Gossip Girl: WWJD
Gabriel explains his dalliances with Poppy away by claiming he needs her wealthy contacts to fund his upstart business -- something about helping kids in Third World countries get access to wireless internet access -- it all sounded like a foreign language to us. Chuck and Blair decide to spring Poppy on to the happy little couple at Lily's fancy co-op meeting. Unknowingly, this all plays into Gabriel's illustrious grand plan to swindle money out of the New York elite. Playing up the sad puppy dog face, Gabriel convinces Serena that without the backing of Poppy's investors, he'll have to go back home and work for his father's tobacco company. Oh, it must be hell to have a family business to fall back on when times are tough. Serena suggests talking up all the folks at the party about his business venture and once they get Lily onboard, everyone else will soon follow. Even Rufus tries to get in on the game.
It turns out that Gabriel and Poppy are in this scheme together. Now, we don't really know if there is actually a business or if this is just a devious plot to accumulate lots of cash and then split to a far off country, leaving all the investors in a lurch. Let's just say it's not boding well for Rufus, since he basically gave Gabriel his entire life-savings. Hope Dan likes going to community college.
Chuck and Blair travel to the middle of nowhere to visit Georgina as a last ditch effort to persuade Serena to dump the blond bombshell. He says he met her at Butter the night before the SATs, but everyone knows that Butter was closed that night and with Serena too drunk to remember the evening's events, she can't be sure. While Chuck and Blair track down Georgina at a Jesus camp, Serena finally lets their doubts carry some weight. In the throes of a post-coital embrace, Serena questions Gabriel about the evening and Georgina. When Gabriel takes the bait and unknowingly goes along with Serena's flub about Georgina's fiery red hair, it confirms everyone's suspicions.
Nate spends the episode grappling with an intense jealously about Chuck and Blair's interaction. Not that Chuck is helping Nate feel better about his motives. As a result, Nate leases an apartment located in between Columbia and NYU so the couple can meet in the middle next year while at school. Nate even takes the plunge and asks Blair to move in with him. Sometimes it's easy to forget these folks are just kids entering college. Co-habitating seems a bit above their age grouping, doesn't it?
Next week we'll see the return of Georgina and find out how serious she is about this whole WWJD business. It's easy to be God-fearing until you come across Blair's path.
What did you think? Will Gabriel spell the demise of Dan's college career? Will Serena ever choose the right guy? How long can Nate and Blair last with Chuck forever skulking around the couple's periphery?