Gossip Girl- Serena Van Der Woodsen.

If like me you were hooked on Gossip Girl then fell off the wagon somewhere between seasons 3 and 4- when lil J went MIA/Kray, Vanessa became irrelevant, Rufus got with Lily and the Humphreys became residents of the UES- and have only just climbed back on because of the fondness you once held for the show, which will be going off air in a matter of weeks, then you’ll understand the tone of this post…well I hope so.

Serena Van der Woodsen, the fairest of them all with her gorgeous blonde hair, body as lithe as a teenager and a perfectly pitched demure that helps her get away with murder. I loved Serena from the beginning because there was something so irresistible about her- the reformed bad girl gone good. She seemed so damaged but was willing to dust herself up and try again. Sometimes she showed flashes of maturity- defiance against her mother and hooking up with Dan who, at one point, wasn’t so jaded and quite frankly, annoying. Oh Dan how we miss thee of old. And other times she was the atypical socialite resting on her prettiness which often worked for her. It was a good mix, for a time. And then it wasn’t.

Like any character, Serena has her strengths and flaws but what happens when the flaws become more apparent? There were tell-tale signs of her plateau, especially in the last two seasons however, in this final season she has taken a nose dive, somewhat. She reminds me of Marisa Cooper from the OC before she was killed off. We just don’t get her anymore. Why is she still there and what exactly is she supposed to do? Besides, you know, dating half of New York from the city to the suburbs and the boroughs in between. Her milkshake brings all the boys to the yard. I know, corny right? But really, it does. Serena’s boys and men can populate a small village- Nate, Dan, Teacher guy, Dan again, Nate? Blair’s half brother, I’m sure there were some others before more recently, baby daddy-mature older guy-could be sugar daddy-had a thing with Lily-divorcé-manfriend-almost fiancé guy… you get my drift? The girl is one shenanigans shy of the red light district. And you know what they say about girls who have been with all the boys? I don’t know, but something has been said, no? Lets not forget her other antics; hopping from one career to another, playing juvenile games with B, and did she even graduate?

As a character she has lost her shine and become something tedious to watch, as if the producers don’t know what to do with her. We find her in the same old situation albeit it trying to move on but she never actually gets going. She gets in the car but never starts the engine. And then there is DAN!! Oh dear goodness DAN!! I just can’t. If she were a princess she’d be Jasmine, lounging around waiting to be saved or chasing after some guy in the name of “true love” and Dan would be her perfect Aladdin because let’s face it, he may have changed area codes but he’ll always be the outsider looking in. AKA Lonely Boy.

Serena Van der Woodsen like Peter Pan, is the girl that never really grows up and its not for want of trying but she seems reluctant to do so. Maybe its just me and maybe I’m being hard on her but for a character with such a promising start, I just expected so much more…you get me. Don’t you?