After months of teasing and waiting, the rebooted Gossip Girl is finally here. With a whole new host of secrets, scandals, romances, and plot twists, HBO Max's reimagined show brings with it the class of 2021: a new and improved gang of obnoxiously rich, but well-meaning teenagers who lead lives with zero consequences to their flippant actions.
The new cast is the same but different - it is more diverse in terms of race and sexuality, and also focusses on a previously ignored community - the teachers. None of the original teens of Cecily Von Ziegesar's books feature in the show, but these newbies still have lively personalities of their own, some who have been received well and some that audiences already despise.
Jordan Glassberg
Many fans may not have even registered Jordan's name during the premiere of the show, but he is one of the four teachers who decide to bring down the reign of the cold-hearted students of Constance and St. Jude's by stalking them in their free time and sending out Gossip Girl blasts on Instagram.
He was the one who staked out Obie's home, and most likely followed Obie and Zoya from Dumbo Hall to snap compromising photos of them in their underwear. No matter how many times he says he didn't want to do it, the fact remains that he was covertly photographing underage kids and passing it on to Kate to post.
Kate Keller
Unsurprisingly, Constance Billard teacher Kate Keller is widely disliked by the Gossip Girl fan base. While it is natural for anyone to be intrigued by the behemoth blog that Dan Humphrey had created, it is hare-brained to use it as a means to control and tame unruly students. The act of restarting the blog itself has been widely criticized, and Kate's delight at doing it has been a put-off.
In the real world, adults would not invest so much of their time into their students' lives, and if they felt oppressed (which is also weird, since they would have to be in their thirties, at least) they would just change jobs.
Akeno "Aki" Menzies
Nothing about Aki is unlikeable, but fans just don't know enough about him to form an opinion. He has had little dialogue, apart from referencing cinema and film directors, and exclaiming Audrey's name when she was rude to Zoya. Since the character claims that he doesn't like to stick out, this could be intentional.
He seems like a pleasant-natured and calm boy, with an artistic bent of mind and an interest in skating. His character may evolve further as the season progresses, but for now he's an amiable, but very attractive, neutral part of the gang.
Zoya Lott
Although Julien's younger step-sister Zoya is painted out to be one of the good ones on the show - thanks to her middle-class upbringing and moral code - she tends to be self righteous and doesn't stick to her own values when it's convenient for her. Granted, Julien lied by omission about getting her the scholarship, she only had the best intentions, which Zoya ignored and insulted JC at the party.
Julien tries her level best to be good to her sister and get to know her, including giving her the benefit of the doubt when her shirtless pictures are blasted by Gossip Girl, but Zoya doesn't hesitate to point fingers at Julien about her fashion show humiliation, even though she clarifies that she had no idea about it. She also waltzes off with her sister's boyfriend too often to be right.
Otto "Obie" Bergmann IV
The guiltiest rich boy of Manhattan has a streak of good within him, which translates in haphazard social activism - bringing donuts to protest doesn't really help the cause. Still, he seems to have a heart and feels for those less privileged than him, but his holier than thou act can grate on many nerves.
Fans pointed out that he was too quick to jump on bandwagon to bash his girlfriend to her sister, get pally with her, and then break up with her because her job (that of an influencer) lacked the depth that he thought she needed. It was all a bit rich coming from the wealthiest kid in the group, who enjoys the fruits of his riches as much as Julien does.
Luna La
Incredibly beautiful and stylish, Luna is the kind of unapologetically catty lady one would expect to see roaming the hallowed halls of Constance Billard. Luna is hilarious, with her quips about how Zara should be banished to one end of the city, and that freshmen are invisible to her making for the funniest scenes in Gossip Girl.
Her scheming with Max and Monet is exactly the type of entertainment viewers want to watch in Gossip Girl, but she figures lower on the list because not a lot is known about her yet. She is definitely not as fleshed out as other characters because she is Julien's minion of sorts, but still instantly likeable.
Audrey Hope
Everybody loves the whip-smart Blair Waldorf, and young Audrey is a spitting image of the fashion maven. The nostalgia of Blair's love for old Hollywood, her wit and dry humor, and her penchant for the finest things in life makes Audrey a fast fan favorite. She is typically Upper East Side, but with a streak of devil may care attitude.
Audrey knows her worth, is always looking out for Julien and her friends, and works tirelessly to achieve more. Her love life is perhaps the most interesting out of all the characters, and fans love that she's such a go-getter in that department.
Julien Calloway
The new Queen Bee of Constance is a bit of an enigma, and her mysterious nature keeps people coming back for more. For a change, she is not openly mean, and actually tries to be friendly and decent to people which makes her a great lead on the show. Julien knows that kindness is cool, and she rules with that motto in mind.
Always with a smile on her face, she tries her best to involve Zoya in her life, sends her gifts, and even acts with maturity when she sees her and Obie's GG blast. Julien is respectful, generous, and extremely hard working, and she might be at the top of the list once fans get to know her better.
Max Wolfe
Everything about Max Wolfe draws people in: his popularity, his brazen flirtations, wearing his sexuality on his sleeve, and especially his mystifying demeanor. He's the master of reading people, and his decadent playboy lifestyle is extremely enjoyable to watch. In a way, Wolfe is like Chuck Bass, but without the confines of toxic masculinity.
Even though he has been friends with Julien, Obie, Aki, Audrey, and Monet since they were babies, he doesn't conform to their standards. Max chooses how he wants to live his life, and his bold ways are loved by fans.
Monet de Haan
Monet is a work of art, and exactly what people expect to see on Gossip Girl. She's the quintessential mean girl that fans hate to love. She has complete control of the school - teachers and students included. She shoos them around like flies, gets Julien to curate the most fabulous life, and keeps the gossip alive in the show.
Monet's sharp tongue, acidic comebacks, gorgeous sense of style, and self-assuredness is the essence of this teen drama, and Monet has been the highlight of the new GG so far.