Gossip Girl: Season 5 Finale

Season five of Gossip Girl started out with such potential. But by the end, it became more tiresome to watch than exciting. Our fabulous fivesome has become unrecognizable. They’re all monotonous, conniving and corrupt. The Upper East Side has always been profuse with drama and scheming, but never have our protagonists seemed so ill-intentioned.

The season five finale was nothing new. Blair (Leighton Meester) must choose between the two men in her life: Chuck (Ed Westwick) or Dan (Penn Badgley). How many times have we been here before? Serena (Blake Lively), continuing her string of shady behavior, admits she may have played a key role in Blair’s latest fiasco.

Nate (Chace Crawford) invites Lola (Ella Rae Peck) to move in with him after she receives a large sum of money. She won’t have to give up her lifestyle in New York and can continue her acting career. With the return of Bart Bass (Robert John Burke), a surprise that hit a few episodes back, Lily (Kelly Rutherford) is now tempted to choose him over Rufus (Matthew Settle). With her relationship with Rufus already crumbling, the hope of financial stability with Bart may force her to end the affair with Rufus forever.

But Gossip Girl’s execs have swooped in just in time, and with season six as its last, the show will go gracefully. Most shows wait till their audiences are begging for a cancellation and milk everything a series is worth till the bitter end, but there’s still hope for Gossip Girl.

The CW told US Weekly, "Serena has gone off the grid, beyond even the reach of Gossip Girl. Her friends fear for the worst and hope for the best, but even they can't imagine where they will ultimately find her." The network also hinted that the final season will focus on Nate’s attempt to finally reveal Gossip Girl’s true identity. This plot line was one of few in season five that remained intriguing. Who doesn’t want to know her true identity, or as the finale suggested…his?

Perhaps the saddest part of the show’s decline is the lackluster Chuck and Blair romance. I remember watching season one and two in awe of how sexy they were. Just when you think they’ve finally worked it out, one of them screws it up. It was a deliciously steamy rollercoaster. But now, after everything they’ve been through…we’re a little worn out. Instead of feeling hot anticipation over Blair’s choice, I almost wanted her to choose dull Dan. Bad sign.

And Nate? The season started off with a bang: Diana Payne (Elizabeth Hurley). Chace Crawford and Elizabeth Hurley? It doesn’t get much better. But as the episodes progressed, their relationship became suffocated with scheming and devoid of feeling. Of course, this could be due to Crawford’s total lack of acting abilities or depth. His relationship with Lola seems more like a business partnership than an affair; they read more brother and sister than lovers. Not hot. Hopefully in season six, Nate can get back in with the original fivesome. After all, Nate and Serena seemed always meant to be. Perhaps he’ll be her final prince charming?