Summary
Serena and Tripp Vanderbilt continue to flirt and spend time together despite Tripp being married. Serena decides that she needs a buffer and goes to Nate for distraction and confesses her feelings for Tripp.
At a bar, Nate admits he has always been in love with Serena and leans in to kiss her. As he does this, a distressed Tripp walks in and interrupts. He just learned that it wasn't their grandfather that set up the drowning man in the Hudson River on Election Day, but his wife, Maureen. Now that his marriage is about to fall apart, Serena's last shreds of self-control dissolves. Although Nate pleads with Serena to not go with Tripp, she leaves with him anyway.
Back at NYU, Things are awkward between Dan, Vanessa, and Olivia after their sexy threesome. Nate tells Dan that the third person should always be a stranger and now Dan has to try and not πlay favorites. Vanessa and Olivia fight over Dan's time and attention.
Also at NYU, Blair decides that to win favor at NYU, she must get in with the elite crowd at the Tisch School of the Arts. They hosted a gathering of actors and writers to perform a play based around pop culture. Blair was originally not invited, but got Olivia to get her in with her connections. Blair pulls some strings and brings Lady Gaga as a guest, impressing her classmates.
Dan brings Vanessa in as the director of the play. Olivia and Vanessa vie for Dan's attention. During one of the scenes, Olivia calls out Dan for being in love with Vanessa. She leaves, leaving Vanessa to fill in for her as Snow White. When Dan kisses Vanessa, he realizes that he's had feelings for her all along. Unfortunately, Vanessa is interested in some artsy guy from Tisch. Olivia decided to leave NYU, telling Dan to admit his feelings to Vanessa.
Meanwhile, Jenny bored with being Queen, has been hanging around New York City with one of Chuck's guests, Damien. Damien is the son of a high-profile ambassador but deals drugs out of boredom; Jenny decides to help him and worries Chuck, who stops the exchange. But Jenny texts Damien, wanting in on the deals.
Memorable Quotes
Blair: "I have an army to build, a school to take over and girls to blackmail."
Dramatis Personae
Starring
- Blake Lively as Serena van der Woodsen
- Leighton Meester as Blair Waldorf
- Penn Badgley as Dan Humphrey
- Chace Crawford as Nate Archibald
- Taylor Momsen as Jenny Humphrey
- Ed Westwick as Chuck Bass
- Jessica Szohr as Vanessa Abrams
- Kelly Rutherford as Lily van der Woodsen
- Matthew Settle as Rufus Humphrey
Special Guest Stars
- Hilary Duff as Olivia
- Dennis Larkin as Upper East Side Resident
- Kevin Zegers as Damien
- Steven Weisz as Limo Driver
- Benita Robledo as Amalia
- Mike DiGiacinto as Damian's Dealer
- Aaron Tveit as Tripp Vanderbilt
- Holley Fain as Maureen Vanderbilt
- Lady Gaga as Herself
Recurring Stars
Music
- Boys and Girls by Thecocknbullkid
- Who Do I Wait For by Needers and Givers
- Not Just a Long Face by Magic Bullets
- Lay Low by Magic Bullets
- LoveGame by The Transcenders, originally by Lady Gaga
- Over & Out (Striker One Niner) by Estate
- Dance in the Dark by Lady Gaga
- Telephone by Lady Gaga ft. Beyoncé
- Paper Roses by Jason Diaz
- Bad Romance by Lady Gaga