socialfirefighter

Ok. I like season 1. It just the characters that I don't like. I how the show is close to Pretty Little Liars and I like the storylines. I was just wondering.

JonStewart4President

S2 has some good stuff in it, and I think is better than S1 in parts. I always recommend to new viewers, on tumblr or whatever...stop watching after S2's finale. It's actually a really great stopping point, and you'll just be disappointed after that. Okay, maybe watch the series finale after that. For completionist reasons.

ETA: new thought...so yeah, about that whole 'art and film' thing actually being an actual defining characteristic about Blair. I've always personally felt that was typical made-up in reasoning, in latter S3 fashion. That is to say, typical Safy playbook (so to be clear here, I blame Safy for putting it on the TV), to justify certain things later. Because prior to latter S3, with all of its ~reasons, Blair seemed to care only about popular old movies that played in her head. There isn't anything Indie about "Breakfast At Tiffany's" or "My Fair Lady" or "All About Eve." Or maybe Blair cared about art/movies in how to help her get into the college of her choice. I'm sure she had flashcards about it. But even in early S3, Blair doesn't care about "art" and "film" and those Tisch kids...except as means to get ahead. Vanessa on the other hand, was totally into all the indie crap, and probably for the sake of being indie, from the beginning. Yet I'm always not surprised by how little credence she is given, well just in general, but particularly in ACTUALLY bonding with her best friend, Dan, in these things. Gee. They bonded over movies, and cultural stuff? That must mean they're meant for each other, and in love forever, and their love is real. Just like it is in parts of early S3. So there is a couple whose, mid in the series, have a totally "organic", bonding in art/film means they have TRUE LOVE, but the previous, and actual bonding in those things with another character is useless/denied. Interesting.

Alexa

even with dan as gg that does not make him more psychotic than chuck. not even possible.

i dont think saying you dislike someone and giving valid reasons is "Bashing" but alright.

socialfirefighter, quit while you're ahead. nothing is going to get better for you if you dont like season 1.

socialfirefighter

Ok. I will find season 2 and watch it. Then I will decide if I want to keep on watching the show.

JonStewart4President

I'm so excited (and not in a Jesse Spano pills way). So you, like me, acknowledge that in canon, Dan is Gossip Girl. So cool. Okay, and then you're saying that Chuck is still worse than that? So do you want a list of how horrible Gossip Girl was to Serena and Blair? and should this be by episode, or season? or do I have to include everyone who was screwed over by GG? Because I'd rather just stick to Serena, and Blair, seeing as they slept (however badly) with the guy.

Oh, and to be fair...this will take a while, just on the face of it (that's a lot of ground to cover), and that I have a life that is beckoning. So off to a weekend of fun for me. But I'll be sure and get back to that later.

So Dan being GG means he's still better than Chuck?


ETA: in the midst of my ablutions, and before I go really off-line, and going to my point of Dan being a hypocrite for being a upper/middle-class, white, male who then whinges about privilege, let me add about Vanessa and her hypocrisy. Her character isn't upper-middle class, nor white, nor male, and yet his character gets all the passes. Interesting.

fox24

Let's not turn this thread into Dan vs. Chuck

I guess If I was watching the should have probably dropped it either in s3-s4 like i did it vampire Diaries and 90210. If you don't enjoy it after s1 I suggest you quit

JonStewart4President

My ride just called, and is late. So... Well I'll concede Lily sucking as a parent to anyone outside of Chuck, until S6...when she's sucky to even Chuck for most of it. But Rufus? Jenny was a brat in S2 to him. And yeah, how DARE he want an education for her! and not letting her decide what to do with her life at the age of 16! Rufus was kinda creepy, for storyline ~reasons, at the end of S3 about Jenny's virginity (so was Dan for that matter...really, it was male Humphrey creepiness about the issue), but I didn't have problems overall, with Rufus in how he treated his kids in S2. Oh, and yeah despite whatever issues...still a better parent than all the other UESers biological parents.

BlackSapphire

This.


This thread is still not improving up to the standard that it should be. If this carries on, me and Lizzy may consider alternative options. We don't want to have to do this considering that we know you guys enjoy posting in this thread. There should be no bashing under any circumstances.
We understand that you guys may get riled up at times but this isn't good for the thread

Please respect others and concentrate on the relevant topics of the show. Thank you.

lizzybug57

Hey guys! As a follow up to what Vicki said, please remain respectful. We understand not everyone likes every character or couple-totally get it.

When discussing, please refrain from bashing others, and make sure to voice your opinions in a respectful manner.

We want everyone to feel comfortable and welcome to post on this thread.

Thanks!

socialfirefighter

I finally decide that I am not go to finish this show if I can't enjoy the characters. I have other shows that I rather watch instead of this show.

Artemis

I think many of us stick with the show and post here because we're attached to the characters. The storylines suck.

I really don't see any parallels with PLL except teen shows and some of the producers did both.

lizzybug57

That totally happens. There are certain shows/characters you just grow attached to and need to know what happened to.

I really did enjoy the first two seasons and then stopped watching in the third season because life got in the way.

lessismore

TBH I don't know what to recommend to you because you are in Season 1 and you don't like the characters already. And I am not sure what kind of a show or characters you were expecting because I can tell you one thing that is certain that Gossip Girl would not be what you expect especially from a teen soap because it is not a regular teen soap at all. And for me characters were so interesting in Season 1 so I can gush about them all day but I would like to mention some other things that made me watch this show, while trying to be very brief. If you'd ask 5 top reasons to watch this show my answer would be different obviously So maybe we can do that too

I think this show is brilliant on its own. And with all the unique elements it provides makes you watch it even if the SLs get stupider. I also gotta admit I stuck with the show for my love of Chuck and Blair and NJBC during hard times, when the SLs got really really unbearable (as I say unblairable). However I also enjoyed some other elements the show brought. The show in general was a work of art in every episode. It depens how you watch and look at it imo. So even that was very enjoyable for me I found the characters and their dynamics very interesting in S1 starting with the pilot. I had my immediate favorites which did not change through out the series. And with NJBC -non judging breakfast club- who are the real foundation and family of this show for me. I didn't care that much about outsider povs especially Dan's later. Not just because it was skewed to his judgement which became a flat whining and hypocritical through out the series, but also I was already IN with NJBC, so I did not need to have an outsider pov, especially that kind. On the other hand, I loved Jenny's SL and found most of the time Vanessa's POV more interesting. Eric was also so wise, wish he had more scenes. I mean wish they would stick around more. And I think Jenny's SL is one of the most close to real SLs on TV about today's teenage girls. Anyways...

More so, I also love old Hollywood movies and classics so much; so this show really made a great way through the door to past and to portray that glamour, those love stories, struggles in the present day situations, for me. That is very unique imo. The hightened reality of the show makes it even more interesting because you also know this is some people's actual reality. That much wealth and children acting or being have to act like adults, and adults acting like children. Dan was right in that portrayal of UES, which was the main focal point of Season 6 as well.

I would love to also add the dystopian point of view of the show, I don't know if you are interested in that genre (it is my favorite literature genre) and I know I am the only one who would say this about a show like GG GG really could go beyond it's day and to portray somewhat our reality today and future. Sometimes it made me think I was watching somewhat a new version of Brave New World or 1984, because I could see many parallels there too. OFC, If the writers would have cared about some details -for continuity sake and also from technical side- it would have been even better

Also as I mentioned before, I love artistic details in the show, from some character's characterization/interests to fashion being one of the major elements in the show and also New York being really a character of the show and fabulous soundtracks, it was really like a weekly magazine as S. Savage, one of the exec producers have said once

If you'd like to make a comparison to what kind of characters and show you generally watch maybe we would tell you this is a show for you or not, but generally I think it is what you get. It really depends on the watcher and not the recomender most of the time

Alexa

jon, to me, saying mean things on a website will never be as bad or psychotic as rape or abuse. just saying.

but it appears as if we will never agree on this anyways so I'm over this conversation. lol

i agree with you on one thing ck, the characters (despite how flawed they are) are one of the best things about the show. and the reason that a lot of people were so invested. So if you were not into them from the beginning, i dont see how you ever will.

JonStewart4President

I'm kinda sleepy, so maybe I'm not getting it. You're saying that whatever horrible things happened to GG characters, based on GG blasts didn't matter, because there were electronic? First off, I assure you, electronic stuff matters. Like before the ACA, and when I wasn't with my last job, I was denied insurance because I had problems with Depression. So I was, electronically screwed. So yeah, I assure you, electronic stuff matters.

And I'm sorry, did I just imagine all the horrible things that happened during the entire course of the show, to the characters because of hateful GG posts? Because I could have sworn that was an actual plot at the end of S2. Though shockingly, Dan wasn't there for making GG pay. Just like he wasn't there for GG paying for their part in Blair/Chuck's accident that almost killed them both, and did kill Blair's baby. Dan's reaction to Serena and Nate's wanting to go after GG for their part in that accident, makes so much more sense!


Meanwhile, so pleased that Chace's B-Day included EW and JS. Nice to see the crew sticking together. And of course, I wish well to all the GG crew. Not just the actors involved in couples I like.

ETA 2: rape and abuse? I'm sure you're referring to ONLY the pilot for the former, so you do acknowledge that Dan being GG makes as much logical sense as Chuck's rapey ways that existed only in the pilot? Because you're one of a few. I always love those GG fans who hang their hat on Chuck based on the pilot (when the show was changed to the next episode -different backstory for Chuck, different actor playing Blair's mom) or hotel in 3.17 and 4.20 as ABUSE, but utterly deny the fact that if we go by canon,, Dan as GG? yeah. And going to how one feels one's character got screwed? (but somehow never acknowledging the other half of that coin?) how about 5.24? And hey, I personally loved how Blair denied loving Dan in not one, but TWO episodes, in late S5. That Dan spent all of season six, outside of anything website induced, trashing people. Even ones who supported him, like Rufus and Nate. And ones he purported to "love" like Blair and Serena. He said horrible things about them all. And again, this isn't going to some list about how GG effed over people, because that's a long list.