Fandom: Gossip Girl - The Damien Darko reaction
So instead of writing/finishing fic, I'm doing this. Because I have to get things off my chest apparently.
First, Shipper Glasses off. (I will put them back on again though.)
The episode was absolutely squeeable. It was refreshingly rom com I had to pinch myself just to check if I was watching the right show. Then Chuck appears so yeah I was grounded back to reality.
So, there are a number of parallels that I'm not sure if other people have seen, but I'm laying them out here as I see them.
Dan and Chuck both doubted whether the women they were with (what? I know Dan and Blair are not!dating, but if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck...) could keep to their respective bargains. Both Blair and Raina insisted that they can keep business clean, even though Blair was tempted to treat Dan like all of her other enemies. Both men eventually did something to sabotage whatever the women had going on and both men had to essentially grovel for forgiveness. I think the writers are trying to parallel growth for the characters here, but not necessarily for Blair and Chuck but Chuck and Dan. Oddly enough, both Blair and Dan's characters grew in this episode, but I'm not feeling any for Chuck here.
I was never a fan of slapstick comedy, so the vaunted fight between Dan and Blair didn't grab me as much as other people. I thought it was slightly overdone, especially since Blair was supposed to be overly sensitive to PR. I wonder why Gossip Girl did not blast that fight out of the water.
That being said, I love Dan's character progression this season. I love that he's no longer just this designated good guy for the show. Once in a while, he strays and acts out and does devious things. I love that he actually participates in take downs, if he isn't instigating them himself. His scheminess comes to a head in this episode, where in a clean fight he would have likely won against Blair given that the author he chose to back up had many things going for him compared to the one Blair was backing. Instead, he gave into mistrust and backstabbed his new friend (who he's still hiding from the world). And of course once he figured out he was not just an ass, but the UESer he had always loathed (i.e. using his stepmom to get him an internship that he didn't really want, backstabbing a friend) he sacrificed himself for Blair.
I loved that whole exchange with Blair about the shoes - seriously, what could have been more indicative of his Insider status than the fact that he knew the difference between a Louboutin and Marc Jacobs (although the insole label should have given that away Blair). Actually what was more impressive was he knew the difference between lemon and mustard colors. And no Jenny wouldn't have been that much help considering that Jenny only recently started being able to afford such labels (and even then it was made clear she had a much smaller allowance hence the drug muling) before being shipped off to Hudson.
Shipper Glasses ON.
So we start off the episode with the writers showing us that Dan and Blair have developed a begrudging affection for each other - why else would they be seeing four movies already and hiding it from the rest of the world? First there was reluctant respect for each other intellectually, but apparently they've been looking out for each other by talking not just about their mothers but their futures as well (internships), albeit obliquely. Then they see each other in W and for the first time in the history of this show Blair fights a clean fight (and likely would have lost), if Dan hadn't doubted Blair (and himself if you think about it). Dan proved he can do the research, be as charming as necessary to get what he wants, yet somehow still care. And Blair acknowledges all the things that make Dan formidable and worthy. I love that Dan gives in to Blair (in the end they are going to Degas on Sunday - him with his "toe shoes" on) without making a big fuss about it (he didn't call Blair to tell her he got her the internship back). He just does it, and hopes that she shows up the next time they're supposed to meet.
I love the reversal of roles, with Blair as the Dan's moral North (Eleanor: "Waldorf women are not socialites") while Dan embraces his Insider status. I also love that Serena called Blair on the whole donut thing (since Dan is the donut).
The interesting parallel for me I took from the whole Dan-buying-Blair-lunch scene. Dan knew that Blair was a food snob and wouldn't touch the regular commissary food, as opposed to Prince Louis, who had actually bought the whole kebabs-for-the-people routine that Blair was doing to impress him. Blair was presenting a fantasy version of herself to Louis, and he in turn pretty much puts her in a fantasy of his own making. Now bringing in Chuck, the guy who supposedly knows her best, we're presented with three potentials: (1) the guy who says knows her best but brings out the worst in her, (2) the guy who knows her least and enables her to fulfill all her fantasies of herself, (3) the guy who begrudgingly respects her and occasionally doubts her, but in the process brings out the best version of her.
So, I'm hopeful that the DAir build up goes somewhere really good, that it isn't just something that will get thrown under the bus in 4 episodes.
Speculation:
1/ So Dan will continue on his journey towards the Dark Side Insider side. I can't wait for him to actually WRITE something.
2/ Louis coming back on board for the last 4 episodes of the season means that Blair gets to live out her fantasies in NY and not just in Paris. I'm still hoping that the Driver/Prince parallel means Dan/Louis/Chuck. that Dan isn't out of the running by episode 4x18.
3/ A wedding is still to be expected. There has been wild rumors going around as to who those people will be. Ausellio hinted that there is a marriage expected in one of five shows, GG being cited as one of them. Penn mentioned a long while back that there is a wedding again this season, and it was presumed it involves secondary characters. It looks like the wedding may involve the primary cast members. I am praying it isn't Dan and Vanessa. or Chuck and Blair.
First, Shipper Glasses off. (I will put them back on again though.)
The episode was absolutely squeeable. It was refreshingly rom com I had to pinch myself just to check if I was watching the right show. Then Chuck appears so yeah I was grounded back to reality.
So, there are a number of parallels that I'm not sure if other people have seen, but I'm laying them out here as I see them.
Dan and Chuck both doubted whether the women they were with (what? I know Dan and Blair are not!dating, but if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck...) could keep to their respective bargains. Both Blair and Raina insisted that they can keep business clean, even though Blair was tempted to treat Dan like all of her other enemies. Both men eventually did something to sabotage whatever the women had going on and both men had to essentially grovel for forgiveness. I think the writers are trying to parallel growth for the characters here, but not necessarily for Blair and Chuck but Chuck and Dan. Oddly enough, both Blair and Dan's characters grew in this episode, but I'm not feeling any for Chuck here.
I was never a fan of slapstick comedy, so the vaunted fight between Dan and Blair didn't grab me as much as other people. I thought it was slightly overdone, especially since Blair was supposed to be overly sensitive to PR. I wonder why Gossip Girl did not blast that fight out of the water.
That being said, I love Dan's character progression this season. I love that he's no longer just this designated good guy for the show. Once in a while, he strays and acts out and does devious things. I love that he actually participates in take downs, if he isn't instigating them himself. His scheminess comes to a head in this episode, where in a clean fight he would have likely won against Blair given that the author he chose to back up had many things going for him compared to the one Blair was backing. Instead, he gave into mistrust and backstabbed his new friend (who he's still hiding from the world). And of course once he figured out he was not just an ass, but the UESer he had always loathed (i.e. using his stepmom to get him an internship that he didn't really want, backstabbing a friend) he sacrificed himself for Blair.
I loved that whole exchange with Blair about the shoes - seriously, what could have been more indicative of his Insider status than the fact that he knew the difference between a Louboutin and Marc Jacobs (although the insole label should have given that away Blair). Actually what was more impressive was he knew the difference between lemon and mustard colors. And no Jenny wouldn't have been that much help considering that Jenny only recently started being able to afford such labels (and even then it was made clear she had a much smaller allowance hence the drug muling) before being shipped off to Hudson.
Shipper Glasses ON.
So we start off the episode with the writers showing us that Dan and Blair have developed a begrudging affection for each other - why else would they be seeing four movies already and hiding it from the rest of the world? First there was reluctant respect for each other intellectually, but apparently they've been looking out for each other by talking not just about their mothers but their futures as well (internships), albeit obliquely. Then they see each other in W and for the first time in the history of this show Blair fights a clean fight (and likely would have lost), if Dan hadn't doubted Blair (and himself if you think about it). Dan proved he can do the research, be as charming as necessary to get what he wants, yet somehow still care. And Blair acknowledges all the things that make Dan formidable and worthy. I love that Dan gives in to Blair (in the end they are going to Degas on Sunday - him with his "toe shoes" on) without making a big fuss about it (he didn't call Blair to tell her he got her the internship back). He just does it, and hopes that she shows up the next time they're supposed to meet.
I love the reversal of roles, with Blair as the Dan's moral North (Eleanor: "Waldorf women are not socialites") while Dan embraces his Insider status. I also love that Serena called Blair on the whole donut thing (since Dan is the donut).
The interesting parallel for me I took from the whole Dan-buying-Blair-lunch scene. Dan knew that Blair was a food snob and wouldn't touch the regular commissary food, as opposed to Prince Louis, who had actually bought the whole kebabs-for-the-people routine that Blair was doing to impress him. Blair was presenting a fantasy version of herself to Louis, and he in turn pretty much puts her in a fantasy of his own making. Now bringing in Chuck, the guy who supposedly knows her best, we're presented with three potentials: (1) the guy who says knows her best but brings out the worst in her, (2) the guy who knows her least and enables her to fulfill all her fantasies of herself, (3) the guy who begrudgingly respects her and occasionally doubts her, but in the process brings out the best version of her.
So, I'm hopeful that the DAir build up goes somewhere really good, that it isn't just something that will get thrown under the bus in 4 episodes.
Speculation:
1/ So Dan will continue on his journey towards the Dark Side Insider side. I can't wait for him to actually WRITE something.
2/ Louis coming back on board for the last 4 episodes of the season means that Blair gets to live out her fantasies in NY and not just in Paris. I'm still hoping that the Driver/Prince parallel means Dan/Louis/Chuck. that Dan isn't out of the running by episode 4x18.
3/ A wedding is still to be expected. There has been wild rumors going around as to who those people will be. Ausellio hinted that there is a marriage expected in one of five shows, GG being cited as one of them. Penn mentioned a long while back that there is a wedding again this season, and it was presumed it involves secondary characters. It looks like the wedding may involve the primary cast members. I am praying it isn't Dan and Vanessa. or Chuck and Blair.