It's hard to believe that it has been almost three years since our televisions were graced with the series finale of the CW classic, "Gossip Girl." The show, called "every parent's worst nightmare," had all of us spending our high school years dreaming of living on the Upper East Side, hosting sleepovers in silk pajamas with champagne in hand, and finding our very own Chuck Bass. With the holiday season right around the corner, it's almost time for one of my favorite self-made traditions: watching all five Thanksgiving episodes shortly after I have eaten my weight in Thanksgiving dinner. So now here it is: the definitive ranking of each Thanksgiving episode of your favorite and mine, "Gossip Girl."
5. "Gaslit' (Season 4, Episode 10)
Though wrought with the usual drama, this was barely a Thanksgiving episode. Yes, we got to see the aftermath of the evil Juliet Sharp's plan to drug Serena and a tense reunion between Blair and the recently banished little-J, but where's that GG Thanksgiving magic we all know and love? If you're looking for turkey, this episode isn't your best bet, but if you're looking for some classic SVDW drama, it is a must.
4. "The Treasure of Serena Madre" (Season 3, Episode 11)
I love Aaron Tveit just as much as the next person, but his character's affair with Serena was never my favorite storyline, and I definitely didn't love that it took up most of this annual holiday episode (along with some Jenny and Eric drama; I hate J and E not getting along!). But, we do get to experience some classic drama and betrayal, and the fashion choices in this episode are especially to die for.
3. "It's Really Complicated" (Season 6, Episode 8)
This episode started off full of optimism, with Dan and Serena throwing their first Thanksgiving together with all of their friends (even if that meant accidentally putting Chuck and his evil, recently back-from-the-dead father Bart at the same dinner table). We get to see the first steps of a Chair reunion when Chuck finally asks Blair to go to war with him, and who could forget Dorota's scene-stealing Thanksgiving uniform? But the real triumph of this episode was the nice reminder we received about how much we all hate Dan Humphrey when he released a scathing chapter about Serena right in the middle of their feast. But, things were set right again when Nate punched Dan in the face saying "That was from all of us." The Non-Judging Breakfast Club Unites!
2. "The Magnificent Archibalds" (Season 2, Episode 11)
This episode was full of drama coming to a head. With the return (and subsequent arrest) of Nate's father, the discovery of Jenny's emancipation papers, and the revelation that Bart Bass's PI had been keeping tabs on the entire Van Der Woodsen clan, trust levels were very low on this particular Thanksgiving. But we got to see Dan defend his love for Serena against the boring and scruffy Aaron Rose (remember him?) and Blair got her happy Thanksgiving after all when her father made a surprise appearance (famous pumpkin pie in hand). By the end of this episode everything seemed to end up where it belonged, with the Van Der Woodsen and Humphrey families doing what they do best: pretending all of their problems have magically disappeared to celebrate the holiday together.
1. "Blair Waldorf Must Pie!" (Season 1, Episode 9)
In this case, first is not the worst, it is the best. The one tragic downfall was that Chuck Bass was nowhere to be seen, but the very first Thanksgiving episode of Gossip Girl will always have a special place in all of our hearts. With the use of flashbacks, we got to see some of Serena's party-girl past, and we learned more about Blair's struggle with bulimia. Arguably the best part of this episode was the tensest Thanksgiving dinner of all time, with Rufus, his then-wife Allison, his first love Lily, and their kids who knew nothing about their parents' pasts. Like always, the truth came out, and we felt the uncomfortableness as Dan, Serena, Jenny, and Eric reassured each other that they weren't related (ignore Eric's roots!). By the end of the episode each family returned to their own traditions: the Humphrey family football game, the Van der Woodsen diner Thanksgiving, and Blair and her mother laughing over leftovers, reminding us that there is nothing like Thanksgiving to bring together even the most scandalous of families.
That's all for now Upper East Siders, have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
