‘Gossip Girl’ has returned and the reboot is Rrated, more socially aware and absolutely addictive.
It’s been nine years since Gossip Girl, the mysterious overseer from the ostentatious CW drama series of the same name, was identified and signed off with a promise.
“You’ll never be rid of me,” the allseeing narrator (voiced by Kristen Bell) declared. “There will always be someone on the outside waiting to get in.”
That vow’s come to fruition with the premiere of the new “Gossip Girl” sequel series, an Rrated and infinitely more diverse drama premiering Thursday, July 8, on HBO Max.
The original show, produced by Josh Schwartz with Stephanie Savage and based on a book series by Cecily von Ziegesar, aired from 2007 to 2012 — earning a spot in the teen television pantheon for the soapy melodrama, and cheeky wit, it brought to its microcosm of privileged prep school students. The reboot, developed by Joshua Safran, a writer and executive producer on the first series, includes Schwartz and Savage as producers and honors their sharp, glitzy aesthetic.
Safran’s narrative explores how social media has changed the culture. It takes place in the same universe as its precursor: New York City’s Upper East Side, and its fictional crown jewels of education: the Constance Billard School for Girls and St. Jude’s School for Boys. Instead of living under the harsh spotlight of the prehistoric Gossip Girl blog, however, likes and follower counts are now a currency as valuable
as any trust fund.
The show opens as New York emerges from the strict pandemic quarantine with students and faculty returning to campus. The story line echoes its forerunner, which focused on the rivalry between frenemies Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) and Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively), as well their romantic and social entanglements.
Now, the word on the street centers on half sisters Julien ( Jordan Alexander), a wealthy influencer, and Zoya (Whitney Peak), a newcomer who transferred to Constance on a scholarship. The pair share a complex history. Their mother left Julien and her father behind to start a new life with Zoya’s dad. She died giving birth to Zoya, and in the years since the sisters have been kept apart.
Unbeknownst to their fathers, however, they’ve plotted the chance to finally meet. Predictably, their plan doesn’t go smoothly. The downtoearth, middleclass Zoya doesn’t fit in with Julien’s bigspending peers. And the initially welcoming Julien soon starts to feel threatened after it becomes clear her boyfriend Obi (Eli Brown) has a romantic spark with her sister.
The series also puts a spotlight on Constance teacher Kate Keller (Tavi Gevinson), an aspiring writer stuck teaching snotty, disrespectful teens. Frustrated, she plots an effort to shift the school’s balance of power.
Anchoring the entire series is the return of Gossip Girl (and Bell), who quickly dominates Instagram, manufacturing discontent for the group of friends with a barrage of her signature, snarky commentary. There’s no need to be familiar with the original to enjoy the reboot, but those who are will delight in the myriad cameos and references, including an unexpected character from the older series who reemerges in a small but pivotal role.
Mostly, 2021’s “Gossip Girl” works. This take is riskier, raunchier and more profane — but just as smart and entertaining. It’s also more ethnically diverse and socially aware, although the latter evolution sometimes seems heavyhanded. The show’s biggest misstep is its whiplash plot twists. One minute Julien and Zoya are united, only to become sworn enemies a few scenes later.
Still, who’s tuning in for gritty realism? The new “Gossip Girl” succeeds because it oneups its ancestor. It’s outrageous, silly and absolutely addictive.