Gossip Girl 3×11 – The Treasure of Serena Madre

Thanksgiving always seems to be an exciting time in the UES. For a little change up, let’s take a look back at how each of our characters fare at Thanksgiving this year, as compared to the past 2 that we saw. Recap last year’s events here (2×11 – The Magnificent Archibalds) and the year before that, way way back in S1 (1×09 – Blair Waldorf must Pie!) when we just started to get to know our UESers.

In this Thanksgiving episode, the Humphrey-Van der Woodsen end up unwittingly inviting everyone to their Thanksgiving, and as per usual uncover the many secrets and other scandals that abound this holiday season.

Serena

Serena has moved her way through many men, with a new paramour each Thanksgiving – she’s with Dan in S1, making things work with Aaron Rose (ew) in S2, but this year she’s gone from girlfriend to third party as she makes out with the very married congressman Tripp Archibald, much to the consternation of his wide Maureen and poor Nate, who has just rediscovered his love for S. Initially chatised by both Blair and Lily, Serena almost does the right thing, then changes her mind when Blair decides that Tripp is being sincere and Serena discovers that Lily has been hiding the letter (and some terrible secret) from the Father that she’s been chasing. Once known to spend Thanksgiving in a drunken stupor, Lily probably misses those erstwhile days now that Serena has stormed out her household into an adulterous relationship!

Blair

Blair’s favourite holiday is actually a fairly peaceful one this time, with her only headache being trying to discover if her mother is hiding a new sibling from her. It’s always about the family for Blair, as she finds out that her mother and Cyrus are just planning to move to Paris instead. Considering that last season she had to find out that Eleanor and Cyrus were getting married, and the terrible titular one before that where she found out about the divorce and resulted in her bulimia relapse, this one was very much better for her, despite the ‘holiday paranoia’ Chuck accuses her of. Incidentally, S1’s thanksgiving was the episode that Serena first confronted her about sleeping with Chuck, so it’s kinda nice that they’ve come around to Blair and Chuck happily being together now.

Nate

Poor pretty boy hasn’t had a good thanksgiving since way back when he was having water fights with Blair and Serena in the shower. The first year his father tries to commit suicide and he spends most of it in the hospital, the year after his father tries to kidnap him to Dominica and Nate has to personally hand him off to the feds, this year… while his father is safely locked away, his own family continues to torment him as he watches his cousin Tripp and his love Serena canoodle. When Chuck tips him off to some scandalous elevator surveillance, Nate uncharacteristically grabs that opportunity, but ultimately, even after confessing his love and begging Serena not to go, she still chooses Tripp instead, leaving Chuck to pick up the pieces of his best friend.

Chuck

Chuck’s had pretty uneventful Thanksgivings, so he lacks the Holiday Paranoia his fellow UESers have – he wasn’t even around for the holiday in S1! He helps Nate with his dad troubles in S2, and is there for his best bud once again this time, forfeiting a nice holiday with Blair to stay by his friend’s side and help him drink his girl troubles away.

Dan

Thanksgiving for Dan is all about trying to help people, from saving Serena from certain death by sacrificing his Thanksgiving Pie, to inviting her family over to his to celebrate when he finds out they aren’t celebrating in S1, to encouraging his now ex-gf Serena to come clean with Aaron in S2, Dan continues his selfless streak by trying to get Vanessa to make up with her mother. Dan’s good intentions often backfire though, as he discovers the Lily-Rufus-Allison triangle back in S1 and vexes his now true love V with his perplexing actions (and face) instead. Oh Dan, just stay out of the way ala Chuck and you’ll be fine! While he encouraged Serena to stop lying to Aaron in S2, Dan’s the one who can’t come clean about his love for Vanessa this time around for fear of breaking her heart again. Poor dear should get with Nate and drown their sorrows together.

Jenny

Does anyone remember a time before Jenny Humphrey discovered eyeliner? Didn’t think so~ Back in S1, her biggest problem was wondering if her best friend Eric was really her half brother because he has hair roots like Rufus. Eric stood by Jenny when she ran away from home in S2 and even when she wanted to get emancipated. Now that they are officially step siblings, Jenny’s discovered that she’s taken sweet Eric too much for granted, and he’s out for blood – hers to be specific, as she discovers it was Eric and not Blair who orchastrated her near downfall at cotillon. Watch your back Jenny, Eric comes from crazy VDW genes, there’s no telling just what he might do!

Eric

He’s not big on Thanksgiving since he knows how it inevitably ends up about finding out dastardly family secrets (Lily and Rufus’s relationship in S1, Bart spying on them in and Lily being in an institution in S2) or eating fries at a diner, he spends most of this one being mad at Jenny for changing him till he’s lost his friend and boyfriend. Revenge is all he’s holding on to as he plots to take Jenny down, which should make for an interesting plot. He’s already failed so far, but here’s hoping we see the return of sweet Eric soon, vengeance isn’t a good look for him~

Rufus

One of his favourite holidays, Rufus always tries to celebrate with hearty homecooked food and a big feast, with varying results as to the turnout. S1’s thanksgiving is with his family, but unwittingly blows open the secret of his past relationship with Lily when Dan unknowingly invites her over. He vows to work things out with Allison and give up Lily then, but it is not to be as Allison leaves him by the time S2’s Thanksgiving comes around, though Lily is all ready to throw herself into his comfort food when Bart betrays her trust. Rufus finally gets to host Thanksgiving with Lily, though she spends most of it disinterested or drinking herself to oblivion over some secret matter. Poor Rufus doesn’t even get to tell his bad jokes, though most of it isn’t his fault as most of his guests are angry with each other one way or another!

Lily

Like her children, Lily also suffers from holiday paranoia, and usually spends her Thanksgiving in odd places. She does get to spend quality time with her kids though as she ends up bonding with Serena and Eric over fries in a diner in S1, and again with Eric when he finds out about her period of instituitionalization in S2. It’s markedly different in S3, where despite being the host, she spends most of it closing in on herself, drinking copiously and alone and lying even to her darling Rufus about her whereabouts from August to October. There’s hardly any bonding either, as she disowns Serena for being a marriage wrecker and Serena hates her for hiding secrets from her, and Eric is trapped in his own little world of vengeance. What secret bombshell is this Van der Woodsen going to drop? Am definitely curious!

Well that’s our usual UESers accounted for, some other points of note:

• this is the first Thanksgiving episode wherein we see Vanessa (edit: in a major role, I forgot she was in S2’s episode in a triangle between Jenny and Nate!), who brings along her mother who turns out to be a pushier and more judgemental person than she is. One wonders if V actually realizes that she’s merely a milder version of her mother?
• Dorota, pregnant? HMM. Didn’t see that one coming~
• Pie always seems to be a big part of GG Thanksgiving, from Dan sacrificing it to save Serena, to Blair gorging and puking it up, and even to Eric vengefully munching his as she stares down Jenny.

Loved this episode of GG, it was all the usual crazy machinations and twists and turns. Next episode, someone dead resurfaces! ooh…