From 2007 to 2012, fans watched Blair Waldorf, Serena van der Woodsen, and their attractive, affluent friends scheme and carouse on Gossip Girl. Now a reboot/continuation story is coming to WarnerMedia's streaming service, HBO Max.
There will be 10 episodes which take place eight years after the show and focus on a new set of characters. But who are these teenagers? What type of drama will go down? Will any of the original cast members make an appearance? And who will be Gossip Girl? Here's what we hope to see from the reboot.
Familiar Spots
Since this show will be set in the same universe, we can assume that these new characters are still on the Upper East Side. Will they dine at Butter? Will they attend Constance Billard School for Girls and St. Jude's for Boys? Will they eat lunch on the MET steps?
Even if they happen to live in another part of the city, country or world, we hope there are at least nods to what once was. Serena and Blair would not have been who they were without trips to these iconic locations, so we are anxious to see where the next generation hangs out.
Easter Eggs
Along the same lines, it would be great to see Easter eggs. Maybe one of the new characters always prefers waffles for breakfast (a nod to Rufus Humphrey). Perhaps one of them buys a Jenny Humphrey design to wear to a function. Or a TV in the background could be showing off the film that Lola Rhodes and Olivia Burke starred in, all about Ivy Dickens’ crazy time in this crazy world. While this is a whole new story, the original Gossip Girl deserves some honor and credit, since it started it all and has made existing fans pumped for the upcoming series.
Gossip Girl 2.0
In the few short years since Gossip Girl’s final episode, social media has blown up and evolved in a big way. And executive producer Josh Schwartz said it would be interesting to focus the reboot on the “idea that we are all Gossip Girl now”, with an emphasis on our “social media surveillance state."
While the characters on the original show all sent in tips, videos, and pictures, we always wondered what that would look like today; it feels like everyone is always going live and checking in online…So would this make Gossip Girl even stronger, or would it make the site somewhat irrlevant?
Steamy Scenes
Of course fans can expect some steamy scenes, as that was a trademark of the original series. Blair and Chuck in the limo; Dan, Vanessa, and Olivia’s controversial college scene; Nate and all of his different women. There were so many memorable moments like this, and we want more!
While we don’t necessarily want these new characters to go straight to the back seat of a limo (that is off limits; it’s been done and it already belongs to “Chair”), we are open to anything and everything. After all, the first series set the bar pretty high.
Flashbacks
One of the best episodes of Gossip Girl showed Lily van der Woodsen and Carol Rhodes as young women. In fact, it almost received its own spin-off series, which would have given the world more of Brittany Snow and Krysten Ritter (who played these sisters) in the San Fernando Valley during the 1980s.
That being said, flashbacks like these would be awesome to see in the continuation. First off, they would provide more context about the new characters. And secondly, they could even show old characters, since Lily and Carol could have met some of these new parents back in the day.
Real & Dramatic Issues
Chuck going too far physically…Serena’s and Georgina’s time with Pete…Rufus’ and Lily’s son…There were some big moments on this show that maybe went too far, weren’t handled correctly, or were swept under the rug. Regardless of how fans felt about these examples, we are hoping the continued story brings the drama and handles it well.
It may seem like people get offended more easily these days, but there are conversations that TV series can have as a way to inform the public and to show how to handle certain situations. We're hoping the reboot does just that.
Crazy & Dramatic Surprises
The other side of drama is the crazy side—the side that reveals a twin, that someone is actually not gone, that the maid did it in the lounge with the revolver. Teen dramas are not afraid to go there, and we are anxious for twists and surprises.
While we were not exactly thrilled to have Bart Bass pop up again back in the day, that element is crucial for drawing in crowds and keeping everyone’s attention. And as mentioned, Gossip Girl set our expectations high, so the reboot better truly deliver.
Fashion, Fashion, Fashion
Gossip Girl did well in several areas, especially when it came to style. These were characters who lived in a fashionable place, who had the money to buy amazing ensembles, and who always had social events to attend and make an impression.
If this new story will be in the same world, then it can be assumed that more stylish moments are to come. From debutante balls and prom to weddings and runway shows, there are a plethora of possible opportunities to display exciting and fresh outfits, and we are so here for that.
No Mentions Of The Annoying Characters
Let’s be real: There were some pretty annoying characters in the original series. Many fans didn’t like Jenny Humphrey or Vanessa Abrams. And how could anyone really have liked Georgina Sparks, Diana Payne, Bart Bass, Sage Spence, Agnes Andrews, Juliet Sharpe or Ivy Dickens? Just to name a few.
So when talking about the reboot, we don’t want any mention of them, okay? We endured their presence and their plots back in the day, and we don’t think they deserve any more time or attention. Though there will probably be new bad guys in town to dislike even more…
Familiar Faces
And last but not least, we are hoping to see a familiar face or two or five when this series begins. When asked about a cameo, Chace Crawford (Nate) said, “I'd have to!" When the rumor of a reboot got mentioned to Blake Lively and Leighton Meester, they seemed open to playing Serena and Blair again.
So will we see the main characters again? If so, will it be all of them or not? Will more real-life celebrities appear, like Lady Gaga, Tim Gunn, and Rachel Zoe did back in the day? Or will this be a whole new game with a whole new crowd, period? Only time will tell...XOXO