Gossip Girl S1E13 - A Thin Line Between Chuck and Nate

In true Serena fashion, and 100% to her character so far gives zero fucks. How does she not see the person taking that picture? But like more to me, it was she she is she lacks any and all subtlety at all.

Yeah, that's true. You know, she just walks in. Boom.

Pregnancy test. Hey, Upper East Siders and all you sked-loving listeners out there. You just tuned into the non-judging breakfast pod where the coffee is strong, the waffles are fresh, and the gossip is hotter than ever. My name is Leaf and I'm your seasoned gossip girl veteran. And I'm Steve. I'm the Greenhorn, the newbie. I don't know, Leaf, what do you call the new kid on the block in gossip girl terms? Well, much like Serena, I'm not ready to call you brother. So I think we'll just label you as a project.

You know, the girls have the potential to be a Blairite. Well, I'm not really sure if that's where I'm aiming to, the trajectory I'm aiming for at this point. However, you know, let's go ahead and get into this. It sounds good.

ashion choices of this iconic: 2007

That's right. Each week we'll break down all the latest schemes, secret hookups, and tour catastrophes. And trust me, there are a few of them. And since we are all about inclusivity here at the non judging breakfast pod, there is always a seat for you at the non judging breakfast table. So go ahead and grab your coffee, your mimosa, or some of Nate and Chuck's special medicine. If it's that kind of morning, and let's get started. Okay. Any social media, anything comments or this week?

We're getting to the episode. There I know that our our Twitter has been a little bit active. The one time that I look to see what it is, I think you were posting back and forth with somebody.

Yeah. And I looked for one second and saw something that started to look like it was a spoiler. And I did.

I just bailed immediately. Okay. So I am really curious as to what's been going on on our Twitter feed. Okay. Yeah. Sorry about that. No, I know I was really excited that it was that there was action happening, you know, tell you what, I'll handle the Twitter. You can stay on the Instagram and the Tik Tok. Yeah, let's do that. That works.

And this week we are going to be talking about season one episode 13, the thin line between Chuck and Nate. Yeah. I'm referencing the 90s movie, a thin line between love and hate. Yes. Yes.

I've not actually seen that movie, but it stars Martin Lawrence. Yeah, which I have not either. And I did look it up.

But Bobby Brown is I think the third lead. Yeah. Yeah.

,: 2008

The next episode didn't come until April 21st of that same year. Yeah. So we're hitting the writers.

his is the writer's strike of: 2000

And the way that, especially the way that reality TV filled that vacuum during that time and really just solidified. Yeah. Yeah. So we did actually previously mention the writer's strike and out, the people on the forums had been talking about how this is like one of the last shows where it's still airing episodes. I guess apparently they have episodes in the can written already.

This episode was actually shot without any writers on set, and the crew actually had to come up with the name of the episode. Wow. That is some really interesting lore. And it's really interesting specific to this episode because I felt like a lot of the writing on the episode was good. And at the same time, there's, I'd say, four scenes that totally missed the mark and probably could have had a writer.

And I'm going to quantify it as four. Or just see. Could have been cut. Yeah.

Or could have just been cut. Yes. What we'll get the television without pity episode description reads spotted Serena Vanderwoodson buying a pregnancy test after finally swiping lonely boys V card. But before anyone can bring her down, a chance mention of Blair's affair with Chuck hits the GG.net. And pretty soon everybody knows it's B that's having the pregnancy scare and that she has no idea who the father might be.

In short order, me and Chuck rake up and Blair gets dumped by everybody from her boyfriends to Serena herself. Yeah. Yeah. Get up so description. Yeah.

Decent episode description. Not their best though. No.

They're usually usually they have something that really a little more pity usually. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. This story is once again, Felicia Henderson back. She already did poison ivy and 16 or 17 candles and then directed by Norman Buckley who directed the handmaid's tale.

It's really interesting that she did poison ivy because of the end of this episode. But yeah, I'll talk about that. Yeah. Get to it. That's really interesting.

Yeah. So the episode as usual opens with a gossip girl monologue. What's the difference between gossip and scandal?

So glad you asked you yes forever. Anyone can commit a minor indiscretion and generate a day's worth of buzz. But in order for gossip to birth a true scandal, it requires the right person to be in the wrong place.

Take one it girl on a pedestal at a crowd here to see her fall and give them the means to knock her down. Yeah. Spicy.

Yes. It's spicy right from the get as you're watching this scene unfold to as we do see here as Gus grow monologues Serena is spotted buying a pregnancy test. We then see reactions from random high school students getting the blasts. In true Serena fashion and 100% to her character so far gives zero fucks. How does she not see the person taking that picture? But like more to me it was she she is she lacks any and all subtlety at all. Yeah.

That's true. You know she just walks in boom pregnancy test walks up multiple I would look at a multiple. Which one? Oh yeah. What's the best which one?

Yeah. Which one of these pregnancy tests should I buy and then buys it and but like that has been Serena as long as we've known her. But still she should have noticed the person taking a picture. Of course she had. Well you know what my thought was is that Serena is just used to people taking pictures of her. Like everywhere she goes someone's taking a fucking gossip girl picture of her. Yeah. So like yeah oh someone took a picture of me buying this pregnancy test it's not for me so I don't give a shit.

Not that we're there yet but sorry. Yes but also we like instantly it's like that's not for her. Hmm. Jenny sees the blast and lets out a horrifying screech and of course Dan and Rufus both running. Jenny tries to hide the blast from their dad but Dan eager to the contents forces Jenny to show them however the look of shock on both Rufus and Dan's faces is priceless. Yeah I mean it you know the invasion of privacy was pretty shitty to like pick her up.

Yeah. The two men of the house picking up the girl and taking her away from her private position and then sort of like this year then going into the next scene they kick her out of her own room so they can have a conversation. Yeah they kick her out. Like I could get not one out of the conversation in front of her but go to Dan's room. Go to Dan's room. Of your rooms. Plus you're in the lock. She's gonna hear anyways.

Yeah yeah there are no real walls there. Yeah as we've learned and as uh I guess Dan didn't learn enough because we'll find out later. Yeah but the reactions are all priceless like when they're all reading it like a facial expression is Jenny's reaction it's all fantastic. Eric and Serena are walking together outside Serena teases Eric about his hair color and Eric gets the blast. Serena looks worried and confused.

I'd be curious what her direction actually was for this scene. Yeah it's like yeah. Yeah like at that point I'm like how did you not anticipate this.

Like this is how you this is how you live your life. Yeah and I almost have that thought of like if I were Serena the thought would be oh I thought I had more time to tell Dan that I bought this thing but obviously someone's going to get that. Yeah.

Yeah rumors that travel fast on the internet. Back at the loft Dan and Rufus have a heart to heart disappointed dad. Yeah and of course Rufus is also projecting all of his shit from Lily onto Dan's relationship. Rufus is so bad this episode. Rufus is like Rufus is like oh for everything in this episode. Yeah. Like the whole like I've championed him thus far mostly and now I'm like brah. Yeah.

Not good. And there is a lot of it that I'd throw at writers for his for his yeah. As you know getting back to that parents that Josh Schwartz apparently on the OC had had trouble writing the parents because he was famously the youngest showrunner ever at 26.

Oh wow. And what's the name of the place Sandy actually was like he actually like would take him aside like oh no no that's the how a parent would act. It's really funny that that is hilarious.

It's how you want parents. So if he was 26 then he was just 30 now. Still I don't think that kids yeah he is now apparently. Yeah but again evident that you don't that the Rufus stuff in this episode it's like you just didn't know what to do with it. You know which is a common problem on Teen shows. Yeah.

It's better if they just stand in the background. Yeah. Well and we but we had you know so many great episodes with parents in this so far. Yeah. And now here like like they've had some bad ones too but this is where they've really shipped the bed you know. Like when the parents have had good storylines it's always just been Rufus and Lily together.

Everything else for the parents is either serving the kids storylines or if they have their own storylines it's been bad. Yeah. Yeah. You're right.

The Lilian bar it's boring and the Rufus and Allison is horrible. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

And then you have like the Captain stuff that is just serving Nate stuff and Nate storyline and yeah but again their relationship is he's right either. Yeah. Yeah.

Oh yeah. So that was that's so Serena is being teased in the courtyard as she waits for Dan to arrive. Dan is about to tell Serena that he loves her when she assures him that she isn't pregnant but that she needs to meet Blair. Yeah. Um and I really I really liked her reaction to Dan and like how she was like almost a dismissive of like yeah you do the right thing. Great. Like I get it. Yeah.

Like I get it Dan you do the right thing. That's but like that's not what we're talking about here. Yeah. Yeah.

And then Jenny arrives at the steps and it appears that even though Jenny is back on the group she is the still the target of Blair's bullying but Jenny for the block ain't having none of that and she just pieces out like a boss. Yeah. There was quite a bit to run back here. Now my first question was so you brought up two characters last week that we saw that we saw last week that you said we're going to become bigger characters. Yeah. That is the two girls that we saw on the stand. Their reactions in the scene are varied. Yeah.

They're they're paying a very close attention to what's going on with our dynamics. Yeah. And and this is where you really see for the first time that they like Jenny.

Yeah. Like Codion is like Jenny and these other girls like Jenny and want her to be part of this group. So you see that in this scene like you said their reaction.

Well I feel like Codion is kind of indifferent because they're not really minions. They're they're they're actually Blair's friends. Well but when Jenny was leaving they were the ones that were like oh Jenny say or you know that was Penalty.

Codion is had an interaction with her. They did. They did.

But it was Penalty that said to stay. OK. Yeah. I just remember that Codion is doing something that made me think they like Jenny. Like they do like her aside from the yeah.

You know the the headiness. Serena arises. Jenny is leaving. She pulls Blair aside and appears a Blair might be the one that's pregnant as Serena bought the test for her. Yeah.

And we realize that Serena does not know about Nate that she only knows about Chuck. Yeah. Yeah. And so Blair's keeping secret.

Yep. And that is the first commercial break and we come back Blair and Nate are necking in the courtyard as Chuck blears from the shadows. Nair seems stronger than ever.

Nothing can bring them down. Um the the prior to the breakup Nate was very dismissive of Blair and was all about Serena and wasn't that into Blair. At this point you really get that all in sense from it. Like he's yeah you know he's after that.

I asked her to come visit this dad. Yeah. Yeah. Like and and you just see this he's genuinely into her now.

Yeah. You know and and he really has just moved past everything else and realized how important she is to him. So he just really gets the impression that you know Nate is just what's the elite. Yeah. Yeah well Nate yeah Nate have sex now.

Well I mean he was in love with Serena because Serena had sex with him. Yeah. Yeah. He's not a dynamic character. He is pretty though. He is.

Yes still is pretty. Back of the love Dan reveals that Serena wasn't pregnant and Rufus celebrates. Rufus advices to slow things down but Jenny advises to give Serena another I love you without the pregnancy scare in play.

Like in another horrible Rufus. Every moment so cringe so cringe terrible. And like oh she didn't say you love you so you're just going to break up like just like he just goes to the assumption of like well I guess that's it. Like you are so bad in like yeah it was terrible.

Yeah. Although there was that really sweet Dan and Jenny moment. Yeah oh yeah which she gave great advice. Yeah yeah she yeah of course I could on dad for recognizing it. Yeah. Yeah so in the penthouse Serena once again urges Blair to take the test and they argue. Yeah I mean Blair is just in complete denial and this isn't the first time that I feel like we've seen this that yeah when things aren't going Blair's way Blair turns a blind eye and focuses on something else. Yeah she is an ostrich.

Yeah. Dan and Serena are having a romantic dinner at the loft but Dan notices that Serena is distracted. Serena reveals the truth about everything to Dan.

I guess who is listening behind door number three. Uh oh B a little J's got a secret she loves to tell. Um first of all I love that Serena says this is the best spaghetti I've ever had that like is my cooking's like no it's the best spaghetti I've ever had. Like you made me spaghetti. Well you know she may never have actual spaghetti. Well right she's probably never had like she's probably never had sauce from a can. Sauce from a jar before. Uh they have a pretty decent kitchen but I wouldn't be surprised if you actually made something. Well and and dad's a cook too like they they have said that the the Rufus is a good cook.

Yeah. Um but I really like the idea of just teenage kid cooking spaghetti for his girlfriend like but I like the idea that she's never had just like traditional spaghetti. Yeah yeah like red sauce. Yeah but it's always had like lamb ragu.

Lamb duck ball and eggs. Exactly. Um yes we get that. And the other thing in this scene when they're sitting in there and they're talking Dan didn't need to know who. Yeah Dan didn't need to know it was Chuck. Now that that was the thing and now I get Serena you're just confiding in your boyfriend.

You could have left who out of it. Yeah and like yeah and I totally understand Danny because like obviously you're gonna ask him. I mean that's totally natural to ask him. Yeah yeah of course. And and and I and I also think it's an appropriate thing to be like you know I'd rather not.

Yeah. Rufus is getting hit on by multiple women at the gallery. Why are we doing this storyline? What? It was oh my notes on this just say this scene is bad. That is all I had on it because like from the start the the woman coming in and then like a woman coming in and flirting with Rufus the first couple seconds of it it's like damn all right Rufus someone's flirting with you but for that scene to be all about just leading up to someone else flirting with him it was like what where is this where did this come from? Yeah it was pointless.

Yeah Serena shows up at Chuck's suite at the palace to try to get him to talk to Blair but Chuck reveals to Serena that Nate also slept with Blair and Nate isn't as prepared as him. Yeah definitely a name move. Yeah yeah definitely a name move. Yeah yeah Chuck is obviously someone who takes care of his business. Yeah yeah and yeah and like yes Chuck was creepy and disgusting in this scene but at the same time Ed's acting was really good. Yeah like his his you know distressed towards and distaste towards Blair and that whole thing and just his emotional content that he brought to that scene I thought Ed Westwick really did a great job in that scene.

So that was the end of act one moving to act two back at the law. Rufus asked Dan how he would feel about Rufus dating neither kid blinks twice at the idea of Rufus dating but both mock his shirt. Yeah and I love that shirt I would wear that shirt. Yeah I had no problem with that shirt. Yeah I actually I love a snap up shirt and it's funny because Rob and I were looking at that and I was like I like that shirt she's like you would it has snaps I'm like I love a snap up shirt.

I feel like that's something Dan would wear in season four. So Someone just listened to this and said oh no he didn't. Okay at the penthouse Serena and Blair continue to argue now Eleanor is brought into the conversation. Yeah so we get more Serena arguing and then Eldor comes in at you get front's Blair a battle throwing out. Yeah that whole scene is absolutely great because you know she has the whole thing about you know the assumption that it's the eating disorder and also the argument with Serena like the back and forth they really like I mean Leedon Meester lays it all out in every episode she always has but like she just turned it up in in in these scenes because because she you can just see how much she's carrying and and how she you know almost latches on when her mom thinks that it's her eating disorder and she's like oh yeah like you know you almost see her wheels turning for those later seeds you know. Now it's never really resolved because we know she's not actually pregnant so it's not because we kind of are led in this scene to believe that maybe it's morning sickness yeah but we know she's not pregnant by the end of the episode so was it just stressed or was it a relapse they they never really resolved that. Yeah and and you know and it could be you know that she was really stressed out and thought she was pregnant and just made that you know it could have been psychosomatic yeah you know.

Possible. The player finally takes the test and calls Serena to apologize and tell her that she is not pregnant after all. Yeah she's like put the switch real quick and say right away take the test and it was like apologize right away. She always does that though especially with Serena she always like has her okay I like it's one of those things where you have those friends sometimes that you that you you you have those kinds of fights and you say the meanest things to them because you know they're the people that you can say that to you know and I'm not saying that's the right behavior to have but I'm saying that Blair does this a lot. Sure um and also I love Serena's reaction because Serena also whenever Blair does this Serena instantly is like okay cool we're back we're friends again yeah I I would have no idea what to wear to a paternity hearing.

Is the best fucking jab and and like so good yeah. Chuck and Blair have a running outside of school. Blair shuts Chuck down so she sends a tip to gospel girl out of spite or he sends a tip to gospel girl out of spite. Yeah Chuck decides to blow it all up and you know what could possibly go wrong with Chuck here.

Well we'll find out. Yeah Chuck. That was another commercial break. Yep we go commercial break Dan Serena are having another romantic meal this time a picnic in the park Dan's plans are interrupted by nature.

Let's see if the other paper's all blown away. That was a complete stranger. Oh thank you so much I love you. I just fell out of Dan's heart breaking there. Yeah oh oh you could hear every emo band tuning up. Oh yeah the school all reacts to the gospel girl blasts about Blair's pregnancy plus sleeping with Nate and Chuck within days of each other. Oh um I loved uh I loved the blocking in this scene um the from one person to the next and Blair walking through the crowd it was choreographed yeah blah like it felt like a like a dance and I just thought it was so neat to watch it was such an interesting like like dance you know it was such a cool thing to watch there. Well it was so different from the beginning of the episode where when Blair was in the our asserita was in the courtyard and it was kind of just disorganized and she was like throwing jazz back at people.

Yeah yeah yeah exactly yeah. And then uh this Jenny bumps into Nate and reveals that the blast was true grimy grimy Jenny that was a is a bad blamer though I mean fucking Blair treats me like shit I can't blame her but I can I mean I mean I get and all she is is telling the truth yeah I mean it was still grimy it was still grimy but like you're right I'm not I'm not I mean like I get why she did it but I just felt like in I felt like it was a side of Jenny that we've kind of seen starting to rear it Ted. Jenny doesn't take this shit man. She doesn't she doesn't. I just you know I just think spilling other people's business I don't think that's the right way to well I mean but she did it. I mean Nate's her friend. Yeah yeah I mean that is true like they have now established a friendship.

I know I've I've done so far I've really felt that this time I was like damn him. Nate and Chuck have a violent breakup outside of school. Is the bromance dead? Um, like this episode in this scene, it's Ed's best acting to date. Like, yeah, fucking fantastic. Um, yeah, it is definitely terrified that scene. Yeah. The it takes me right back to his three loves, you know, and that Nate was what that Nate was one of his three loves. Yeah.

And he looks heartbroken and scared. And yeah, the cinematography shots, the way that the that they built the tension with the shots. Yeah, he got right up in their faces. Yeah, it was yeah. And and and wide when they needed to be, you know, wide with like up backed up against the car and then like right in their faces. It was just such a tight scene all together and just really yeah, no one buckled did a very good job. Yeah, yeah. And then Blair is waiting for Nate.

When he gets home, despite Blair's please Nate dumps her and and another powerhouse scene like Blair. In fact, this is some of some of chance's best too. Like chance.

What chase chase chase is best where chase really comes through. Yeah, as an actor. Yeah, you know, because he doesn't act a lot. No, you know, he just kind of coasts through most of the most of this show so far.

You know, so I noticed that the this outfit was very much like the outfit player wore to the lunch in the pilot. Yes. Yeah. That I I I I remember that as well.

And and you know, and you know, that start with the you know, what you know, how what are you doing here? Oh, your mom let me in. I didn't ask how you got in there.

Like, what are you doing here? Like, you know, which I, you know, I understand Nate is passing understandably so. But I mean, he did sleep with her best friend. If the thing with Nate, think about what he said, right? Because I don't think it was 100% about who it was.

I think that's a big part of it. But he also said he was groveling to make up for what he had done. And he would for all of that to for all of that time for Blair. And she made him think that it was all his doing when she was sleeping with someone else. You know, like, that's where I feel like he had the right to be mad that that she was making him grovel and pay when she had our even after and now that was more Chuck forcing her hand, but he didn't know that. Yeah. And there's also the element of when you find out the thing that is that upsets you, even if you're a hypocrite to be mad, you're still going to be mad. Yeah. I've definitely been mad about should I have no right to be mad about before I'm back at the gallery. The most boring love triangle ever continues to fizzle or another horrible scene. Why?

Why? And and that sweater looks ridiculous. Like he's you traded out that really cool snap up shirt for this fucking grandma sweater. A Cosby sweater. Yeah, I guess I guess that was still in that.

I guess that wasn't out of fashion yet. So bad, though. It's like, they all he confused the woman from before with the other woman from before. Man, she's mad about it. Yeah, he's old.

Give him a break of two people that he just met that aren't just standing in front of him and that they both start the same letter that are both one syllable names that are very close to each other. Brinn, Bex, Bex, Brinn. Oh, actually, no, you got that backwards. I'm out. Yeah. Yeah. Why?

Why? Next Blair confronts Serena about Jenny knowing about Blair and Chuck Serena talking once insult too many Serena taking one insult too many storms off that awkward elevator exit. Like when you're trying to storm off the way for an elevator. Okay, good. Yeah. And that is the end of act two.

We move in. It's also their third fight of the show. Yeah, this might be the hat trick might be their the most fights in a single episode so far. Well, so they are the correlations for the show or they should be in correlation for the show.

We'll see if the show can hang on to that. Yeah. They are the two leads, which is actually kind of unusual for teen dramas. Surprisingly. Yeah.

It's surprising a male lead or a male out of female lead. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's true. It's like the OC got two male leads basically and sort of you got Misha Bard as the third. Yeah.

Pretty little liars. Yeah. Yeah. That's that's Oh yeah. That's true.

One tree hill he got two brothers Dawson's Creek Dawson Gilmore girls Gilmore girls. Yes. But but it's mother daughter. Yeah. Yeah, that's true.

And grandmother. Well, I've never seen it. Oh really? You should watch it. Yeah. Yeah. My daughter wants to watch it with me.

My daughter had my daughter actually and I joked about doing a rewatch podcast because she loves Gilmore girls doing doing a Gilmore girls one. Yeah. A good show actually much better show than this.

For the most part at least. We start act three. We get the eye acting.

So with back the steps Blair is taken down a peg by the new me girls Penelope and Hazel Blair is dethroned and Jenny walks away from her. Yeah. And like again kind of grimy but also yeah that's the one I really get. Yeah.

Like Blair you've had that coming. Yeah. Like and the eye acting was so good. Yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah.

Absolutely. And then we get more nervous. He calls back to apologize.

y message boards from back in: 2000