Pilot (Gossip Girl)

From The OC creator Josh Schwartz, takes you out of the gated communities of Orange County and into the scandalous lives of Manhattan's Elites.

315px

Summary
Filmed entirely in New York and based on the popular series of young-adult novels by Cecily von Ziegesar, Gossip Girl revolves around a group of privileged prep school teens on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The series is narrated by an anonymous blogger, Gossip Girl, who provides them with the latest rumors about their exclusive inner circle.

In the 'Pilot', Gossip Girl is busy spreading the news that "it girl" Serena van der Woodsen has returned to Manhattan after a mysterious and self-imposed exile from Manhattan. Serena's best friend, Blair Waldorf, has conflicted feelings about Serena's return since Blair has enjoyed being the " Queen Bee" during Serena's absence. Blair is also suspicious of Serena's relationship with her longtime boyfriend, Nate.

Recap
SPOILER ALERT



In Upper East Side, Manhattan, Serena van der Woodsen has just arrived at the Grand Central Station. Gossip Girl, voiced by Kristen Bell, credits Melanie91 for snapping a picture of Serena's arrival and narrates that no one knows why Serena left New York a year ago and why she is back. Also at Grand Central are Dan and Jenny, coming home after a weekend with their mother and are welcomed by their father, Rufus, who immediately asks if their mother regrets leaving them. As they leave the station, Dan, having a obvious crush on Serena, notices her waiting for her service at the station.

News of Serena's arrival spread fast through Gossip Girl's blog. At a party attended by most of Serena's old friends and their families, Nate is being introduced by his father to some of his friends as a future Dartmouth student, which he tries to counteract by saying he wants to consider California colleges but is, of course, cut off by his father. On the other hand, her 'BFF' Blair, threatened by the news of Serena's return, pulls boyfriend Nate away and into a room, saying she is ready to have sex with him.



When Serena arrives, she is greeted by Blair's mother, Eleanor, who immediately calls out to Blair about Serena's arrival, causing Nate to eagerly stop what they are doing to see Serena. Serena then looks for her mother, Lily, and asks where 'he' is, but is asked to postpone the conversation. As Nate walks out of Blair's room, he catches Serena's eyes and briefly just stare at each other until Blair gets in the way. Blair greets Serena with a hug but is shown to have ill feelings about her arrival, especially after Serena tells them that she won't be staying long and only dropped by to say 'Hi" and that they will see each other at school the next day. Blair then joins her friends, sharing her thoughts about Serena finally being back for good.

Serena goes to the hospital to visit her brother Eric and spends the night on the chair next to his bed. Lily arrives in the morning and is confronted by Serena about his brother's condition. While her son, Eric, has been in a sort of rehabilitated state in the hospital after a suicide attempt, Lily has been telling her socialite friends that Eric is in Miami visiting his Aunt Carole to not affect her mother image. She also indirectly states that she does not fully trust that Serena's been doing good at boarding school, possibly because of her former party-girl image, as stated by Gossip Girl's narration of whether Serena has changed for the good, or if it is all just for show.



Meanwhile, at the Humphrey residence in Brooklyn, Rufus tells his children about their former band's time of fame in the 90's when they are featured in a magazine. Jenny finishes off the 'Kiss for the Lips' party invitations, which one of the girls from her art class, later revealed to be Blair, put her up to it, saying that if she addresses all the invitations, she can go, too. When Rufus begins to object, Jenny tells him off, saying that since he and their mother chose to send them to private school (which their parents work hard for to give them more chances of getting into a good university) where they feel out of place, he should at least let them go to a party where things might change for them.

Later, in the Palace Hotel, where the van der Woodsens are currently staying while there house is being renovated, Nate is waiting outside for Serena and tries to tries to talk to her about their possible relationship now that she has returned, but Serena clearly states that she didn't come back for him.



Even later, Dan is seen rushing to the bus stop to catch a ride to school and was just in time, too. Chuck and Nate, two of his classmates in St. Jude's School for Boys, are also in the bus and are talking about Serena. And as Nate mentions having a girlfriend, Chuck mentions how they've practically been together since kindergarten but have yet to seal the deal (his term for have sex). As they arrive at their school, Chuck notices Dan and asks rudely if he was following them, to which Dan replies saying that they are classmates and points out their identical uniforms. Dan jokingly asks the two as they get off the bus if they want to sit with him at lunch.



Before school, Jenny delivers the invitations to Blair and her posse, Kati and Isabel, on the steps of the Met. Serena breezes by and notes that they're having a party, but Blair bitches that she's kind of not invited. Serena and Blair's showdown is narrated by the all-knowing Gossip Girl: S asks B to meet tonight, B says no because she has plans with Nate, and S totally out-bitches B because B agrees to meet her at the Palace at eight. Gossip Girl also states that Serena may feel like she can just return and everything will be back to normal, and that Blair should know better than think Serena will be going down without a fight.

The second act begins after school. Dan is helping Rufus post flyers for his concert tonight, when he gets an emergency text message from Jenny. Jenny, it turns out, is in a mall, trying on dresses for the Kiss on the Lips Party, hoping to find the perfect one which she can't afford but will sew when she got home. Serena, who has sneaked her brother out of the hospital for a jaunt at the mall, stops by and talks to Jenny, while Dan hides behind the racks of clothes and eventually leaves. Elsewhere, Nate and Chuck stroll through Central Park, openly sharing a joint. Nate shares his insights about living a life planned out for him by his parents, while Chuck just advises him to get high and have sex with Blair.

Finally, it is time for S and B's meeting at the Palace. Blair is resentful that Serena didn't tell her why she even went to boarding school in the first place. Serena acknowledges that Blair is the new queen bee at school and doesn't want to take that back. Eventually, the frost melts, and the two exchange a warm hug. But all is not so rosy with Serena, still feeling the tension of her return, who downs an entire martini as soon as Blair leaves for her date with Nate.

Serena has had several more drinks and finds herself hungry when Chuck arrives and finds her getting hammered by herself. Apparently, his parents own the hotel, so he lures her into the kitchen with the promise of truffle oil where he tries to take advantage of her drunken state, revealing to her that he knows what happened between her and Nate a year ago at the Shepherd wedding. As he pressures her into having sex with him after telling his kitchen staff to close early, Serena eventually fights back and gets away. A s Serena runs out of the kitchen, she runs right into Dan, who had come to the Palace in the hopes of running into her. The contents of her purse fall onto the ground, and she quickly gathers her belongings without even looking at him, forgetting her cell phone as she rushes out.

Meanwhile, across town, Nate is overcome with guilt and confesses to Blair about the same night Chuck has confronted Serena about. On this infamous night, Nate and Serena get too drunk and have sex. While Blair had originally planned to have sex with Nate to apparently lose their virginity together, she instead ends up breaking up with him upon this new discovery.

The next morning, Nate and his dad are running in the park, and his dad beats him, apparently like always. Nate then tells him that he had broken up with Blair the previous night when the topic is brought up, but Captain disapproves, asking him indirectly to get back together with Blair to help him get the deal with Blair's mother's company. so he invites Blair out to sushi and tells her that everything with Serena is in the past. Blair is instantly happy and takes him back immediately.

Meanwhile,&nbsp Dan goes to the Palace to return Serena's cell phone. He was being interrogated by a doubtful security or receptionist about his posession of 'Serena's' phone when she approaches Dan and takes the phone. Serena, in an effort to get deflect her mother's prodding to attend the Kiss on the Lips Party, uses Dan as an excuse not to go, telling her that they have a date. Dan offers that they are going to see a band. Lily actually knows of the band because she was once a rock groupie and had a thing with Rufus. It is finally time for the Kiss on the Lips Party. Blair's mother helps Blair get ready for the party, and is the best passive-aggressive mother on TV. She totally delivers with the line, “You will never be more beautiful or thin or happy than you are right now. I just want you to make the most of it.” At the party, Jenny stands by herself because she has no friends. Chuck decides that he needs another freshman conquest under his belt and asks her to go someplace where they can talk. They go up to the roof. Chuck goes in for the kill, but Jenny doesn't want to, so she sends an S.O.S. text message to Dan for help.

Meanwhile, in another part of town, Dan and Serena are outside the club. They make awkward but cute first-date jokes, but then Dan gets two emergency text messages from Jenny. He and Serena leave to go help her. As soon as Serena enters party, the place is immediately abuzz with gossiping and the sound of text messages being sent. Blair is furious to find out that she's there and orders Nate not to talk to her. Dan and Serena find Chuck and Jenny up on the roof. Dan punches Chuck out and the three leave the party. Dan and Serena hold hands, as Blair glowers and Chuck swears bloody revenge.

Starring

 * Blake Lively as Serena van der Woodsen
 * Leighton Meester as Blair Waldorf
 * Penn Badgley as Dan Humphrey
 * Chace Crawford as Nate Archibald
 * Taylor Momsen as Jenny Humphrey
 * Ed Westwick as Chuck Bass
 * Kelly Rutherford as Lily van der Woodsen
 * Matthew Settle as Rufus Humphrey

{C {C

Guest Starring

 * Nicole Fiscella as Isabel Coates
 * Nan Zhang as Kati Farkas
 * Sam Robards as Howie "The Captain" Archibald
 * Connor Paolo as Eric van der Woodsen
 * Florencia Lozano as Eleanor Waldorf
 * AnthonyStewart-Jones as Concierge
 * Jessica Andres as Girl #1
 * Jackie Moore as Half nude model
 * Lindsey Evans as Dominique
 * Robert Gordon as Family Guest

{C {C

Quotes
Rufus : "Guess who's Dad is cool?"

{C {C Jenny : "It's a trick question."

{C {C Dan : "Yeah, cause it can't be ours."

{C {C Serena : "So, when's the party?"

{C {C Blair : "Saturday... And you're kinda not invited."

{C {C Lily : "Why's my daughter going to one of your concerts?"

{C {C Rufus : "Because we're awesome."

{C {C Chuck : (to Dan) "Are you following us or something?" {C {C Dan : "No I go to your school" (points at their outfits) "Identical uniforms, that's kind of a tip off?"

Trivia

 * The show's beginning date took place, chronologically, after it was aired. The show aired in Canada on September 18, 2007 and aired in the US on September 19, 2007. The show starts on Wednesday September 23, 2007 and ends on Saturday September 26, 2007, thus all dates in the Pilot fall after their air date. Jenny's text message to Dan reveals the date of the second day of the pilot
 * This episode was put up for a free download on iTunes on September 14, 2007. The mass amount of downloaders encouraged to CW to keep the show.
 * The pilot had about 3.65 million viewers.
 * Only episode with Florencia Lozano playing Eleanor Waldorf. Eleanor is played by Margaret Colin in subsequent episodes featuring Eleanor.
 * While talking to Nate in the park Chuck offers to take some of his mother's medicine. It is revealed later in the series that Chuck's mother died shortly after Chuck was born.
 * This is the only episode so far in the series that Chuck Bass and Nate Archibald ride a public bus to school, unlike the usual private limo ride.
 * Nate's haircut changes several times throughout the Pilot.
 * When Rufus picks Dan and Jenny up at Grand Central he states that he lives in Manhattan ("Fine, like she never should have left Manhattan fine?") and again while talking to Lily in his gallery. Ater Lily asks Rufus if he knew about her relationship with Bart, he responds with "Well it's a small island" (referring to the island of Manhattan).

Media
thumb|300px|leftthumb|300px|right

thumb|300px|left thumb|300px|right

thumb|300px|right thumb|300px|left

thumb|300px|leftthumb|300px|right

thumb|300px|leftthumb|300px|right