, but never to point of emotional destruction. Even when he hates her the most, he can step out of his own little bubble of emotions, assess the situation, and provide guidance, if necessary, or just distract her.
This is something Dan had a hard time doing with Serena, and I think it goes back to she and her world not being what he expected. He had her on a pedastal for years before he actually got to know her, and it took very little to knock her off. Whenever he gets upset at Serena, he has a hard time stepping outside of himself because that disappointment will always linger.
I also think it is interesting that his first interaction with Blair is her protecting Serena. Superficially, just protecting her from the him, but really Blair didn't want Serena being taken advantage of, so he was just potential hazard, not that guy from Brooklyn. When they meet again, she is just trying to hurt Serena. So once again he isn't Dan, Serena's new boyfriend. He is weapon that could be used against Serena. The next couple of times they meet, he barely exists. He is the guy serving juice at Ivy week and talking with Nate, and then, he is guy in the background, interrupting girl-time with the smell of pork... and cheese. I really think it wasn't until the moment he sat down near her in the hallway that she even realized he was now a person in her life. So her first real impression of him is him being kind to her, picking her, being honest with her, when no one else would.