Gossip Girl: The Complete Second Season

It's senior year for our beloved Upper East Siders, and the drama is at an all-time high. Applying for college is only one small part of the story, as new romances (and some not-so-new romances) bloom and fade, scandals erupt at every turn and alliances shift even faster than Gossip Girl can send an update. Families and reputations are destroyed and made; so are fortunes. And even the strongest friendships are tested. In this sizzling 25-episode, 7-disc Season Two, you never know what's next for Serena, Blair, Dan, Nate, Jenny, Chuck and Vanessa. Good thing Gossip Girl is always there to provide us with the latest, juiciest info! "Gossip Girl" loses a smidge of snark in season 2, but it's only a smidge, as the Upper East Siders ride out the senior-year traditions of college applications, prom, and graduation, but with Fashion Week and the Hamptons as glamorous backdrops. Serena (Blake Lively), wounded from her breakup/reunion/breakup with Dan (Penn Badgely), spends much of the season searching for her identity, which often steps on the toes of best frenemy Blair (Leighton Meester). Whether it be vying for a slot at Yale, or as queen bee of their prep school, these two have a complicated friendship perfectly summed up by another character: "You might be privileged, Blair, but you work for every single thing you achieve Serena just glides through." Meanwhile, Nate (Chace Crawford) dallies with an older woman (M￯﾿ﾽdchen Amick) and his upper-crust family falls into financial ruin; Jenny attempts to break into fashion on her own assisted by an unhinged model (Willa Holland); and Dan finds himself drawn to the new, young English teacher (Laura Breckinridge). But the key story line throughout season 2 is the evolution of the romance between Blair and Chuck (Ed Westwick). The starts and stops aren't as frustrating are they are heartbreaking--particularly when the two admit they might just love the chase more than the reality of couplehood--but Meester and Westwick make a compelling portrayal of a couple so screwed up they may actually last. Other stories that don't involve Blair and/or Chuck are weak by comparison, particularly the season-ending Madoff story line, inspired by Anne Hathaway's real-life ex-boyfriend who made headlines when he was indicted for fraud. Moreover, characters and subplots fizzle out abruptly (Nate and Jenny's fleeting romance, the embezzlement finale). An '80s-set flashback episode, intended as a launch pad for a spinoff about Serena's mother, Lily, also fails to connect (the pilot was eventually rejected). But standout episodes include "The Age of Dissonance," set during a hilarious senior production of Edith Wharton's play, and "Seder Anything," centered around a Passover dinner hosted by Blair's new stepdad (Wallace Shawn, a welcome comic relief). Bonus features on the seven-disc set include Webisodes of Blair's scene-stealing Polish maid Dorota, unaired scenes, a gag reel, and a behind-the-scenes interview with the show's wardrobe supervisor, Eric Daman, who details his process for picking out the cast's designer wardrobe, which could be a supporting character on its own.

Everyone reads her scandalous Internet commentary on the lives of Manhattan's most privileged teenagers. But exactly who is Gossip Girl? No one knows, but she certainly adds spice to the lives of these fashionable prep-schoolers, divulging some of their most closely guarded secrets. Based on the popular teen novels by Cecily von Ziegesar, the glossy series began when party girl Serena (Blake Lively) returned to the Upper East Side from boarding school. Though she seemed to have changed her ways, she still had to navigate the icy waters of her social sphere and confront the wrongs of her past--as well as the caustic commentary of a mysterious blogger. This complete collection of the show's second season presents all the trauma and drama of the teens' senior year.

Cast Summary:
	Blake Lively
	Leighton Meester
	Penn Badgley
	Chace Crawford
	Taylor Momsen