HBO Max’s Gossip Girl reboot has yet to address the biggest mistakes of the original series, despite numerous callbacks to its predecessor in season 1. Both versions of the show focus on a mysterious blogger who chronicles the lives of rich teenagers on the Upper East Side, exposing their secrets for the amusement of her followers. Although the reboot has some distinct differences, it never strays too far from the series that came before it, clearly aware of the impact that it had. However, this strict adherence brings with it its own problems that the new is, so far, failing to address.
The original Gossip Girl, which ran from 2007 to 2012, was a cultural phenomenon, and the reboot has used this popularity to its advantage since it was first announced. One of the breakout teen dramas of the 2000s, Gossip Girl was a constant source of controversy, a glamourous and dark depiction of the sex, lies, and scandals of the wealthy elite. Most of the show’s drama came from the characters doing horrible things to each other, toeing the line between idolizing this behavior and criticizing it - often picking the former.
While the Gossip Girl reboot is a lot less mean, it still glorifies the original series, without considering the harmful implications of this careless approach. While it’s understandable that the reboot would want to pay homage to the original series, it's dangerous to look at it through rose-colored glasses. The original Gossip Girl was a product of its time, and many elements of the series would undoubtedly be criticized if it aired today. This includes one of the major relationships of the series, Chuck and Blair’s on-again/off-again romance. For many fans, they were the best part of the show, but others saw them as abusive. They would occasionally acknowledge the unhealthy aspects of their relationship, but the writers would always find a way to justify their toxic relationship and Chuck’s misogynistic behavior. Although neither Chuck nor Blair have made a cameo appearance in the Gossip Girl reboot, they have been briefly acknowledged several times, with one character remarking their relationship “was out of control…definitely pre-cancel culture.” The moment makes it clear that the writers are aware of the issues people have raised with Chuck and Blair’s relationship, but rather than addressing it as an actual problem, it is turned into a joke before being brushed aside. Not only does this flippant approach further tarnish the legacy of the original series, but it makes the feminist approach to the reboot feel disingenuous.
Gossip Girl was always honest about how their wealth and status meant the main characters could get away with just about anything. This was in stark contrast to Dan and Jenny Humphrey, siblings and Brooklyn natives who usually had to reckon with the consequences of their actions. They were demonized in comparison to their rich counterparts and dragged down to their level, culminating in the reveal that Dan was the true identity of Gossip Girl in a last-minute twist that turned him into the most callous character on the show. Rather than taking the opportunity to create a scathing commentary on how wealth corrupts, the show left many viewers with the notion that the Humphrey siblings were the worst out of everyone, and weren’t worthy of the others. Instead of rectifying these classist overtones, however, the reboot once again demonizes poor people by making the underpaid and harassed teachers the antagonists behind the new Gossip Girl account, where they participate in predatory behavior. It's a plot decision that is both uncomfortable and careless, and presents further problems for the reboot.
The Gossip Girl reboot has the potential to be a great show in its own right, with a range of intriguing characters and an insight into how powerful social media has become. But despite aiming to be better and more progressive than the original Gossip Girl series, it relies too much on its predecessor for this sentiment to work. The problems and the mistakes of the original series will always exist, and until the writers acknowledge them, a part of the reboot will always feel hollow.