‘Gossip Girl’: Turkey with a side of secrets

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Divulging secrets is as big of a Thanksgiving tradition on ‘Gossip Girl’ as cutting the turkey or eating pumpkin pie. In Season 1, the Humphrey and Van der Woodsen kids shockingly learned of their parents’ romantic history. Last season, it was revealed that Lily was institutionalized, which we later discovered was the time she had her and Rufus’ son Scott. This season, the bar was raised and I couldn’t have been more thankful for all the fixin’s last night’s episode had to offer.

Secret #1 -- Serena and Tripp’s affair
I’m not sure their affair qualifies as much of a secret since they both did a horrible job at hiding it. From the lame soup kitchen alibi to the makeout session in the elevator, Serena and Tripp deserved to get caught. It’s also astounding that Tripp would even think of crossing Maureen after experiencing her manipulative, fraudulent ways. Did he really think she’d bow out quietly? Serena and Tripp’s romance may be cliched and predictably doomed, but the impending karmic retribution will surely be satisfying.
Secret #2 -- Dan in love with Vanessa
And he’s got ‘the look’ to prove it! Poor Dan, always so unlucky in love. This time he’s grappling with his feelings for his best friend, who would probably still drop everything if he gave her the green light. Dan will be unsure and act awkwardly for a few more episodes, but I have a feeling a dramatic confession -- most likely involving rain, a plane to catch or a combination of both -- is on the horizon.

Secret #3 -- Lily’s involvement with Dr. Van der Woodsen
This was probably the juiciest mystery that remained unsolved from last night. Lily likely visited her ex-husband in Europe during the extra month she was supposedly with Cece. The reason for her visit is yet to be seen, but the guesses are endless. Perhaps she carried a faint torch for him and needed to extinguish it before marrying Rufus. Maybe Dr. Van der Woodsen had reached out about seeing his children and Lily convinced him to leave them alone. Show him already, ‘Gossip Girl’!

Secret #4 -- The contents of the letter
Obviously whatever Dr. Van der Woodsen wrote to Serena mentioned Lily’s trip and possibly her intentions. It upset S, who told Lily that she now had no right to judge her. It strengthened my theory above that Dr. Van der Woodsen may have previously contacted Lily about a visit to New York. But since she was about to start a new family with a new husband, she told him to scram and allow her to be happy. After Serena’s failed attempt to see her father last summer, the news that Lily was keeping her from him could be a logical impetus for Serena’s outburst.

Secret #5 - Dorota’s pregnancy
I had mixed feelings about Dorota being pregnant. She is one of the most hilarious and underused characters on the show, so I’d be happy if it were a reason to feature her more. On the other hand, could her storyline really compete with the rest? It could also be a reason to phase Dorota out and have her and Vanya live happily ever after. I’m hoping for the best -- Blair babysitting would be brilliant!

Time for your thoughts, readers. What are your theories for Lily’s secret and the contents of that letter?

xoxo

-- Enid Portuguez

Related:

‘Gossip Girl’: The beginning of a bad romance

‘Gossip Girl’: Menage a what?!?
Complete ‘Gossip Girl’ coverage on Show Tracker