Since the dawn of time (or 2007) Gossip Girl has been known for three things: sex, bold fashion choices, and petty queens declaring war. Joshua Safran’s reboot nailed those first two requirements, but it’s always struggled with the third — until now. By finally giving us a diabolical villain to both root against and adore, Gossip Girl has finally transitioned into the sharp, polished homage to the original we always knew it could be.
On this front, it’s Monet de Haan (Savannah Lee Smith) that emerges as our savior. Season 1 ended with Julian (Jordan Alexander) vowing to be kinder while also promising to feed Gossip Girl tips so that, together, they could cleanse the Upper East Side of its secrets. Do those two objectives sound contradictory? Absolutely. But that’s exactly the sort of hare-brained scheme Serena would have pulled during her time at Constance. In spite of her best efforts to sew discord, Julian and her tendency to see the good in people makes for an awful bad guy. That’s why it’s so refreshing to see one of her hench-women stepping up to steal her throne.
Monet 2.0 has all the drive, bloodlust, and love of elaborate schemes as Blaire Waldorf, but she also shares the aspirational ambitions of Jenny Humphrey. Though she’s immeasurably wealthy, she’s a woman who is sick of being on the sidelines. The result is a hellish underdog who is more than ready to tear her former master to shreds. Smith fully leans into Monet’s controlling and manipulative side, accentuating every diabolical act with a well-placed sneer. It’s a joy to watch someone be so deliciously malicious. All of that ill-gotten goodwill also goes a long way in selling Monet’s more serious scenes.
Speaking of bad behavior, it seems as though Gossip Girl has finally given up on positing Kate Keller (Tavi Gevinson) as this series’ moral compass. The more tips that Kate posts, the pettier and thirstier she has become. In the most generous reading of her character, her arc can be seen as a critique on how gossip can poison even the best of intentions. But on a more practical level, it’s just fun to see the Gossip Girl account fully embrace chaos mode.
This newly refined sense of moral ambiguity doesn’t only apply to Monet, Julian, and Kate. Luna (Zión Moreno) refuses to pick a side in the forced war between her besties, a neutral stance that ensures optimum conflict. Likewise, Max (Thomas Doherty), Audrey (Emily Alyn Lind), and Aki’s (Evan Mock) throuple avoids the tight, happy bow that defined it at the end of Season 1. Even Zoya (Whitney Peak) gets more of an edge this time around. In the past, even Zoya’s most questionable actions were explained away with good intentions. That’s no longer the case. Zoya still stands as the goody-two-shoes in this world, but at least now she lies and holds grudges like a real teenager.
In fact, the only Season 1 holdout is Obie. Every time Eli Brown appears on screen, it’s as though a different and far more boring show has started. Perhaps it’s because Obie insists on approaching all his problems like the most reasonable middle-aged man you know. Maybe it’s because his character is so bland that it’s hard to care about which rich heiress he’s currently dating. Whatever the reason, Obie remains forgettable as the rest of his friends wreck havoc.
In its second season, Gossip Girl has morphed into exactly what you want from a reboot. The costumes and directorial work are more refined and swoon-worthy than the original, and even though the drama is new, it feels familiar. There is a real sense that this is a new chapter in a beloved story. It may have taken a while to get here, but Gossip Girl is finally delivering on the promises it made in Season 1.
Season 2 of Gossip Girl premieres on HBO Max Thursday, December 1.