Man, I love this show. I think I was watching with bated breath the whole time. First off, I'm not really into fashion, but wow were the dresses gorgeous, especially Blair's. When she and Chuck started dancing they just looked gorgeous together. I also think it's interesting that they went for a sort of silver theme for Blair (and Nate, and maybe a little bit Chuck? I don't even remember, honestly), and a gold theme for Serena and Dan, since Serena is all about warmth (like the sun) and Blair is into the whole icy perfection thing. And I kind of can't believe I went to the fashion-analysis place, I think I've been studying too much, so I will move on to the squeeing over cute guys, which is much more my style.

Chuck! Oh, poor Chuck. We all kind of knew it was coming, but it hurt anyway. He feels real emotions, but the only way he knows to go about dealing with them is by conniving and manipulating. So I can't really blame Blair for thinking that Chuck was playing her for fun - I mean, she knows his reputation, and I don't imagine that one speech about butterflies is going to undo Blair Waldorf's many walls (for all that it totally won me over). And I also think we've got some more of Blair's not approving of the whole Chuck/Blair thing. And now Chuck has feelings, and he has to deal with them, and his super-great plan backfired, and so he runs away, which - he better come back, show! Really, really soon! Chuck-less weeks are like a wasteland for me, I'm telling you. Well, not as much a wasteland as a no-Gossip-Girl-at-all week (weeks?) with that silly beauty pageant show. Also, I've never really found the guy who plays Chuck all that attractive (Ed something? Westwick?), but this episode he really got to me.

Nate...is pissing me off. I can't hate on him *too* hard considering what's going on with his family, but this is a really shitty way to treat Blair. When she wants him, he doesn't want her. When she's over him, all of a sudden he wants her back. It's like the moment she's reached some sort of equilibrium (as precarious as it is), he has to barge in all 'how can I ruin Blair's life this week?' And she will always take him back because she's sort of a stupid little girl when it comes to Nate (and I mean that with all the affection possible, I really love Blair, just... flashback-Nate and Blair are great, and I almost feel like maybe she thinks if she gets back with Nate, regardless of whether they're really working any more, that she'll get that happy time back, and the sooner she realizes that's not the case, the sooner she can be happy again). So Nate, unless you are fully prepared to deal with all the baggage that comes with Blair, and not just dump her the second she gets complicated again, then you need to just stay away.

Actually, I thought the whole double-talk thing going on this ep was great. There was this one part where Nate is asking Chuck to find out who Blair is seeing, and he goes "me," and for a second (maybe it was the intonation), I thought he was saying it like "me, Blair's seeing me," but then Nate is all "yeah, who better to find out than you?". I don't know if that was intentional or me being dense, but I loved it either way. And then Serena's grandma lying about dying...or rather, double-lying...that was just weird.

Humphreys...this is kind of Allison's worst week ever. Her daughter leaves her for Lilly, her son leaves her for Lilly Jr, her husband *wants* to leave her for Lilly...jeez, the woman can't catch a break. As for Rufus, I know Lilly's cool and all, but you can't just turn around and start calling her with all the romantic what-could-have-beens right after you choose your wife and family. Not cool, Rufus. Possibly the same level of not-cool as Nate deciding that all of a sudden he wants Blair back right after he stomps her heart to bits.

That said, Gossip Girl continues to own my soul. Chuck better come back soon.

ETA: Also - The Pierces! I never recognize music on TV because I'm just not that hip, but I actually like them!