It’s been such a long, hot summer without the cool, bitchy breeze we’ve come to know (and love) as Gossip Girl. And I can’t think of a better way to spend a national holiday than to indulge in a little Hampton sunnin’ and lovin’ with these teens. The lovin’ came fast and furious with the hot opening scene between Nate and Couga…I mean Catherine. (Mädchen Amick, who I still love from the hilariously bad 1992 flick Sleepwalkers, in which she stabbed her boyfriend in the eye with a corkscrew. He was trying to suck the life out of her. Don’t ask. And let’s not forget a little gem called Central Park West.) So apparently these two have been gettin’ it on for much of the summer while Nate and Serena have been pretending to be dating as a cover. I’m a little bummed that they didn’t pursue the Nate/Serena romance hinted at in last year’s season finale. I liked the idea of those two. But, since this show is like musical love interests, I have a feeling at some point they’ll get paired up. And any story line that requires Chace Crawford to lose clothing is a bonus in my book.

Meanwhile, Chuck (Ed Westwick) has also been enjoying the presence of ladies, although I have to say I don’t really think those three girls he was at the beach with would just take off their tops — it’s a Hampton beach, for God’s sake. But I do love that Chuck enjoys a nice pinot grigio on the beach. That’s a man after my own heart! Mr. Bass did kind of remind me of Ed Grimley, with his checkered shirt and side part when he met Blair at the Jitney. But other than that, his fashions were one of the highlights of the episode, whether it was his jaunty argyle sweater and knee-socks croquet wear or — my personal fave — the white-with-black-piping tuxedo he wore to the White Party.

I’ve always been more a Blair lover than a Serena one, and my stance was firmly cemented with this episode. Leighton Meester has clearly found her groove and is relishing playing this girl. To me Chuck and Blair are becoming the Seth and Summer of this New York version of The O.C. And her lines do not disappoint: “Please don’t tell me you just sat around watching The Closer and eating takeout from Nick and Toni’s.” Still, it’s the chemistry between Meester and Westwick that really pops in this episode. That scene between them at Grandma CeCe’s house, standing underneath rows of arched trees, could not have looked more beautiful or have been better played. It’s nice to see GG get a little more emotional and romantic. Also, big points for Chuck’s paisley bow tie in that scene.

When we first saw Serena again she was, not surprisingly, pouting…but pouting in an amazing silver satin cover-up. How can you be upset when your hair is so bountiful? Or when your closet is like paying a visit to Intermix? I don’t understand. But her girl-talking scenes with Blair were among the more entertaining moments of the show. And wow, did she pull out the stops for her white party ensemble. That hairdo was a thing of beauty.

Source: Entertainment Weekly