S2E23 The Wrath of Con with Zuzanna Szadkowski

For today’s rewatch of S2E23, Zuzanna Szadkowski joins Jessica once again to share all the behind-the-scenes deets you ever wanted to know – the Russian Tea Room, tourists on set, and one of the most iconic Gossip Girl lines: "you can tell Jesus that the bitch is back."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
I'm Zuzana Shakovsky and I played Dorota on Gosiper. Welcome back,
listeners to your one and only source into all things
gossip Crol. You know you'll love it. XO x O.

(00:27):
Hello everybody, and welcome back to XO XO. I'm your
host Jessica's or So. For today, we're going to dive
into season two, episode three, The Wrath of Con. This
one is amazing, you guys and wild I mean Serena
plots revenge on Gabriel and Poppy the Lily and rufus
will they won't say? Saga continues and Georgina, who of

(00:49):
this girl, proves whether she's actually a changed woman or
if she's still her same old self. Joining me again
is the lovely Susanna Shatkovsky. I'm having so much fun
doing these last few episodes with her, and I know
all of you are enjoying them as well, So let's
just let's just get right into it. The Wrath of
Con was Susanna, Hello, Hello, Hi, good the numbers again,

(01:28):
And I'm also like, I don't know if it's being
in the desert or what, but all of a sudden,
at thirty six years old, thirty seven years old, I
have allergies. Like, I'm like, wow, is that is that
like a normal thing? I think. I think it's like
weird stuff just every seven years, you know, I have, uh,

(01:49):
since we last spoke, I went through about of COVID,
so I myself was challenging at COVID nasal passages. Yes,
oh yes, are you feeling better? Yeah I had. I
didn't have, you know, a bad, bad way with it,
but it was definitely was sick. And it was like
the last time we spoke. I started feeling a little,
you know, kind of weird and fevery like the next

(02:12):
day and then I got took a test and so
I was out, you know, out of service full ten days. Yeah,
it hasn't been quite ten days yet, but it's I've
been symptom free for many days and testing negative. So
I'm you know, still you sound perfect. Yeah, I sound

(02:35):
super sick and I don't feel sick whatsoever. But I
don't you think I like I should be the one
like I've been sick for the last ten days. You
sound like clear and fresh, like well rested. Well, it's
weird because the desert, I guess there are different different
you know, spores in the air or different different foliage.
How about how about these like wild pigs they have

(02:57):
here and Arizona they have one, Like it's like just roaming, free, roaming.
I guess I've seen a few a couple of times,
and apparently they're not like very nice. I mean, I
don't think they're gonna like run up to me, but
they're very weird looking. I'm gonna send you a photo.
It's there. It's I don't know. I'm like, what I
thought there was like weird things in Wisconsin in the

(03:18):
forest and stuff, and now I'm like, there's just wild
pigs in the desert in Arizona. It's so odd to me.
Speaking of pigs, do you remember when there was a
little pot Bollio pig and the Gossip Girl makeup trailer. Okay,
but whose was that? I didn't remember until you just
said that, and then I just had an a vision
of it like running around like a little It was
a guest There was somebody who was a long term,

(03:39):
you know, recurring guest star. And I can't remember who
it was when might come back to me, but it
was someone someone was a little the mom to a
little pot BOLLI pig came around, which was so cute
and I'm so because there were so many dogs there
and so like this pig just said to like feel
of the dogs. That's like the movie bab right, Yeah,

(04:00):
it'll come back to me. Oh my god, I do
remember this pig running around now though. That was so
funny and weird. That's so weird, and I remember being like,
what so many questions you know about how it Yeah,
you know, whether it knew its name because it was
pretty well behaved or I do recall, but it was

(04:21):
I mean, there was definitely a pig on that set.
That is so funny. No shortage of fun adventures there.
Do you know What I was thinking about too? What's
like so cool that we're doing this is like, is
there a world of which you think Vanessa and to
wrote up it would even be? I mean, I don't
think they're like past really cross, you know what I'm saying.

(04:42):
So I think it's like, I know, it's we're not
them in real life and we get along and enjoy
each other's company. But I just really think in the
world of like gossip ol, I think it's like a
funny pair, like you know, I think so too, And
it's it's like they would never cross they you know,
kind of obviously been very different worlds, but in a
way the kind of function in a in a slightly
similar way in terms of the structure of the show,

(05:04):
and that they have kind of like a moral center
quality where it's like, you know, especially in those recent episodes,
it's like Vanessa is sort of mirroring back to these
characters like kind of what you know, what the what
a sort of right and what how they can remote
it to love each other and take care of each
other and stuff. So in a way, she ends up
kind of towing that line the way to Rota sometimes does,

(05:26):
so it's interesting to me. Yeah, And I also feel
like de Rota has to be like, like, I'm watching
this episode, so we're doing season two, episode twenty three,
The Wrath of Cones, which is based on the movie
Star Trek The Wrath of con But watching this one, Susana,
I'm like, with what Blairs all got going on, I'm
thinking you, de Rota has to be like this bitch.

(05:49):
It's crazy, but also like loving in a sense, like
she's like going she She's going to do anything for
Serena again at this point, I know we keep revisiting
that so star sorry everybody, Like, but there is this
this thing with them that pops up all the time
where where they always have each other's But like Blair
is doing anything she can to like get to the

(06:09):
bottom of this for Serena and for Lily, which I
think is so cool and funny and like not funny
but odd in a way because she's also kind of
indirectly doing it to help rufus Blair, which would never
be something on paper for Blair that she'd want to do.
I think, you know what I mean. I just feel
like Dorota just has to be like, oh my god,
she's the Georgina's back. Blair's got like this love triangle,

(06:33):
like what is what do you think Deronda's think? Actually
feel like it makes sense that Deronda has been missing
in these last couple episodes because I feel like she's
very busy like behind those scenes. Because it's like I think,
when when Blair is on these like running different directions
and like getting into all this different mess with everyone,
I feel like that's when Dorota has to like really

(06:53):
uh like I think she's referenced in this episode as
Georgina makes a mess and Blair's closet and she's like,
this is gonna Gronda weeks to clean this up, and
it's like, I feel like, so Dorona is just like
scurrying in her tracks, you know, sort of cleaning things
up because I feel like Blair's rushing around and you know,
there's like headbands all over the place. Oh my god.

(07:15):
But I do think that the the Nate and Chuck triangle,
I can't remember, you know, kind of what I felt
playing Deronda at the time, like where Dorota landed on that.
I do think in the end, Dorota has kind of
maybe even a more of a psychic foresight than Blair
does in the moment, So I think she she might

(07:37):
have known that, like Chuck was the true soul match
even way back when. But I think she would go
on the rioting for the you know Mr Nate stuff
and Mr Chuck stuff. I mean, maybe Doroda would want
Mr Nate because Mr Nate is um potentially you know,
kind of a easier, sweeter partner. But I think I
think Groda is a like a lover of passion at heart,

(07:59):
So I don't think she would want Blair to miss
out on her like soul mate, you know, right, And
it's like so interesting too, Like here's two guys that
are in love with Blair and they're best friends, and
it's just kind of like, well, it's not just hanging there.
There's obviously like Nate does you know, talk to Chuck
about it here kind of you know, gets rules um

(08:22):
about it. But it's definitely like I just was thinking,
like in high school, when this stuff kind of goes
on like that, that's it's like very dramatic, do you
know what I mean? Like that situation in high school
best friends in love with the same girl is like
the fact that they haven't gotten in a fist fight.
Oh I know. Yeah, it's like not quite fist fight

(08:43):
land with them, but they do have that face off
in this episode, and it's like I noticed that they're
standing to each other like their faces are like they
were they were roommates. This season could have been Yeah,
it was great. Yeah it's so funny, But do get
the sense, I mean, maybe it's like a guy girl thing,
but it's like you get the sense that their friendship

(09:05):
will withstand kind of whenever damage gets done. In these
you do feel for sure I feel that, yeah, and
so whereas with Serena and Blair, sometimes you worry, but
then then you know, you know, there's that real underpinning
that nothing can really break them up, you know. But
there are times where I'm like, oh, what's gonna how
is this gonna go down? Because there's yeah, right, oh man,

(09:27):
because we like anxiety. Sometimes I'm like, Okay, it's just
a show test. We're gonna be fine. I know. By
the way, there's been so many people like writing in,
like so excited to hear your episodes. It was so glad.
It's Karen withalk. She was like, I'm so excited when
I saw Susana his name. I love de Rhota. She
was the best um Sash Levine. Wait, De Rhoda's accent

(09:51):
was fake. I love that. Well. It's fun because it's like,
you know, you get to u. I feel like when
people get to know you a little bit, it's both
fun and scary because you don't want to break their
de Roda illusion, but I do. That is my favorite
part of the people get freaked out about my non accent. Yeah,
it's We've talked about this too before. But the accent

(10:12):
is so funny. Because it's so a part of the whole,
not just the character, the being, the vibe, the you
know what I mean. Like when someone's telling their kids
about their favorite show, gossip Girl, they explained to rote,
you know what I mean, it's so funny that that's
just it doesn't exist in your world, do you know, right? Yeah,
And it's just like, yeah, another aspect sort of put
on for the character. But although it is, like you know,

(10:36):
I feel like with when you're playing a character, especially
when it's like different from yourself, it's nice to have
like a way in. And I think because de Roda,
you know, spoke differently from the way that I speak,
it's like I was able even if I were to
put the accent on for a moment. It's like I
could kind of step into the role in a way.
So I feel like sometimes having a big shift almost
makes it easier as an actor, you know, jumping in.

(10:58):
I mean that's just because you're brilliant. I like, accents
are super hard, but like a lot of them are
very hard. Have you worked a lot with accents? Not
not necessarily. I have a few times, and I do
work with a dialect coach, and I do enjoy it
because it is kind of to what you're saying. It
really shifts the whole thing from jump before you even

(11:19):
start walking or really like feeling, you know what i mean,
even getting dressed. It's like an accent really yeah, gets
you on a whole different page. I feel like I
also always have to when I'm on set, always have
to make sure I don't call my mom or my
family because my Wisconsin aca comes out and then I like,
don't like that in scenes obviously, So sometimes my mom

(11:40):
was like, why aren't you calling me back? I'm because
I'm in my trailer and I can't sound like I'm
I have to make my Wisconsin yeah. I mean, I
grew up in Indiana, so we have our own kind
of Indiana sound too. So it's like I've always rattled that,
you know, I can hear it when I watched certain
roles and I'm like, oh yeah, so certain certain Midwestern
sounds will get you know, oh my god. Um well

(12:03):
that just makes me very excited that everyone's super pumped
to have you on and um and I just still
love like reading all the comments where they're like, wait,
the accent. I'm like, I just had to bring that
up because it's it is wild and funny, and I
love that, like just what you did with all of it,
because you really brought a whole another like light to
Derota that that I don't even think the writers knew

(12:25):
on the page was gonna happen. Well, thank you. It's
you know, it's so fun with um, with doing talking
to you on the podcast and knowing that for so
many people they're like either we're visiting the show and
it's nostalgia for them, or they're watching for the first
time and they're into it, and so being able to
sort of step back in that to that world with you,
it's like very rejuvenating for my spirit. I know, last

(12:47):
time I saw you, you know, it's like I've even
fallen back in love with New York City. And now
it's like I'm kind of remembering the fun of creating
that character and the sort of the pleasure of seeing
her through over time. I haven't had such a long
term a gig since since then, and it's like nice
to remember that we were able to develop something not
just relationships on set, you know, in friendships, but in

(13:09):
the inside of the actual acting, to develop the character
over time and it's nice to revisit those feelings and
it's like all coming back to me like now that
we're talking about it, and so yeah, it's exciting, and
I feel like, having listened to you on the podcast,
I know that like for you, it's like reimmersing yourself
in that world they think probably feels similar, right totally,
and and you know, to be honest with you, I'm

(13:30):
like watching some of these and I'm like, I can't
believe all this stuff was going on, and like, you know,
a few of us were dating in real life and
there was like certain scenes whe I'm like, I don't
even remember, Like people on the street would be like,
how do you feel when Ed has scenes with Layton
and how do you feel when he's like making out
with all these girls? And I'm like, that's just that's
a part of our job. That's a part of the

(13:51):
role in the character. I never like thought about it,
and I was never we didn't really have the scene.
So now I'm watching it, I'm like, I can understand
why people would come up on the streets like he's
fighting girls ears and like making out with all these
hot models all the time. But I never never was like, well,
you know, because that's just a part of our thing.
But I used to think when people come up, I'm like,

(14:12):
why why are people tripping on this? And now I'm
watching he literally makes out with someone every other Yeah,
and he is that smoldering quality, which is like, that's
what I noticed in this episode two is like even
when he's having an emotional moment or like, you know,
a hard decision like he has with Blair and this,
it's like he's just as an actor, he just like
a zood so much like chemical heat. He really does.

(14:33):
And he's just such a very He's got such a
cool look, like such a different, unique look. Yeah, And
I don't there must have been maybe his hair was
different in this because it really stood out to me
in this. I don't know, maybe it was the suit
or his hair long. But regardless, I like now watching it,
I'm like, now I understand why people would constantly come

(14:54):
out there like how do you deal? I'm like, what
do you mean? Like, yeah, maybe it's a good thing
you didn't watch the show back in the like in
the moment at the time, rights so funny you find

(15:16):
like I found this episode kind of frustrating. This episode, Yeah,
let's it was like, let's get into it, okay, because yeah,
it was freaking me out a little bit, me too,
and like Georgina like okay. So here's where we left off.
Jenny and Dan showed their approval of Lily by buying
Rufus an engagement ring. Chuck and Blair showed Serena that
the new boyfriend, Gabriel was a liar, and Chuck brought

(15:36):
Georgina sparks back to the Upper east Side just in
time for Gabriel to disappear. That's right there, you drove
off into the sunset the last episode on their way
in that yellow pap back to New York City of Yeah,
and then this episode we're looking at um, so Blair
pressures Georgina into making amends for her past behavior by
helping in a scheme. Of course, um, the rivalry between

(15:59):
Nate and Chuck player comes to a head, and meanwhile,
Lily is hatching a secret plan to help Rufus with
Dan's college tuition. So it's like everywhere you look there's
some scheming and some secret everywhere you look, there's something
going on. And how about like that opening scene, so
Chuck is on the bridge coming over, which, by the way,
was such a cool shot. I also found in this episode,

(16:22):
I don't really feel like anyone was home. I feel
like there was a lot of movement on the streets
in the cars. Yes, you're right, there was a lot
of location shooting. Yes, yeah, maybe that is why. Yeah,
well we're in Ler's bedroom and closet. For a moment,
I was like, Drota was somewhere enough in the laundry room. U. No,
But but they did. They came over in that yellow cab,

(16:42):
and I love the chuck Bass asks the yellow cab
driver if there's a crystal glog glass for his whiskey.
I mean, that's what's so also funny too, there's like
very specific things like that are like when he got
a doctor's excuse to not be in the school play,

(17:03):
right what Like it's just those those little things are
so funny because in the in just watching the episode,
you don't like specifically think, oh, it just kind of
adds on to the whole thing, do you know what
I mean? Which makes that's why it's so funny and interesting.
I'm like, all those details, Yeah, it really flashes it out,

(17:24):
and there were so many funny lines. Again in this
episode that I was taking note of as I was watching,
I was like, oh my god, when Dan says something
to Rufus zippity duda on on the act, like you know,
I was like, Okay, well, just even the first scene
that we see with Rufus in the family, and Rufus
is so happy that he's like saying hello to random

(17:45):
people on the street and he it's like the cutest,
funniest and he's like, have a great day to some
poor lady. It was you don't truly, I feel like
that's how he is. Like I always remember him like singing,
and I loved working with him. He was a good vibe,
but like he kind of had that like always in
a really good mood to the point where you'd be like,

(18:07):
are you really this happy all the time? Not, and
like it's a great thing, but you he was kind
of like when he was like singing down the street,
that's kind of how he would be playing guitar in
between scenes, which I like, musical end upbeat. Yeah. And
also I feel like you can tell even if you
don't know anything about the show and or the actors,
you can tell by watching the Humphrey family scenes that

(18:29):
they had fun, you know, like like just him and
um Ruvers and Jenny when they're together, it just looks
like they managed to make a very believable family that
it's like in love, you know, had love for each other.
It was just has like a nice light energy and
you can see it in that scene to Jenny is
so sweet with him there, so sweet, and then it's

(18:50):
so sad that he's so excited because all of this
happiness stems from the fact that he thinks he's invested
properly and now he can just send Dan off to
Gale and like we know that really he's been robbed.
It's like to tragedy. Okay. Also, how about the fact
that the last episode, I didn't even realize that at
the end, Remember you had to tell me that. Now
I'm watching this episode, I'm like, was I gonna miss
the whole thing out? I was like, wait, that was it? Hello, Jessica, Like,

(19:16):
I don't know if it's mom brain or what, but like,
this is insane. What's happening. By the way, that scam,
I mean the scam, the Gabriel Poppy scam is complicated
and I had to like kind of step it back
through again in my head as I was watching this,
So it's like, basically, the two of them are, but
I mean they are not because right, So it's like

(19:39):
at the beginning of the episode, we think that they are,
and we think that they've kind of somehow written off
into the sunset together with the money, except for that
Poppy came in and at the end of the last
episode and Serena was in his hotel and they were like,
oh no, he escaped with all the money. And then
you think, oh, well, he managed to pull one over
on Poppy too. That's how we start this episode, right,
and then we find out it's kind of the opposite,

(20:02):
and during the course of this episode that in fact,
he's the one that got played by Poppy and the
Poppy took off or she didn't really take off. She's
hiding in plain sight. But it's really complicated because even
then I wasn't sure whether I should believe that, because
I was like, well, there'll be another turn later when
we find out that in fact it's the other way around.

(20:22):
So I don't know. I think that, um, we're probably
done with him here after this you know, particular story.
But I mean, like I have a feeling he might
have passed the torch on to someone else because this
whole Georgina thing when she comes back, and by the way,
she literally plays two different characters, like she's literally playing
different and like just how she's doing it first of all,

(20:46):
cracks me up, because Michelle is super funny, Like this
girl in between scenes is like cracking jokes, Like you
would feel like she's not taking anything seriously, even though
she's super professional and dialed in and all of things,
But in between scenes, you'd be like, is she like
for real and in the best funniest way. But I
would like that because an all of a sudden, they

(21:06):
would yell action and this girl would be like, I
feel like, wow, that was crazy what you just did?
Oh yeah. She always had so many like she had
a lot of like complicated long pieces of text, you know,
and a lot of like plants schemes to lay out.
She always she was one of those actors that always
knew everything that she was saying and doing, and so
she was super pro. But you're right, such a just
like in between very google yeah, goofy And also just

(21:30):
like unlike anyone I've ever met, and it's like she
almost had I mean not at all evil, but she
had like a Georgina vibe and that she was so
unusual and like, you know, almost like she came from
a different planet sometimes, and it was so so fun
to be around her. I would be like, yeah, where
is Rochelle because I need her to make me laugh
right now, and she would just be just even her

(21:51):
walking up, I'd be like, what girl, and she's like,
it's She's just hilarious. Yeah. She just had such a
great sense of humor and she always had like funny
stories and things that would happen. She was a real treat.
When she was in an episode and she was around,
it was always way better. Like just I mean, we're
exciting to know that she was going to be there. Okay,
so she's back, and I'm really buying this like Christian

(22:12):
thing in the sense of like, well, here's the thing.
She couldn't have made that up. She didn't know they
were going to come there. Yeah, she's living there for
some reason, so why maybe it's authentic. Yeah, I think
it must be, because it's like it's, yeah, she doesn't
know that he's going to come and get her, so
it's like unless she's playing some other weird long game. Okay,
so she's there, she's coming back, and what about Serena's plan,

(22:34):
Like when she's like, we need to figure this out,
and she calls and she says she thinks she's pregnant, which,
by the way, that's that's that's an attention get her, right,
that's a major attention get her And I feel like
it happens more than once in this series. Yeah, So
it's like basically they all they all end up in
her bedroom, which I think is kind of fun. Um.
So you have Blair running over there to help. She

(22:56):
says something funny about man. Then Nate follows her, which
is kind of great. Yeah, and it's arenas like you
brought him and he's like awkwardly standing there, and then
you have you know, everybody's all of a sudden in
her bedroom and she's like making this plan to get
h Gabriel's So she's like making that plan about Gabriel
and they're all sitting in the in the bedroom as
he comes up with that pregnancy ploy, which is quite

(23:16):
genious and it has and there's that that sad turn
where she says to everyone, I hope you know you
guys don't believe that he actually has feelings for me,
but he's gonna show, you know, and it's like she
he does in the end, So maybe she's right. Maybe
there is a little bit of an authentic relationship there.
I mean, she got him there for sure. And and
here's the other thing too, And this that's the scene

(23:37):
I was talking about it in her room where I
felt like, I just all, he just seemed more mature
in that. And I don't mean I just meant like physically.
I don't know if it was the suit or what.
But I also realized in that scene too, like Chuck
is basically like a private investigator, right, He's got this walk,
he knows where everything is, he knows how to like.

(23:58):
It's it's not recent. I don't know if I always
just from reading the scripts back in the day. Really
I knew that was part of it. But even watching
him and how he his looks and his beats and
all the things that he does and brought to Chuck
really make it where I'm like, yo, this kid is
in high school and seems like he has like traveled

(24:20):
the whole world. Is literally like a prince. Like he's
just got like yeah, and also that that mature vibe
that you're talking about. I feel like it's a little
bit like he's he's kind of a caretaker in this
whole plotline. Any and do you have that feeling that
like Chuck, Chuck's here, is gonna be okay, Like Chuck's
gonna take care of it and you know, which is
a nice way to see him. Um, He's going to

(24:43):
bring all those resources to bear on helping his friend.
And so it is it's kind of yeah, when he
comes to kind of feel like everything's gonna be okay,
which is great, and he really usually does get to
the bottom of it, like whatever it is. He you know,
he'll leave town overnight with Blaired, get Georgina, he'll get
you know, handle the guys and the cops for for Gabriel,

(25:06):
which okay, this whole thing, so she's confronting Gabriel, now
is he did he have a self tanner thing going on?
I think trying to be rude. I'm not trying to
be rude. I just it's also funny because they dressed
him in in the color of his eye of also,
so he has a lot of like it's a very
very preppy look. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, but I go like

(25:28):
on a vacation. Yeah, maybe he vacationed in between, right,
similar to what what you were talking about with the
actress place Poppy about her hair. Yeah, I went out
of town and cut her hair and they came back,
you know, And so it's like that might have happened
with the Tan with him. You know. Once I went
on the vacation during the show and I came back
with a really horrible sunburn. Um, and they had to

(25:50):
put so much makeup on me to get back to
my model to wrote a look. Yeah, and I was
so scared I was gonna get like a fire. It
was like really freaky. And I was like because I
accidentally got sunburned because I was in in the sun,
but it was like Chilian overcast and it was when
people do because you don't feel you don't feel the sun. Yeah. Um,

(26:12):
that would also been a good little twist in the story,
like Deronda went on vacation yeah, Serena yeah, and Poppy
out of private plane real quick. Yeah, so funny. Um.
I was gonna say there was one little moment that I,
um that reminded me of some onset life. It was
that scene when they were in Serena's bedroom because I

(26:33):
didn't often play scenes obviously in Serena's bedroom, but Serena's
bedroom in Blair's bedroom on the set basically shared a wall,
which I always thought was so funny. Oh my god,
don't seem like they would be in totally different places.
But it's funny because that those sets I know the most,
you know, those are my memories. And I would always
sit on Serena's bed in between scenes scenes, yeah, because

(26:56):
it was on the other side of Blair's bad right.
So it's funny because I feel like people don't think
of it that way, that all of that stuff is
jammed into one big sound stage. And yeah, or like
or like in the vander Woodson staircase, when you go
out past that like rainbow kind of photo on the stairs,
once you turn around the stairs, it's literally there. If
you fall, you'd break your leg because there's no up

(27:18):
at the top of the stairs, which is so funny
because your imagination makes you feel like, oh, and then
you cut to like someone turning from the stairs and
they're like a week later, different you know, different sound stage. Right.
The amount of times I went up the fake stairwell
in the Waldorfhouse. Like it was like if you started
a scene where you had to come down those steps,

(27:39):
you had to start on that little landing and keep
walking up there into nowhere. That's so funny. It's fun
to see those things. I have such a visceral memory
of the set. Like when I see those, you know, images,
I'm like, I can't remember what it feels like. It
smells like you know, do you have that feeling you watch? Yeah,
and like you I remember at the top of the
Blares stairs or in the Waldorf like, uh, I guess

(28:00):
Player's place. Um, you you'd have to like kind of
lean so the camera wouldn't catch you. If it was
a wide shot, you'd have to like lean. But then
and then the scene starts and it makes it seem
like you were just coming from from Blair's room when yeah,
really you were just jammed in a corner trying not
to be seen. Yeah, it's so wild. And then they

(28:21):
went out of Yeah, they went to real places in
this episode, like the scene that you're talking about with
Gabriel and when he actually meets Serena for the Yeah,
where was that. It's funny because they exterior was They
were saying it was at the Palace, but I believe
I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I'm pretty sure
that was the Plaza Hotel, like the restaurant in the

(28:42):
Plaza Hotel. Yeah, okay, because it okay, I think I
think you are. Yeah, because I've been there, you know,
several times, isn't as a New Yorker, And I was like,
I think that's it. So they had a little mash
up there of iconic spots. Yeah, yeah, but that was
to be the Palace and they had that crazy sort

(29:02):
of face off there, And I actually I believed him,
that kind of believes him about the fact that he
had feelings like that. He seemed like a little bit
more of a sympathetic character to me in that moment,
like that he was troubled and he went down a
bad road, but that you know, somewhere under their his
heart was in the right place. Maybe I don't know
what did you? Did you buy it at all? No?

(29:24):
I kind of I agree with you because I'm also
thinking there's a lot of ship going on, So why
is he showing up if that isn't the case? Do
you know what I mean? Like between taking the money
if it is poppy, you know what I mean. So otherwise,
if you are this bad dude that did all this stuff,
like why are you showing up? I mean, I guess
I guess you have to push stuff. She's pregnant, yeah,

(29:45):
but yeah, yeah, he could just totally ghost turn. Yeah.
So it felt to me like the fact that he
got himself into the ski also the way he was
describing it that he was like made some bad investments
and they owed some people. It's like, you know, I
guess people get themselves into a uh, you know, in
a into a corner sometimes when they're trying to gamble
with too much, too much money and power. So maybe,

(30:06):
you know, I started to feel a little bit for him.
But you know, then again he did steal poor Rufuss money.
So yeah, and then how about when Lily is like
trying to pay everyone back, Like, how did you feel
about that whole situation? Because when Rufus kind of was like, well,
that's embarrassing. I understand where he's coming from. But also

(30:27):
I'm like, that's really really nice of her to be
doing that because everyone's adults had made their own decisions
to do that, so for her to like try to cover.
But then I guess maybe she feels the responsibility because
Serena kind of was the one that to make the
introductions and you know, it's vouch. Yeah. Yeah, I don't know.
I feel like it's a weird thing with that Lily

(30:48):
plotline because she I guess the reason that it kind
of turned rufus off in the end to the degree
what she didn't propose is that she was kind of
putting appearances before integrity or something that she didn't want.
She wanted to like hush hush the whole Poppy situation
because she didn't want Serena to be embarrassed or to
kind of uh accountable. Yeah, So I think that fundamentally,

(31:14):
even though it seemed like both kind of kind that
she would like want to take care of the issue,
It's like she was sweeping in under the rug, which
maybe was like an Upper East society kind of like,
you know, appearances first kind of thing to do. Because
I didn't I couldn't quite understand what her point was
At first, I was like, why do you want to
let Poppy get away with it? But I think it

(31:35):
was a little like at the penthouse, I was like,
what is happening, right, Why was yeah? Why was like? Yeah,
that was a little wild. I feel like this episode
they had a lot of ground to cover in terms
of big financial issues and involving law enforcement that were
like a little pushed, But I feel like, because we're

(31:56):
so invested in the characters that were if you don't
think about it too hardly, Yeah, yeah, yeah, right right,
we're like literally taking a magnifying glass breaking it down.

(32:19):
How about like this new plan in Georgina's now Sherilyn Phillips, Yeah,
and I love it. I feel like that's the classic
Gossla girl to me, which is like Blair having to
like bite the bullet, come up with the name. Let's
come up and it's the fact that. Yeah, and the
ski that thing was so funny and the character was great.
The scene at the Russian tea room was I thought
fantastically played by a Michelle because it was a great

(32:42):
combo of like the new you know, pure and angelic Georgina,
but you can see all the underpinnings of the scheming
one that we know and love, So it was a
great combo. I thought. Yeah, And that going on at
the table I thought was really fantastic and then when
you had Chuck and Blair, oh man, and then there
she is vulnerable again and it was the scene yeah,

(33:05):
and they that too. I'm like, I don't even know
what I want right now, Like do I want you
to kiss her? Do I want you to tell her
I love her? Or do I want her to go
run to Nate? Like they had me all over the
place at that moment, because I'm like, oh my god,
but these two again, and when you see Blair and
the you know, then she's getting emotional and she's vulnerable.
Then oh yeah, yeah, me too, because I was like

(33:25):
when they because it was proceeded by the fact that
they all basically they go to Russian tea room to
enact the plan in which Georgina is gonna catch Poppy
and tape you know, extorting money or I guess doing
fraud quote unquote. As they're heading there, it's like we
have that moment with them, Nate and Chuck when they

(33:46):
once again have like everything kind of comes to a
head and they're like Nate's like, you know, dude, like
let her go over and let her go or just
or just be honest, and like that kind of when
he was presented and presenting it in that way I
was I really didn't know where I like where my
allegiances were. Like as a viewer, Um, yeah, it's very
complicated because I don't want Nate to get is heartbroken

(34:07):
and like there's nothing wrong with that relationship. And then
on the other hand, to see Chuck give it up
in that moment. Yeah, and then when he goes and
Serena asked him, why did you just do that, like
let her go to Chuck and he says, because I
love her. Isn't it something along those lines. Yeah, I
think it's because it was done. I'm like, damn it, Chuck.

(34:28):
You know, that was like the sweetest, nicest thing ever.
I think it's probably the first time anybody said anything
like that in the show. And you know, he the
scene between the two of them has played so beautiful
and I was really marveling. I was like, you know,
this is like I feel like we have all this
television that we watched now. You know, it's been so
many years since the show was originally on, where we

(34:48):
have you know, hour long episodes on and we just
make ten in a season, and it's the acting and
production values are so high and cinematic, like you know,
all these fantastic shows now and winning awards for all
these performances, and this show that was on the CW
that many years ago has these moments that are as
beautifully played, Like that scene between the two of them,

(35:09):
I thought was just an extraordinary um you know feet
and I feel like that's those are the moments where
you see the tremendous work that like Layton is doing
and Ed is doing. I mean it's like wow, the
vulnerability and the just sort of clarity of like how
much they really mean to each other and how right

(35:30):
that thing is and then they can't get there heartbreaking.
I know, my god, it really it really is. But
I'll tell you what. We're not even to season three yet,
so I can only I know I know what happens
with them. But um, okay, so at this Russian team room,
we got what's her name Sherilyn, and the cops come

(35:56):
and their whole plan is to have Poppy arrested. Yes,
so I guess they think once they got her own
tape did, the cops will take her away and they
have the problem. But here's I'm still kind of like
Lily having Serena arrested. That's a lot well, because it's
contradicting I feel like to what her whole thing was, right,

(36:20):
she doesn't want to cause a scandal, so she gets her,
you know, beautiful popular breast side daughter arrested. Like that's
not gonna get known, That's what I'm saying. I'm like,
what are you what? Yeah, she's teaching her a lesson.
But it's a little weird. Yeah. And the whole thing
with this like fraud going on with Gabriel and Poppy,
like that's really not Serena's fault. I mean, Serena didn't

(36:44):
know that they were doing all this, and they clearly
were very good at it. I mean they did he
walk away with half a million dollars. I mean that's
not that's very hard to like get that much money
from a bunch of people who are very smart and
well off and invest right. And Lily, like Lily says,
it's like an adult problem or something. She said something
to that effected Serena. Um, and it is. It's like

(37:04):
the federal crime right de frod people of their money
and in a Ponzi scheme. So yeah, this is interesting.
It's a little over their pay grade. In a way.
How about when she's getting arrested and Blair and is
it Blair Nate, Yeah, Blairs outside She's like no, but
you have the wrong girl. Like it was like I

(37:25):
have I like got like chills down my whole body
when she did that, I like really felt the whole
like that going down, Like I'm like, oh my god,
oh yeah, And she comes out and she's like, they're
all ready for Poppy to go and get arrested. And
then it's yeah, and it's actually such a extreme scene
and it's the Russian arena, Like when that happens, is
that I'm like, what is going on? Serena's getting on?

(37:46):
Because that was the last thing. If he would have
gave me ten choices to pick what's gonna happen in
five minutes, that would not have been one of them, right,
And then the fact that like that was like when uh,
when Lily finds out I guess Dan spills it to
her and Lily finds out that is at the Russian
tea room, that that's that's where she goes with it
immediately it's amazing called calling the police. And and also

(38:08):
the fact that it's like she stole the bracelet. Wow,
and then the way the policeman like takes the bracelet
off of her, puts it on then on below like Okay,
it was a beautiful, beautiful bracelet and all just going
down at the Russian tea room too, which is so funny.
And I was just there not too long ago. Um yeah,

(38:28):
it's like written by Carnegie Hall, and I went to
see a comedy show at Carnegie Hall and I went
there for dinner before, and it is it's like a
classic you know, New York spot, and I think, um, yeah,
I think that's that's where they were. They were really
on location there, and they were eating all the right
stuff too, because you always go there, you gotta get
the cab yard, you know. So it was a legit

(38:49):
Russian tea room experience. And in fact, I went there
when I was probably in middle school or something, one
of my first trips to New York ever. Weekly ate
there and it was so to me. It's always been
tied up with my you know, love of the city.
So it was fun to see that and to see
them go there, oh my god, so fun. It's a
trip to like when you live in a city and

(39:09):
you see especially New York because it's just in so
many films and television shows and stuff. It's like such
a trip to see it. Like, like I was telling you,
I think the last episode they filmed a lot like downtown,
so I've had a lot of like my sponsor places. Yeah,
and it just brings all these like nostalgic like feelings up,
you know. Oh, definitely, you know this one too, because

(39:31):
of all the location shooting. I always like to watch,
you know, the really detailed stuff in the on the street.
And this was a great example because because the Russian
tea room is in Midtown, so it's like they can't
shut down the whole street. Um, so if you notice
like it's you have to look pretty close. But in

(39:51):
those scenes when they're outside the actors, the background actors
who are nearby are of course extras who are doing
their job. But across the street you can see tourists
like staring. I saw that, and it's funny because of
course they can't get both sides of because that's like,
I mean, that's too much traffic. That was I don't

(40:12):
know how much money, so bring them up. There was
a moment where I'm like, are those people looking in
the camera or like, yeah, they're wearing like windbreakers and
they're like pointing yeah, And I was like, yeah, those
are just tourists who are like happening to be in
the gospel today. Oh my gosh, how wild. Hey there
was a c Do you watch Curb your Enthusiasm? Yes, Okay,

(40:34):
So don't quote me on this because I'm not sure
exactly how this went down, but I think some someone
was accused of something like going to jail, and they
went to court or trial something along those lines. I
shouldn't I shouldn't look it up so that I can
be a little bit more accurate. But he the guy
was saying he was innocent, and he's like, I'm telling you,

(40:54):
I was at the Dodger game. They were filming a show. Yeah,
so they went and looked at the show was Curby Enthusiasm,
And then he was in the scene. He happened to
be just at the Dodger game, and he got off
whatever he was being accused of, he got off, and
I thought that was like I remember that. Yeah, it
was like the TV defense. Yes, well, maybe maybe one
of those people outside of the Russian tea room is

(41:16):
accused of a crime and they're going to get off,
because they were definitely in the back of the scene.
I thought that was craz funny. And I don't know
what the crime was. I don't know who the guy was.
I don't know how old. I just remember this was
years because they had I remember what you're talking about,
because this scene was like there was like Larry David
was getting in a fight at the at the game
and yeah, so good, too good. You think Larry David

(41:40):
watched Gossip Girl? You know what. I auditioned for Curbe
Enthusiasm once um and I had to improvise with him
in the audition and he told me I went and
I was so nervous. I was freaking out, and I
was like, I'm nervous for you to even tell me
this story right now. I'm up. Well, I was like,
I'm such a fan of yours. And he goes, well,
you're you're really upp in my cool fact because my

(42:00):
daughters are so crazy about Gossip Girl. So and I
was like, oh, well, put me on the show. And
then of course I didn't get the harp, but at
least I had stuff going on right right right. Yeah,
this was you know a long time ago when we
were shooting. You know, it was closer to Gossip Girl days,

(42:21):
but so at least he knew. He might have not
seen it, but his daughters have his family. That's amazing. Yeah,
I love curb Um. Okay, anyways, now we're back to
the Russian tea room. Yes, and when he gets arrested,
everyone's freaking out on this because it's again no one
saw that happening. Um, how did you feel about the

(42:43):
about Rufus calling off the proposal? And like, do you
think it's because it's just kind of everything coming down
at once. It's the it's the money thing that she
was doing, even though she was really doing it to
help him, her putting her daughter in jail. Like was
he just like, Okay, this is just too much right now?
I think it was, like, yeah, I think it started
with the kind of feeling of, you know, losing his

(43:05):
power because realizing that she was helping him financially and
that he's not in a position to you know, financial
security that she is. And then I feel like that
was the first straw, and then it kept growing because
of her take on the Serena thing. I think it
was just too much for him. But then he got,
you know, he was like really visually, like visibly disturbed
by it to a degree that was concerning to me

(43:26):
because I was like, it's like I almost saw the
way he viewed Lily change like one eight in that
one moment, and I didn't like it. I was like, no, no, makeup,
make up the way he when it came home and
returned the ring and like stalked off. It's like all
that bright, um you know, happiness that he started the

(43:47):
episode with. It was just like shot that was it
really was. And it's also just like just that whole dynamic.
I'm just constantly like, oh, I know, I don't know.
I'm like every other episode, I'm like do it, don't
do it, get together, don't get together. And then when
I don't know where I really stand on that either, yeah,
I don't either. And and for some reason too, I

(44:09):
kind of really like Serena and Dan together. Yeah, I
like more and more. I can't. I couldn't stand her
with Gabriel the play, like the director of the play.
I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, right, I just
there's some sort of fit with her and Dan, which
is kind of funny because I also really like I
feel like Vanessa and Dan really are like good together,
but I have a good energy. Yeah, I feel like
i'd rather Yeah, I'd rather have kind of seren ry

(44:32):
Dan I guess than Lillian Rufus gonna be more invested
in that. But it's just I don't like to see
people disappointed, and so this also had a lot of
disappointment in it, and it's like heartbreaking to me. That's
the one thing that canst me. I'm always say, no,
you have the whole table set with the short ribs
and the scallops, the lilies and lilies. I loved when

(44:54):
there was flowers on Sex. I'd be like, can I
take the best? I have them all over my part.
That show had to have the most flowers of any
show I think ever filmed the New York Yeah, but
I think that uh yeah, that whole scene with them.
Oh and it was funny too because his his setting
up the postal was so sweet and Jenny distracting Lily

(45:15):
with story of um was the Twilight Yeah, and it
was it was like, wait, stop talking about Twilight, but
it was. It really takes you back in time and
you're like, yes, this was the cultural context of the show. Yeah,
and that was like the beginning of the vampire thing
that Remember every other everyone wanted to do vampire stuff.

(45:37):
Oh there was so much vampire stuff shows and movies.
Yeah it was. But wasn't that like the beginning, wasn't
it Twilight? I feel like, yeah, I feel like Twilight
was the well there was like True Blood on h like,
but but that was more like it was like a
different target audience. But Twilight was like really took the
world by storm. Certainly. UM. I love the fact that

(45:57):
Jenny was like into Twilight because it is because I
don't I feel like Taylor. Taylor wouldn't be into it
right when I wouldn't guess, I wouldn't guess I would
you never know? Um, But that and you know when
he found when he found that UM folder when he
was getting ready for the purpose and he found the
folder with all of the list of the investors that

(46:21):
she was paying back, and then it said on there
that he had spent forty dollars because I you know,
that said the amount that all the investors invested, and
I thought, well, that's definitely a different generation because like
that was going to pay for all of Yale. I
feel like Yale's probably like way more than that now.
And you know, so the fact that that was it
was like so much t M I have like his

(46:42):
personal information, even for the audience to see, you know,
the fact that we got to see like actually what
was like a lot of money for Rufus was um.
I feel like he was you know, he's so vulnerable
and this whole storyline, as he was last episode and
as he is now. It's like when it comes to
like not being able to like give your kids everything
that you want to give them and you're surrounded by
all this wealth. It's like, you know, he's really in

(47:04):
this song vulnerable position, I think in these episodes, and
I really feel for him and like it makes me
love him even more. Yeah, I totally agree. And it's
like I also feel like too, because he's so he's
kind of plugged into that world in the sense of
like his whole relationship with Lily, which is also crazy

(47:25):
because he's so not that you know what I mean.
So he's like trying to make this all work for
Dan and money and this and that, but do the
right thing. But yet he's like wanting to propose to
like the woman of the Upper east Side, like Lily
is the Upper east Side. Yeah, the woman who has
been proposed to four times from what is what is

(47:46):
the Conners say from airplanes? I can't remember, but yeah,
it was it. By the way, they were like very
epic things like oh god, rufus, what are you gonna do? Yeah,
he was off like in this episode two, in that
scene with this um. You know, I really liked working
with him on set so much. He was always such
a ray of sunshine Connor. He really was super super bright. Yeah, intelligent,

(48:12):
such a fun and a fun spirit intelligent time. He
was young and and just very worldly and you know,
easy to talk to seeing him in a while, I know,
I actually just yesterday text like it was probably because
I was watching this episode. I'm like, I'm just thinking
about you, and he's like, are you in l A.
He's just super sweet, He's and I always felt like
he was wise beyond his ears, like oh yes, way older,

(48:34):
felt older than he was, but like definitely and just
a very good person to have conversations with, just because
he had very knowledgeable and interesting things to say, which
I find really fun. Yeah, and it's like you got
a lot of time to have those those chats on set.
It's nice to have, sure, I mean, you really get
to being on set, you get you find out so

(48:57):
much about each other without even trying, you know what
I mean, just because you just it's inevitable. Yeah, You've
spend a lot of time together. That's why I'm just
happy that we we really everyone really did enjoy each
other because I can't. I've heard stories or people on
set like I'm like, that would be brutal to be
onset for seventeen hours and like not get along with someone.
We would you do? Who would you talk to if

(49:18):
you didn't have friends? You know? Because it's it's just
nice to spend that that time, you know, rather than
always running back to your room and just like sleeping
all day or just being enough iPhone iPhone or text. Yeah,
it's like nice to be able to like make some
conversation and have some you know that it has a
good vibe. Yeah, And I do think some too that

(49:41):
sometimes like shows in scenes and when you watch stuff,
there's like chemistry that I think kind of bleeds into
the work sometimes from relationships like that. Right, Yeah, Like
I feel like my I feel like de Roda wouldn't
even be a character if it wasn't for like my
friendship with Layton, because she made me feel so comfortable,
and I feel like our whatever commute of energy we
had was developed, you know, partially off screen, you know,

(50:04):
because we had just the relationship, and so I feel
like you can see it in the characterizations. I think
that's true across the ward. Definitely. Yeah. At the very

(50:25):
end of this, so Serena's in jail, we find out
that Rufus decides not to do the proposal. Blair leaves crying.
You can tell Chuck's hurt by it, but he does
feel like he was, I think, doing the right thing
because he loves her. That's what he tells Serena. Um,
we have Sherilyn, who now in the backseat of this car.
Georgina when she says when she's on the phone with

(50:49):
Blair and he says, you can tell Jesus that the
bitch is back, I literally was like, whoa girl. Yeah,
It's like yeah, so I feel like you really trying
to go straight or go you know, go holy high
roll or whatever. And then but she just couldn't get
there because the minute she was she got gotta taste

(51:09):
of that upper east Side drama. She got sucked back in,
I guess, and her voice changed. She put on those glasses.
I'm like, okay, Georgina slowed down. Your freaking scaring me. Yes,
sight going, It's like what you said before, she's like
literally playing two characters. Yeah, and that line I guess
is very iconic in the Gossip Girl world, right, so
it's like, I guess, yeah, we'll remember that line as

(51:31):
as the sort of Georgiana thing. Well, how she committed
to saying that and did it. I literally got my
like I was like, whoaf my like hair stood up.
I know how about this? You know how we always
had different directors. Right, watching now, I'm thinking like each
episode has a special like the vibe is all good

(51:52):
and the music and everything's like flowing obviously, but I'm
like that had to be kind of difficult think about it.
All of a sudden you come on and Gina's back,
and it's a new director you know, hasn't been there
for five six episodes. That that's like, that's difficult. I
feel like, oh, very challenging. Yeah, because the show has
such a feel to it. So like now as I'm

(52:13):
rewatching it, I can really and I think it's part
of what's so pleasurable about it has this like really
a style you know, that's so recognizable, and so I
feel like every director that came in they had to
like get up to speed on that style real quick.
And I guess it's the job of the producers and
showrunners to really do the to kind of keep the
integrity of the feeling and kind of communicated, and then

(52:35):
have these directors who come in and put their own
spin on it. And yeah, the continuity or the consistency
of it, I guess it's it's kind of mind blowing
when you watch it, you know, when you step back
and take a look at it. And again, as actors,
it's like, I guess over time, you're developing these roles
and getting familiar with them, but then that world around
you is so specific and it kind of has to

(52:56):
be right, and they keep giving it exactly right, which is,
you know, beautiful and so satisfying when you watch it,
but it is it's a kind of a feat. Yeah,
I'm like, I'm I'm very impressed, Like now watching it
all together and everything, I'm like, wow, I don't think
most people would know that it was several different directors, right, Yeah,
I feel like people don't don't think of that. And

(53:17):
then this one, I think we had so many different
people over the seasons and and a lot of times
the directors would you know, they would do more than
one or come back. But still we had a lot
of a lot of new faces and yeah, and every
time it was a new new energy on set. I
guess that's like if you're doing twenty two episodes, it's
like nice to have a like a new leadership almost,

(53:41):
you know, every couple of weeks, kind of coming in
a fresh feeling. But yeah, I don't know, it's um,
some of our directors were so cool, Like I remember
we had some a lot of people who were actors
who also were directors, like take Donovan was one that
I always really really liked. Um, Andrew McCarthy did a
bunch of Yeah, so you have like that's cool because

(54:02):
then you see how differently directors who are actors direct
you know. I thought that was always really interesting to me. Yeah,
some are like very actor actor's director, some are very
technical somewhere. Do you have any interest in directing? Are
you Are you like one of those actors who has
like an eye on that. I think it would be
super super fun. I'm I think I would like to.

(54:24):
It's not something I'm like going after right now, but
you know what, sitting down and watching something that I
was a part of, knowing the setups and things like that,
is like it is giving me a very different feel
for all of that, even as like a producer and
you know, um, yeah, it's it's really rad and cool.

(54:44):
But it also just blows my mind, like it's really
crazy that, like we were a part of a show
that just touched so many people because there's just so
much ship and I mean great ship that goes into it,
like literally from from Josh and Stephanie getting the rights
to the books to going to CW instead of Fox

(55:05):
or whatever it would be, you know what I mean,
because it would have been a different show on another network.
So it's like the way the chips all fell to
make the show successful the way it did or the
way people responded is literally fascinating. Yeah, it's like lightning
in a bottle, right, It's like amazing, And I feel
like they are really good at it obviously because they
have more than one hit show as a as a

(55:27):
creative duo, Josh and Stephanie, you know, And so it's
like this idea of being so lucky to be a
part of it. It's like I didn't even realize. I
just felt lucky to be around the people and just
making that work. At the time, I didn't even realize
how lucky it was that the show kept going. I
was getting picked up that all that stuff wasn't in order.
You know, it's like it's so unusual, it's crazy, and

(55:49):
and too it's like also the trust that like the
network and Josh and Stephanie and casting had in in
the different departments and the end the actors and stuff
like even even your audi story and what you did
with Deronda and going from no lines in sixty five
to an accent and and being a huge part of
Blair's story and her whole thing, Like there's no Blair

(56:14):
without Deronda. And and that's like really crazy, because that's
something in what you've said a bunch of times, and
I agree with you and so many people have is
like Josh and Stephanie just really knowing how to make
a good show because them trusting that and you and
your audition. Really it's night. And you know what I
mean night and day of what you did with her

(56:34):
from what what even the character breakdown was. And that's
like really fascinating to me. And I'm only bringing this
all up because I'm like watching that episode and like
from the extras and everything. I'm just like the fact
that they optioned a book and we're able to just
put the whole puzzle together and and people responded and
liked it the way they did is epic. Yeah, And

(56:55):
I think part of it two is being smart enough
for being creative enough to left the show then kind
of on its own. So like you know, it's like
they put all the good pieces in place, and like
you said, they have then trust those actors, to trust
the writers that they hired to like let the show
kind of live and grow. And it's like over these seasons,
of course the show went away from what the was
in the books, and then you know, like this this

(57:17):
these couple episodes that we've been talking about, and you know,
across all the six seasons, it's like you have all
these guest stars that come in and you know, these
stories are kind of just like coming you know, just
being born out of the writer's room and and out
of performances that the actors are giving, and you have
to be able to like let this show like live
and evolve and change, and you have to have like

(57:38):
the guts to let it do that. And then this
show like really went on that journey and like never
to me, to my mind, it never really like jumped
the shark or went crazy, you know, which is also
hard to achieve because a lot of like much beloved
shows end up doing like wacky stuff. And here, even
though some big crazy plot things happen, it's like built

(57:59):
in to the d n A of the show and
it always works. Like even here where you have like
police arresting Serena, it's still it still works. It's still
like totally watchable. And like her her her mug shots
at the end of the episode, it's so dramatic and
I was like, but I was like, yeah, totally I
buy it. I'm like that's the mug. You know. It's

(58:23):
just a testament to all the actors on it. Like
when Lily does arrest her, As much as I wanted
to be like what are you doing, Lily, I was
still not that mad at Lily. Yeah, so you're ready
to go go for the ride? Yeah, just because I
And that's probably in the way that the different colors
and stuff that she gives Lily that Kelly gives Lily,
because if that's played a certain way, you you're mad

(58:45):
at that character, you know what I mean. Or you're like,
screw you Kelly, Like what you are not Kellie? Sorry,
screw you Lily? Like what are you doing? Like don't
do that to your daughter, you know what I mean.
But the way she plays her, it's like Frank from Shameless. Yes,
you end up kind of loving him, right, you do
because of the way he But he this is an
alcoholic dad who's not a great father, who's like can't

(59:05):
call the job, is like an alcoholic Like I mean,
when you write down everything that he is, you're like, okay,
you're like not a great person, you know. Yeah, but
it's like playing in multifaceted and it's like real. Yeah,
And how William H. Macy plays him, he gives him
such a likable vibe to him that you you like

(59:29):
him the whole time. My sister and I would always
laugh about it. I'm like, on paper, he's like an
asshole and a shitty dad, like, but we're like he
were like dying laughing at him. We're still rooting for him.
I'm not comparing. I shouldn't. That was like a weird
comparison because Lily and Frank from Shameless are not whatever

(59:50):
but no, but similarly, it's like you're both. It's like
kind of the bad stuff about him, it's like, you know,
like with Lily, it's like she's like a mom and
so like the mom's stuff where you're like, it's not
she's not just playing the mom on the show. She's
playing a fully fascinated human being who has her own
you know, um, her own heart and her own weaknesses,

(01:00:12):
and so then because of that you end up like
getting her and like empathizing with her, and even when
she does like whacked out stuff, it's like you're still
like on board for it. Totally. That's what I'm saying.
And it's just she's such a good actress that I'm like,
that's what I was saying, because William As may say
so amazing that that's I was going there, not that
they're I know, I totally get it. It's like, actually,
weirdly as like good actors and they can't pop up

(01:00:33):
in your head and yeah, you know, yeah, it's yeah,
And it's funny because like they were both but both
those shows, I mean they're so different, but at the
same time, they're both like explorations of a really extreme
like setting. You know, So the Upper East Side it's
almost as crazy as South said Chicago, like a lot
of right right, right, It's so funny. That's amazing. Yeah

(01:00:56):
do you, um, do you want to do the Gossip
Girl quote? Oh? Yes, So it's like a real challenge
because it's got such stown vibe it does, and you
know too, like um, watching there, it's always like really
spread out, like I'll read the thing and I'm like, okay,
it's a paragraph. But like watching the show, it's it'll
go on for like seven minutes because they have like yes,

(01:01:19):
and like some music, I always like to imagine, Um,
Kristen Bell, like how she's probably what is going on
is that. I know for sure it's wild, but you
know what has that it's so comforting. I feel like
it's not the music at the beginning, the intro and
her voice, it's like comforting tv. Um. So the quote

(01:01:42):
on this particular episode goes as follows, um, oh no,
we warned you no good would come from spinning a
wicked web. You just get all tangled up in your
own lies, and the more you twist, the tighter the trap,
until you're locked in a prison of your own making
smile for the camp s XO. I love it. So

(01:02:06):
wait did is she's still in jail? I think still
in jail at the end, and they have that really
great sequence three. You see Chuck and Nate both trying
to pull strings, you know, uh, they're on the front
steps and they're like making phone calls, rolling calls. So yeah,
I think that we'll have to see her, you know.

(01:02:27):
I guess Lily'll have to come bail her out or
get her out or drop the charges or whatever. I
move on from there, and I am like very curious
to see what is happening with Georgina. Yeah and what
but you know what I should things are going to
start clicking for me because I know that I have
some stuff coming up with her or is it season three?

(01:02:48):
I don't even know, but I'm like, something is telling
me that she had something to do with Gabriel. But
then I'm like, there's just no way because she she
could have never, right, I don't know, unless unless Chuck's
in on it too for some reason. But I can't
see Chuck going behind Blair's back to like team up
with Georgina. But something's going down soon and I'm nervous
about it. Yeah. No, Georgina's definitely I mean, she says

(01:03:12):
the bitch is back. What does she say again, the
bitch is back? When does she say? Oh, you can
tell Jesus, yes, that the bitch is back. No, I'm
curious to see what will happen with her in the
Also the fact that it's so close to the finale,
that's that's also really interesting. What well? Hell well this

(01:03:34):
season and I have no idea, no memory of it.
I don't either. Oh god, I'm nervous. Um all right, well,
thank thanks everyone for tuning in again, and Susanna, this
is just so fun with you, Thank you so much. Wow.
I just don't know if I can get over Lily
putting her own daughter in jail. This season is just

(01:03:57):
ramping up the drama, you guys as yet. Yeah, I
don't even know what else, like, what else can go down?
I'll be back again next week. We're watching the extra
special time travel episode Valley Girls. So see you there
until next time. X O x O x O XO

(01:04:21):
is produced by Propagate Content and Meat Jessica's Or. Our
show is executive produced by Langley. Our producers are Diego Tapia,
Kristin Vermilia, Emily Carr, and Hannah Harris. Original music by
Moxie and lun