The past couple of years have seen a surge in the popularity of shows from the late noughties, and with nostalgia running high thanks to the 2021 reboot, the original Gossip Girl has become a staple on most rewatch lists. The iconic show is among the best teen television dramas ever made, and doing GG marathons is as exciting now as it was when the show first aired. As aficionados of the show know, the first few seasons of the show were the most acclaimed, and the debut season has plenty of elements that only get better with age.
The induction into the engrossing world of Gossip Girl, learning about Serena, Blair, Nate, Dan, Chuck, and their vicious but enjoyable plots for Upper East Side domination were just a few of the things that fans love about the first season of Gossip Girl.
Dan's Entry Into The UES World
Being a Brooklynite, Dan had gone to school with the wealthy kids around him but had never been a part of their world. Season 1 saw the beginnings of Dan being let in. He had run Gossip Girl for years but never spoken about himself, so when he took the decision to include "Lonely Boy" in the Upper East Side narrative, it was monumental.
Some feel that Dan was a freeloader, while others think he was generous in a dog-eat-dog world, but seeing him adjust to Serena's life, become friends with her friends (begrudgingly), and enjoy the perks of wealth was very enjoyable to watch.
The Non-Judging Breakfast Club
Serena did some shameless things on Gossip Girl, the worst being involved in someone's death due to a drug overdose. Her party days haunted her, and when she couldn't take it anymore, her friends banded together to console and defend her, thus forming The Non-Judging Breakfast Club.
Blair came up with the term, and it was one of the first times that Nate, Chuck, her, and Serena had come together to take down their common enemy because one of their own was threatened. Their bond was quite strong when they wanted to be, and watching them have each other's backs never gets old.
Georgina's Introduction
A very colorful character, Georgina Sparks was the most lovable villain on Gossip Girl. Her unabashed love for chaos, the ability to ruin people's lives with a snap of her finger, and her signature chutzpah while doing so were absolutely delightful.
Audiences were introduced to Georgina in season 1 when she made her entrance with characteristic flair - sending inappropriate adult materials to Serena in front of her parents and pinning it on someone else. Georgina's antics are even better when re-watching the show, witnessing the chaos unfold never gets boring.
Blair And Chuck's Romance
The Queen B of Constance and Gossip Girl had mapped out her life quite well - she would go to Yale, marry her childhood sweetheart Nate, and live the life of a society wife. All was perfect until she fell for Chuck, and their slow-burn romance was a treat to watch in season 1.
A hookup in a limo turned into very real feelings, which were on rocky terrain because of commitment issues, but it was sweet to see the origins of "Chair" in the first season. Die-hard fans of the couple love watching it over and over.
The Fashion
Despite the show's first season airing in 2007, the fashion in it was timeless. Blair's pretty headbands, personalized preppy uniforms, and stunning dresses were iconic, starting a revolution in the fashion world where girls wanted to dress just like her.
Serena's bohemian looks would also work as well today as they did back then. Other characters like Jenny and the male cast, also had enviable wardrobes which are a joy to see so many years later.
The High School Politics
Gossip Girl was at its peak when the gang was still in school, and the petty high school drama was a big part of why audiences tuned in. Yogurt and salad on the Met steps, Jenny and Blair's fight for being the Queen of Constance, the skirmishes between Serena and Blair, and everyone's quest to get into the best colleges were some of the best parts of the show.
The characters were mean and spiteful, but it made a lot more sense that they indulged in that behavior while still of school age. The antics, which are still fun to watch over a decade later, made season 1 so good.
An Innocent Jenny
At the beginning of the show, Dan's sister was as sweet as the rest of the Humphrey clan. She was a bright young thing, with stars in her eyes and the innocent school-girl dream of becoming best friends with the popular girls.
Jenny still had her head screwed on straight but faltered very naturally when it came to being Blair's friend and minion. Her struggles with adjusting to the wealth gap between her and her friends were also realistic and endearing to watch. Overall, her season 1 storylines were believable and interesting. She was the voice of reason and even encouragement to Dan, so it's no wonder that many fans preferred her character back then.
Serena And Blair's Frenemyship
This pair was greater than any romance in Gossip Girl, and season 1 did a good job of portraying their flawed but loving friendship. There was always a hint of competition between the two, exemplified when Nate and Serena cheated on Blair, and even when Blair's own mother selected Serena to represent her fashion brand instead of her daughter.
Serena certainly had a bad habit of trampling all over Blair, yet nobody had each other's backs the same way they did. Serena was the only one who could help control Blair overcome her struggles and they were like sisters, who fought bitterly on occasion. While so much of Gossip Girl focuses on backstabbing and bitter rivalries, it's refreshing to see the moments where Blair and Serena truly get along.
Dan And Serena's First Sparks
Many fans of the show would agree that Dan and Serena's relationship was never purer or more endearing than it was in season 1. The later seasons muddied it with infidelity, cold feet, and backstabbing, but season 1 saw a young Brooklyn boy fall in love with his dream girl, and it was sublime and adorable.
The couple made a big effort to become part of each other's worlds, as well as going on special dates to keep the flame alive. Their arc in season 1 was one of the best relationships, and, given the ups and downs they experienced, it's even better to watch back now.
Gossip Girl's Influence
No one can forget the mysterious, titular blogger who started it all. The first strains of Kristen Bell's voice articulating GG's scandals and rumors, and the particular style of writing that Dan used when he authored Gossip Girl blasts was an instant hit. When re-watching the show now, Bell's voice and intonation are as fresh and exciting as ever.
It was in this season that audiences got to see how Gossip Girl could ruin friendships, lives, and relationships with a single click of a button and that only gets better with each repeat viewing.