Recap after the jump.
This episode was fantastically silly and not really in a good way. Let's start with the main thrust of the episode, the Ben/Dan pairing as alluded to by the title. Rufus apparently didn't tell Dan that Ben was moving into the loft which is utterly stupid - he's your son for Christ's sake! Dan, being obsessed with Serena still won't give him a chance at all. I understand how Dan feels, I have had problems letting go in the past too but to go to the point of sabotaging an innocent guy? C'mon, you're better than that. Someone we know is not better than that is the despicable Damien who, in a panic, relates to Eric how Ben threatened him at the end of the last episode emphasizing the point Ben made about telling Damien's father he was a drug dealer. With Serena flitting about in a cloud of her own as per uge driving poor Dan's hormones raging and crashing about and he teams up with Damien and Eric to take down Ben.
Blair is struggling at work, I guess and her boss Epperly (???what the hell kind of name is that???) is unhappy with the performance. Using Blair-logic, she decides that what Epperly needs is a good rogering by, for example, Chuck. Seeking a new location for a party at which Florence and the Machine will be playing, they head over to the Empire Hotel to meet him and Nate. The plan is quickly changed when she appears to hit it off with Nate instead. Chuck needs some help of his own as he continues his plan to seduce Thorpe's daughter Rena hoping she will aid him in saving Bass Industries.
They set up some fake conversations to that end, with Nate and Rena apparently taking the bait. Rena begins to open her heart to Chuck and the two discover they have a lot in common, both being the children of hotel magnates having grown up without a mother. Meanwhile Blair pushes and pushes and finally is able to convince Epperly to blow off her office duties in favor of being at the party with Nate. Epperly and Nate disappear just before a work crisis hits leaving Blair to scramble away to deal with it. She later returns to find Nate alone - her boss ditched him and went off with an unidentified English man. Chuck also ends up getting ditched when Rena's father reveals to her that Chuck was specifically keeping her occupied to disrupt a crucial vote by the board. An admission of guilt leads her to believe that Chuck doesn't really care about her at all despite his pleading otherwise.
Meanwhile, Damien attempts to rile Ben at the party (which Serena has dragged him to) while Dan calls the parole officer but it doesn't work. Improvising, Damien has Eric punch him and Ben is taken away to jail for the night. Eric is pleased as punch and hopes to celebrate but in the damn stupidest move I have ever seen on any show ever, Damien admits he was only using Eric to get rid of Ben and tosses him to the side, breaking off their friendship. Eric later admits to Rufus and Dan what they had done and they go to tell the parole officer the real story.
The next day, Damien is out and about when he sees Nate and Dan exiting the courthouse - they had run into his father there and had a little conversation about a certain bad boy. Sounds like bad times are ahead for him. Meanwhile Epperly resurfaces at work - she had met up with her boyfriend from college in England and has apparently decided that traveling with him would be a lot more fun than work. In her place, she has recommended Blair take her place as the office manager. Blair. Who is all of 20 and has never had a real job before. At a high profile magazine. This show has had plenty of nonsensical storylines before, but this might take the cake.
Wrapping up, Rena decides that Chuck really did develop feelings for her and they get back together as a real couple this time - he's promised to find another way to save his father's company and will not use her. He has become a lot more noble as the years have progressed but this thread is a bit tough to swallow too. Meanwhile, Dan and Ben decide to have a fresh start as roomies. Dan even invited Serena along to welcome Ben back from jail, and they end up smooching (Ben and Serena that is) which is a terrible idea, so par for the course for Serena.
This series has never been one that adhered to any semblance of reality but it is possible to take things too far! The antics were more believable in high school, now that these people are supposed to be making their way in the world and maturing, it's faintly ridiculous. I'm not into the couples we have at the moment, Neither Chuck/Rena or Ben/Serena work a jot. Juliet or Vanessa needs to come back and hook up with Nate, stat! Speaking of Vanessa, I presume Jessica Szhor is too busy having a private victory parade with Aaron Rodgers to work even though her name is still listed in the credits? Lazy bum! I'm still of the opinion she got a raw deal, let's hope she returns soon.
"Gossip Girl" airs Mondays on The CW at 9:00 pm EST.
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