S3E7 How to Succeed in Bassness

Jessica and Zuzanna are back to break down another episode full of drama, scandal, and of course a fabulous party. They talk about Rufus’ amazing wig, Zuzanna’s emergency pedicure for a particular scene, and Jessica reveals her story of auditioning for The White Lotus.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:17):
Welcome back, listeners. Do your one and only source into
all things gossip crow. You know you'll love it. X
O x O. What's up? Okay? See which I love.
I'm wearing tight eye and a hat. It's been a
rough day. I think you look at raining here in
the city. Um, and I took my job to a

(00:40):
vet and we got halfway home and the rain started
and she goes into a deep panic when it's raining.
So we basically had to run home in the rain.
Oh my god, Well because she just won't be I
really the way they sense like storms coming or thunderstorms
or snow storms or what, it's it's wild. Like we

(01:01):
we went up and it was like snowing up in
Flagsteff And the way Bertie was at like what is
going on? And Brad's like, I think she can feel
the storm coming. I just think it's like so crazy. Yeah,
they have a totally different sense of atmosphere than we do. Yeah,
and the terror and she does not like a little
a few raindrops that's enough. But yes, I've been like
running around today. Uh do you know like bubble wrap,

(01:23):
you know, verse so things don't break when you're so
I love popping those. It's like very fun for me.
I don't know if it takes me back when I
was like a kid or something. But we were like
really getting down bowing. I were like dancing and jumping
on him. And then Bertie was like you would have
thought she like ran into the room hit under the pillow.
I felt so bad. Bertie, our dog, was like terrified
of that noise, and I like love it. I was like, Okay,

(01:46):
let's maybe not do that anymore. I felt more satisfying
noises than that, and that feeling of popping those little bubbles.
It's the feelings. But I have some somewhere around here.
I've been ordering my Christmas gifts online, so I'm I
have some bubble wrap in here. What also, like, I
like just open an Amazon account, probably about a year

(02:07):
and a half ago. I never did like online shopping before,
but now it's wild how much I use Amazon and
how long I went without it. But like my point
is is how years ago, when like we were growing up,
there was not the door and buy things. I mean,
even your groceries can get delivered right you. You really

(02:29):
don't have to leave your house, which is terrifying to
me because I love nature. I love being outside. I
love the new people. But like the other day of mcgrad,
literally like we are groceries were delivered because we were
coming in from out of town. A couple of Christmas
gifts came to the door, and I'm like, literally, we
everything just arrived, which is like I'm not complaining. That's

(02:49):
super great that we are fortunate to be able to
do that. But I just don't know, like like it's
the same thing we talked about with like directions, Like
just how much like everything is evolved basically, is what
I'm trying to say. Like right, just the Internet and
apps and the press of a button, everything is just
like right there anywhere you could do anything. Like it's crazy.

(03:11):
I live in a doorman building here in Brooklyn, and
the you know I've looked for a really long time,
and it used to be the the doorman, you know,
we're there to deal with people coming in and out.
And then now they've basically become full time package guys
because this is a huge building. So in especially around
the holidays, the packages are piled up to the ceiling

(03:32):
down there, you know, and so they have like you know,
sift them and organize them. And get them to the residents.
And so it's crazy because it's like every year that
pile grows and grows and grows. So what would we
do if we didn't have ups and FedEx delivery? And
Amazon started it was like a book just books, right, Yeah,
it used to be buying books online. That was like

(03:53):
their big innovation. Yeah, And it's funny because like that, yeah,
and like this, you know, these hospital episodes were watching
are in time are so not that long ago, but
even that stuff, like I bet there was so much
less internet shopping traffic back then. It was probably the
beginning of it, you know. And so that it's like

(04:14):
in this such a short period of time that everything changes.
Like this episode that we're gonna talk about today had
a couple of you know, references to blogs and there
were some good you know, flip phone moments. You know.
So it's like it's like you just kind of get
used to watching it, you forget that you've jumped in time,
and then there it goes and it shows you. Uh yeah,

(04:36):
I think something about a blog, and I was like,
remember blogs, everything's blogged. Now the whole world is a blog.
Everything is well. And also you can ask you know
a child, Hey, what do you want to do when
you get older and they can? It is now like
I want to be a blogger. When I was ten,
that wasn't a thing. It didn't exist, So it's very interesting.

(04:56):
Um okay, so this episode is how to Succeed vastness
the succeeded since I love and it's based on the
movie How to Succeed in Business Without Really trying? Um,
did you? I enjoyed this episode, but like you were
one of my favorite parts of it. I'm not like,
and I'm not just saying that because I actually really

(05:18):
like I got kick out of it. Stuff was so great.
I was like, I did this was you and I
do like them, like the whole blare and chuck thing
of like them, you know, doing this tug of war
again and then her obviously getting in her own way again. Um.
I enjoyed this episode, but it wasn't one of my favorite.

(05:38):
I don't know, I felt like, I don't know why.
I mean, I kind of feel that way too, But
for me, it was a little bit because of the
Jenny and Erica. I was forgetting Eric's snape. Um, Jenny
and Eric's storyline, I found kind of upsetting. Like I
was like, I don't know the fact that like Jenny
Queen be thing and the fact that she's being sort

(06:00):
of her ethics are being tested in a way and
she's being cruel to her like one close friend slash
brother um. And so that storyline was kind of central
and like it kind of bugged me a little bit.
I mean, I just didn't enjoy it, you know what.
You might have just hit it on the nose, yeah,
because I was like I ended and I'm like I
usually am like not feeling this way when the show ends.

(06:20):
And obviously so the glitz and the glam and there
was the drama, like they nail all that every time.
It just to me wasn't one of my favorite. I
was like something was missing or I'm bothered by something
and that very well maybe it because that did bother
me quite a lot because I'm like, well we can
jump into that. Let's okay. So here's where we left off. Yes,
where do we leave off here? Okay, so we left off.

(06:41):
Serena's best intentions backfire when her success at paying Carter's
debt causes him to leave town with the Buckley family.
Vanessa's doing a little better, having alienated her mother after
her scheme to unseat Blair from the position of honor
at the Freshman Toast goes horribly right. This defeat is
only one of Blair's problems, however, Her manipulations began driving

(07:03):
a wedge between herself and Chuck. And then there's a
whole lot of Dan and Olivia stuff, and then there's
there's just plenty of pieces to pick up in this episode. Sure,
absolute yeah. And here in this whe we're going at,
Chuck is preparing for his new club opening, which is
exciting the old Empire Hotel and its club. He enlists
Serena's help, but Blair begins to feel left out. Of course, Jenny,

(07:26):
the new Queen Constant, struggles between proving herself and her
friendship with Eric and Dan feels inferior after watching one
of Olivia's steamy of on screen scenes. Um. Meanwhile, Lily
tries to respect Rufus is a Halloween tradition, So yeah,
we have a cute Halloween type storyline here, which is
of course trigger treat dress up and comes up and

(07:50):
that in that wig, I was, oh my god, Matthew said,
up that was hilarious and this idea that like Rufus
is so obsessed with like this you know, traditional idea
of giving away you know, doing tricker treaders, and like
Lily wants to go to the party and be fabulous,
and then she kind of ends up staying home with
him and buying children to come over to the house

(08:12):
tree to tricker treat enlisting Vania to get a little
foreign children to come over dress and change their Taylor Swift.
She didn't change her ring. I'm like, oh my god,
but that's why. Also, like how Rufus has written is
so lovely and you just care for him. That's so
adorable that that's what he wants to do. Like, yes,

(08:33):
it's very kids dressing up. It's so sweet. Okay, so
we in the opening of this, right, Chuck has to
basically he's basically like I need to disprove that I
am Chuck Bass, like that I can take you know
what dad did kind of thing. Like he's kind of like, yeah,
he's kind of battling saying that like the hotel isn't
doing very well, that it's like the you know that

(08:54):
he doesn't have he's like a capacity. But then they're
walking into the actual Empire Hotel, Like that is them
Fair Hotel lobby, So that's a real location. Like the
inside matches the outside, and they're walking inside and it's like,
which doesn't happen often, right, right, Usually you have a mismatch,
but but here they walk in and it's like, you know,
that hotel is pretty fabulous and it's hard to imagine
that it's not doing well for any particular reason. But

(09:16):
I guess that's the setup that we have here is
that he you know, he feels like he's like falling
behind a bit, and so you have Blair of course,
who's trying to pick up the pieces take control um.
But she see and I feel like with Chuck in
this situation, you yeah, you would wonder why because it's
not like a financial thing that they're like, we need

(09:39):
the money to do this, Like got the money, they
got the location. He obviously Chuck has you know, flavor
and style. But I feel like this might be a
thing where it's not just sometimes someone at seventeen eighteen
year eighteen years old can take on some big, big
business and just think like because you have all these
things that just because it's always more than what's on

(10:02):
the surface, like anything you do. That's why a lot
of times like no one ever really understands what anyone
else does, right until we don't. So all of a sudden,
he's taking on this big, big job. And even if
you have the money and the flavor and the style
and this location and you you know, you're from New
York and you get it, there's like little things that
you have to do and make it like you know.

(10:24):
And I don't not saying I know, but I think
that's part of a little bit where Chuck is going
to learn here, because it's not just like Okay, I
got daddy's money and now I just have to you
have to prove yourself because it's a lot of work.
And it's also like it seems like it's important to
him to too both live up to sort of his dad,
you know, stand in his dad's shoes, but also be
more ethical and have more integrity than his dad did.

(10:46):
So like in this episode, we see that he wants
to solve a problem, or originally initially, but he doesn't
want to go down the road of bron He wants
to be like a legit businessman. He wants to be
a problem solving and he doesn't want to just be
you know, Conniver and uh sort of the he wants
to be the positive part of Bart Bass and not
the you know, kind of shadier part. And so it

(11:08):
seems like he also has that, um, he's set the
bar pretty high for himself here and he has that
he's enlisted the help of that um mixologists there at
the bar, Yeah, at the bar, and so he has
like a little bit of a word of advice, I think, uh,
you know, so he has that kind of more mature
figure sort of bouncing ideas with him, you know, so

(11:30):
you kind of see he's able to like express what
his actual issue is that he wants to like do
and he wants to do it right. And so of
course Blair steps up to kind of help out because
he's basically he's not forgiven her for her breach in
an earlier um trust situation. So she's still in thinness
with him, and so as she's trying to kind of

(11:51):
like squeeze her way back in, you know, he's pushing
her away right right, And so of course with the
way she chooses to help him as by illicit means,
by by reaching out to to Jack Bass, so it's
like Jack, which, by the way, that takes a lot
of balls. Like the situation that happened with Jack is
basically why Chuck wasn't telling you he loved you, and

(12:13):
you're going to call him and ask for a favor,
like balls, Blair, it's pretty nice. And also you don't
want Chuck calls Serena because he has a favor, but
we don't know really what's going to come with this.
And then she puts it on speaker. Blair puts it
on speaker. That's like a tough situation for me because
I think anytime someone calls you and you put it

(12:37):
on speak or it's on speaker, you know how I
keep being in your car and I think the courtesy
is you always tell someone that yes, like oh, by
the speaker, yeah. I felt My mom the other day
was like, what were you going to say something wrong?
Or are you gonna say something I shouldn't I shouldn't hear?
And I said no, but maybe my friend you know,

(12:57):
would have private right, yeah, something yeah that she doesn't
want you to hear. So when she is on with
Chuck and Chuck doesn't know, Blair standing right there and
at the end of the call, He's like, and I
don't want Blair in on this. I was like, because
you get Blair a little that's like gasoline on a fire.
Now She's okay, you don't want Blair. She's going to

(13:19):
be showing up with some like feathers and like the
little you have just made Yeah, oh man, yeah, so
that was Yeah, that was a rough little moment. But
you know, this introduces this idea which is very prevalent
throughout this episode, is this storyline about Serena and her
pr job. You know, the fact that she's working hard

(13:40):
to impress Casey and like she wants to do well
in this job and hold onto it. And I feel
like because of previous episodes, we've talked about this gig
that Serena has, and I feel like maybe that's another
reason why this isn't maybe your or my favor episode
is because it just is a little bit hard to
see her. Not that there's anything in that wrong with

(14:00):
we're working, it's just sort of something weird about this
like persona, because like we um in the world of
Gossip Girl, we understand that Serena vander Woodson is a
big deal, right, and so watching her kind of be
chased by paparazzi herself and then working on the other
side of the camera doing the pr it's just a

(14:21):
little bit of a weird Yeah, I think there's something
about it. Yeah, And the way Casey is treating her
and talking to her and like bossing her around and
stuff is just we're not used to that with Serena,
you know what I mean, Like yeah, so, yeah, there's
just a couple of things. And again it's done very well.
I mean, the episode was totally and it feels actually
maybe maybe that's why, because it's so real, like it

(14:43):
actually feels like like I mean, there's some details probably
that are a little bit you know, uh, dramatized for
services of television, but the relationship between her boss and
her and the way she like kind of feels put upon,
Like you know, that is uncomfortable because we're not used
to seeing Serena, I guess in that in that position, yeah,
be treated like that. Yeah. And by the way, like Casey,

(15:05):
she's killing this role, like the she's fantastic, very believable
to me, But I'm like, how do you sleep at
night if that's what you're doing and that's your job,
Like and like makeup ship and do fake photos and
like be the c I'm just like that is disgusting
and gross and like you get paid to do that

(15:27):
and you're like it's just really gross to me. Yeah.
So we we learned in this in this episode that
Olivia she's famous for this like vampire stuff, right, this

(15:49):
big series, And so Nate brings and Nate brings the
DVDs for um Dan to watch, and of course Dan
watches it and he's overwhelmed by seeing his his new,
brand new girlfriend and these like steamy sex scenes. Um
and we so we learned that she has been connected
and impressed with her co star that's her co star. Yeah,
that they were dating. But you know what when when

(16:12):
this comes up in the in in the beginning of
the episode, when um, we don't know what Nate gives
him or what he's about to say that, you know,
I just think it's time the build up of him, Like,
I think it's time we're kind of getting serious. Me
and Olivia blah blah blahm, Like what is he gonna do?
Like I know he's not proposing to her, and then
like what is going on? And then all of a
sudden you see the DVDs and it's He's like, you know,

(16:33):
Nate's has something like it. Well, there's six hours of
you know whatever the franchises that she's in. But it's
definitely like a parallel to like Rob Pattinson and Christopan Stewart.
And even the name of the character and the name
was like Patrick something. His name is something really similar,
Patrick Roberts. Yeah, and so they have Yeah, they've definitely
set that up like that. And then you know, it

(16:55):
was making me think and I was like, you know,
I've never done h a show where I had like
a prolonged, you know, romantic relationship at the center of
my storyline or anything like I mean except for you know,
Torone and Vanya. But I've never had that experience of
having a partner watch those kind of scenes. Have you
had that this your guy watch you do like kissing

(17:19):
scenes and stuff or what I'm trying to think of
what he's seen that I have because I don't. I
don't know, but I've had I've had many scenes like that.
I mean, I played the stripper in the internship, so
it's like me and my underwear that I don't really
get intimate in their um Kingdom, I had really crazy
sex scenes um in here. I mean, I've also hooked

(17:44):
up with Dan Chuck and Nate Vanessa. I think it's
the only one that hooked up with all three of them.
So that said, a lot of times in roles I
do have like, yeah, yeah, you've had a hook up,
had experience than me. Yeah. Yeah, it's a wild thing,
because first of all, I always say that any sex
scene or physical scene like that, like intimate that looks

(18:04):
very real and on point, I always say are the
most uncomfortable ones to shoot because the lighting and the
situation and the angle the camera. But yet you gotta
make it real. But sometimes, like the camera guy like Jose,
you gotta put your shoulder weight down to the left
and then make sure this arm is over so that
we see your eyes when we're doing the cover from
his shoulder and I'm supposed to be like and I'm

(18:28):
like tilted to the side. I'm like, yeah, can you
see my shoulder? Okay, We're good. I Meanwhile, when you
see the movie or the show it's like a very
intimate scene, I always think they're really weird. I was
just watching The White Lotus the other night, you know
the HBO. Yeah, and there was like a kissing moment

(18:48):
with Jennifer Coolidge and it was like a two shot,
but it was like they were in profile and you
can see that they were using tongue because it was
like so necessary for the kind of kiss it was.
But it was like, right, a lot of times, you know,
when you're acting and you you know, you keep your
tongue in your own mouth because you know, it's like whatever,
Like sometimes when you have to do like certain things,
you have to like reach across that boundary. And so yeah,

(19:12):
and I mean I think that part of what happens
in this episode is that you know, Dan, you know,
it's a brand new relationship, he's still young. They've built
in this fact that like they haven't really been intimate
with each other yet, and it kind of gets kicked
off because there's like a paparazzi photo of her reaching
into like a condom free condom jar like in the
health clinic at the at school. So it kind of

(19:34):
starts with this like innuendo of like this sort of
beginning of their sexual relationship. And so then when he's
faced with this intimacy on screen, and then also knowing
that it was rumored that that was her boyfriend, it
makes it all more lowly than you know anything, that
totally you were talking about that. But then she comes
she comes in and she's like, well, no, it was
all just for you know, for publicity, right, That's what

(19:57):
she originally tells me. He wasn't my real boy friend.
It was just yeah, that the idea being that, like
it was helping both of their careers. Yeah, but I'm
also like that when we find out that she's lying
about that, I'm like, Okay, your situation is already unique
and difficult and interesting to navigate because here is Dan

(20:19):
who doesn't understand it um and even if you can
be supportive and wonderful, it's still like a not you know,
it's still kind of a wild situation. Like your girlfriend
is going to go travel and be in different cities
doing press with someone who she was rumored to be dating.
You then lie about it and then actually you because

(20:42):
you're making it very difficult. Yeah, Like if this is
already going to be a lot for Dan, So I
was like very like, yeah, a lot of things bothered
me in this episode. R right now that I'm like
hearing myself. I'm like yeah, and then Casey is like
really invested. Obviously she represents the guy Patrick Patrick Roberts
or something, so she represents the other actor, and she

(21:04):
wants for his career's sake, she wants him to be
photographed with Olivia. She basically tasks Serena with making sure
that Dan is not around so that this you know,
that they can be they can have these photos that
the two of them are still potentially together. So Srina
Serena in an awkward position. So basically there's this um

(21:24):
big Halloween speak easy event is happening at Chuck's Bar.
Everybody's going the party of the episode, so everybody's going,
but the case he says that at the end of
the episode, She's like, you got my clients to go
to the biggest party of the year, so right right right,
which is which is also like then shut down because
of the liquor license. I'm like, oh man, okay, you

(21:49):
know the moment. At one point during that party, Blair
is talking to Serena and basically like, well, we need
She's breaking down what they did to make this happen,
and Serena's like not getting that, Like okay, but now
the party is going to be shut down, like how
is this a good thing? You know what I mean?
And Blair's like backing it up and has her whole
little scheme like she knows that this is going to

(22:11):
be just fine, and all of a sudden, when Chuck
is upset about it, Blair wants to leave and want
Serena to go with her. I think I'm actually mixing.
I'm mixing two scenes that but it's basically like in
the very beginning, we realize that there's not you know,
the have a list real license. He's in trouble, and
it's the party is still about, you know, coming down

(22:32):
to go down to happen later, and he basically kicks
Blair out in Serena's like, I'm staying with Chuck, like
stop meddling, right, and then yes, but do you know
when Blair looks at her and says, Serena, let's go,
she said no, I'm ann stay with Chuck. And then
in the other scene, yep, this is right later in
the episode. Now Serena wants to leave and Nolair's like,

(22:54):
remember when you chose Chuck? I Am yeah, yeah, it's
think along the lines, but it was like, yeah, they
definitely are in a rift. Now it's like all that's
the other thing too, is they were in a good
way and now they're Now we leave this episode and
they're they're in a fight. And Eric aspect this Jenny
Eric thing, which is so it's basically like Eric and

(23:15):
his boyfriend. His boyfriend has like that quality that a
little bit um Vanessa has, which is the he's has
some little distance from the inner workings in terms of
his point of view, so he's able to kind of
remind Eric that some of this is ridiculous. And so
when Jenny has her whole hierarchy on the Mets steps,
basically no one can sit above her. Yeah, and Eric's

(23:37):
boyfriend is like, let's go sit above her. And then
Eric has to kind of, you know, pick his boyfriend
and be like, yeah, let's you know, and also it's
the more reasonable course of action. And then Jenny gets
bad and she has to assert her dominance with her
you know, she has to keep her power, and I
guess the idea is that she's like losing herself. So
she's if you ask her, she thinks that she's like

(23:58):
putting it on. But like they kind of allude to
the fact that, yeah, she might be putting it on,
but she's starting to change, like morph into this thing
that she's pretending to be. Yeah, and I feel like
the molding of that is not just like her taking
it on, it's also these girls. Like if the whole
thing is just so weird to me because I'm like,
it's it's also gross to me because I'm like, you
think that, like you have to sit here and these

(24:20):
people have to like bow down to you, and like
these two guys can't sit like, I'm like, that's ridiculous. Um.
So I mean see, when I think about it, everything
in this episode just just like the wrong way. Jenny
on the stairs, Yeah, run me the wrong way. And
I was like, they should go sit up there. Who
you just sit with your girls there and do your

(24:40):
thing and mind your own business and let them sit
where they want to sit. They're not even bothering you, right,
that's annoying. Let me ask you this because I didn't
quite understand this. So in the beginning of the episode,
we see the Lily and Jenny are looking in Jenny's
closet and Lily is like, why don't you clean out
some of your old clothes that don't fit you anymore,
so you can like, you know, move forward. And then
Jenny's like, no, no, they fit, they fit. And then

(25:02):
at the end of this episode, once everything is said
and done, Jenny goes and throwing things. So the idea
is that what's the idea there? So it's that Jenny
understands at the end that she's basically like burying her
old self and she's this new beast. Is that what
it is? I guess that's the underlining thing of it.
But I didn't really connect those two from the beginning

(25:24):
to the end. I forgot. I forgot that happened at
the beginning. I don't know. But she like throws out
her sewing machine and yeah, so it's basically like we
see this transformation of Jenny in this episode, which is unpleasant,
and I think that's purpose because that's the point. But
it's like totally idea that she gets lost. And it's
sad because Eric is the one person who you know,

(25:44):
he always gets her, They get each other, and for
her to sacripold him and his boyfriend, you know, in
her power hungry quest, I know, and I'm all like,
for what? And that's throwing eggs at her at his boyfriend.
I'm like, this is so messed up and wrong and rude,
and like what you get from that also, And i mean,
you know this is uh it's like a high school

(26:04):
scenario and you have an out gay couple and then
one of them is all excited to go see his
boyfriend and then gets like egged in the street. It's
just like particularly like down and dirty. It's like not
it feels bad because we really we like the we
like those two, we like them together. And then to
see all those little minions go after him like that
was just like it was in such bad taste, which

(26:26):
is of course why Eric was like, I'm not speaking
to anymore as a sister or as a friend. And
she and then she has to face herself in the
mirror basically, so it's brutal. It's totally and I'm like
I like that. Eric was like that, yeah, she needs
to be put in her place a little bit because
that is very mean. And it's and again for what
for you to sit above people and boss people around.

(26:47):
I'm like, yeah, that's gross. Yeah, yeah, So I think
it's like, you know, it's just it's it's so well
done that this downfall, oh totally. And and the way
Taylor plays it, I mean, obviously she it's killing it
and doing such a great job because I'm just yeah, yeah, exactly,
I'm like, stop it, Jenny. And like when Jenny and

(27:10):
Lily have the conversation because Eric comes home it must
be during the day and and Lily says, oh, are
you sick or like why are you home? And he
Eric looks and it's Rufus and Lily sitting there and
he says, um, asked Jenny. Yeah, So Lily says, I'll,
you know, I'll take this one to Rufus. And then
she's sitting with Jenny and I have to tell you

(27:31):
that's a tough spot for Lily to be in because
I'm a step mom and I'm a mom, and if
that was the situation with my step with my kids,
they're my kids. You know, that's a really tough spot
to be in because you don't want anyone being mean
to any anyone, let alone let alone the sibling, you

(27:51):
know what I mean. So that's a tough spot because
it's it's a between you feeling hurt for your kids
or wanting to be able to talk to them and
make sure you know this is handled in a nicer way.
You're between a rock and a hard place because yea,
and also you're asserting a discipline and authority. Yeah, that's

(28:13):
it is right, and feeling for this is like a
mother figure to Jenny. So it's also really feeling like
even Jenny says it to her, you know how these
girls are lily so you know, I just was like, Wow,
she's got a feel for Jenny, so that Jenny can
fit in because it's those weird years where everyone's trying
to find themselves and fit in and don't really have

(28:34):
to do really understand the importance of social position too.
So it's like what I'm saying, Yeah, yeah, it's wild. Yeah, totally.
So it's like she's got that, and then she's got
the emotions and everything with being her kids. It's just
I was I'm like, oh, this is a tough spot
for her, because any kind of way you slice it,
it's just tough. Yeah, if you get mad at Jenny

(28:57):
or or you know, I don't want to say ground her.
I mean, well she kind of does, right. She's like,
you can't go to the party unless Eric goes with you. Right,
it's the interesting whenever they put the prontal rules down, right. Also,
can we just talk about Eric's green hat that he
had on at that party. Yeah, Eric looks so like
so cute. He's like that, he's so cute. Yeah, and

(29:18):
also that people looked really good. I mean that was
a smart idea to have the Halloween episode be like
a It's flapper party or party, because the costumes, like
Serena's outfit was amazing, the cape she had liked. But yeah,
so they go to the big party and like the
whole kerfuffle at the party is that. First of all,
now they have a liquor license, but we know that
it's because of Jack because Blair made this call. But

(29:40):
we don't realize until half of the party that the
liquor license is not real because Jack's like pulling one
over on him and I couldn't So I didn't even
really realize that til you just said that right now. That, yeah,
because remember there's that. Yeah. So, so Chuck gets mad
at Blair and sends her away. She's at home playing
chess with her self and Deronda is like sna is

(30:02):
like vacuuming the carpet with one of those little rollie
vacuums and then tell and then like killing it chess
and saying the funniest things. And then the flowers arrived
and she thinks they're from Chuck, but really they're from Jack,
and I guess the flowers hard and the flowers said
like ha ha, got you or something, because then she knew,
and then you know, and then Chuck knew too, So
basically they knew that this license was fake. And then

(30:24):
the police were going to come. So Chuck ends up
calling the police himself in order to because they want
to get ahead of get ahead of it, right, And
that kind of turns it into the party of the
year apparently, So it's cool. It's cool to have your
party shut down, I guess. But Blair is so much
smarter than that. Yeah, Like you really think you're gonna
go and ask Jack Bass for a favor for Chuck essentially,

(30:45):
even if it's for Blair, it's for Chuck in this situation,
and think he's going to just do it with no nothing.
That was a little bit backfiring. Yeah, I mean, I
guess because he owed her she thought it was the thing,
But yeah, that was a little bit But he's so
he like you can't trust him at all, you know, no,

(31:05):
no kidding, Yeah, but but also like we have to
discuss uh. Deronda's little actions in this episode were so
funny because I didn't remember anything to talk about it.
Like when I saw it, I remembered it, but I
hadn't remembered it in in general. But the scene with
the chest, I think it was really funny because I
have that line about it's hard to date a powerful man,
and I guess that my implications maybe I'm thinking of

(31:26):
von Yer or something, which is so cute because I
get all lost in thought. But it was it was cute,
and there was a lot of like like rustling around.
But the first scene that Deronda appears in this episode
was was like I really like I got a kick
out of And it was basically because Blair and Chuck
have been in a fight, Blair has had too much
time on her hands, so she's like making Dorota get

(31:47):
a pedicure with her pure yeah, And so they're having
a pedicure together and then Chuck finally comes over and
Deronda is like, oh thank god. You know, when when
Blair and Mr Chuck er in a fight, you know,
Dorota has no time to go the movies or anything.
It just gets foot bothering and it was like so funny.
But I remembering that that was the craziest scene I've

(32:11):
ever filmed, because they sent us the script and then
they rewrote that scene. I think it was the day
before I got new pages and I saw that there
was a pedicure involved. So the you know, makeup department
gals called me up and they're like, you have to
have your feet out tomorrow. We're sorry for the late notice,
but go get a pedicure tonight because like you know,

(32:34):
they can't pedicure your feet on set because like there
was in the shot, you know what I mean. And
so then I kind of heedicure a like let my
local salon, and then I went to the set and
the shot that they ended up using was a little different,
but the one that they planned and they did first
was like the camera started in a total close up
on the bottom of my foot and then it was

(32:55):
like backing up, and I think it was Amy came
and like saved me and was like you can't do
that to her. That's not cool, and she was like
it's a foot, you know, you don't he wants her
foot like on the camera like that. And my feet
were not bad, they were fine, but it was still
like really weirdly, like vulnerable to put your foot out
on a came that's a very odd shot. Yeah, and
I remember that the ladies who are playing the pedicurist,
it was also really awkward because they're not pedocurists, they're actors.

(33:19):
So it was also funny because you don't usually. It's
like a different kind of intimacy because they had to
rub our feet and like touch our feet and stuff,
and both me and Late and we're like, we're sorry,
I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I mean when our feet were
clean and we were like we were like cleaning them
and everything. But it was like so weird because it
was like us and these two actresses and um with
our feet out, you know, which is you don't ever

(33:39):
think about that stuff on TV too, And then um,
but it turned out so cute and then Dorote was
getting all tickled and stuff. But oh my gosh, it's
so funny. I loved your scenes were really great. And
you know what's so funny? What popped in my head
when it was you both sitting there you and Layton
getting the pedicures. I just in my mind of Mike,

(34:00):
you guys had to have had so much fun and
just laughed at time, because like, yeah, we were laughing
so much. You didn't have much moving because you're seated,
So you know what I mean, A lot of the
times you don't even for me, and those kind of
things sometimes I don't even get up from those because
there's not just yeah. So whether I read it, reading
my book or sitting with my co star, whatever it is,
I love those kind of things because I in my mind,

(34:22):
I'm like, I can only imagine how many laughs you
two were having. Yeah, we were just sitting there. It
was such a whole ridiculous situation and everything, and yeah,
it was so cute. And then I always loved the
scenes where when Ed was in the scene too, when
I like, you know, I always had scenes with lat
and then when Ed would come in, like when Mr
Chuck would come in, because I always had a fun
twist and and I actually feel like in this episode
you can see that because like I sometimes do such

(34:46):
ridiculous like exits, like in this one, as I'm exiting,
I like turn around and like I do this whole thing.
They're like, because I'm like looking at Mr Mr Chuck
and Miss Blair with this like great enthusiasm, and I
actually you can kind see that like ed slightly slightly
like like giggles a little bit like laughs a little

(35:07):
tiny bit at it, Like I really just like, what
are you doing? Crazy? Lud love that anyway, So Dorota
got in some action because of the fact that Blair
was on the outs with Mr Chuck. So um. But
then basically how did they make up? They make up
in the at the party because they end up working together,

(35:27):
but how does it? Yeah, but I feel like she
says something to like, I just wanted you to know
that you needed me, But I don't know if that
was at the point. She apologizes, right right, right, she
apologizes in a sincere way, and then they basically worked
together what they come up with that solution of calling
the police on themselves, So then they're like they're back
to like teamwork and making the dreamwork. Right? Can we

(36:04):
also talk about how Patrick ends up kissing Serena? Yes,
that's the other big the movie stars is Olivia Burke's
on screen love interest is also Olivia's ex boyfriend who's
she broke his heart. She tells Dan. Olivia tells Dan
this about Patrick, and then he kisses Serena and I'm

(36:25):
like that, so well, it's basically like, yeah, Serena is
being tasked by Casey to make sure that they get
this Pepperazzi photo together with him kissing him and Olivia
like so that they the world thinks they're still dating.
But Serena is torn because she believes in Dan and
and Olivia's relationship, and so I think it's one of
those moments where she asserts her own kind of power

(36:46):
um against Casey and does what she thinks is right.
So she basically allows she like has this great moment
where she like throws open the doors and it's Dan
and um, like you're kissing, and she's like, hey, everybody, look,
it's a live kissing her boyfriend Dan. Yeah. And so
they're kissing and for the cameras and and Dan asks

(37:07):
Olivia like are you okay with this? And she's like yes,
and they kiss for the cameras and um, and then
Casey's over there fuming because essentially Casey thinks that you know,
if Patrick Olivia is like fake boyfriend, if he is
not connected to her romantically. Then his career is dead
and it's her job as his publicist to keep it afloat.
So she's like upset. She's like, Serena, you're getting fired.

(37:29):
You can see it in her eyes. And then Serena
makes the bold decision to say, like one of the
Paparesi says, well, if Olivia's dating that guy, then who's
Patrick dating. And Serena goes, he's dating me, and then
she like goes in for this thing and they had
like a dip and a kiss and everything, so it's
like she and then at the end of the episode,
you realize that Olivia is like, well, good job you

(37:51):
you know, you made you made the party of the year.
All my kinds were there, you know, in essence, you
did everything opposite of what I said, but you nailed it.
So good work. And she's like, but now you have
to date this guy. You have to pretend to date him,
and the Serena is like, well, that's easy because he's cute,
and she's like, just wait till the second day. So
apparently he's a nightmare. So oh good god, so crazy.

(38:15):
I just was like laughing because that's so like Serena
would end up with him, yeah, even if it's just
for a couple of days. Right, And of course Serena
always ends up, like we're talking about earlier, she always
ends up in the paparazzi photo herself because right, yeah,
she can't stay on the other side of the the
old camera, can't say no no. And then, I know

(38:36):
we talked about this earlier, but I still was just
literally laughing out loud between your scenes. And then when
when Rufus walks down in that wig, I was the
wig is thet and he's like the way he flips
and it's always like he's flipping it and like his
hands here, I'm like, oh man, yeah, and they're like
chemistry though, like she can see really like finding it

(38:57):
funny too. It was so cute, and of Vanya bringing
up the kids. Yeah, the fact that she keeps and
she hands him that big thick roll of bills like
she's like for her services, you know, which makes sense.
I mean, he's on staff, but it's funny because she
hands him like such a thick roll of dollars or whatever.
They are amazing, So it's really funny. Where where are

(39:19):
we left with Jenny and Eric at this point though,
she's just she was taking all this stuff out of
the closets, and are they in a fight. They're they're
not talking, he's not talking. The last thing we see,
I think is him saying to her, I don't, I don't.
I'm not speaking to anymore as a sister or a friend,
as my sister or my friend, right, And then she
goes into a room and just like rips everything out
of the closet. Right. She says something to him too, though, like, well,

(39:43):
you know how it is like kind of like she
has to be this person there that's not really her,
kind of like that's what I took from it at least,
And I'm like, well, no, so you're gonna treat him
poorly in front of people or be disrespectful to him,
and then when you get home behind stores, we can
be okay. Like she expects him to understand it, and

(40:03):
I'm glad that he's not just being like yeah, okay,
because it's not right. Right. It's just I have a
hard time seeing her like that because I just know Jenny.
That's not Yeah, it's so in her far from Jenny, right,
And so I guess the idea is that anyone can
turn into that with a little bit of power, you know, Well, definitely,
I think I can't remember how it pans out, but
I mean we've got to see her come back from

(40:24):
the dark side, right right. And then it was like
what I was saying before to the way the girls
to kind of even they were saying something about the
guys sitting on the steps above them. They're like, no
one can sit about this whole thing. So it's like
they're they're feeding into it and adding to it as well.
I'm not pointing a finger to them that Jenny is
her own person and is really bringing this on herself

(40:45):
as well. But it's it's definitely like these girls are
so caught up in this, like queen be following the
leader here yea, when there's a lot of seats on
the stairs, like, dare you looking at our round? Right?
I know it's and also there are other people right, Um,

(41:06):
It's yeah, it's funny because I've been to the met
a lot of times, you know, and every time I go,
it's inevitably someone will recognize me on the steps because
they're always gossip girl fans to go to visit. Yeah,
so it's like such an iconic thing. But yeah, um,
but do you think the Mets steps. It's like kind
of like high school cafeteria would be for like a

(41:26):
more normal high school experience, right, It's like this idea
of who sits where and social politics and it's just
kind of painful to see, you know it is. Man,
I get wanting to fit in and be the cool
person and that, but I just I don't get being
mean to people. So yeah, it's so rough how kids are.
And I really don't think you at that time in

(41:49):
your life, you know the effect that that has on people,
because it just kind of seems like it's okay to do.
It just doesn't seem to click in a way at
that time because I remember the girl. I mean, I
remember girls being Superman in high school totally, and at
the time it's horrible for the person it's happening to.

(42:10):
And I remember to my mom even saying like that,
trust me, this all be You'll laugh at this one day. Yeah. Yeah,
I don't know if laughing is the right word, but
definitely that was ridiculous. Yes, you can definitely like look
at it in another lens and things like that, but
at the time I wanted to switch schools. I didn't
want to ever see these girls again. And for them

(42:31):
it probably felt like it wasn't that big of a
deal the way they were treating people, you know, right,
what's that group mentality that group think? Yeah, And I
think most people are doing it from even those like
bully the bullying and stuff in the high school politics.
It's like comes from insecurity or place of fear, dissert
your own position or whatever. And I think with Jenny

(42:52):
it's probably even a better example than Blair, because Jenny
is someone who had a kind of a strong sense
of self or like identity, but then in this high
school world, it's like she tried to assert like a
different way. But then it's like it almost becomes a
survival mechanism. So it's like she has to grab for
that top slot or or be be stumped. You know.

(43:13):
So it's like kind of see it with her because
it isn't kind of integrals because like with Blair, it's
such a personality trait and it's kind of a comedic
personality trait and we kind of forgive her for it
because we're like so silly almost, and like it's it's
like almost fun to watch. But then with Jenny, it's
just seems so mean because it's not her thing her right,

(43:34):
like you're saying. Also, the way Layton played it, the
way they both did it makes us that's why we're
still sitting here talking to you, because they both did
such a great job and the way it's written, and
it had to be almost two different ways like that,
Otherwise it wouldn't it wouldn't be fun watching Jenny. Even
though I'm like bothered with her, I was still interested

(43:55):
in what was going to happen and what's going on.
I'm just bothered. So I'm like, I know Jenny is
better than that, right, So all in all, it's just
like very brilliant. But yeah, I also think, um, I
noticed in this episode that I feel like we're starting
to feel the kind of ebb of n y U
like because over time in these seasons they kind of

(44:19):
just sort of drift away from this the college based storylines,
you know what I mean. So I feel like this,
you see Blair in that like dorm room, but it's
transforming even more and more into like a regular kind
of room. So I feel, you know, it's kind of funny.
So we start to see that here and obviously I
guess Vanessa's on vacation seeing her sister's gigs. Yeah, I

(44:43):
guess she's in Albany at her sister's gig, which is funny.
I wish I could go back and actually know what
I was doing that week, Like did I go home
to Wisconsin? Did I go back to l A. Because
I obviously had the whole had like a whole week off, yeah,
or how it took ten day or whatever it took.
I did, Like my contract was ten of thirteen, so right,
I do ten episodes and then have a couple off, right, Yeah,

(45:04):
and you never know when that's coming and yeah, um
yeah that's fun. But it is crazy some scenes that
I'll watch, I'm like, I literally don't remember filming, not
at all, Like when you said you didn't remember, Um,
I don't remember that chess No, Like I mean no
recollection that at all. Because that thing I'm using, that
sweeper is a thing I had used a few times

(45:24):
because it's one of those things they have like in
schools that doesn't actually do anything. It's like a it's
kind of like a little broom with a wheel. Remember
using that? Yeah, So I always used always that restaurants.
Yeah yeah, yeah, but it kind of picks up bigger crumbs.
But I definitely used that thing a lot, but I
have no recollection of that chess game or that, you know.

(45:46):
And then it's just funny because you watch and you're
like it's out of body because we're like, that's me.
I definitely me. That's literally you don't I don't know,
you know, I had don't remember that. Yeah, yeah, I
had a funny it was totally unrelated. But my my
and he was an actor. She met her husband, who
was a filmmaker when they were like nineteen. They met

(46:06):
doing like a student film, and they when they were
doing the auditions, his writing partner couldn't be there, so
they taped the auditions. And this was like a long
time ago, so it was like before everything was taped, um,
so it was like special a VHS tape, um. And
so they have a tape of them meeting. So they're
like he's like hi, and she's like hi, I'm Emily,
and they like shake hands, you know, and it's funny

(46:27):
as they played at their wedding, which was you know,
like fifteen years later, because they went all those other
life things. But you're like, it's funny to have those
moments that she was like, we have a visual record
of the moment we met, but neither one of us
really remember it in a particular way. So it's funny.
It was our whole life is like captured in some way.
So even though you don't remember if you went home

(46:50):
for that week or whatever, it's like you kind of
have like somewhat of a visual document of your life.
And you're like, I remember wearing that shirt in that scene,
so that was and then I'm you know, and I
used to live there and what you know, it's funny
how we have this some trip down memory lane when
we watched these episodes, you know for sure. Yeah, it's
it's so it's been such a fun thing to do. Yeah,

(47:13):
it's really cool because it was really a big chunk
of all of our lives. Yeah huge, you know what
I mean, Like it was years for for you and
I also like the real kind of formative years too.
You know a lot of people in the show had
had careers that started very young, right like as kids,
you know, do working and UM. Part of what's so

(47:34):
cool to me about watching UM everyone's career is sort
of bloom when the Gossip al took off. Is the
fact that it's already even though everyone was young. It
was the culmination of a dream that had already been
really rooted, you know. So it's like people have been
working already for years for this goal and then just
got to get a job that is fun, that features
your talents, that continues, that is popular, that has an

(47:57):
audience that kind of goes season after season after season.
I mean, it's such a bill and then such a
huge gift. You know. You have this dream and then
you get to live it, you know, and you're like, whoa.
So it's it's awesome, you know as an actor when
you're like reading different scripts and getting into different roles,
auditioning for certain roles that you really dig and connect to,

(48:19):
and sometimes they go your way and sometimes they don't.
We never really know what our career is going to be.
We know what we want, we know what we like,
but sometimes you never know. As artists, like the chips
don't always fall the way you think. Sometimes it's way
better than what you thought. Sometimes it's not exactly what
you expected, and that's what the cool thing is like,
you just don't ever know. I always tell young our

(48:41):
actors when I talk to them about like, you know,
when people are nervous about what's my career going to be?
And I'm like, you don't know where the opportunities lie.
You can't you cannot forecast or predict. Like you're not
a psychic medium, You're an actor. So like Dorota, Dorota
had no lines, I mean, and then it turned into
a part. You know, who knew that that was gonna
be cool? I didn't know that. Yeah, And it's and
it's even if like sometimes people be like, oh, it's

(49:02):
the next you know, this big director's movie, that's you know,
I want that to this, and then all of a
sudden the movie turns out and it wasn't quite that
director's best work. So it's like it's never you've really
just got to I always say give it. You're all
put your heart into it and try to enjoy it
as much as kin to me, I'm like, the day
that I'm not enjoying it, I don't want to do
it anymore, you know what I mean. Like, because people

(49:23):
were like, well, what do you want to do next?
What do you think about this? I'm like, the chips
will fall where they may, they where they need to,
like I'll just keep on working because you don't really
like for this. I was like, I'm gonna, you know,
I want to try doing a podcast, and yeah, exactly,
it's just funny. And then people are like, oh, so
now you're gonna podcaster and I'm like, no, not everything
is always so black and white, like yes, I am

(49:44):
a podcaster now, but like this was I wanted to
just kind of do this for the fans and with you,
and this has been so fun. But it's also like
it's just what I was. I was just what I
was saying before that it's what we do. Is you
never really know because people are like, well, do you
want to do another show? And I'm like, it's not
like that. I love doing TV, but I don't yes,
but is it going to be one that's twenty two
episodes again? Or is it gonna be a mini series

(50:05):
that's ten? Like you just don't know, and even if
I want to, that doesn't mean it's going to lay
out that way because it just doesn't, you know. Like
someone one day I was like, you just don't you
want like a gritty show on HBO. I'm like, I'm
pretty sure. If you asked every actor that, yeah, they'd
be like, uh, yeah, I do. Well. It's like, my
my boyfriend is a stand up comedian and sometimes people

(50:25):
ask and they're like, what do you like to do
a show at like Madison Square Garden. He's like, yeah,
I would like that. Yeah, but you know what I mean, jokes.
I literally just said one of his jokes. He does
that joke on hisself. He would be so he'd be like,
you said it all wrong, right, you made me laugh.
But we actually we saw Dame Chappelle and Chris Rock

(50:48):
last night and it was yeah, yes, it's so fun
to go to. That's one of my favorite things. Yeah,
I've always admired it because it's so Yeah, it's so
brilliant because like they are really self activated, because like
they're writing the material, they're performing it, they're entirely self
self motivated, and and you know, there's nobody else up
there but them, and it's like really thrilling. I think

(51:10):
to watch you know that live music. I like live things,
you know what I mean. Theater yea, so fun. But
it was um well sports live, sports also live. Yeah,
that's the closing quote for this particular episode. It was
kind of a um, really specific one. Yeah, yes, should

(51:33):
go Yeah, Okay, Like all good things, the Witching Hour
must come to an end. True natures are revealed, tricks
are turned into treats, and taking off costumes is as
much fun as putting them on, except for the little
girls who forget that Halloween is only one night. They
wear their costumes for so long. Pretty soon they can't

(51:53):
even remember who they were before they put them on.
XO XO Gossip Girl. It's really loaded, it's all. It's
also so funny when I go back and when I'm
watching the shows because the gossip or quote is like
five minutes. Yeah, it's always like the last five minutes.
It's very like spread out. But I like how they
did it. I used to hate that when I was

(52:15):
a kid, when you'd be watching the show and the
and the like end credits or the you could feel
it was wrapping up and you were like no. But
now we have a benefit of binge watching, so we're like,
next episode, you know, like I haven't not like I've
binged almost everything in the last couple of years, but
right now I'm up to date. Or each week with
White Lotus and I I just want the next episode,

(52:38):
and we all yes. The other time day we were
like freaking out because I was like, I was like,
we should just you know, collect these because like this
is you know, so we can enjoy ourselves and just
sit and just really gorge on it. Because watching the
one hour, I'm like, no, yeah, it's like fact. We
were doing the promo video for this podcast in New
York City, like the met stairs went down to the

(53:00):
Humphrey Loft is the exterior of the Humphrey Loft, And
I got a call and my agents like, listen, you
need to make a tape like tonight. I'm like, I'm
in New York and I like, get I'm taking a
red eye. So we go back to my hotel room. Diego,
our producer on this podcast, and Hannah help me run
lines and read the tape because I auditioned for Daphne
on White Lotus. Oh wow, that was my tape in

(53:22):
my hotel room the day of them, which is so
funny because watching it, I feel like Harper and I
could almost play sisters. Yeah. I went out for Daphne,
which I find interesting, but yeah, you never know, it's
like so weird. It's so weird when you see that
how it ends up getting cast and you're like you
can see the different iterations of process they went through
in terms of type. Yeah, I went back and watch

(53:45):
the tape to see because I saw the scenes and like, bad,
that's the scene and this is the scene and this
is the scene. Um, just to kind of see. But
I think they did. Meredith Tucker, who cast that, is
such a great casting directors. She's really cool. Knock it
out of the park. I mean, yeah, it's so good.
I can't wait to see what I laugh. I know, ever,
and they do such a good job of that suspense

(54:06):
intention Well we'll have to see who die and and
in Gossip Girl will have to see will anyone make
up with each other after I know what is going
to happen. But it was fun. I mean I feel
like we got to the bottom of our personal issues
with this episode. And you know, we'll see what big
party they have in store for us next week when

(54:28):
everyone next time everything can come to a head. But yes,
super fun and I hope everyone is having a great
holiday season. Um, it stays more if you're in New
York staying dry, if your New York and if you
do need a Christmas movie. Designing Christmas is still streaming
on Discovery Plus. Yes, that's a good one. You can

(54:50):
have a little hot chocolate and a little blanket and
watch that's the most cozy little fighre. Um. We'll stay too,
and we have a special one next week and right
by guys. Bye x O x SO is produced by

(55:20):
Propagate Content and Meet Jessica's Or. Our show is executive
produced by Linkley. Our senior producer is Diego Tapia. Our
producers are Hannah Harris, Emily Carr, and Kristin Vermilion, and
our intern is Sammy Cats. Original music by Moxie and
Lum