I had no knowledge of the Gossip Girl reboot until the day before I decided to watch it, and at that point there were already three episodes out. The series aired its first episode on HBO Max on July 8th, and has been putting out an episode weekly on Thursdays since. I’m just gonna be upfront and tell y’all I have not seen the entirety of the original Gossip Girl (blasphemous, I know) but I do know the storyline and events decently well, so I’ll do my best to say if there are nods to the original and how it compares.
This Gossip Girl reboot review WILL contain spoilers for episodes 1-3, so read at your own risk.
Helpful SparkNotes:
- Zoya is our main character, half-sister of influencer and Queen Bee Julien
- Gossip Girl is now on Instagram after a failed attempt on Twitter
- The characters in-universe know about Gossip Girl, the characters and the events that took place 20 years prior
Gossip Girl 2.0
I’m just gonna come out and say it, Dorota should have been Gossip Girl in the original, and having the school teachers fill the titular role this time made me feel very vindicated. Quite honestly, it makes sense. The students treat them like nothing, so they aren’t afraid to speak their mind and air their dirty laundry out (pre-GG2.0 of course). The role that social media plays in the Gossip Girl reboot is also genius, especially with the way anyone can submit a tip oh so easily. Not only do they have to worry about what they do and say around their peers, they have to worry about the constant threat of someone with a smartphone lurking around every corner.
This elimination of privacy for these well-known teenage figures is both interesting and sad. While Julien is experienced in having her dealings being publicized to a certain degree, Zoya is not. She didn’t ask to be part of the tradition of social influence and power, but Gossip Girl decided she and Julien were prime targets- making it impossible for her to avoid the limelight and all that comes with it.
Moral Grey Area or Nah?
While as I said, I LOVE that it’s the teachers reclaiming some power here, I do NOT approve of the stalkerish behavior they’re exhibiting. The computer science teacher taking photos of Obie and Zoya while they’re changing (even though it was in front of a window) still feels VERY illegal. Need I remind everyone that Zoya is literally 14 years old?? And these adults decided to post that photo still? Then there’s Ms. Keller. The same Ms. Keller who has expressed how much she doesn’t want to hurt Zoya, how she’s such a good student, yet isn’t afraid to damn her and damage her mentally with her Gossip Girl posts about her. While the “teachers as Gossip Girl” part is brilliant, I disagree with the violation of trust between a student telling a teacher something in confidence, and the aforementioned stalker-ish behavior.
The Story
To be quite honest, I watched eps 1-3 back to back and I had trouble remembering names that weren’t Julien, Zoya, or Obie. I’m not sure if that’s because the rest of the gang didn’t really get their side stories till later in ep 2-3 or not. So far Zoya’s struggle to stay true to herself yet survive the NYC hierarchy is compelling, but with every episode so far it feels the same. Neither Zoya nor Julien can commit fully to hating each other or fully making up. Every time Julien decides she’s going to “destroy” her half-sister, she changes her mind at the last minute and decides family is more important.
Is the Gossip Girl Reboot Worth Watching?
All in all, if you like teen dramas I’d say yes. You’re not getting the highest quality show in the land, but it’s entertaining enough and the drama is compelling. In comparison to the original Gossip Girl, you’ve got your “newcomer” as well as “comes to town with a mystery backstory” in the form of Zoya. Obie is your pseudo-Dan Humphry stand-in as the guy who seems pretty down to earth (even though his family is INSANELY wealthy). Zoya swooping in and dating Obie was a VERY quick “Nate leaving Blair for Serena” type moment, and our Chuck Bass type comes in the form of Max.
While they might have gotten one of the teachers to “take the fall” so Gossip Girl can survive, I’d like to see how they proceed now that they’re getting tips from other schools too. It feels like only a matter of time though until they step on the wrong toes and end up shut down and jobless. As for me? I’ll keep you updated every step of the way. For better or for worse, you know you love me. XOXO
Stray thoughts from my notes:
- Her first day is VERY classic Blair with the headband
- Okay but students treating teachers like that rubs me the absolute wrong way
- “It only matters if I say you did” is so true
- I love that they brought Kristen Bell back for the voice
- I’m surprised the rest of the group hasn’t been tagged by GG
- OH MY GOD SO THEY BOTH SLEPT WITH HIM MESSYYYYYYY
- Bahahahaha I love that they hired a an actual security agency
- She’s literally in HS, how has she not gotten arrested for an MIP?
- COKE WITH KETAMINE GIRL YOU’RE ON CAM TAKING DRUGS how are there no immediate repercussions for this??
- Thank god Zoya finally went private
- A secret isn’t a secret if you tell someone, I was thinking Zoya’s reason for having to change schools would be like a mid-season finale or a season finale, bt we’ll have to see I guess