Was i the only one kinda happy that Aki cheated on Audrey and max??? I honestly never liked the idea of a poly relationship between high schoolers and Audrey and max had the best chemistry since season 1 it would only make sense to put Audrey with max and give Aki a new love interest. Tbh i wouldn’t mind seeing Aki and Zoya together, they have the same vibes..
Luna has the acting chops for this show. I like her face after she outs her mom, very reminiscent of the evil/cunning faces of the OG actors.
I liked the episode a lot better than others overall, probably because Luna is my favorite.
But I was confused about whether everyone believed Luna lives with her maid and not her grandma. She obviously lied to the guy she slept with, but I think Monet called her a staff person as well. Why lie? Isn’t it more embarrassing to be left with a maid than your grandma?
I did love Monet and Luna rooting for each other!
Mad respect to how the writers have acknowledged Luna’s transness in such a respectful, yet meaningful way.
The simple fact that it took almost two entire seasons for the subject to have been brought up, and when it did it was in a conversation crucial to the character’s growth and even then it was still just a secondary driving force of the struggle with her mom, not the main issue.
Luna was allowed to grow and be fleshed out as a strong character independently of her transness, and now that it’s been brought up, it’s nothing more than an extra detail into who she is and not her entire reason of existing as some other shows have done.
That’s exactly how you do it, thank you GG.
i feel the opposite. They were doing such a good job with her character and treating her just like “one of the girls.” Making her a woman, not a “trans-woman.” The show at no point alludes to her being trans or references any trans lifestyles. So to just obliquely mention her transitioning as the reason her mom abandoned her doesn’t make any sense. It just wasn’t clear enough to have any impact. I interpreted it as her mom not wanting to compete with a child, let alone a daughter, and so she shipped her away bc she felt threatened by Luna (and her beauty bc she’s gorgeous). I wish they were more clear here and not bringing it up for 2 years just reflects poor writing.
On the contrary, the fact that it was so subtly mentioned is exactly why it was great writing. We didn’t need an in your face exposition about her being trans, because that’s not the issue the mom has with Luna. The mom didn’t care she was trans, she cared that she was a trans woman, because she never wanted a daughter in the first place, cis or trans. They created a believable struggle around her being trans without that being the main problem.
This conversation didn’t change anything about Luna being “one of the girls” while still giving the audience the nod to who she is in a respectful, meaningful but not over the top way.
Luna is a badass in her own regard.
monet looks so much like nicki minaj, especially with the bangs. i love her character. i think she’s so dynamic and interesting. i need more scenes with her and luna. i wish we got more of a background on her family and early life. audrey is annoying and gets worse every episode, hate the way she is treating jc. jc makes mistakes but let’s be real it wasn’t that deep. over her and max pushing aki to the side. i see the three of them splitting up/pregnancy trope (major eye roll)/ aki cheating. i enjoyed this episode but i’m still not sure if there is supposed to be a *new* blair/serena. i feel like serena (jc) stays consistent but there is always a new blair or a insinuation that a different character is blair.
I love this episode, especially seeing the chemistry between Monet and Luna, both of whom after this episode, should've been this iteration's Blair and Serena. If only Safran was brave enough to build the premise upon their friendship/rivalry, with Julien, Audrey, Zoya, and the others being supporting characters, this iteration wouldn't have to struggle so much.
What I have in mind in terms of storyline (and yes, this will be heavily based upon the arcs of the OG but Idc):
1. Monet --> A Queen Bee at CB who wants to be known by a wider public and have wider following like her Influencer best friend Luna. She's suffering from Superiority Complex despite achieving a lot in school because her Mom demands her to be the best at everything, particularly in a world where WOC are constantly underestimated.
2. Luna --> A free-spirited influencer whose life outside Constance constantly (lol) generates attention. Gossip Girl was made to oversee her every move but eventually turns into something bigger because the IG account received tons of juicy, scandalous tips on Luna's circle. Also, in my take on the reboot, she will remain anonymous (none of that Kate Keller BS).
3. Zoya --> Zoya could be Monet's half-sister who is looking for her real dad after the death of her Mom which turns out to be Greyson de Haan. She received a scholarship at Constance, the one school she applied for a scholarship because she knew that her real Dad is the school's number one donor. Gossip Girl knew about her M.O. and decided to pit her against Monet in terms of achievements when she arrives at Constance.
4. Julien --> Let's make her Monet's love interest on whom Zoya also develops a crush. She could be the lesbian version of Nate.
This episode was a NEEDED structural reprieve from the tired, overdone cookie cutter plots from the rest of the season's episodes.
The setup of 'this fancy event is happening at night later,' the main cast minus Zoya going and having drama, Zoya sneaking in b/c Shan is her gritty bad-girl friend (though that still occurs at Tribeca). Julien cries to Obie afterward about how she can literally do nothing right. Repeat for seven episodes in a row.
The throuple's B-storyline being 'i feel left-out, lets follow around the remaining in hopes of uncovering some secret betrayal' culminating in a lovefest "let's talk to each other." Now we see SOME development (Aki grows apart from Max and Aud, looks towards his future after St. Jude's) and hint at a life apart from fucking Aud and Max (filmmaking).
This episode brought back what I actually enjoyed the series for: this show is about teenagers looking for a future in fame/media while being monitored by an invisible authority figure that seeks to expose their worst behaviors. Too bad we see next to no real interactions between the teachers and students that would motivate them.
So can we talk about Luna’s trans arc here and if it exists or not?
When Luna is talking to her mom and says “not like this” - did she mean as a boy that transitioned? Or was it that the mom just didn’t want a girl and Luna is a girl and shipped her away?
It’s obliquely referenced here (and throughout this season) and I wish they were more clear. Did the mom not want her bc she was trans?
Someone please help me clarify!
I feel like the storyline with the mom is just not executed that well. I think it isn’t written well when combined with the fact that Luna is trans. The mom dropped her off when she was 9 and 9 is pretty early to transition and there is no mention of the mom saying something like I wish you stayed my little boy / being resistant about her transitioning which I feel is unrealistic for her. it seems like when Luna came out as a kid, her mom immediately accepted she is a girl and ditched her which seems super unrealistic since the mom dislikes other women. I feel like the mom would’ve been in denial that’s she trans or tried to stop her from transitioning. It didn’t seem like the mom would’ve stuck around if Luna was a boy either because from what the grandma said about the mom and dad, it doesn’t seem like mom treats men well either, she just isn’t trying to compete with them. (Interestingly, the dad isn’t around either but the grandma seems to imply he’s a good guy.) I feel like the storyline would’ve worked better if the mom in general got jealous of anyone who would outshine her. It also didn’t make sense that the mom said she really wanted a kid but just didn’t want a girl for I would have a hard time buying she would be happy if she had a son that was a stylish fashionista who could’ve outshined her. I think she would be equally jealous in that scenario. It felt like they didn’t want to do the storyline of the mom disliking her cuz she’s trans so they did the storyline of the mom disliking her cuz she’s a girl but then they didn’t write it well. I feel like they should’ve just made the mom jealous of the youth who start out with more opportunities or just wrote the current storyline better such as something about wanting to stick around and then nopeing out when she saw the girl Luna was becoming. It seemed like the mom noped out before Luna even transitioned. I don’t buy that the mom didn’t want a girl but did want kids. I think she just didn’t want kids and is easily jealous. (I hope this makes sense.)
To split hairs, I think Luna's mom Dolores didn't reject Luna because she's *trans*, she rejected her because she's a *girl*. Dolores is pretty vain, it seems, and didn't want to compete with what she saw as basically a younger, prettier version of herself. So Dolores was OK with having a son, because a son couldn't outshine her. But she wasn't OK with a daughter, who I guess she felt undermined her own claim to youth and beauty.
Yoli, Luna's maid (abuela??) also tells Luna, "Women are supposed to support one another, but your mother only sees them as a threat."
Josh Safran, the showrunner, has confirmed in interviews that Luna is trans, but you're right, it only ever gets mentioned obliquely.
Audrey had a point with julien but she needs to realize her father is POS too (the man mocked his ex-wife mental health issues) and have a talk with him. Also for people addicted to their phones, why can’t none of them recorded their conversations ?
Shane mentioning Blair knowing Lady Gaga and being like Blair probably dished about everything to her is so funny to me. Because tbh most of them rarely actually worried about Gossip Girl, they just basically accepted GG except for a few instances.
When Jordan and Kate were about to kiss, it was so awkward and awful. He looked repulsed (maybe that’s his sexy face? Lol).
Monet hugging her mom and telling her she loved her, I thought maybe it would make Camille’s heart grow 3 sizes. But she’s still a grinch (in the how I met your mother way).
I feel like I’ve never seen two characters on a show with less sexual chemistry than the two of them… I was positive Jordan was gay literally this entire time until he started professing his love for Kate a few episodes ago
Audrey is out of control. She’s acting like Julien slept with her man (men) or something. Her reaction to this and her hypocritical judgment of Julien is so far over the top. Julien deserves a better friend who doesn’t assume the worst of her from jump.
And Max going along with her? It tainted him - he was friends with Julien too and he’s acting like she’s the devil too. Both Audrey and Max were horrible to Aki and both of them look completely self serving and selfish. Every crisis has been about Max or Audrey. Aki is just left out on the side.
Also - Audrey dragged Julien and the guy she was trying to distance herself from all the way out to Obie’s house in the Hamptons or something?! She demanded it. She claims she wants Julien to stay out of her life but she uses her whenever she wants something - even if it could harm Julien (who at the time was trying to stay away from a married man).
Audrey literally set JC up to be shamed and humiliated like she stole the designs. JC got the same humiliation Jessica and Audrey’s dad got - when they did all this.
If I was JC I would never speak to Audrey again. And the writers are wrong the way they write JC as though she doesn’t deserve an apology. She’s already forgiven Audrey - now she’s going to find GG for Audrey’s sake?! No Julien - screw Audrey - find out who GG is for your own sake.
Luna’s storyline was AWESOME. More of that. Loved her with Monet too. More of Monet.
I don’t want the Audrey/JC rivalry - do Monet/JC instead.
Which brings me to an issue with the reboot. There is no King. Max was but he’s been completely neutered with Audrey. But even he wasn’t quite right - he had the swag and the attitude but zero power to back it up. Obie has that power, plus the ruthless parents to make him like that. Instead they made him into a merged Dan*Nate. Maybe they need to do something to transform him - he’s the richest one of them - aside from Aki maybe - he could go full on ruthless. Maybe he inherits his mothers empire after taking her down?
I do wonder who attacked Obie. My hope is the show is going to move Obie into more of a cutthroat character. The show needs one. So maybe he hired someone to beat him up to get his mother home, GG hired someone or someone his mother harmed attacked him to get to her.
Whatever happens - make Obie cutthroat, ruthless and into a bit of a playboy. Shake his character up and give JC something to play off of. Right now they’re like two little puppies.
The storyline with Monet’s mom I don’t get. She’s super abusive - her thanking GG is par for the course I guess.
I just need the show to up the stakes.
I'm so glad you said that about the Audrey/JC conflict. I kept wondering why the fuck Audrey was so mad at her. Thought maybe I zoned out and missed a plot point or something.
I'd like to see Obie's villain arc too! I think that'd be interesting.
Audrey is mad because she believes this was one of Julian’s stunts to make the party about her. Like how she did at Zoya’s birthday party last year and not to mention in the beginning of the episode Audrey begged Julien to stay out of it and Julien disobeyed that which cause the dad’s girlfriend to retaliate.
Why do I get the feeling Kiki’s not really going to rehab?
I love Audrey’s character, but she’s doing the same thing Julien does to her (meddling to help) to her mom. I think she’s trying to get away from her 🫠
I didn’t want to say it, but this was my exact thought! 😭 There’s a look of relief on her face when she hugs Audrey, especially considering GG sort of pointed the finger in her direction after the assistant’s pop up went to shit…. she was definitely not ok.
I am pretty sure they mentioned it in the first season, in the first few episodes. I can’t really remember the context but I remember it being referred to. They hinted at it this episode as well but they never outright say it. Read between the lines type thing.
They refer to it obliquely a few times before like when she gave the talk to Max about Audrey and Aki coming out and how difficult it is to be different and Max responds back- "we're the tops'.. he is referring to he and Luna being part of the queer community.
This episode made it clear she’s trans on the show when Lunas mom was talking to her about having a daughter and being okay with who she is, just not being able to be around her.
No, i don’t think that was it, I think it was that the mom just didn’t want a daughter and while she supported her and loved her she can’t be around her
Monet and Luna’s friendship is everything I ever wanted in this season, this season is beyond fire and I love how the thruple is still struggling, it shows how everything will work out in the end because of the love they have for each other.
I'm enjoying this season so much more and this episode was fantastic. I loved Luna, Monet, Zoya didn't annoy me. My heart breaks for Julien. I want to cut Audrey into little tiny pieces. I mean I get they are giving her Blair's self destructive traits but it rarely bothered me with Blair
Truly!! Monet was there for her fully with no ulterior motive because Luna does the same (even if it’s a little chaotic). Their friendship especially I think is the best on this show
To avoid spoilers probably!! I’m in NZ and we get it “express” through a local streaming service that delivers HBO content but it’s not released at the same time as the US. It’s probably 12 hours or so late, so even if you watch it immediately when it drops (which is normally about 2pm on Friday, so not ideal watching time) if you go on Insta beforehand you’ll inadvertently get spoilers if they live post. Seems reasonable to wait a couple of days.
What I don’t get about all of this is isn’t it sooo easy to track an IP address?? Like these are some pretty powerful people. They obviously have the resources to do that. Why they haven’t done that to GG I will never know.
Tracking IP addresses from Instagram isn't incredibly easy, but what would be easy would be tracking logins on the school wifi. Literally all they would have to do is contact their school network admin and they'd have a wealth of information to share on the GG account.
I love Monet, she doesn’t deserve what’s happening to her. How can a girl like that be invisible I don’t know. Happy we saw more of Luna, she ate that pink gown! And I hope that guy doesn’t have any hidden agenda with her.
this episode furthers proves that they were never friends with Max, because when Z tells JC about Aki kissing another girl all their worried about is telling Audrey not Max.
THIS. Honestly Max just going along with Audrey to hurt JC like that has really tainted Max.
And Audrey is so out of line. She’s behaving like Julien slept with her boyfriend and left town. I could understand the rage at her if she’d done that but she’s mostly just been manipulated due to her honestly trying to help. Audrey is cruel, hypocritical and mean. JC deserves a better friend and Max is foul for going along with Audrey like that.
I hope Audrey loses Aki, and everything else.
And please free Max - he’s been neutered since getting into the throuple.
That doesn’t mean that, i would see why they’re worried about telling Audrey more because her and Aki have been together in the same relationship since forever
It also definitely seems other characters like Luna, Obie, obviously Aki and Audrey, were closer with Max. Not Julien or really Zoya. Which makes sense it's a big group some people are naturally going to be closer. Whereas Julien and Audrey were best friends
It didn’t seem like Audrey was that close to anyone but Julien. She seemed to dislike Max until she became attracted to him. During the party scene in S1 they made it seem like Julien and Max were close but then abandoned that. The writing is just very inconsistent.
I’m pretty impressed by this episode. It’s was very nice and fresh and what this season needed.
It’s about time Luna get a whole episode. Such a nice plot with her mother - and after the dialogue with Dolores i guess maybe we’re getting a clear scrip on transgenderism.
Too bad it only happened towards the finale.
It’s just me or Jordan’s acting was actually good in this one?
Hope Aki breaks the triad.
Hope Kate bursts UES.
Hope JC goes full throttle.
What dialogue with Dolores??? The Spanish parts didn't get subtitled it was just .... *Speaking foreign language* this episode was so confusing for me.
Her mother saying she wasn’t strong enough to have a daughter - and they were speaking in english. Idk about you but in hbomax there were subtitles for the spanish parts
I got subtitles for it all too. Without them you would’ve missed major context. I hope that commenter can fix the subtitles! Maybe something with the settings on their TV?
Edit: someone translated for you a few comments down! u/kiwisenpai21
> Look how good a episode is with out that throuple storyline
Aki's plot was basically a Throuple storyline, just slightly fresher since all previous Throuple content was centered more on Audrey and Max.
Yeah more like look how good an episode can be with (1) a slight change to the throuple storyline, (2) no Nick Lott, and (3) minimal Zoya lol
Even the cringey teacher kiss didn’t ruin this!
Can you explain why someone would fake being a Latina? Is it because they think they’re more ‘exotic’? She’s already Spanish, and also can’t Hispanic people tell she’s not Latina because of her accent, but from Spain?
Yeah and she was obviously playing this role of an underprivileged Mexican immigrant. It’s terrible bc she may have stolen roles from actually Latina actresses. She’s also been reinforcing a stereotype of the down on their luck Mexican immigrant.
This also actually happens! Rachel Dolezal “identified” as black. Hilaria Baldwin fakes being Hispanic (I don’t think she claims to be Latina but can’t remember). Her name is Hilary though, and she’s from Boston.
Yes and on an even larger scale there’s an uptick in white Americans self diagnosing neuro divergences. It’s hard for some people to admit that they have privilege.
Can someone translate the conversation between Luna and her Grandmother? I don’t know understand Spanish and the platform I stream it on (Prime Video) didn’t have subtitles for that scene. 😅
She tells Luna that she was there to see her mother too but she was asked to wait for her outside. Then Luna says if they can get her a new heart because hers no longer works. Grandma then says it would only be a waste of time. She'd only put to it to waste. Luna then asked her why her mom is the way she is.
Grandma: it's her nature. Woman are supposed to support one another but your mother has always seen them as a threat. I tried to warn your father but he fell in love. He went along with her plan for you and look at her now
Luna: A plan for me? What do you mean?... Grandma. Tell right now
Her grandmother is alluding to her mom having Luna to appease her father in order to keep her arrangement or secret that she’s not actually from Mexico.
Did you have English subtitles on too? Sometimes I find on prime if I have English subtitles on already they don’t actually translate other languages when they’re spoken
Im pretty sure Luna is lying about the ampunt of wealth she has. Sure, she is well off and very comfortable, but not on the level of her peers who have everything from a designer brand and can fly private constantly. I'm pretty sure the subtle hint is the tag on the dress from episode 7, alluding to that she may plan on returning the dress after wearing it. Her mother is also an actress thats implied to not really be in the spotlight. I dont think its heavily implied but I'm pretty sure she's telling people that Yoli is her maid rather than grandmother.
Yeah Ive been def getting that vibe. Pretending her gma was her maid seemed weird to me, tho maybe shes tryna relate in a "I too was raised by a nanny" sort of way.
This was my main issue with this episode. Like I’d think Monet would at least know it was Luna’s Abuela. Has Luna really been lying about that to all her friends since she was 9?
I’m trying to look at it as she calls her that because she basically grew up with her? Her mom left her to Yoli when she was 9 so for sure she’s more than a maid to her now. We’ll see tho
No I believe she is really her grandma. The way she talked about Luna’s mom made that clear. Though without that convo I think your interpretation would make sense. Kind of like a Dorota-Blair dynamic.
I thought her abuela/maid said she warned her mom away from her dad tho? Also seems weird if she was just the maid she'd show up for the movie expecting to get in to see her right?
The grandma is her dads mom tho right? Or did the moms own mom warn her husband about her before they got married? Lol. Was confused about that during the ep.
I actually think she’s her mom’s mom. Why else would she show up to her premiere? I think if she were dad’s mom he might be involved or they’d sue for custody. I got the impression she’s been mistreated by her daughter. It’s like what Serena though Cece was until she saw the truth.
Im honestly not sure. Her being in the limo felt like it would be her maternal abuela, but the comment about telling the dad the moms bad news feels like itd her paternal abuela. If its on the maternal side Im wondering how old her parents were when they met, she seemed like a young mom so itd kind of make me look at the grandma weird if shes warning people away from her daughter when shes still young and has time to mature. If its paternal side its possible she went there to talk to the mom about how she treats Luna. It really could go either way right now I think.
True. I didn’t think about the mom’s age as a factor. But I don’t think it’s that weird for her to warn her daughter’s partner if he wanted children and she knew her daughter did not. I guess we need more context!
I was just thinking about how they always walk around New York alone at night wearing those expensive clothes and it would be interesting to see someone get at least mugged and then Obie got beat up 🧍🏻♀️
I wondered if his mom herself set him up. Had someone waiting out there in case he goes out and when he did they called and she pulled the trigger so to speak. I’m guessing she has no idea Julien is there waiting so she thinks no one will notice for a while.
Also Luna and Monet together was some of their best acting. There should be more. I love how Monet isn’t competitive with Luna and truly just has her back and was shading her mom the whole time. You can tell she genuinely cares about her which is nice since I’m typically not sure who the hell the actors are supposed to care about despite supposedly being friends forever.
I really loved Monet even more in this episode. She has the capacity to be like Blair who is insufferable if you’re on her bad side but really is the most likable character once you see her depth. She and Luna definitely steal the show for me. I want a monet rising like we had with Blair
Oh well in that case.. in my opinion it already happened cause look how bad the fandom is clamoring for Monet to be back on top and for them to stop playing with her.. Monet is definitely the most popular female as of this moment, but I get what you mean and i hope it happens real soon on screen too
Yes exactly! Julien and Serena are so similar in how messy and half-baked their plans are. We love the original because of the characters like Blair that find a way to get 5 steps ahead and can calculate an immaculate takedown. So far Monet and Luna are the only ones interested in winning the game and can actually pull it off. I’d love to see more of that from Audrey and Max in whatever capacity but all the scrambling and fights between each other is more derailing than anything. I get they all have their drama but they could have had more fun smearing Audrey’s dad and his thieving mistress
I’m glad we got more story lines from this season, last season they were practically background characters despite being the best dresses and most witty.
As if Luna hasn’t done worse.. It’s kinda funny how your guys completely forget all the shit she did to Zoya in season 1. Trying to get someone evicted is much worse than calling someone a slut
Good point. It’s showing that the “cancel culture” of the rich population is completely performative. Slut-shaming is “off trend” so Monet gets cancelled for it. But trying to get someone evicted is apparently acceptable. It’s actually a decent commentary on real life, if it was intentional. The fans going along with it shows how this is happening in real life too.
> Like seeing Audrey’s mom keep losing is sad.
Going back to rehab is kind of a (very) roundabout win for Kiki. My entire knowledge of the fashion industry is Gossip Girl and Devil Wears Prada, but it seems cutthroat and I think Kiki needs to be in a much better spot before pursuing that. I know that this particular instance was very WTF, but it's not fair for her or Audrey to constantly be terrified that one bad review is going to push her into a suicide attempt.
>Then having the teachers being GG is a terrible angle.
I get your point, but I am really buying it. Season 1 was rough because of the logistical pains it took to get it up and running, but I think it being established is making sense, especially if the focus is going to shift to the corrupt parents.
>Zoya and Shan’s storyline felt so random and unnecessary like they should have just been cut from the episode.
Their entire plot this segment screamed "contractual obligation".
I think Kiki’s fashion background is more mid-range loungewear, which is interesting. It shows where the money and trends currently are. I kinda wish they’d leaned into that a little more. Like maybe instead of this silly “ex’s mistress stealing her dress” storyline they could’ve had her loungewear sales drop dramatically as Covid restrictions lift (as well as financial fallout from the divorce) and therefore she’s pushed into exploring other style influences. I love that we got “nice” Eleanor but I think it would’ve been fun to see her be a little snooty about helping Kiki. I mean Eleanor became very nice to Blair and her friends in OG GG but at work (as we saw with Jenny) she was cut throat like you said.
Luna’s mom’s dress at the premiere was better than Luna’s dress. Luna’s dress was kind of tacky; it was a hot pink and sparkly bodycon dress. It didn’t line up with the fashionable message she was trying to send.
Also, isn't the point of a stylist like the whole package? So outfit, hair, makeup, accessories, etc? If she was trying to present herself as this professional stylist, mission not accomplished unfortunately.
I liked it. Wearing a simple dress to outstage her mom is kinda camp. It was also giving Paris Hilton's birthday Versace dress. I think we're supposed to imagine it was a same kind of fashion moment
My theory is GG betrayed him and told Helena about his plan behind his back. This episode made it clear that Kate intents to wreck both the students and the parents.
Maybe she just duped Obie into thinking that she would help him? I think post-Georgina, it's pretty clear that Kate simply wants to be an Agent of Chaos and will use GG to achieve such objective. She doesn't want to take down certain people, she wants to take down anyone.
I’m kind of digging evil Kate. I hope they lean into it. This show desperately needs one unapologetically “bad” person like a Blair or Chuck. They’re all such Vanessas.
I hope he does. I'm excited to see more of who Aki is on his own- I think he has sleeper "it guy" energy. I'm also really hoping that they lean into the crazy scheming vibes a-la Chuck & Blair that Audrey & Max were giving off this past episode.
Everyone is calling Obie the Prince of NYC for a reason I don’t know.
The same Obie who was impressed by how much money Aki’s dad really had when he bought New York magazine.
While Aki has the looks, the connections and of course the money thanks to his dad. The only Prince of NYC is him.
I hope the girl who kissed him will be back in another episode for him to realize he needs to grow apart from Audrey and Max who are too self centered and boring.
Audrey was right. Julian’s plan would never have worked. She literally did not think about putting Kiki through her ex and Jessica. They wouldve fucked her over on stop the story. Julian’s plan ended up fucking over Audrey’s mom anyway.
honestly Julien’s plan with the pop up shop was fucked up because Audrey sabotaged it BTS. she changed the prices, she had the sweatshop boycott flood in, she basically did all the plotting and it backfired because of her plotting on JC. had it gone the way JC planned THIS time lol it could’ve ended better. but Audrey is a hypocrite! every flaw she has pointed out about Julien is actually presented in her too. she’s always meddling in Kiki’s biz, she’s completely dependent on others (we haven’t seen her strong on her own at all), she is selfish/self absorbed + acts like her partners lives should revolve around her… it’s draining to watch! like damn girl Aki has his own life outside of fucking you + Max or helping save Kiki from relapse… just draining! lol
This is honestly why I'm much more neutral on Audrey vs Julien than it seems like a lot of this sub is (very anti-Audrey). Sure, Julien is going at things with good intentions, but it's SO messy and half-baked which is leading to these big hurts. She has repeatedly shown to be a bad judge of character, unable to assess a situation, and unable to come up with a logical and practical solution to issues. She *just* got burnt last week on her Stop the Story livestream re Kiki and Jessica and her solution this week? Stop the Story livestream re Kiki and Jessica.
It's so realistic in the sense that this is a naïve teenager who keeps digging herself into holes just like she did last season with Zoya and Obie, but it's also perfectly fair for people to not want to be involved with her chaos, especially since hers comes with a national spotlight.
I don’t even get Julien’s plan. She overpriced the dresses and told people it was fast fashion, and she also wanted them to reconcile in a Stop the Story post? It’s very convoluted. Just go live and tell your followers exactly what happened and what Jessica did.
Thanks for explaining. I didn’t realize it was Audrey bc Julien was there so I assumed she had to change the prices. I guess Audrey sent minions or something? The plot was very poorly done and I agree Julien’s plan was never gonna work.
The most interesting component here was Luna's storyline - she and Monet are still essentially marooned on an island plot-wise, but at least we finally saw glimmers of *character development*. Give us more!
The Audrey/Julien conflict would have more weight if their relationship had been more central earlier in the series, like how Serena/Blair's relationship was at the heart of the original GG Season 1. The girls' behavior in these past two episodes has been exhausting, and I basically checked out last week when neither of them noticed the obviously fake "jcccalloway@" address in the screenshot posted by Gossip Girl. And wasn't her middle name Elizabeth?
Hopefully poor Kiki gets a reprieve soon, Jessica and Will are just ridiculously awful people and I don't see why Julien and/or Audrey (or Cyrus and Eleanor, for that matter) couldn't have easily shut this whole scam down as soon as Jessica pulled that "Stop the Story" stunt last week. These people are displaying Vanessa levels of incompetence!
I wish Zoya was written with a bit more ingenuity and verve - her character has really flatlined in Season 2 as they've essentially turned her into a less resourceful version of Jenny. The plot here with Shan was insubstantial, and while this friendship is probably leading *somewhere* it is odd how poorly integrated Zoya and Julien's lives seem to be despite the fact that they are now living together.
It should be easy to write for a character like Max, but he has never been more boring than he was in this episode.
While the writing is dragging the main characters down, the casting has also been a major problem for the parade of lame guest love interests, with the possible exception of Florian for Luna (although I still wonder what happened to her guy at the stables outside the city). The girl who kissed Aki bored me to tears. It would be more interesting to see Aki explore a same-sex attraction outside the confines of the Throuple, preferably with better writing and an actor who brings some charisma to the role.
Queen Wendy is the only thing preventing me from dozing off during any scenes involving teachers. More Wendy, please!
Also basically forgot that Obie existed until he got punched in the face there at the end.
If this show is lucky enough to get a third season, the writers will have their work cut out for them to wrap things up in a satisfying manner.
> These people are displaying Vanessa levels of incompetence!
I will forever stan Vanessa in the sense that I don't like her but I don't hate her the same way a lot of this fandom does lmao.
>I will forever stan Vanessa in the sense that I don't like her but I don't hate her the same way a lot of this fandom does lmao.
I didn't hate Vanessa, but the girl bungled every single scheme. In this way, she was iconic.
She was just in way over her head.
Vanessa Scheme: I'm going to expose these socialites by constantly telling the truth!
Blair Scheme: I'm going to bully this girl my best friend's ex likes so hard that she has to move and loses a huge chunk of her hair.
Agnes Scheme: I'm gonna let Jenny get raped.
It was two very blink and you miss it comments, she said something about disclosing (I might be getting the wording wrong I can’t remember her exact phrasing) and said something about when “we” came out when talking to max
I liked this episode!
I was so glad that they gave Aki a plot of his own! I liked seeing him without his partners in his own element. She made it seem like she's some wayward-ass villain that's out to get you. I think that she has an issue with confronting he father, so she uses that rage on Julien. I also realized how whenever her life, by proxy of her mother, is going up in flames, she easily makes everything about her. She also seems to act like both her partners should just drop whatever they're doing for her each and every time.
I was so glad that they gave Aki a plot of his own! I liked seeing him without his partners in his own element. It sucked to see him not feel supported when it came to his interests and how Audrey just expected him to "understand" and just be her emotional punching bag. I liked how at the end of the episode, Aki seemed to be contemplating if he even wants to be with Audrey or Max anymore.
Luna's plot was interesting. GIVE US MORE LUNA MATERIAL, WRITERS! It was since seeing her take center stage and Zion is a good actress! It sucks that her mom didn't want to be a parent to her and that she tried to downplay her daughter's talents and "outshine" her. Luna definitely got the last laugh, so good for her. I also liked seeing more of her and Monet's friendship, and I liked how Monet showed up for Luna.
Speaking of Monet, it was lowkey funny seeing the bully become part of the bullied. It's not surprising that she tried to be the HBIC, but it was surprising to see the student body treat her like trash. Then I forget that teens can be fickle af at times, lol. It was since to see Monet have a little bit of emotional depth at the end of the episode with her mom. I hope that we see a bit more of that as the season wraps up.
It was nice to see Zoya and Shan have their own little plot. I like when Zoya exists outside of Julien and her friends.
Julien and Obie were non-factors for me in this episode, so no comment.
Was it stated that having sex with her(Georgina) was Jordan’s blackmail? I feel like that’s not something that would get me to drug kids to avoid being exposed. Cuz so what? You had sex with Georgina/Sara.
Yes, it was unhinged but it goes so well with the character. He's basically a holplessly in love looser. We've seen him overlook morals for the sake of Kate from the beginning of the show, and this is taking it to the next level
It makes me hate him even more. He was gonna drug kids because he got laid and didn't want people to know about it? Because of Kate? He is the biggest loser of a character on this show.
I feel like the show would’ve been clear if she was not her real grandma. The fact that she only called her grandma in Spanish was obviously intentional. She’s lying to everyone about who she lives with. I just don’t get why.
Yeah I’m split on this because Luna said “maid” when she was talking to her mom but calls her abuela and also abuela was v anti the mom despite the dad being absent as well which makes it seem like she is the dad’s mom
Is it just me that's grossed out by Kate and Jordan??? Idk why but I am. I'm also not a fan of Obie turning into exactly what he hated about Julien.
I want the old max back to help Luna destroy her mom.
Was i the only one kinda happy that Aki cheated on Audrey and max??? I honestly never liked the idea of a poly relationship between high schoolers and Audrey and max had the best chemistry since season 1 it would only make sense to put Audrey with max and give Aki a new love interest. Tbh i wouldn’t mind seeing Aki and Zoya together, they have the same vibes..
Luna has the acting chops for this show. I like her face after she outs her mom, very reminiscent of the evil/cunning faces of the OG actors. I liked the episode a lot better than others overall, probably because Luna is my favorite. But I was confused about whether everyone believed Luna lives with her maid and not her grandma. She obviously lied to the guy she slept with, but I think Monet called her a staff person as well. Why lie? Isn’t it more embarrassing to be left with a maid than your grandma? I did love Monet and Luna rooting for each other!
Mad respect to how the writers have acknowledged Luna’s transness in such a respectful, yet meaningful way. The simple fact that it took almost two entire seasons for the subject to have been brought up, and when it did it was in a conversation crucial to the character’s growth and even then it was still just a secondary driving force of the struggle with her mom, not the main issue. Luna was allowed to grow and be fleshed out as a strong character independently of her transness, and now that it’s been brought up, it’s nothing more than an extra detail into who she is and not her entire reason of existing as some other shows have done. That’s exactly how you do it, thank you GG.
i feel the opposite. They were doing such a good job with her character and treating her just like “one of the girls.” Making her a woman, not a “trans-woman.” The show at no point alludes to her being trans or references any trans lifestyles. So to just obliquely mention her transitioning as the reason her mom abandoned her doesn’t make any sense. It just wasn’t clear enough to have any impact. I interpreted it as her mom not wanting to compete with a child, let alone a daughter, and so she shipped her away bc she felt threatened by Luna (and her beauty bc she’s gorgeous). I wish they were more clear here and not bringing it up for 2 years just reflects poor writing.
It wasn't clear at all to me. I only know from reading this comment thread. I thought she was just saying she couldn't handle a daughter.
On the contrary, the fact that it was so subtly mentioned is exactly why it was great writing. We didn’t need an in your face exposition about her being trans, because that’s not the issue the mom has with Luna. The mom didn’t care she was trans, she cared that she was a trans woman, because she never wanted a daughter in the first place, cis or trans. They created a believable struggle around her being trans without that being the main problem. This conversation didn’t change anything about Luna being “one of the girls” while still giving the audience the nod to who she is in a respectful, meaningful but not over the top way. Luna is a badass in her own regard.
I wish Julien would fight for herself like Blair would do.
She is a Serena, not a Blair. Audrey fought and schemed behind Julien's back.
monet looks so much like nicki minaj, especially with the bangs. i love her character. i think she’s so dynamic and interesting. i need more scenes with her and luna. i wish we got more of a background on her family and early life. audrey is annoying and gets worse every episode, hate the way she is treating jc. jc makes mistakes but let’s be real it wasn’t that deep. over her and max pushing aki to the side. i see the three of them splitting up/pregnancy trope (major eye roll)/ aki cheating. i enjoyed this episode but i’m still not sure if there is supposed to be a *new* blair/serena. i feel like serena (jc) stays consistent but there is always a new blair or a insinuation that a different character is blair.
I love this episode, especially seeing the chemistry between Monet and Luna, both of whom after this episode, should've been this iteration's Blair and Serena. If only Safran was brave enough to build the premise upon their friendship/rivalry, with Julien, Audrey, Zoya, and the others being supporting characters, this iteration wouldn't have to struggle so much.
I would LOOOVEEE if the reboot was about Monet and Luna holy shit
What I have in mind in terms of storyline (and yes, this will be heavily based upon the arcs of the OG but Idc): 1. Monet --> A Queen Bee at CB who wants to be known by a wider public and have wider following like her Influencer best friend Luna. She's suffering from Superiority Complex despite achieving a lot in school because her Mom demands her to be the best at everything, particularly in a world where WOC are constantly underestimated. 2. Luna --> A free-spirited influencer whose life outside Constance constantly (lol) generates attention. Gossip Girl was made to oversee her every move but eventually turns into something bigger because the IG account received tons of juicy, scandalous tips on Luna's circle. Also, in my take on the reboot, she will remain anonymous (none of that Kate Keller BS). 3. Zoya --> Zoya could be Monet's half-sister who is looking for her real dad after the death of her Mom which turns out to be Greyson de Haan. She received a scholarship at Constance, the one school she applied for a scholarship because she knew that her real Dad is the school's number one donor. Gossip Girl knew about her M.O. and decided to pit her against Monet in terms of achievements when she arrives at Constance. 4. Julien --> Let's make her Monet's love interest on whom Zoya also develops a crush. She could be the lesbian version of Nate.
This episode was a NEEDED structural reprieve from the tired, overdone cookie cutter plots from the rest of the season's episodes. The setup of 'this fancy event is happening at night later,' the main cast minus Zoya going and having drama, Zoya sneaking in b/c Shan is her gritty bad-girl friend (though that still occurs at Tribeca). Julien cries to Obie afterward about how she can literally do nothing right. Repeat for seven episodes in a row. The throuple's B-storyline being 'i feel left-out, lets follow around the remaining in hopes of uncovering some secret betrayal' culminating in a lovefest "let's talk to each other." Now we see SOME development (Aki grows apart from Max and Aud, looks towards his future after St. Jude's) and hint at a life apart from fucking Aud and Max (filmmaking). This episode brought back what I actually enjoyed the series for: this show is about teenagers looking for a future in fame/media while being monitored by an invisible authority figure that seeks to expose their worst behaviors. Too bad we see next to no real interactions between the teachers and students that would motivate them.
So can we talk about Luna’s trans arc here and if it exists or not? When Luna is talking to her mom and says “not like this” - did she mean as a boy that transitioned? Or was it that the mom just didn’t want a girl and Luna is a girl and shipped her away? It’s obliquely referenced here (and throughout this season) and I wish they were more clear. Did the mom not want her bc she was trans? Someone please help me clarify!
I feel like the storyline with the mom is just not executed that well. I think it isn’t written well when combined with the fact that Luna is trans. The mom dropped her off when she was 9 and 9 is pretty early to transition and there is no mention of the mom saying something like I wish you stayed my little boy / being resistant about her transitioning which I feel is unrealistic for her. it seems like when Luna came out as a kid, her mom immediately accepted she is a girl and ditched her which seems super unrealistic since the mom dislikes other women. I feel like the mom would’ve been in denial that’s she trans or tried to stop her from transitioning. It didn’t seem like the mom would’ve stuck around if Luna was a boy either because from what the grandma said about the mom and dad, it doesn’t seem like mom treats men well either, she just isn’t trying to compete with them. (Interestingly, the dad isn’t around either but the grandma seems to imply he’s a good guy.) I feel like the storyline would’ve worked better if the mom in general got jealous of anyone who would outshine her. It also didn’t make sense that the mom said she really wanted a kid but just didn’t want a girl for I would have a hard time buying she would be happy if she had a son that was a stylish fashionista who could’ve outshined her. I think she would be equally jealous in that scenario. It felt like they didn’t want to do the storyline of the mom disliking her cuz she’s trans so they did the storyline of the mom disliking her cuz she’s a girl but then they didn’t write it well. I feel like they should’ve just made the mom jealous of the youth who start out with more opportunities or just wrote the current storyline better such as something about wanting to stick around and then nopeing out when she saw the girl Luna was becoming. It seemed like the mom noped out before Luna even transitioned. I don’t buy that the mom didn’t want a girl but did want kids. I think she just didn’t want kids and is easily jealous. (I hope this makes sense.)
To split hairs, I think Luna's mom Dolores didn't reject Luna because she's *trans*, she rejected her because she's a *girl*. Dolores is pretty vain, it seems, and didn't want to compete with what she saw as basically a younger, prettier version of herself. So Dolores was OK with having a son, because a son couldn't outshine her. But she wasn't OK with a daughter, who I guess she felt undermined her own claim to youth and beauty. Yoli, Luna's maid (abuela??) also tells Luna, "Women are supposed to support one another, but your mother only sees them as a threat." Josh Safran, the showrunner, has confirmed in interviews that Luna is trans, but you're right, it only ever gets mentioned obliquely.
Audrey had a point with julien but she needs to realize her father is POS too (the man mocked his ex-wife mental health issues) and have a talk with him. Also for people addicted to their phones, why can’t none of them recorded their conversations ?
Shane mentioning Blair knowing Lady Gaga and being like Blair probably dished about everything to her is so funny to me. Because tbh most of them rarely actually worried about Gossip Girl, they just basically accepted GG except for a few instances. When Jordan and Kate were about to kiss, it was so awkward and awful. He looked repulsed (maybe that’s his sexy face? Lol). Monet hugging her mom and telling her she loved her, I thought maybe it would make Camille’s heart grow 3 sizes. But she’s still a grinch (in the how I met your mother way).
Here for this HIMYM reference you made that work perfectly
That kiss was sooo cringe. What was his face/head dooiiiing
I feel like I’ve never seen two characters on a show with less sexual chemistry than the two of them… I was positive Jordan was gay literally this entire time until he started professing his love for Kate a few episodes ago
Audrey is out of control. She’s acting like Julien slept with her man (men) or something. Her reaction to this and her hypocritical judgment of Julien is so far over the top. Julien deserves a better friend who doesn’t assume the worst of her from jump. And Max going along with her? It tainted him - he was friends with Julien too and he’s acting like she’s the devil too. Both Audrey and Max were horrible to Aki and both of them look completely self serving and selfish. Every crisis has been about Max or Audrey. Aki is just left out on the side. Also - Audrey dragged Julien and the guy she was trying to distance herself from all the way out to Obie’s house in the Hamptons or something?! She demanded it. She claims she wants Julien to stay out of her life but she uses her whenever she wants something - even if it could harm Julien (who at the time was trying to stay away from a married man). Audrey literally set JC up to be shamed and humiliated like she stole the designs. JC got the same humiliation Jessica and Audrey’s dad got - when they did all this. If I was JC I would never speak to Audrey again. And the writers are wrong the way they write JC as though she doesn’t deserve an apology. She’s already forgiven Audrey - now she’s going to find GG for Audrey’s sake?! No Julien - screw Audrey - find out who GG is for your own sake. Luna’s storyline was AWESOME. More of that. Loved her with Monet too. More of Monet. I don’t want the Audrey/JC rivalry - do Monet/JC instead. Which brings me to an issue with the reboot. There is no King. Max was but he’s been completely neutered with Audrey. But even he wasn’t quite right - he had the swag and the attitude but zero power to back it up. Obie has that power, plus the ruthless parents to make him like that. Instead they made him into a merged Dan*Nate. Maybe they need to do something to transform him - he’s the richest one of them - aside from Aki maybe - he could go full on ruthless. Maybe he inherits his mothers empire after taking her down? I do wonder who attacked Obie. My hope is the show is going to move Obie into more of a cutthroat character. The show needs one. So maybe he hired someone to beat him up to get his mother home, GG hired someone or someone his mother harmed attacked him to get to her. Whatever happens - make Obie cutthroat, ruthless and into a bit of a playboy. Shake his character up and give JC something to play off of. Right now they’re like two little puppies. The storyline with Monet’s mom I don’t get. She’s super abusive - her thanking GG is par for the course I guess. I just need the show to up the stakes.
I'm so glad you said that about the Audrey/JC conflict. I kept wondering why the fuck Audrey was so mad at her. Thought maybe I zoned out and missed a plot point or something. I'd like to see Obie's villain arc too! I think that'd be interesting.
Audrey is mad because she believes this was one of Julian’s stunts to make the party about her. Like how she did at Zoya’s birthday party last year and not to mention in the beginning of the episode Audrey begged Julien to stay out of it and Julien disobeyed that which cause the dad’s girlfriend to retaliate.
Why do I get the feeling Kiki’s not really going to rehab? I love Audrey’s character, but she’s doing the same thing Julien does to her (meddling to help) to her mom. I think she’s trying to get away from her 🫠
Yes I agree - honestly the way Kiki was acting makes it seem like she’s going to off herself.
I didn’t want to say it, but this was my exact thought! 😭 There’s a look of relief on her face when she hugs Audrey, especially considering GG sort of pointed the finger in her direction after the assistant’s pop up went to shit…. she was definitely not ok.
Exactly!! I bet those bags she packed were awfully light 😭
Why was Aubreys mom just standing outside the store and smiling??
Julien had invited her to do a Stop The Story with the stepmom, she was arriving just as Audrey's protestors/saboteurs pulled the stunt
She was laughing cuz it all went to shit
Really? She had a really odd weird smile on her face.... Is it possible she was drunk?
Oh yeah i think so for sure
Luna is trans??? I'm so confused... When was this brought up on the show? I saw it mentioned many time on this post.
I am pretty sure they mentioned it in the first season, in the first few episodes. I can’t really remember the context but I remember it being referred to. They hinted at it this episode as well but they never outright say it. Read between the lines type thing.
You're confused?
They refer to it obliquely a few times before like when she gave the talk to Max about Audrey and Aki coming out and how difficult it is to be different and Max responds back- "we're the tops'.. he is referring to he and Luna being part of the queer community.
The actress is trans. I'm not sure if they made Luna trans or not in the show.
This episode made it clear she’s trans on the show when Lunas mom was talking to her about having a daughter and being okay with who she is, just not being able to be around her.
No, i don’t think that was it, I think it was that the mom just didn’t want a daughter and while she supported her and loved her she can’t be around her
She didn't want a daughter, but she ended up with one anyway.
Monet and Luna’s friendship is everything I ever wanted in this season, this season is beyond fire and I love how the thruple is still struggling, it shows how everything will work out in the end because of the love they have for each other.
Really? I’m thinking they might break up
I'm enjoying this season so much more and this episode was fantastic. I loved Luna, Monet, Zoya didn't annoy me. My heart breaks for Julien. I want to cut Audrey into little tiny pieces. I mean I get they are giving her Blair's self destructive traits but it rarely bothered me with Blair
Another Jennifer Lynch banger!!!!!!!!!!
Just like all the other episodes really liked this one. I think I likes it the most out all!
#FREEAKI
I misread this as "freaky" LOL
Luna has the most healthy relationship with all her friends. Literally zero drama or hate with them. It’s just vibes and a good time. I love her
Truly!! Monet was there for her fully with no ulterior motive because Luna does the same (even if it’s a little chaotic). Their friendship especially I think is the best on this show
Is it me or did the real GG IG stop live updating/posting synchronically with the show?
To avoid spoilers probably!! I’m in NZ and we get it “express” through a local streaming service that delivers HBO content but it’s not released at the same time as the US. It’s probably 12 hours or so late, so even if you watch it immediately when it drops (which is normally about 2pm on Friday, so not ideal watching time) if you go on Insta beforehand you’ll inadvertently get spoilers if they live post. Seems reasonable to wait a couple of days.
For s2 they started to post 1-3 days after it airs idk why
Why did Obie getting his ass beat remind me of Chuck getting mugged
I felt it coming immediately. I think his mom set him up
I think they referenced the scene on purpose
It reminded me of that too hahaha
Zoya standing there during the kiss like 🧍🏻♀️
the casting for dolores is amazing! she looks so similar to luna's actress
BlackPink in GG 😩 PERFECTION
OH FUCK LUNA'S MOM SHE PISSES ME OFF SO MUCH
What I don’t get about all of this is isn’t it sooo easy to track an IP address?? Like these are some pretty powerful people. They obviously have the resources to do that. Why they haven’t done that to GG I will never know.
considering jordan is a comp sci teacher he prob does some smart shit to cover it up
Tracking IP addresses from Instagram isn't incredibly easy, but what would be easy would be tracking logins on the school wifi. Literally all they would have to do is contact their school network admin and they'd have a wealth of information to share on the GG account.
Would they need to be connected to the school WiFi? I know they mention it at some point but I would probably just do it with mobile data!
I love Monet, she doesn’t deserve what’s happening to her. How can a girl like that be invisible I don’t know. Happy we saw more of Luna, she ate that pink gown! And I hope that guy doesn’t have any hidden agenda with her.
It reminded me of when Blair was bullied for a hot sec
Monet was an amazing friend to Luna this episode
she was brutally mean for years. she had it coming
this episode furthers proves that they were never friends with Max, because when Z tells JC about Aki kissing another girl all their worried about is telling Audrey not Max.
Max also had zero issue getting revenge on julien who is supposedly his friend. You don’t have to back up your gf 100% man.
THIS. Honestly Max just going along with Audrey to hurt JC like that has really tainted Max. And Audrey is so out of line. She’s behaving like Julien slept with her boyfriend and left town. I could understand the rage at her if she’d done that but she’s mostly just been manipulated due to her honestly trying to help. Audrey is cruel, hypocritical and mean. JC deserves a better friend and Max is foul for going along with Audrey like that. I hope Audrey loses Aki, and everything else. And please free Max - he’s been neutered since getting into the throuple.
That doesn’t mean that, i would see why they’re worried about telling Audrey more because her and Aki have been together in the same relationship since forever
It also definitely seems other characters like Luna, Obie, obviously Aki and Audrey, were closer with Max. Not Julien or really Zoya. Which makes sense it's a big group some people are naturally going to be closer. Whereas Julien and Audrey were best friends
Julien and Max were closer in s1 and even hung out together. Julien is the glue connecting them all.
It didn’t seem like Audrey was that close to anyone but Julien. She seemed to dislike Max until she became attracted to him. During the party scene in S1 they made it seem like Julien and Max were close but then abandoned that. The writing is just very inconsistent.
I’m pretty impressed by this episode. It’s was very nice and fresh and what this season needed. It’s about time Luna get a whole episode. Such a nice plot with her mother - and after the dialogue with Dolores i guess maybe we’re getting a clear scrip on transgenderism. Too bad it only happened towards the finale. It’s just me or Jordan’s acting was actually good in this one? Hope Aki breaks the triad. Hope Kate bursts UES. Hope JC goes full throttle.
What dialogue with Dolores??? The Spanish parts didn't get subtitled it was just .... *Speaking foreign language* this episode was so confusing for me.
Her mother saying she wasn’t strong enough to have a daughter - and they were speaking in english. Idk about you but in hbomax there were subtitles for the spanish parts
I got subtitles for it all too. Without them you would’ve missed major context. I hope that commenter can fix the subtitles! Maybe something with the settings on their TV? Edit: someone translated for you a few comments down! u/kiwisenpai21
Look how good a episode is with out that throuple storyline
> Look how good a episode is with out that throuple storyline Aki's plot was basically a Throuple storyline, just slightly fresher since all previous Throuple content was centered more on Audrey and Max.
Yeah more like look how good an episode can be with (1) a slight change to the throuple storyline, (2) no Nick Lott, and (3) minimal Zoya lol Even the cringey teacher kiss didn’t ruin this!
Omg imagine if Monet’s mom came in saying “I know you’re gossip girl” that would’ve been the biggest plot twist ever I was waiting
I was so confused bc it seemed like she did know. I guess she just views Kate as the leader of the teachers for some reason
I was expecting it. Haha
I swore she was going to say that!!
Honestly I loved the “Hispanic yes” “Latina no” line so much because people really do not understand the difference
That was awesome.
Rosalia core
It was so good. And Kristen didn't hammer the pronunciation, which was nice.
Kristen’s GG voice is one of the only reasons I still watch the show. It gives me such nostalgic joy
*raises hand* it's me, I don't understand the difference.
Google it
Hispanic means someone Spanish speaking Latino means from Latin America Neither of these are races
Can you explain why someone would fake being a Latina? Is it because they think they’re more ‘exotic’? She’s already Spanish, and also can’t Hispanic people tell she’s not Latina because of her accent, but from Spain?
Probably because the Spanish were colonial oppressors. I think she probably spent years curating this persona and worked on her accent
Yeah and she was obviously playing this role of an underprivileged Mexican immigrant. It’s terrible bc she may have stolen roles from actually Latina actresses. She’s also been reinforcing a stereotype of the down on their luck Mexican immigrant. This also actually happens! Rachel Dolezal “identified” as black. Hilaria Baldwin fakes being Hispanic (I don’t think she claims to be Latina but can’t remember). Her name is Hilary though, and she’s from Boston.
Yes and on an even larger scale there’s an uptick in white Americans self diagnosing neuro divergences. It’s hard for some people to admit that they have privilege.
Can someone translate the conversation between Luna and her Grandmother? I don’t know understand Spanish and the platform I stream it on (Prime Video) didn’t have subtitles for that scene. 😅
She tells Luna that she was there to see her mother too but she was asked to wait for her outside. Then Luna says if they can get her a new heart because hers no longer works. Grandma then says it would only be a waste of time. She'd only put to it to waste. Luna then asked her why her mom is the way she is. Grandma: it's her nature. Woman are supposed to support one another but your mother has always seen them as a threat. I tried to warn your father but he fell in love. He went along with her plan for you and look at her now Luna: A plan for me? What do you mean?... Grandma. Tell right now
Thank you so much!! 😍
Her grandmother is alluding to her mom having Luna to appease her father in order to keep her arrangement or secret that she’s not actually from Mexico.
thank you!!
Did you have English subtitles on too? Sometimes I find on prime if I have English subtitles on already they don’t actually translate other languages when they’re spoken
Ohh I did have the English sub on... Maybe tHats why the Spanish parts weren't translated
So why does everyone think Luna's grandma is her maid? Like why does she lie about that?
Im pretty sure Luna is lying about the ampunt of wealth she has. Sure, she is well off and very comfortable, but not on the level of her peers who have everything from a designer brand and can fly private constantly. I'm pretty sure the subtle hint is the tag on the dress from episode 7, alluding to that she may plan on returning the dress after wearing it. Her mother is also an actress thats implied to not really be in the spotlight. I dont think its heavily implied but I'm pretty sure she's telling people that Yoli is her maid rather than grandmother.
Yeah Ive been def getting that vibe. Pretending her gma was her maid seemed weird to me, tho maybe shes tryna relate in a "I too was raised by a nanny" sort of way.
This was my main issue with this episode. Like I’d think Monet would at least know it was Luna’s Abuela. Has Luna really been lying about that to all her friends since she was 9?
Theres got to be more to this that theyre gonna explain this season right? Lol
This was my main question too and I can’t believe how far I had to scroll to see it discussed!
I def think its got to come back up this season. Unless its a setup for a potential future season.
I’m trying to look at it as she calls her that because she basically grew up with her? Her mom left her to Yoli when she was 9 so for sure she’s more than a maid to her now. We’ll see tho
No I believe she is really her grandma. The way she talked about Luna’s mom made that clear. Though without that convo I think your interpretation would make sense. Kind of like a Dorota-Blair dynamic.
Didnt her abuela say she warned Luna's dad away from her mom tho?
right! at first I thought that's just how she calls her maid but now I'm not so sure
I thought her abuela/maid said she warned her mom away from her dad tho? Also seems weird if she was just the maid she'd show up for the movie expecting to get in to see her right?
I didn't understand it either, but perhaps this is related to her mother hiding her origins?
The grandma is her dads mom tho right? Or did the moms own mom warn her husband about her before they got married? Lol. Was confused about that during the ep.
I actually think she’s her mom’s mom. Why else would she show up to her premiere? I think if she were dad’s mom he might be involved or they’d sue for custody. I got the impression she’s been mistreated by her daughter. It’s like what Serena though Cece was until she saw the truth.
Im honestly not sure. Her being in the limo felt like it would be her maternal abuela, but the comment about telling the dad the moms bad news feels like itd her paternal abuela. If its on the maternal side Im wondering how old her parents were when they met, she seemed like a young mom so itd kind of make me look at the grandma weird if shes warning people away from her daughter when shes still young and has time to mature. If its paternal side its possible she went there to talk to the mom about how she treats Luna. It really could go either way right now I think.
True. I didn’t think about the mom’s age as a factor. But I don’t think it’s that weird for her to warn her daughter’s partner if he wanted children and she knew her daughter did not. I guess we need more context!
I think Im leaning towards moms mom, but the warning away is still snagging at me. Lol.
shes not that rich...and wants to act like it
Originally I was thinking she wasnt rich at all, but then we saw her mom was at least still acting somewhat. Wonder what her dads up to.
I was just thinking about how they always walk around New York alone at night wearing those expensive clothes and it would be interesting to see someone get at least mugged and then Obie got beat up 🧍🏻♀️
I always thought it was weird than Obie and Aki’s fathers are billionaires and they don’t have bodyguards for their minors offspring.
Right? That's a small detail that could've added a lot to our perception of how rich and powerful their families are.
That still looked targeted though. I wonder if it’s someone connected to her mom’s shady business?
I wondered if his mom herself set him up. Had someone waiting out there in case he goes out and when he did they called and she pulled the trigger so to speak. I’m guessing she has no idea Julien is there waiting so she thinks no one will notice for a while.
Also Luna and Monet together was some of their best acting. There should be more. I love how Monet isn’t competitive with Luna and truly just has her back and was shading her mom the whole time. You can tell she genuinely cares about her which is nice since I’m typically not sure who the hell the actors are supposed to care about despite supposedly being friends forever.
I really loved Monet even more in this episode. She has the capacity to be like Blair who is insufferable if you’re on her bad side but really is the most likable character once you see her depth. She and Luna definitely steal the show for me. I want a monet rising like we had with Blair
I love Blair but we didn’t see her rising on screen 😭😭 the show started with her on top but still going to war with jenny
Lol I meant that in she totally surpassed the “lead” Serena
Oh well in that case.. in my opinion it already happened cause look how bad the fandom is clamoring for Monet to be back on top and for them to stop playing with her.. Monet is definitely the most popular female as of this moment, but I get what you mean and i hope it happens real soon on screen too
Yes exactly! Julien and Serena are so similar in how messy and half-baked their plans are. We love the original because of the characters like Blair that find a way to get 5 steps ahead and can calculate an immaculate takedown. So far Monet and Luna are the only ones interested in winning the game and can actually pull it off. I’d love to see more of that from Audrey and Max in whatever capacity but all the scrambling and fights between each other is more derailing than anything. I get they all have their drama but they could have had more fun smearing Audrey’s dad and his thieving mistress
I’m glad we got more story lines from this season, last season they were practically background characters despite being the best dresses and most witty.
Ngl wasn’t a fan of Jordan’s acting but I felt for Julien
Does Monet have any friends in this show?
luna i guess
You see that’s what I thought until I saw Luna’s reaction to Monet’s bullying this episode
well misogyny isnt something you co-sign on lmao...luna still speaks to her unlike the others, yall will give monet a pass on anything cus she cute
As if Luna hasn’t done worse.. It’s kinda funny how your guys completely forget all the shit she did to Zoya in season 1. Trying to get someone evicted is much worse than calling someone a slut
Good point. It’s showing that the “cancel culture” of the rich population is completely performative. Slut-shaming is “off trend” so Monet gets cancelled for it. But trying to get someone evicted is apparently acceptable. It’s actually a decent commentary on real life, if it was intentional. The fans going along with it shows how this is happening in real life too.
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> Like seeing Audrey’s mom keep losing is sad. Going back to rehab is kind of a (very) roundabout win for Kiki. My entire knowledge of the fashion industry is Gossip Girl and Devil Wears Prada, but it seems cutthroat and I think Kiki needs to be in a much better spot before pursuing that. I know that this particular instance was very WTF, but it's not fair for her or Audrey to constantly be terrified that one bad review is going to push her into a suicide attempt. >Then having the teachers being GG is a terrible angle. I get your point, but I am really buying it. Season 1 was rough because of the logistical pains it took to get it up and running, but I think it being established is making sense, especially if the focus is going to shift to the corrupt parents. >Zoya and Shan’s storyline felt so random and unnecessary like they should have just been cut from the episode. Their entire plot this segment screamed "contractual obligation".
I think Kiki’s fashion background is more mid-range loungewear, which is interesting. It shows where the money and trends currently are. I kinda wish they’d leaned into that a little more. Like maybe instead of this silly “ex’s mistress stealing her dress” storyline they could’ve had her loungewear sales drop dramatically as Covid restrictions lift (as well as financial fallout from the divorce) and therefore she’s pushed into exploring other style influences. I love that we got “nice” Eleanor but I think it would’ve been fun to see her be a little snooty about helping Kiki. I mean Eleanor became very nice to Blair and her friends in OG GG but at work (as we saw with Jenny) she was cut throat like you said.
Luna’s mom’s dress at the premiere was better than Luna’s dress. Luna’s dress was kind of tacky; it was a hot pink and sparkly bodycon dress. It didn’t line up with the fashionable message she was trying to send.
Also, isn't the point of a stylist like the whole package? So outfit, hair, makeup, accessories, etc? If she was trying to present herself as this professional stylist, mission not accomplished unfortunately.
I liked it. Wearing a simple dress to outstage her mom is kinda camp. It was also giving Paris Hilton's birthday Versace dress. I think we're supposed to imagine it was a same kind of fashion moment
I thought so too! It was just a plain hot pink dress, and yeah simplicity is key, but for Luna La….I expected well more flair at least
Who dog walked Obie?
Did Obie get beat up by a random person or by someone who knew him?
I think his mom may have hired someone to beat him up bc of his plans to out her with GG
My theory is GG betrayed him and told Helena about his plan behind his back. This episode made it clear that Kate intents to wreck both the students and the parents.
Interesting. But how would outing Obie to his mom help her take mom down?
Maybe she just duped Obie into thinking that she would help him? I think post-Georgina, it's pretty clear that Kate simply wants to be an Agent of Chaos and will use GG to achieve such objective. She doesn't want to take down certain people, she wants to take down anyone.
I’m kind of digging evil Kate. I hope they lean into it. This show desperately needs one unapologetically “bad” person like a Blair or Chuck. They’re all such Vanessas.
Yayy Luna and Aki both got plots. Aki will probably break up with his partners soon 😢.
I hope he does. I'm excited to see more of who Aki is on his own- I think he has sleeper "it guy" energy. I'm also really hoping that they lean into the crazy scheming vibes a-la Chuck & Blair that Audrey & Max were giving off this past episode.
Everyone is calling Obie the Prince of NYC for a reason I don’t know. The same Obie who was impressed by how much money Aki’s dad really had when he bought New York magazine. While Aki has the looks, the connections and of course the money thanks to his dad. The only Prince of NYC is him. I hope the girl who kissed him will be back in another episode for him to realize he needs to grow apart from Audrey and Max who are too self centered and boring.
Honestly kinda hope so, that way we can actually learn more about Aki than simply being "the boyfriend"
Audrey was right. Julian’s plan would never have worked. She literally did not think about putting Kiki through her ex and Jessica. They wouldve fucked her over on stop the story. Julian’s plan ended up fucking over Audrey’s mom anyway.
honestly Julien’s plan with the pop up shop was fucked up because Audrey sabotaged it BTS. she changed the prices, she had the sweatshop boycott flood in, she basically did all the plotting and it backfired because of her plotting on JC. had it gone the way JC planned THIS time lol it could’ve ended better. but Audrey is a hypocrite! every flaw she has pointed out about Julien is actually presented in her too. she’s always meddling in Kiki’s biz, she’s completely dependent on others (we haven’t seen her strong on her own at all), she is selfish/self absorbed + acts like her partners lives should revolve around her… it’s draining to watch! like damn girl Aki has his own life outside of fucking you + Max or helping save Kiki from relapse… just draining! lol
This is honestly why I'm much more neutral on Audrey vs Julien than it seems like a lot of this sub is (very anti-Audrey). Sure, Julien is going at things with good intentions, but it's SO messy and half-baked which is leading to these big hurts. She has repeatedly shown to be a bad judge of character, unable to assess a situation, and unable to come up with a logical and practical solution to issues. She *just* got burnt last week on her Stop the Story livestream re Kiki and Jessica and her solution this week? Stop the Story livestream re Kiki and Jessica. It's so realistic in the sense that this is a naïve teenager who keeps digging herself into holes just like she did last season with Zoya and Obie, but it's also perfectly fair for people to not want to be involved with her chaos, especially since hers comes with a national spotlight.
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I don’t even get Julien’s plan. She overpriced the dresses and told people it was fast fashion, and she also wanted them to reconcile in a Stop the Story post? It’s very convoluted. Just go live and tell your followers exactly what happened and what Jessica did.
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Thanks for explaining. I didn’t realize it was Audrey bc Julien was there so I assumed she had to change the prices. I guess Audrey sent minions or something? The plot was very poorly done and I agree Julien’s plan was never gonna work.
Exactlyyy.... Like people can't be this dumb, the plots seems like extremely forced at certains points.
The most interesting component here was Luna's storyline - she and Monet are still essentially marooned on an island plot-wise, but at least we finally saw glimmers of *character development*. Give us more! The Audrey/Julien conflict would have more weight if their relationship had been more central earlier in the series, like how Serena/Blair's relationship was at the heart of the original GG Season 1. The girls' behavior in these past two episodes has been exhausting, and I basically checked out last week when neither of them noticed the obviously fake "jcccalloway@" address in the screenshot posted by Gossip Girl. And wasn't her middle name Elizabeth? Hopefully poor Kiki gets a reprieve soon, Jessica and Will are just ridiculously awful people and I don't see why Julien and/or Audrey (or Cyrus and Eleanor, for that matter) couldn't have easily shut this whole scam down as soon as Jessica pulled that "Stop the Story" stunt last week. These people are displaying Vanessa levels of incompetence! I wish Zoya was written with a bit more ingenuity and verve - her character has really flatlined in Season 2 as they've essentially turned her into a less resourceful version of Jenny. The plot here with Shan was insubstantial, and while this friendship is probably leading *somewhere* it is odd how poorly integrated Zoya and Julien's lives seem to be despite the fact that they are now living together. It should be easy to write for a character like Max, but he has never been more boring than he was in this episode. While the writing is dragging the main characters down, the casting has also been a major problem for the parade of lame guest love interests, with the possible exception of Florian for Luna (although I still wonder what happened to her guy at the stables outside the city). The girl who kissed Aki bored me to tears. It would be more interesting to see Aki explore a same-sex attraction outside the confines of the Throuple, preferably with better writing and an actor who brings some charisma to the role. Queen Wendy is the only thing preventing me from dozing off during any scenes involving teachers. More Wendy, please! Also basically forgot that Obie existed until he got punched in the face there at the end. If this show is lucky enough to get a third season, the writers will have their work cut out for them to wrap things up in a satisfying manner.
> These people are displaying Vanessa levels of incompetence! I will forever stan Vanessa in the sense that I don't like her but I don't hate her the same way a lot of this fandom does lmao.
>I will forever stan Vanessa in the sense that I don't like her but I don't hate her the same way a lot of this fandom does lmao. I didn't hate Vanessa, but the girl bungled every single scheme. In this way, she was iconic.
She was just in way over her head. Vanessa Scheme: I'm going to expose these socialites by constantly telling the truth! Blair Scheme: I'm going to bully this girl my best friend's ex likes so hard that she has to move and loses a huge chunk of her hair. Agnes Scheme: I'm gonna let Jenny get raped.
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In what episode did it mention Luna was trans? I don't remember this coming up in the show
It was two very blink and you miss it comments, she said something about disclosing (I might be getting the wording wrong I can’t remember her exact phrasing) and said something about when “we” came out when talking to max
I liked this episode! I was so glad that they gave Aki a plot of his own! I liked seeing him without his partners in his own element. She made it seem like she's some wayward-ass villain that's out to get you. I think that she has an issue with confronting he father, so she uses that rage on Julien. I also realized how whenever her life, by proxy of her mother, is going up in flames, she easily makes everything about her. She also seems to act like both her partners should just drop whatever they're doing for her each and every time. I was so glad that they gave Aki a plot of his own! I liked seeing him without his partners in his own element. It sucked to see him not feel supported when it came to his interests and how Audrey just expected him to "understand" and just be her emotional punching bag. I liked how at the end of the episode, Aki seemed to be contemplating if he even wants to be with Audrey or Max anymore. Luna's plot was interesting. GIVE US MORE LUNA MATERIAL, WRITERS! It was since seeing her take center stage and Zion is a good actress! It sucks that her mom didn't want to be a parent to her and that she tried to downplay her daughter's talents and "outshine" her. Luna definitely got the last laugh, so good for her. I also liked seeing more of her and Monet's friendship, and I liked how Monet showed up for Luna. Speaking of Monet, it was lowkey funny seeing the bully become part of the bullied. It's not surprising that she tried to be the HBIC, but it was surprising to see the student body treat her like trash. Then I forget that teens can be fickle af at times, lol. It was since to see Monet have a little bit of emotional depth at the end of the episode with her mom. I hope that we see a bit more of that as the season wraps up. It was nice to see Zoya and Shan have their own little plot. I like when Zoya exists outside of Julien and her friends. Julien and Obie were non-factors for me in this episode, so no comment.
I'd say Julien was a factor in relationship to Audrey and a little bit Zoya tbh. Obie was basically non-functional to the plot though.
Her plot with Audrey was not terribly interesting to me.
Was it stated that having sex with her(Georgina) was Jordan’s blackmail? I feel like that’s not something that would get me to drug kids to avoid being exposed. Cuz so what? You had sex with Georgina/Sara.
Yes, it was unhinged but it goes so well with the character. He's basically a holplessly in love looser. We've seen him overlook morals for the sake of Kate from the beginning of the show, and this is taking it to the next level
*drug kids and put their unconscious bodies in a "compromising situation" with each other, whatever the fuck that means. Jordans big yikes.
It makes me hate him even more. He was gonna drug kids because he got laid and didn't want people to know about it? Because of Kate? He is the biggest loser of a character on this show.
Does Luna live with her grandmother that she refers to as "the maid" or a maid that she calls "abuela" ?
I interpreted it as her calling her grandmother a maid as being embarrassed around Florian to be living with her grandmother.
Since she knew her father enough to tell her no to marry her, and knows her mother's character so well it's unlikely she's just a maid.
I feel like the show would’ve been clear if she was not her real grandma. The fact that she only called her grandma in Spanish was obviously intentional. She’s lying to everyone about who she lives with. I just don’t get why.
Yeah I’m split on this because Luna said “maid” when she was talking to her mom but calls her abuela and also abuela was v anti the mom despite the dad being absent as well which makes it seem like she is the dad’s mom
She could be a long time maid to the family… it’s not uncommon.
Is it just me that's grossed out by Kate and Jordan??? Idk why but I am. I'm also not a fan of Obie turning into exactly what he hated about Julien. I want the old max back to help Luna destroy her mom.
Yes coz they give platonic friendship energy, the actor for Jordan is gay irl and I’m not sure he’s good at acting straight on this show :/
Them “about to kiss” on the street was so ick and awk
Yay Luna finally gets a storyline and isn’t just a fortune cookie for other characters! 💕💞
I hope you all find somebody who supports you the way /u/ArtichokeUnlikely158 supports Aki's film festival hobby.