S2E22 Southern Gentlemen Prefer Blondes with Zuzanna Szadkowski

Zuzanna Szadkowski is back to rewatch another juicy episode - S2E22, Southern Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. They talk about the genius of Georgina’s transformation, Rufus and Lily’s impending engagement, and Zuzanna’s pet peeve about Chinese food.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi and Susanna Chekhovski I played Corota on Gossip Girl,
and we are rewatching Southern Gentleman Prefer Blonds. Welcome back,
listeners to your one and only source into all things

(00:21):
gossip Grow. You know you love it. XO x O.
Hey guys, I'm so happy that you're joining me for
another episode of XO XL. I'm your host Jessica's or
so we're picking up today with the rewatch of season two,
episode twenty two, Southern Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. This is a

(00:42):
big one for love triangles. We have Serena dating Gabriel
who might also be dating Poppy, and of course our
classic Blair Nate Chuck affair. Plus none other than Georgina
Sparks is back with a surprising change in character, or
so we think, and joining me yet again is the
credible A Susanna Sharkovski also known as Gossip Girls de Roda.

(01:04):
We just had such a fun time with our deep dive,
so we thought might as well keep it going, And
just like her character always listening in and hearing the
Upper east Side drama, Susana knows it all and has
plenty to share about this episode. So we're both very excited.
Let's hop right in and we're live. Susannah, Hello, Hi,

(01:38):
are you okay? I I still when I the countdown
comes on, I like still have like a little bit
of anxiety, like am I ready? Did I watch the episode?
Are my notes? Here is the guest on the other line?
And every time it's all fine, but I still get
like this, like, oh my god, there's like pressure. Oh
I know, it's a little nerve wracking. It's actually funny
because Blake Lively always had did a thing on set

(01:59):
that I always think of whenever I act, whenever anybody
says rolling or has a copdown, or I think she
used to. She used to always say, everybody tends up,
and it made me laugh because I was like, that's
what happens. Everybody's all loose and ready to go, but
in the minute they start rolling, it's like everything you know,
those nerves come and it's like funny to call it
out and then everybody would loosen up and have a moment.

(02:20):
Yeah feel remember her saying that that it's true though
it's all of a sudden like yeah, oh you gotta
shake shake it out. Anyways, maybe I'm just so excited
and nervous and like Pump that you're here. It's like
all the fields and vibes. I'm I'm so excited to
talk to you again, I know. And the rewatch. How
was it going back to watch? Oh man? It was

(02:42):
so funny because I haven't watched the show in the years,
so it's like, I, like we talked about before, I
did watch the show, you know, when it was on,
when we were working on it, so I was like,
you know, I was tracking it, I was a fan,
and then now it's been so long, so turning it
back on, I had exactly the experience that you just
that you discussed, which is I'm in love with that.
Like I was so into it, and then when the

(03:04):
episode was over, I wanted to watch the next one immediately,
and I was like, you know, this is so funny
because it really got me. I was like, oh yeah,
back to the fan mode. They really leave every episode
just when even sometimes now I'm like, oh, there's this
is going to happen, and then this and this, and
then they still bring you some sort of bomb at
the end where I'm like, what like this one with
the whole Poppy and Gabriel situation. I'm like, wait, where's

(03:28):
what's going to go down here? You know what I mean? Um? Okay,
well let's should we get into it? Yeah? Absolutely. We
are on to season two, episode twenty two, Southern Gentleman
Prefer Blondes, which is based on a movie Gentleman Prefer
Blonde starring Marilyn Monroe, which I just saw Blonde recently

(03:49):
and you definitely need to go and see it. It's
that's going to be hu see another side yeah of
Marilyn Monroe that I didn't really know a lot of
these things, but it's it's great. So, yes, have these
blonde icons of our time. And then I guess Serena
is another one. So yeah, this is true, very true.
And this episode with her is just I'm like nervous

(04:11):
for her because I feel like there's some shady stuff
about to come out. Oh man, so much. Yeah, she's
really in a don't you think vulnerable place in this episode. Yes, yeah,
her heart is just right out there. It is, Oh
my god. Um okay, So here's where we left off.
Drama came to Cyrus's passover Seder. Dan signed up to

(04:34):
cater the event to earn some money for Yale, while
Serena sought after Cyrus's legal advice for maybe accidentally getting married.
Blair tried to negotiate with Nate's grandfather to further her
social standing, while Nate realized his family scheming was more
than he could handle. Wow, yep, so and we are

(04:56):
right and then up what we're looking at to is
this fantastic episode where Georgina Sparks returns to the Upper
east Side, which is always exciting, always undergone a major transformation,
which I feel like there's a surprise every time Georgina
is back in our midst first um and in this episode,

(05:17):
Check and Nate find themselves a pretty major crossroads in
their friendship as it pertains to their mutual interest in
Blair and Serena has some complications in her relationship with Gabriel,
So those are she has some some big stakes here
as she's a I guess, semi married woman but not

(05:38):
not really doesn't count. I guess, yeah, yeah, she's like
married but not married. He's with Poppy, but he's not
with Poppy, And yeah, you kind of said it perfectly.
She's just super vulnerable in this because he's obviously like
playing her or there's some sort of secret because where
is he always going? Like where is Gabriel always going?

(06:00):
It's so hard to watch somebody, you know, like in
love going in committing and then everyone kind of sees
something that that person doesn't see. And I feel like
that's a play in this episode, and it has that
like it makes me really like empathetic with Serena, and
it just feels like she's in such a vulnerable place
compared to a lot of times she's more of the
powerhouse character, right, and here she's her feelings are sort

(06:22):
of laid bare, and she's she's not in control really
of the situation. Yeah, And you know, like when you're
in love or in a relationship, you kind of are
blinded by certain things just because your lens are different,
you know. And I do feel like when Chuck and
Blair are trying to like figure you know, they're digging
in and trying to figure out, like what does this

(06:44):
guy have up his sleeve because they're seeing it from
another lens and they, you know, Blair again is looking
out for Serena, which is like so funny because she's
always like, you guys, I'm fine, I got it. And
then she needs her little buddy. Yeah, They're friendship is
like so funny to me because they always always in
the end come through for each other, which I love. Yeah,

(07:05):
and I think a friendship really has taken to task
in this episode because you have these kind of two
best friendships. You have the Blair Serena and then the
Chuck and Nate. So they're kind of contrasted in a
way because you have this It's like they're giving each
other tough love and they're like stepping on each other's
toes and it's like these two central relationships are like
really like brought to the flour here in this particular episode,

(07:28):
so totally it's nerve wracking. It is. It is because
to like I don't know if I would say like
the tug of war, but the whole like triangle between Nate,
Blair and Chuck in this episode. There's like times where
I'm like, I feel I'm feeling bad for Nate, and
then there's times I see her with Chuck and I'm like, oh,
but I kind of maybe want her back with Chuck.
But are they right for each other? But yeah, you

(07:49):
want them together. Yeah, you know, it's crazy because when
we last spoke. We spoke so much about de Roda
being a team chair if you will, and you know
this this kind of relationship for the Ages that is
Chuck and Blair, and watching this episode, I really got
into the Nate Blair thing, and it was something about

(08:09):
how sweet it was and how there was I don't know,
the kind of the chemistry between the two characters. It
really like kind of sold me. So I was I
found myself in a weird place as de Road I've
always been in the end sort of walked away with
this I love Chuck energy, and then in this episode
I kind of was, I was kind of getting out
down with the Nate Blair situation. I kind of agree

(08:31):
with you. There was like moments I'm like, wow, it's
I'm not saying I don't know if I'm seeing another
side of Nate because he's always kind of that sweet,
nice guy. I always feel like he's just such a sweetheart.
But there's something else that is like pulling me like yeah,
for them in a way, it's it's wild, it's awfully romantic.
It is. They have a couple of scenes in this

(08:53):
episode where they're facing off and he it's just it's
just sweet. It's just straight up sweet and like really
charming and um, the way they look at each other,
and you know, it has like a real kind of
fairytale quality. And I mean as we kind of go
through the episode, I think, you know, that's one of
the things that comes up to is like I feel
like it's these two warring sides of Blair's personality that

(09:15):
that's kind of tug of war whether she writes a
fairytale or she wants a challenge. You know. So it's
like right, like so that kind of but the fairytale
is romantic with me because he's there's something about him
me personally. I've always just thought Chase Crawford was the
cutest and so I was really sold on those moments.
I was like always, wow, he's he's just such a doll.

(09:40):
But and you know, like there was like a New
York City vibe that I haven't felt. And I mean
I always feel the vibe of the city and the show,
but they were definitely filming like more downtown in this
Like there was a lot of soho maybe like almost
West Village. I was connected to like the city at
another level in this one. Did you feel that or no, yeah,
And I feel like the episode kind of opens with

(10:00):
the down the tour of downtown and going to n
y U and this kind of conversation that um Nate
and Blair have about the subway. So it's, oh my god,
she's like down there, which is so so funny and
so cute and um yeah. So I feel like New
York is really the full island does that play here?
And it's funny since I since I last spoke to you,
I really had the gossip girl in the brain. You know.

(10:22):
It's like kind of woke up my inner gospel spirit.
And part of that I realized is like my love
for New York. So I've lived here for you know,
a long time, and it's very easy to get, you know,
to kind of be over it and to have that
feeling of, oh, you know, everything's kind of difficult in
the city. And when I have my my sort of
gossip girl energy up, I started looking around. Oh no,

(10:45):
it is really glamorous and it is fun, and there's
so much promise and it's a beautiful time of year.
Now it's ball is coming. And so I've been really
like in a New York state of mind too. Um
So when So this episode kind of reminded me of
why that is, because in this episode you have a
lot of glint in the downtown and the uptown coming together,
and it's funny because it's like, um, yes, we don't

(11:05):
see them outdoors so often either with like just out
in nature. Yeah, and Upper East Side, it's it's just
a different vibe. It's like very structured. There's not a
ton of people, right. Um, did you ever have like
the experience of what that they're going through with college,
like Dan trying to with financial stuff or like Blair
not getting in. I mean, I know you went to

(11:25):
a wonderful school, but like, do you have anything similar
to any of anyone of the characters going on? Yeah,
I have kind of like a personal relationship actually to
the n y U Columbia debate, which is that I
grew up in Indiana. Um, you know, I came from
Poland when I was a little kid, and I grew
up in the Midwest, and so I wanted to go
to New York City. That was that was all that
I wanted. So I was like, whatever college looks at

(11:48):
me in New York, That's where I'm going. And I
was like, you know, it was a diligent student and
I wanted to get into a good place, but most
important to me was location. And I got in at
Barnard College, which is the Women's College of Columbia. But
I really wanted to go to n y U. And
I didn't get in there, and it was like, and
why you just seem so much cooler to me because
it was downtown, and so I went so I would

(12:08):
like on that side of the point so that I
you know, I really loved my experience there. But when
I was there, I did spend a lot of time.
I would take the subway and go down to astor
place in a street, and you know, I had to
get my downtown n y U vibes in order to
feel like I was getting my full experience. But you know,
the financial aid question too, is huge, especially now. I

(12:31):
mean in our current political environments, all this talk about
loans and loan forgiveness, and you know, watching those guys
make those decisions about walking into these financial decisions that
the whole effects the whole family. And you know, I
felt for Dan in this UM episode because you know,
it's like, already so hard, You're already making this huge
life jump and kind of deciding what your future will be.

(12:53):
And then on top of it, you're you know, you
have to deal with your parents and their financial cap
address like that so stressful, crazy, And I do kind
of feel like at that age and that time in
your life, you don't really comprehend what the loans are
and what the money is because it's the first time
in your life that you really are seeing and having

(13:15):
to deal with it, so you you don't really know
the scope of like how long it's going to take
and what you have to earn to like make the payments.
It's like it is a lot, you know, and nobody's
like looking down the barrel of how I was thinking,
I'm gonna be paying these until I'm six years old,
That's what I mean. It's like all of a sudden,
you're like leaving home, leaving your parents, taking on all

(13:35):
of this huge load for the next chapter of your life.
And then so yeah, and I actually really love that
they are kind of touching on that and showing the
struggle of it and so that it doesn't always feel
like you know in movies and TV, like oh, I
just I got accepted and I go and here it
is like, because it's not like that, not for everything
I should say, you know what I mean, Like, I
like that they're kind of shining light. Also, I think

(13:57):
it's kind of cool in this show, like versus other
of shows where you begin in a high school genre,
is the fact that they let the writers and creators
let the cast grow up, you know, so that I
feel like some shows you kind of get mired downey
people if we leave high school, we won't have a show,
whereas on this show, we watched them transition and move
into this these college years and kind of you know,

(14:19):
become adults. So it's nice because it has that feeling
of like we can go in a journey with them.
I think. So that's kind of bold. Um. Yeah, I
think it's great too. It's also so funny because when
you play high school, a lot of times the people
the actors playing high school are not in high school, right.
And I remember like seeing someone from nine O two

(14:39):
an O or something in l A And I'm like,
how come they look so much older? And it was
because you know, the show was ten years later and
then they were really like playing seventeen. But you don't
like when you're in your living room watching it. If
you're not like thinking about that, it's really like through me. Yeah,
and you guys were all young but not you know,
but we were twenty yeah, except for Taylor Taylor who

(15:04):
also you know, I haven't seen the show in a minute,
like I said, and I was struck again by how
just freaking good Taylor is. She's she's so incredible, and
those scenes with Ruth was in this episode are so heartwarming.
There's such a connection with them, and it's like her
face is just so I don't know, she just has
that love that Jenny, Yeah, it's in her eyes, and
you know, she's just a tremendous actor. And I remember

(15:26):
working with her, not I didn't get to do it
very often, but I remember working with her on a
scene where I can't remember what the context was, but
we were in and out of a limousine and she
was crying, like Jenny was really upset, and she brought
it every single take, from every single angle, and I
just remember thinking, for a young woman, she's such an
accomplished actor and so she had already had such depth

(15:47):
of you know, she was able to access all of
that emotional life and it was really something so I
always admired her and I'm reminded by how good she
is and everyone else to watch and you know this episode, Yeah,
you're totally right to be as young as she was
and to like have the emotional roller coaster that she
goes on and we go with her because she's so

(16:08):
dialed in is like, first of all, not easy, and
second of all, when you're that young and you don't
even have some of the life experiences to kind of
dig into to find those like moments, is like what
you said, it's pretty rad that she just had that.
You know, she's extraordinary. What do you think about this

(16:37):
whole engagement thing with with Rufus with Lily, Like they
they're at the antique shop, they see the ring, or
Dan sees Rufus looking at the ring, Well, how do
you feel about that? I mean, it is it's always
weird all of the kind of cross pollination that happens
in this show in terms of you know that your
parents getting married and you're used to date your sister
and all that stuff. So of course that is that

(17:00):
comes to mind, But it also was so sweet and
kind of heartbreaking that he's looking at that little that
ring was pretty cool. I mean it was very cool. Yeah,
and like it's not what I expected when they like
zoomed in on it, like when they do when they
see it, I was like, wait, that is not but
it's also brilliant because like that he can't get Lily,
you know, the kind of diamond that would be Lily style,

(17:20):
but he can get something really cool and artistics what
they like about each other, you know. Yeah, But I'm
like still in the back of my mind and like,
but where's Bart, Like is he really dad? Like I
can't believe he's gone art I mean, I'm still like
not over that. So for me, I'm like I don't.

(17:40):
Even as much as I love Rufus and Lily and
I really am I like them, I'm still like, wait,
Chuck's dad died, you know what I mean. Yeah, it's
it's a real big thing that happened, and like when
and then he just got to move on forward. But
it is, it's it's a little bit shocking, it is.
And in this episode, Dan and Serena aren't together, so
kind of like okay, if you guys, if Lily and

(18:02):
Rufus want to try, okay, we have a moment here. Yeah,
and it's nice that they kind of immediately rally and
she has those great moments where she's basically like it's
like reverse parenting or they're like kind of giving him
permission to have his feelings, you know, which is so sweet.
But you know this is to like for me, was
like about Rufus and Serena both being kind of laid
bare because like he also it's like he goes through

(18:23):
this financial vulnerability and then that whole whether he has
the capacity to even make these choices like right forward
with Lily. So I think the two of them really
just like tugged my heartstrings in this storyline here for sure.
And also like, is there a better proposal as of yet?
They're all later right, right, and there were so many,

(18:45):
but I feel that there's a lot, but honestly, I
couldn't tell you one other than Lily and the Roda
had one from Vania in coming up in in season three,
so okay, that's right. It's very cute because he does
the whole one knee thing, and then there's there's definitely
a big proposal moment towards the end of the whole
season series. That's what that's Chuck and Blair for sure. Blair, Yeah, okay,

(19:10):
but I don't know about like all the other people
that get married, like when Lara gets married to the
prince a month ago and all that. But yeah, And
the thing it's funny is like this episode reminds me
too of how many people kind of came into the
orbit of you know, it's like you have this sort
of principal group of friends and then all of these

(19:30):
outsiders kind of come in and like lay claim on
people's hearts and like cause all the sad havoc and
then plot twists and sue and then they kind of
get you know, get dealt with and move out. And
so over the course of six seasons, we had so
many different love interests and boyfriends and and schemers and
right right, so it's like when you kind of think
of it, and on the whole it's overwhelming, but each

(19:52):
episode it kind of you know, you just gotta go
for the ride, for sure. Absolutely. Yeah, And like Poppy
is a great sample of like I mean I remember
Poppy from watching the show, but like I never, uh,
you know, ran into Poppy on set because it's like
these different worlds and here's just like messing up Serena's
life and you know, so it's interesting how many kind

(20:13):
of actors came in and out and how you know
you have Serena in this in this extreme situation, and
then by season three will have forgotten all about what's
his name, Gabriel Gabriel, Yeah, exactly. But certain relationships hold
hold true for sure. And then I feel like when
people pop back in, like the Georgina coming back in here,
I'm like, oh, ship, what is what is going on?

(20:36):
But let me ask you this. So when Vanessa's talking
to Rufus about like how she's kind of sad about
the sale that you know, and he's saying they might
not have a buyer for a while, he really is
willing to do whatever for this for his kids. Like
he's like, if Dan wants to do this, I'll sell
the loft, I'll sell the gallery, I'll you know, his

(20:57):
Lincoln Hawk catalog. So like hot log, which is just
so lovely. I just love that he's like willing to
do that because it's for his son's future. And I
just think that's very very sweet, and it's just the
way he plays Rufus to like did you ever you had?
I mean you had more scenes with with Matthew than

(21:17):
you did me. You know, I can't even remember having
really a scene with Matthew. I definitely worked, I mean
I was definitely in the larger group scenes with him
and also with Lily. Um it was like the vander
Woodson's and Droda rarely ran into each other. But um,
I guess that's right, he's not really good. I'm going
to ask you. I mean, you had an awful lot
of scenes with Matthew. And in this episode, I think
Vanessa has such a she's such a moral center in

(21:39):
this episode, like she's kind of reminding everyone, like encourage
each other, give each other's you know, It's like she's
there for his hard moments. And then she breaks that
news to Dan. And so what was it like working
do you remember this sort of storyline and working with
matt as who I honestly didn't, But watching some things
will be like, oh yeah, I remember that green sweater
and I remember hang on the ground with pen you know,

(22:02):
after we just like I told each other's secrets. Um.
But Matthew was always so interesting and fun to work
with because he's quite a character and like very funny,
but just he's got this real like laid back kind
of like hippie ish in a way. Yes, yes, in
the best way, but just very like calm and cool

(22:24):
and funny and like he just kind of calms you
down because he's just yeah, he's very zen, very like
I don't know, and I really always liked that about him. Yeah,
we we worked together a lot, and there was actually
a moment where I'm like, are they going to have
nut something happened with Vanessa and Rufus. I don't, And
I really liked they're like dynamic, but I definitely was like,

(22:46):
please don't tell me it goes there, and it never did,
so I'm super proke that it didn't. Yeah, I agree,
I agree. Yeah, it's funny because like Kelly Rutherford was
also as a human was way more zen obviously than Lily.
And I remember like often I would run into Kelly
and we would be like relaxing on some of the
couches on the sets or you also had a very grounding,

(23:07):
uh grounding energy. So I think between the two of them,
you know, and then kind of playing these characters, they
had like a good um connected in an interesting way,
and that relationship is off like cute and I thought
that scene UM that it was in this episode where
Serena basically brings Gabriel over to the house and it's
like a double date moment and they're they're having Chinese

(23:30):
food and they're discussing this co op meeting and cocktail
party to come, and I guess Serena is kind of introducing, uh,
you know, this idea to Gabriel that he could maybe
get some more investors for his endeavor at this cocktail party,
and you know, Lily seems on board, and uh, it
was cute because the mirroring of the two couples and
they're both sitting with their like hands on each other's knees,

(23:52):
Like I never sat with a boyfriend like that. But
but you know, it's a different world on the Upper
East Side. But you know what that scene actually made
me think of. I have this ultimate petfeeve when I
watch UM movies and television, which is it happens all
the time, is people are always eating Chinese food out
of the container and TV and film they're always have

(24:14):
the chopsticks and they're eating the Chinese food right out
of the container and I'm like, you have to put
it on the plate. And mix it up the right,
that's right. And they were eating Chinese food off of
plates off of nice China, and I was like, oh,
there you go, there you go that, yes, But yeah,
what's you're like speaking of like drinking and eating in
a scene? What's you're like drink of choice? Like do

(24:36):
you just do water? Do you do tea? Do you
do coffee? I feel like drinking um anything when they
try to make it like a certain color so it
looks like, you know, brown, like red wine or red
wine or something, that's always a little bit freaky because
it's not has that weird flat sweet taste. So right, totally,
I was I got lucky in Gospel because I think
the only time a Dirotor ever drink any think was vodka,

(24:58):
and so it was it was just water, just water. Yeah,
I noticed Vanessa was drinking. Vanessa was drinking a six
pack in this episode of playing it. And then also
there was that weird arrant bottle of vodka sitting next
door too, and I was like, was that that was
a backup? What's she doing? She's just coming undone this

(25:22):
okay by the way in the loft too when he
gets there and she's sitting there by herself, because I
had so many scenes in that loft. I mean the
first time you see Vanessa, it's up the fire escape there,
and she's always there eating waffles with Rufus and they're
with I'm like, that's my favorite apartment or loft or set.
I mean like when I'm watching it, I'm like, that's
where I would want to live. What about you? Like, Yeah,
I see, I was going to ask you about that

(25:43):
stet because I had never I never set foot in it.
I guess I saw from the distance on the sound stage,
but you guys were really in there in this episode
because we were laying on that rug and that fantastic. Yeah.
Never have I ever slept with Chuck Bass. Remember after
how they shot the scene when you guys on a carpet,
But they were just like in a little above you
and yeah, and I remember going really really slow, and

(26:05):
I do remember my earrings like falling like that. Yeah,
And it was like really much like you couldn't move
because my it would like get caught on the rug
or caught on my hair. So it was like I'm
just gonna not move. And you clearly see that in there,
and you are like, how drunk is Vanessa right now?
But she do? You don't like she was really holding

(26:25):
on to this whole thing with Chuck, And I guess
it's probably just because there's been I'm assuming so many
conversations that Vanessa and Dan have had about what they
don't like about Chuck, Because I'm like, why do you
feel the need that you have to tell Dan that
right now? You know what I mean, But I guess
they're they're best friends. But I'm like, I don't really
know that you needed to tell Dan that right It's
such an interesting confessional quality to it, and the fact

(26:48):
that she comes out with it so quickly and it
was such a funny scene and so well played by
the two of you, And I feel like your friendship
Vanessa Dan friendship really resonates with me. I really like
identify with it, and I feel like you got something
and really right there, which is like that feeling of
you know, having each other's backs in a world that's
like a big, mean world and the two if you
can always come together. Um so having to cop to him,

(27:10):
I think that you had done something that was kind
of humiliating really that really read to me, and I
felt like it was so nice because he took it
so easily, you know, and then he kind of came
back with his own Cogina confession, so it felt like
a really nice you know, as far as confessions go,
you didn't, um, I mean had a good result, right right,
you know what I wonder to like because I'm like, well,

(27:31):
I'm like the fact that you were holding onto this
and felt the need so much to tell him, um,
And I do. I do like their friendship and I
do like that she she really does tell Dan everything
there there. She doesn't keep anything from him. Um. But
I'm wondering if they had to also tie it in
because Georgina does come back in this episode, so that
all of a sudden it wasn't just like her at

(27:53):
the like we would just hear her name that yeah,
because also he didn't sleep with her. Almost sleeping with
someone isn't sleeping with them, right right right right? You
know she slept with Chuck right twice, which white. I know.
It's such a cute way to do the reveal to
it the I never game and the Chugen yet real

(28:15):
chugging and I remember that being water because I remember
I was drinking so much water, and in between set ups,
I'd be like, I have to run, I have to
go to the bathroom. I'm drinking too much water. I'm sure. Yeah,
you guys played it nicely too, because it's always that
complication of like we're having some booze and then the
second scene you have all the empty bottles, so you're like,
you know, how how loose do we feel? How you know,

(28:37):
how tipsy are we? And you guys it was very
believable and had that nice energy of like time has
passed and many right had totally in an acting class
ones Howard Fine, there was like a scene where in
a scene study where the actor was supposed to be
really drunk, and I will never forget. One of his
notes after to the actor was like, I a lot

(29:00):
of actors make the mistake of when you're supposed to
be drunk, playing into the drunk right, And he kind
of said something along the lines, I mean, you can't
quote it was so long ago, something along the lines
of like, well, you know, when you go out and
you have drinks and you may be getting a little tipsy,
you don't lean into that. Usually you're trying to not
be drunk, do you know what I mean. So for actors,

(29:22):
I always find that they're they're lean into being drunk
instead of feel that that but like do what you
would do in life, trying to be sober right, right,
trying to keep your composure and keep it together. And
I always found that very interesting because it's it's true. Yeah,
that's great. Yeah, because it's like fighting for sobriety makes
you look more drunk, right, And then it's it's also

(29:44):
like even in life, if I'm telling a story to
someone and it's going to make me sad or cry,
I'm trying not to cry, you know what I mean. Usually,
and it's freeing because it's like now you can focus
on sort of the reality of playing that instead of
trying to conjure something the beyond conjuring. Yeah, that's great, right, Yeah.
Sometimes it's it's funny because sometimes acting is it's like

(30:05):
it's not easier. Sometimes it's simpler than it seems, like,
you know what I mean, And it's like when you
can track it and you're like, oh, if I just
have to kind of be real and like it's almost
like the study of the human life and behavior, you know.
So it's mule questions like how do we how do
we get through a moment, you know, And it's yeah,
it's interesting. Yeah, it's so crazy what we do. And
I feel like we're lucky because part of our job

(30:26):
is like studying or being at least being present in
our world so that we can kind of be collectors
of experience, you know. So it's like basically we're just
tasked with like being really alive. You know, you got
to go out there and like keep your eyes open
and your ears open, and so it's a nice um,
it's a nice challenge, I think, to take in all
different kinds of people who may need to access that stuff.

(30:47):
I think it's well well represented in this episode in
um Michelle Trapton Burgh's work, because she creates such broad
characters and then makes a huge swing here when it's
also real and just fantastic. The fact that you see
this crazy, conniving villainists Georgina that we know so well,
and then then she comes popping out at the end

(31:08):
of this episode and they go to visit her at
the Christian camp. Yet the Christian camp and the way
she comes at Chuck and she's like all smiles and hugs.
It's like, you know, this extraordinary range, that's all within
one human, you know, and she had she did that
so brilliantly because it's like, you know all the faces
of Georgina, right, absolutely, and I do. I've also she's

(31:30):
just for me. I love when when I know she's
coming back on or like obviously now she's probably going
to be here for a minute because she just starts
the pot and the way she plays Georgina, like what
you were just saying is just so fun to watch
because she's absurd. Oh yeah, oh yeah, it's yeah, it's extraordinary. Yeah,
and I feel like the sort of the secrets in
this episode are kind of absurd, but also you go,

(31:53):
you go with it and it feels real, Like I
guess the whole kind of plot crux in this particular
episode is that you have Gabriel who's not come itting
and he's always kind of he's kind of leaving, not forthcoming, right. Yeah,
It's like there's a great thing where she asked him
to go to the movies and he won't, he's too
busy to go to the movies. And then towards the
end of the episode, she asked somebody else to go
to movies and she says to it, why won't anybody

(32:14):
just go to the movie, And I was like, so fantastic.
I was like, no one on the every side can
go to the movies because she's talking. She's talking to
Blair on the phone, and I think Blair is like
following Gabriel run. What do you feel about like Blair
and Chuck's hole plan here. I like that they're trying
to get to the bottom of it for Serena because
they're just looking out for her. Yeah, it feels like
a good combo of like, yes, of course it serves

(32:36):
you know, Chuck's ends, I guess because he wants to
hold on to, you know, a little bit of Blair.
But there is a fundamental like watching out for their
friend kind of seeing that she's not seeing everything. Yeah,
and so they're basically they don't believe that Gabriel is
who is is forth right, and they believe that the
mystery can be unlocked if they can figure out the
sort of the story of how he has Serena met

(32:58):
because he's claiming one thing and they find out that
that is impossible, so that it's this issue of whether
or not they met at the restaurant. Butter Butter and
Butter may or may not have been closed, right, And
by the way, do you remember Butter. I was going
to ask you to remind me because I think, is
it not Butter is Isn't that an Alex Corners Shelley
restaurant in New York City? Yeah, It's like, I feel

(33:19):
like there's a restaurant upstairs. And then it turned into
kind of a night the night and I feel like
the night was Monday's okay, okay, but I also feel
like it was maybe on the way out while we
were doing the show. But I do remember like there
was a buzz about it, like about it, and it's
great in this episode because I was a little bit
like Gabriel because at the end he goes, what's butter Butter?

(33:40):
I was like, that's fantastic. But he's claiming that he
met Serena at Butter the night before the s A
t s right right, and Chuck and Blair put it
together that that can't be possible because Blair had hired
a bartender from Butter that night for a party. She

(34:01):
was probably that you probably actually through de Rota probably,
I'm sure I was. I was doing the heavy lifting
um for I think she said it was the Nelly
Yuki sabotage party, which, by the way, just even hearing
that line, I'm like, that's such a blair line. It's fantastic.
And she did always whenever she was throwing something, she'd
always like get on the phone and called Rondo, I

(34:21):
need this, this, this and this, and like you would
make it happen, like you would have like these amazing
musicians like playing the harp and like it's wild and
then she's like, we need more people, and then like
you would just you would just make it happen. De
Rota made it happen. Oh yeah, I was. I was
very happy to see Derota torontoa like name dropped twice
in this episode. Once was for having a Grassland spy

(34:43):
equipment and once was as a Mets fan, which was
fundy to rote that she said I saw drone and
her Mets hat this morning. Is that what she said?
I loved it? H Yeah. So it's like, so they
know that he's lying and they have to basically convinced
Serena and she's consistently standing up for the guy she's saying.

(35:04):
And trust is a big issue in this episode because
she's saying, I trust I trust him, And you have
Blair and Nate who are having an issue about trust
as well, and so they're kind of all everybody's throwing
up their trust and kind of having a trust competition,
I guess, And so that's that's why I think eventually
Chuck realizes that the only way they can get to
the truth about Gabriel is to ask Georgina because she

(35:28):
was present in that mysterious because Serena and can't remember.
That's why Serena se I don't I really don't know
Georgina Rufia. Yeah, So basically Chuck says, we need to

(35:50):
go to the source, and then our other plotline or
the episode really rears its head there because it's like
you have a Nate and Chuck who are attempting to
move forward with their friendship. But Nate, you know, has
it locked down with Blair, but he's a little bit
worried that Chuck is still present in her mind and
still you know, it's still a draw. And so the
fact that Chuck and Blair are on a mission to

(36:10):
help Serena together is a little bit unnerving for Nate.
So you have that kind of fourth and there's that
great moment they basically have this cocktail party kind of
climactic moment when Chuck says Blair, let's go and crack
this mystery for Serena and Nate says, no, let's go
to the apartment. I just thought you because now Nate

(36:31):
is asked Blair to move in with him, which is
a big moment. I mean, that's a big moment. It's
a big moment when you're forty five, I mean when
you're just leaving high school and just getting back together
not that long ago. Like that's a big moment. And
I don't believe I don't remember this apartment ever having
a life. Is I don't either, right. I think it's

(36:53):
like one of those things that kind of comes in
and goes out. And that's another like kind of fun
fact in our world and entertainment. Like I think you're right,
I don't think there's a life in this apartment. But
like they had to like rent that place for that
one scene or two scenes because I don't think she
ever ended up going to it, did she or did
she end yet? I'm pretty sure it's like one of

(37:15):
those things. It's a mystery that we have this and
then he must offloaded it on the in between episodes,
because that's it's you know, she does come over and
say that she doesn't like murray Hill. Well, that's right,
that's so maybe that's just so maybe he just went
and sold it so Chuck. He brings Chuck to that apartment,
and then he brings Blair, so that was probably. Yeah,
they rented the place for a day, shot the two scenes,

(37:37):
and then it was done. But that's to me, that's like,
you know, you don't think about that stuff when you're
watching when you're watching it, so tell me, like, that's wild. Absolutely,
and that's just one There was two minutes of the
whole show, not even Yeah, it's also rare. I think
that's maybe one of the things you were saying earlier
about the New York five in this episode is that
you get that fantastic like view from midtown in that

(38:00):
particular apartment that usually you're either uptown or in Brooklyn,
and here you had this like feeling of like, wow,
look at how huge overwhelming, and Blair needs to chill
because murray Hill is nice, really nice, and it was
very sweet at him. And you know the other thing
is that he had he brought those Like when she
brought her in, there were paeonies, her favorite peonies and

(38:23):
all this stuff, and it was like so cute. So
for me, it's that thing, like it's the two sides
of Blair. It's like, do you want this to be
treated like this and have this kind of steady, you know,
nice easy romance or do you want to keep Chase
and Chuck around and you know and limas and into
into you know, for lack of better word, into danger.

(38:45):
And I feel like that's what we grapple with throughout
the series with Blair. It's like who is she and
who does she want to be? Right? Gossip Girl even
says Netflix night with Nate or battling a beast with
Bass that think like when Nate, when Nate was presented
with this conundrum at the party and where's like I
want to go with Chuck to do this thing? Do

(39:08):
you think Nate sort of makes the right call? Is
he fault in any way for kind of what what
am I saying? Go? Yeah, but kind of not Like
to me, it seemed like maybe one thing that he
could have done is to be like, let me help
you guys, But you know, there's this feeling of like
it's me or it's him, and it's like, who's fault
is that? I guess it's my question. Yeah, I just

(39:31):
I feel like it was like very big of him
and very trustworthy to be like, yeah, go with Chuck overnight,
because wasn't it overnight. Well I don't think he knew
that at the time, but when outside, Chuck was like
tell eleanor you're not coming home right right, But even
if it wasn't overnight, that's still like very sweet and
nice and trustworthy of him to be like, yeah, go

(39:52):
with the guy that you were just hooking up with
not that long ago, that's clearly still in love with you.
And I give him credit for doing that. I don't
I don't know a lot of people that would just
to be like okay with that, you know what I mean. Right.
It's interesting because when they were playing basketball kind of
one on one, Nate and Chuck, it's like they spoke
to each other in a very sort of rough way.
It's like their relationship at this stage is very complicated. Yeah,

(40:16):
it's very complicated to what I was actually just in,
Like I said, I don't know a lot of people
that would maybe do that. You got to remember in
high school, there's so many that always happens. There's so
many crossovers and things going on, people dating and breaking
up one day and then two days later dating someone
else that just dated the other person last week. So
I guess maybe Nate being okay with going that's just
kind of that age and like whatever, I'm not meaning

(40:38):
later on it would have been bad for them to
go together. I'm just meaning he's been so uptight about
them being together. So then to finally be like, yeah,
just go was kind of funny to me because I'm like,
you've been you admit that you were jealous that they
were together, and that right, and now you're like, yeah,
go on a mission like Chuck and Blair on a
mission together that you're you're playing a fire, you know

(41:00):
what I mean with those two. Yeah, And he basically
like bought that apartment in part to show Chuck how
serious he was to be like, don't write you know, really,
we're really our boyfriend and girlfriend now leap for um. Yeah,
It's it's interesting, and yeah, I think you're right that
like that time of life, I mean, especially in this show,
there's so much overlapping, and it's like how much history

(41:21):
does everybody have in every interaction and you know, what
do they take with them, you know, into each relationships.
All these echoes of the x is they're right there totally.
And it's similar in the conversation that Serena and Blair
have two and that when they're trying addresses like jealousy
and trust come up there too, or Serena's like everybody
loves you, but nobody can love me. You know. It's

(41:41):
like they've shared from the same boyfriend table for sure.
And even Serena kind of says that, like about something
about he's kind of messed up before. I feel like
she said something because I remember thinking, well, yeah, because
it was with you, Like I wouldn't be bringing that up.
Serena like, yeah, keep it in the past. We we've
all moved on from it now, like, don't bring that up.

(42:02):
And then that was a Crimson Yeah, I'm like, oh god,
oh man. Yeah. How about when Blair called Gabriel North
Carolina her Like that was my favorite. It's so speaks
to that really fun writing that's like so smart and
it's so just right out of the mouth of Blair

(42:23):
and Laton delivers. It's so well committed, so well North Carolina.
That was my favorite. I like committed that one to memory. Yeah,
that was amazing. My other part that stuck out to
me was when Chuck runs into her and she's spying
on Gabriel and he says, oh, you have your spying
beret on, right? I have? Yes, I thought the same thing.
And that's to what you were saying before, like they

(42:45):
know each other that well that he knows that when
she has that on there like something's going on, like
what's going down? Who are you spying? Because she has
this beret on, which also, by the way, she rocks
it so well, it looks so good. Her so little
outfit was just so rad. I'm like, you go, Blair
a lot of good hair on this episode two, and
I remember that the hair was always fantastic, but like

(43:07):
even Serena's like ponytail, there was like a real cool
detail about it. Yeah, saw it was great messy and
nobody does a messy pony as well as Serena not
definitely speaking of hair, um, I know that Poppy had
a hair transformation, Yeah she did, and then here she
was in this episode and it was so interesting to

(43:29):
me because I forgot what was going to happen. Basically,
it was like, so Chuck and Blair orchestrate Meat, they
kind of bring Poppy in the room, and you have
Gabriel and Poppy and Serena and Blair and Chuck and
the idea being too expose that Gabriel has been with
Poppy this whole time and that Poppy doesn't know about Serena,
and it was like this crazy um everybody's kind of

(43:49):
piling on Poppy in this way that I felt really
badly for her. So she came in the room and
all of a sudden discovers that, you know, her boyfriend
is with someone else. And then he, you know, he
puts his foot down and says, you know, I'm in
love a Surrey and I don't care about your contacts.
Get out of here. And I was kind of heartbroken
for her. And then the reveal to me the bitch
that Poppy and Gabriel were really together and that they
were speaking. I was mind blood because he even in

(44:13):
that moment says something like, oh, you steal my boyfriend,
and Gabriel says, she didn't steal me, she swept me away.
I'm like, that's such a line for something to say
about Serena right at all. And she was so happy
about it too. They cut to Serena and her little
face lit up. Yeah, she was like sweet, yeah, amazing. Yeah.

(44:33):
So then the reveal, Wow, I agree with you. I'm
like I was shocked. She's like well done. I'm like
what Yeah. When he came in the room and I
was like, they've been play acting this whole time. And
then she has to hide the closet when Rufus comes over,
it gives him all all his money. Wait, yeah, you
have Rufus who's gonna lose everything the check and then

(44:54):
he leaves, oh my god. Yeah. And then at the end,
we have that lovely scene where U, Jenny and Dan
basically by the engagement ring for Rufus and they kind
of give him their support and say go ahead and
propose to Lily. We're all for it, and don't worry
that we don't have any money, and you know, Dan's like,
who needs Yale anyway? And then Rufus is like, it's

(45:15):
all going to work out because I made this great investment,
so heartbreaking my go you know, and and he just
leaves like Gabriel was kind of like nothing with Poppy too,
like he was in it for himself. Whatever. Yeah, so
he basically when he left, he left Poppy high and dry.
Also right, yeah, Sarina, right took Rufus's money. What an asshole, man?

(45:36):
What an asshole? O my god? Yeah? And where does
he go? Does he like go to an island and
he's with like Carter Basin or something like, yes, exactly,
you must be because it's a Christian camp with the
Georgia Artina speaking of. Then we go to them. She's
at this Christian camp like rediscovering herself, and like you
said before, just the way she plays this completely other

(45:59):
person was it was amazing. But like the fact that
she's like walking out with Chuck and then he mentions
Blair's name and like wheels start spinning and Georgina's like
head like wait, Blair, she just wants I know. And
then the song it was by the Kills You Are
a Fever by the Kills and it's so sick. I

(46:20):
actually like hadn't heard that song in forever, but just
the like screech in the beginning of the song of
like watching Georgina line turns yes it was not it
was tremendous underscoring. Yeah, and it's and then you see
the car going off into the distance, and then you
just want to know. You just have to watch the
next episode, and it's like, how did we watch How
did people watch this show back in the day when

(46:40):
they had to wait a whole week? You know, That's
that's really always a mystery to me, absolutely, because now
it's like Rufus goes there being this wonderful sweet man
that he is, gives the check to Gabriel, Gabriel leaves
Poppy hanging, Serena hanging. Blair's torn with Chuck and Nate.
I mean, yeah, there's there's many many things that they

(47:02):
left us with at the end here right, many threats. Yeah,
where are we uh with Vanessa at the end of
this episode, she's she still has the gallery to work in,
and yeah, she's been a good friend to Dan and
she's she's been a great fan. She's about Chuck. Um.

(47:24):
I feel like there's got to be something coming up
with her. I know she just her Nate kind of
just ended. But I do feel like there's got to
be some sort of love boyfriend situation coming up for her. Right,
just because yeah, I do. There's a lot that goes
on with all because obviously we're all going to our
next chapter in life, like all of our college moments. Um,

(47:48):
that's huge. You know. I always thought that if I
were to, you know what, other part and the show
is so attractive to me, you know, as an actor,
And I always think of Georgina because of the extremes.
You know, it's like somebody so sort of nasty and
bad and then you know who can just turn on
a dime and have then like wholesome and sweet and
like carrying, caring. What about you azer character that you

(48:13):
think like it's like an opposite of Vanessa and it
would just fun to plu I feel like. And I
just feel like even in South Carolina when when Jason
Ed did their panel, I think they got asked that
question and I think they're both of their answers was
de rode up. Yeah, it was just like, I mean,
it's a fun one because the most comfortable outfit. Yeah,
not a lot of wardrobe changes. I don't know. I

(48:35):
I just also really always loved what Jenny's got going
on because I think she has a big heart means well, Um,
she's always got a lot going on. When you really
see Jenny grow a lot throughout the series. I think
there's like so many things about everyone that I like
and that also kind of get to me at times. Two.
I don't know, because I also really do De Rode
up would be really fun to play too, because I

(48:56):
just think, you you, how many secrets do you think
De Roda is her overheard with with Blair oh Man,
I mean, you know everything about everyone? Yeah, I feel
like Grota, although Groda it was not Gospel in the end.
I was just gonna say, but I do think that
Doroda would have kept some kind of like fantastic, like
fabulous secret journal of her own with the intentions of

(49:20):
maybe someday writing a memoir and all the secrets and
all the schemes and all the dark side of the
Waldorf household. I think maybe she noted all of that
for herself for like her big great American novel that
she was writing her memoir. I mean, De Roda, it
might be gossip. I'm just saying, well, I should definitely

(49:42):
have the access to the secrets at least and the
Waldor household. But you know, I think everybody's in each
other's business so much that I think Roda had a
good ear and like really knew it was up. Oh
my god, I love it. Speaking of the gossip girl
of Gossip Girl, do you want to do the gossip
Girl closing quote for this episode? Yes, I would love to.

(50:03):
I don't know if I will do it justice, but
here it goes, Oh, dear queen, heeds the words of
a king, looks like an angel, talks like an angel,
the devil in disguise, excell xcel gossip Girl. Who I
love it crazy because I also it's kind of like powerful. Hey,

(50:24):
oh yeah, I love it. Yeah, And I always can't
wait now when I'm watching to hear hear them because
they're always like witty and wise and funny and clever
and they should you pull them up. That and those
titles of the episodes like such smart writing, and you know,
so many they had to come up with, and I
always marvel. But yeah, it's great, and it like leaves
it um just the sound of Christen Bell's voice and

(50:44):
the and the little music. You know, I watched the
show in so long it brought me back and it
was such a comforting feeling of you know, uh, just
at a time of my life that was really fun
and a show that I really always liked, and I'm
so glad to be back in its midst, you know.
I know, I'm loving having you here. It's really exciting
for me, and I can't wait to see, like what

(51:05):
happens in the next what's going to happen because it's
also coming to this the season finale. There's only episodes
or six. Yeah, when you when you're coming to the
season finale, I feel like writers and networks and everyone,
you know, they want to make this big moment. But
I feel like almost every episode I've been watching it

(51:25):
could be a series or not a serious of season
finale right now, just because there's so many cliffhangers and
so many things going on. So I think they did
a great job. And that's what I'm saying. I don't
I can't even imagine what's going to happen at the
end of season two, what will happen. It's nice. It's
nice to have all that sort of time went by
and the kind of shady memories to live it all
over again. I know, I'm glad. I'm getting old and

(51:49):
I forgot everything, so I know it's been so fun
and and to like the playlists and like I haven't
heard that kill song and forever and it was so good,
perfect choice, and it's just like I'll go jam out
to that right now. Thank you so much for coming
out and doing this. This is so fun. Yes, and

(52:09):
I will. I'll go out into the streets of New
York now and give it a big hug for me
and have my gossip girl heart on folks play out there.
And I'm in Brooklyn, so I'm like the I'm the
damn home free yeah, the Vanessa right so representing for Brooklyn.
Thank you for having me. I really had a great

(52:31):
time chatting. I know you're the best, and you're just
like I like your thoughts on it and and um
just your opinion and you're You're just so fun and
funny and this has just been so great. I'm like
so happy right now. Thank you me too, Susanna. Okay, girl,
I'm so happy you could join me today for another episode.

(52:54):
You're just the sweetest and it is so fun to
just chat and reminisce and take a walk down memory
lane with you. I'll see all the listeners next week
for our rewatch of season two, Episode three. I keep
saying it, but I cannot believe how close we are
to finishing season two. You know what they say, time flies.

(53:15):
If you're having fun, I'll see you next week. XL
x O x O x O is produced by Propagate
Content and Meet Jessica's Or. Our show is executive produced
by Langley. Our producers are Diego Tapia, Christin Vermilia, Emily Carr,
and Hannah Harris. Original music by Moxie and Lune, and

(53:36):
the episode was mixed by Sethi Landscape