Gossip Girl: Dair is a Distraction |
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| Written by April Yorke |
| Tuesday, 29 November 2011 10:27 |
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You might have thought that there was a whole other episode on last night, one about Rhodes Women and Gossip Girl called them “Rhodes Girls” because she is an idiot and doesn’t get that being a woman is kind of the point, but since there is no longer even the remotest hint of character continuity on this show, I’m almost at the point of giving up. I know I won’t, but I just want you to know that I thought about it, show. And you know what else I thought? Dair is a distraction. I’m not much of a ‘shipper either way, but over the course of this season I’ve been coming around to the “Dan and Blair belong together” side of thinking. It’s not that I spontaneously like Dan (although there was a point when he was sitting on the stoop with Alessandra when I thought he was looking good) but rather that I could see them as a harmonious balance rather than the chaos left in Chair’s wake. Dan, when he’s not Danning out on the women in his life every five seconds (mind you, the only thing worse than the Danning is how they all accept it and even act like they deserve it), looked like he could finally be the one to bring Blair out of herself. She needs someone who can get her to stop spinning for five seconds and eat some cake. Of course, that person is Serena, but the show’s kind of forgotten about that, so Dan makes an adequate substitute. She goes to Dumbo just to talk to him, for pity’s sake. But . . . she also keeps showing up at Empire, insinuating herself into Chuck’s life no matter how much work he puts into letting her go. I used to think that Chair was a distraction for Dair, so we the audience would be “surprised” when Blair finally chose Dan or at least find some drama in it. But then Chuck shows up in her room, green socks, his jacket curiously buttoned (the top button is the only one done up, but it gives the impression of a boy who’s messed up the buttons on his school uniform) (Chuck’s dresser is my hero), practically begging Blair to agree that he did the right thing in giving her up, to admit that this situation in which they now find themselves is what’s best for her. There’s a paternalistic argument to be made with this line of reasoning, but I’m going to ignore it as I don’t think it’s part of Chuck’s DNA to do this to her rather than for her. You have to cut Chuck some slack since he just started being a person, like, three weeks ago, and the worst of it is realizing that he’s been a person all along. Nate and Chuck (the show’s other true love story) sit, side by side, sipping Scotch, and Nate casually remarks, “Still in love with her, huh?” Chuck, looking a little like he wouldn’t mind curling up in the foetal position, replies, “Can’t imagine a time when I won’t.” Turns out you don’t have to stop, Chuck. You just needed to let go of the obsession, the need to possess and devour, to free yourself up to really love her. The way Dan does, but better, because it’s braver. It looks at all the pain and figures maybe there’s a way out of this darkness: together. In other news:
Next time: Chuck gets obsessive all over again (sigh); car crashes result.
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Last night’s Gossip Girl, “Rhodes to Perdition,” didn’t follow up on the end of “All the Pretty Sources” even a little bit. You know, when Blair showed up at Empire and asked without really asking if Chuck was good all along, and Ed Westwick’s exquisitely expressive face did something magnificent and heartbreaking, for such is its way, and . . . and . . . Nothing. Who knows? Chuck nodded and Blair left? They had sex on top of Dan, and thus his dreams became reality? They ate bacon scones? WHO KNOWS?!
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