This text incorporates a dialogue of dependancy.
Based mostly (very loosely) on Cecily von Ziegesar’s e book collection, “Gossip Woman” began its run on The CW in 2007 and, within the fingers of Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, allow us to into the unique world of a bunch of uber-wealthy Manhattan youngsters, all of whom have been performed by stunning twenty-somethings. The entire story begins with the return of the troubled however stunning socialite Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Full of life), who ran away to boarding college in Connecticut after some type of traumatizing life expertise earlier than the present’s narrative started — and when she does come again to New York, she tries to start out contemporary. Sadly for her, that is not an possibility thanks to at least one conniving, unhinged troublemaker: Georgina Sparks, performed to perfection by Michelle Trachtenberg.
When information broke that Trachtenberg handed away on February 26 on the age of 39, I considered her starring position in “Harriet the Spy” — after which, simply as shortly, I considered Georgina Sparks. I do not love “Gossip Woman” as a result of it is a good or well-made present; by any vital metric, it’s neither of these issues. What it is, although, is enjoyable, silly, and over-the-top, and albeit, that type of factor has benefit of its personal. Trachtenberg’s Georgina wasn’t a part of the principle solid — which means the group comprised of Serena, Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick), Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford), and Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley) — however her position on “Gossip Woman” was to create utter catastrophe, which stored all the enterprise operating. Every time the present wanted to steer into a completely batsh** loopy skid, Georgina was there to smirk, seize a glass of champagne, and trigger some type of dramatic wreck, which is why she was all the time the beating coronary heart of “Gossip Woman,” the most effective worst present to ever air on tv.
What does Georgina Sparks do throughout her time on Gossip Woman?
In case you are unfamiliar with Michelle Trachtenberg’s multiple-season arc on “Gossip Woman” as Georgina Sparks (and in case you are, please go repair that!) or simply want a refresher, here is the entire mess this character causes on “Gossip Woman.” Within the present’s first season, Georgina taunts Serena by sending her instances of champagne and extra … inappropriate presents (medication) in a deranged try and rekindle their friendship, solely to drive Serena into confessing that the 2 of them have been current when their good friend and highschool classmate Pete Fairman (performed by Elan Moss-Bachrach, brother to “The Bear” star Ebon) overdosed and died in entrance of them in a lodge room. Blair finally runs Georgina out of city on Serena’s behalf, however she resurfaces on the finish of the present’s second season having lately transformed to Christianity to atone for her sins; as a result of that is “Gossip Woman,” Blair instantly ruins Georgina’s rehabilitation by getting her concerned in an infinite scheme, giving us one in all Trachtenberg’s all-time finest line readings when she tells Blair, “you’ll be able to inform Jesus that the b**** is again.”
The third season of “Gossip Woman” finds Georgina attending New York College with Blair and Dan, secretly requesting to be roommates with the previous (to Blair’s utter horror) and emotionally tormenting her. Throughout all of that, she in some way finds the time to crash the marriage of Dan’s father Rufus (Matthew Settle) and Serena’s mom Lily (Kelly Rutherford) and inform everybody in regards to the love youngster they as soon as deserted. In that season’s finale, Georgina reveals as much as inform Dan she’s pregnant together with his youngster, and all through the primary a part of season 4, she mainly makes use of him as a patsy to get him to care for a toddler that’s, notably, not his.
Season 5 sees Georgina married to a rich however boring man and anxious to wreak havoc, so she does all the things in her energy to screw up Blair’s fairytale marriage ceremony to Prince Louis Grimaldi of Monaco (Hugo Becker). She additionally, at this level, is briefly the mysterious and titular Gossip Woman. By the present’s last season, Georgina is utilizing her evil powers for good (sort of) by serving to Blair and Chuck evade the legislation after Chuck perhaps by chance kills his father. Oh, additionally, she’s been working as Dan’s casual e book agent for some time at this level whereas he sells “Inside,” a scandalous tome based mostly on his associates. (I advised you this present was nuts.)
In case you or anybody you recognize wants assist with dependancy points, assist is on the market. Go to the Substance Abuse and Psychological Well being Companies Administration web site or contact SAMHSA’s Nationwide Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Michelle Trachtenberg was the one unique Gossip Woman solid member to seem on the reboot — and even made elements of it tolerable
Out of all the unique solid members from “Gossip Woman,” just one appeared within the (admittedly dreadful) reboot that aired on Max from 2021 to 2023 … and that will be Georgina Sparks. (Technically, Kristen Bell returns because the voice of the title blogger Gossip Woman, however I am probably not counting that.) The newborn Georgina as soon as handed off as Dan’s love youngster, Milo, is all grown up within the reboot (performed by Azhy Robertson), and within the present’s fourth-ever episode, “Fireplace Stroll With Z,” Milo approaches the collection’ resident doe-eyed, naïve newcomer Zoya Lott, performed by Whitney Peak. When he invitations Zoya to his home, we instantly see photos of Georgina, giving followers just a little Easter egg about her destiny after the unique present’s collection finale. We finally meet up with Georgina in particular person within the season 2 episode “The best way to Bury a Millionaire,” and he or she hasn’t modified in any respect, fortunately.
As soon as Georgina realizes {that a} trainer — particularly, Tavi Gevinson’s Kate Keller — on the unique Constance Billard prep college is the one operating the fashionable Gossip Woman account, she springs into motion, blackmailing Kate in order that they should work collectively to torture the varsity’s devious college students. Her position within the reboot would not final for lengthy — and the present was canceled after two seasons anyway — however Georgina’s mere presence made all the enterprise way more bearable than regular.
The character of Georgina Sparks encapsulates all the things that is amazingly foolish about Gossip Woman
All of this context is to say that Georgina Sparks, regardless of not being on each episode of the present, represents all the things it is about in a approach that mainly no different character can (although, to be honest, Blair Waldorf routinely offers her a run for her cash). Georgina exemplifies the strangest and most bonkers instincts of “Gossip Woman,” a present that is all the time at its finest when it takes completely nothing critically. Keep in mind once I talked about that, within the present’s fifth and penultimate season, Blair marries a prince? I did not point out that he later seems to be evil or that Georgina attire up like a priest on the marriage ceremony with the intention to wreck all of it, however that is precisely how foolish this present turns into because it attracts to a detailed.
Each time Georgina reveals up, a love youngster is revealed, a marriage is halted, a large secret is revealed — or all three of these issues occur, which is simply a completely pleasure to behold. Once more, “Gossip Woman” is just not imagined to be “good,” per se. (Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage may disagree with my evaluation, however they’ll come discuss to me about it in the event that they so please.) “Gossip Woman” is a present the place stunning, rich individuals enroll in school however by no means attend it, get impulsively married in Spain (to Armie Hammer, no much less), purchase accommodations earlier than they flip 21, get into automobile accidents and discover God, and uncover scammers who infiltrate their ranks with the intention to carry them down.
Amidst everybody that Blair, Serena, Nate, Chuck, and Dan destroy for petty crimes, Georgina is the one one who persists to create chaos yet again given the following out there alternative. As a personality pushed solely by an insatiable thirst for catastrophe and drama, Michelle Trachtenberg’s efficiency as Georgina is the distillation of what makes “Gossip Woman” nice: She’s all the time ridiculous, cocking an eyebrow, clutching a champagne glass, and ready for the sh** to hit the fan. Georgina is the most effective factor about “Gossip Woman,” and if you wish to watch all of her pitch-perfect appearances on the present, it is streaming on Max now.
