| The Constance Billard and St. Jude seniors put on a production of "The Age of Innocence" and find their personal lives mirroring conflicts in the play. Serena (Blake Lively) develops a crush on the play's director, Julian (guest star Harmon Walsh), and enlists Vanessa's (Jessica Szohr) knowledge of theater to help her get the otherwise uninterested guy’s attention. Blair (Leighton Meester) receives devastating news about her future that leads her on a witch-hunt for the person responsible. Dan (Penn Badgley) and Rachel (guest star Laura Breckenridge) agree to stay away from each other in the aftermath of being discovered as more than teacher and student, but find it impossible to keep that promise. Chuck (Ed Westwick) enlists help from an unlikely source, his nemesis Carter Baizen (guest star Sebastian Stan). Chace Crawford, Taylor Momsen and Matthew Settle also star. | Tonight's episode is all about the Constance Billiard- St. Jude school play (and story-within-a-story) "The Age of Innocence" which I think proves to us for the first time that there are extra-curriculars on the Upper East Side. There is mandatory participation for all of the Seniors, except of course, for Chuck Bass.
Chuck sees his fellow rich kid nemisis, Carter Baizen at a restaurant with none other than Elle, the missing nanny with connections to Bart's secret society. She storms out of the restaurant when he calls her by her name (she had told Carter a different one) and later shows up at Chuck's place. She tells him she needs help (read: money) getting out of the country before these powerful secret society men find her. He happily agrees to help her (read: start a new life for both of them in Rio) and reluctantly enlists the help of Carter. As they are pulling away in a limo, Carter shows Chuck is wrist tattoo, proving that he is indeed a member of this secret club. Later, we find out that the group meant her no harm, they just wanted her to sign some papers and give her a ton of money to keep quiet. Now that she doesn't need Chuck's money, she doesn't want Chuck either. Poor Basstard. As she leaves she says that Chuck should go use his heart on someone that cares...ooooh love the foreshadowing...
Back in high school, Dan has Jenny (who is in charge of costumes for the play) act as messenger between him and Rachel. She slips him a note with a key saying to meet at her place later. Unfortunately, Mr. Nosy Pants Rufus finds the letter and is furious. Later on he goes over to her place to find her lighting candles awaiting Dan's arrival. He tells her to stay away from his son. And Rufus can be quite scary when he is mad.
Blair is getting ready for her role in the play when she finds out some terrible news: Nelly Yuki (IN A FAT SUIT!!!) got into Yale instead of her. Upon further investigation, Blair finds out that the head mistress did not tell Yale about the Rachel hazing thing, but they received an anonymous tip that she had to confirm. Blair accusses Nelly of being jealous of her and making the call, but Nelly denies it, adding that no one is jealous of her, and everyone kinda hates her. Ouch. Blair is further left wondering who is out to get her when everyone gets a blast from Gossip Girl about how her ex Marcus and his step-mother Catherine were having an affair. Logically B assumes it must be Vanessa, since she was the one who knew that juicy piece of gossip, but alas, it was not her either.
Just to make sure this episode is FULL of literary references, Serena pulls Vanessa in to help her with a Cyrano scheme. S has a crush on the play's director but he is 1. a literary snob and 2. in love with himself. She goes out with him and has Vanessa on a hidden blue tooth, feeding her lines so that she can keep up with him in conversation. Nate overhears Vanessa and thinks she is talking directly to the director and gets jealous. But as for S, the plan goes swimmingly.
Gossip Girl is causing trouble again...this time it's a blast to everyone saying that the only reason S got into Yale was so they could issue a press release about it. She is livid and blames Blair (cause the only people that know are Dan and Blair, and Dan would never tell). She tells B that betrayal is in her nature. Again, ouch.
Back at the play, Dan finds Rachel and they have sex in a dressing room. Nice one, Dan.
During the actual performance, it's pretty much chaos. None of the students are that great of actors to begin with, but could they at least try to take out their anger off stage? Blair starts giving Dan crap accusing him of trying to ruin her life, while they are supposed to have a nice romantic scene. Then Nate comes on and freaks out at the director for trying to steal his girlfriend (and responding to a crack he had made earlier about how Nate could never understand financial hardship). Then Serena and B get into it, and Jenny wisely lowers the curtain.
Suddenly Dan has a realization: That Rachel is the one who has ruined B's chance at Yale. He tells B this and also mentions that they hooked up in the closet, just for kicks. B confronts Rachel and she admits it. But then Blair realizes something...that really she brought her fate on herself. She has not been a very good girl, and maybe this is karma telling her so.
She goes to the bar to drink and be depressed and when S comes to kiss and make up, B tells her she wants to be alone. Alone, that is, until Carter finds her and offers to buy her a drink.
Nate and Vanessa argue about how different their interests are, but eventually make up. Serena finds out that the director of the play is gay. Dan gets a letter from Rachel saying that she is moving back to Iowa and despite himself he gets a little misty-eyed. Chuck has apparently taken Elle's advice from earlier in the episode to heart cause he shows up at B's house and waits for her to get home. Too little too late, Bass. Looks like B has found comfort in the arms of another. |
