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Gossip Girl: Season 5 Episode 13: G.G. – TV Review

Laura Aguirre — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:48:08 +0000

It’s time for Blair’s royal wedding, Georgina’s reappearance, and the almighty revelation of Gossip Girl. The 100th episode of the series was sure to be a grand feast of tears, romance, scandals and twists – anything but dull. Chuck vowed not to intervene during Blair’s fairy tale nuptials, but did he keep his promise? Will Blair actually marry a man she doesn’t love? And, after all this time, who is gossip girl? So many questions, and yet, so little time. Let’s go over the highs and lows of “Gossip Girl‘s” 100th episode.

The Players:

Director: Mark Piznarski
Writer: Joshua Safran
Cast: Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick

Episode Title: “G.G.”

Chuck must face the fact that Blair is getting married to another man; Georgina’s return might turn the wedding into a complete disaster.

The Good:

Serena Dreams Of Marilyn: We’ve seen Blair’s dreams plenty of times, but in this week’s episode Serena does the dreaming. In her dream sequence, she channels Marilyn Monroe, while her bestie Blair appears as Audrey Hepburn (duh!). Serena’s Marilyn is sexy, flirty and spot on. Along with the boys, Serena pays homage to the blonde bombshell with her version of “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”. But that isn’t the best part of her dream, or shall we say nightmare? Serena’s fears are brought to the forefront when Dan chooses Blair’s Audrey instead of her Marilyn.
Royal Wedding Fashion: Blair’s wedding was a total fashion show.
The Royal Wedding Twists and Shocks (SPOILERS!): As much as we hoped this day wouldn’t come, we knew that if it did, something would go horribly wrong. So, the expected does happen, but in the most unexpected of ways. Chuck shows up at the wedding to try and stop Blair from marrying Louise, but is interrupted by Gossip Girl’s comeback blast that shows a video of Blair proclaiming her love to Chuck just minutes before walking down the aisle. And then, Blair runs, not to Chuck’s arms, but because she’s so embarrassed. In the end, Blair goes on with the wedding, only to be shocked by Louie’s true agenda. It is the saddest moment when Blair realizes the huge mistake she’s made, but she’s not one to be bullied, and so she runs.
Nate Meets The Real Charlie Rhodes (SPOILERS!): Nate realizes what a jerk he is to women when he comes across a pretty looking catering girl, who just happens to be the real Charlie Rhodes. There’s a spark between the two, which makes us believe that there will be something there in the future.
A Cry For Help (SPOILERS!): One of the final twists of the night comes when the runaway bride makes an SOS call. We expect (and suspect) her to call her real prince charming, Chuck, but instead, she dials an unlikely toad – lonely boy. It’s nice misdirection, and it shows us, once again, how close Dan and Blair are.
Best Line: Blair to Cyrus, “Oh Cyrus, one escort is not enough.”

The So-So:

Serena Drops a Bomb (SPOILERS!): We all knew that Serena was rapidly falling for her ex, but none of us expected it to go this far. This week, Serena drops the massive ‘I love you. Always have. Always will’ bomb on Dan. It is completely unbelievable. Once there was great chemistry between the two. Now, there’s just friendship. We know that. They know that. The only people who don’t seem to know that are the writers. Still, we don’t mind seeing where this goes.
Gossip Girl Revealed (SPOILERS!): If it’s true, and Georgina has always been Gossip Girl, then we have a lot of unanswered questions. How on earth was Georgina able to pull off being Gossip Girl without anyone ever suspecting it was her? There’s a lot of explaining to do.

Overall:

It isn’t the perfect episode. There are definitely a handful of cheesy, eye-rolling moments (as there are in every episode), but it is those shocking moments, those completely unexpected plot twists that make this 100th episode worth it. Make no mistake about it, “Gossip Girl” can still leave us wanting more, and for the first time in a long time, it did.

Rating: 8.5/10

“Gossip Girl” returns January 16, 2012 at 8 p.m. on The CW.

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Gossip Girl: Season 5 Episode 10: Riding In Town Cars With Boys – TV Review

Laura Aguirre — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:04:23 +0000

The mid-season finale of “Gossip Girl” kicked off with a breakfast toast at the Rhodes house. Now that Charlie has established herself as a true Rhodes girl, it’s time to introduce her to New York’s high society. But aside from debutant balls and whatnot, a lot happened in last night’s episode – Serena revisits her high school years; Nate deals with some family drama; and Dan considers telling Blair how he feels about her. But the most important storyline doesn’t involve Serena, Nate or Dan, but everyone’s favorite couple – Chuck and Blair. Finally, their fate is decided.

Let’s go over Monday’s ‘Riding In Town Cars With Boys.’

The Players:

Director: Vince Misiano
Writer: Amanda Lasher
Cast: Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick

Episode Title: “Riding In Town Cars With Boys“

Lily hosts a bash so Charlie can make her formal debut in New York society, but Max puts Charlie’s upper-crust future in jeopardy. Elsewhere, Dan considers admitting his true feelings to Blair.

The Good:

Blair’s Conscience: Dorota is the loving Polish mother Blair never had. Their relationship makes us warm inside. The best moments between them are when Dorota acts as Blair’s conscience. Sometimes she knows what Blair wants more than Blair. She’s scary good.
Chair (Major SPOILERS!!!): The mid-season finale ended with a bang! Blair and Chuck reunited once again, and we couldn’t be happier. No one belongs together more than these two. Ever since Blair found out Louis is a scheming Prince, her feelings for him have changed. She’s been going back and forth between Louis and Chuck, and in last night’s episode her decision was finally made. Blair decided that she’d rather be happy with Chuck than be a princess with Louis. She shared an emotional scene with Chuck where he tells her that he’s going to love her baby as much as he loves her (cheesy, we know). Unfortunately their momentary bliss is brought to a halt (see below).
Like A Son: Another relationship we love… Lily and Chuck. We’ve said this before.
Best Line: Charlie to Nate: “If you deserve to be that person, be it and never look back.”

The So-So:

The Crash (SPOILERS!): Shortly after Chuck and Blair decide to be together, they crash straight into a brick wall. All we know about the car accident is that it was planned (possibly by Trip and Max – see below) and that Chuck isn’t looking too good. Do we support the car crash? It’s too early to say. Maybe this is the way the writers are getting rid of the Blair’s baby, and maybe this will allow her to move on with her life without any baggage, but who knows. It seems like there will still be some other major consequences.
Serena Remembers the Good Old Days (SPOILERS!): Serena took a walk down memory lane and reminded herself that Dan was definitely the best thing to ever happened to her. This triggered her to suddenly fall in love with Dan all over again. Serena grew green with envy when she discovered that Dan loves Blair and tried to stop him from confessing his love to Blair by helping out Dan’s enemy. Is Serena really this naive? Has she really not matured at all?
Charlie Is A Fake: Charlie admitted she’s a fake, to Rufus, and then ran away. Just like that. She worked so hard to get to the top of the social ladder and now she’s gone. She just gave it all up. Forgive us while we scratch out heads.

The Bad:

Unlikely Duo: Trip and Max formed an alliance of some kind. The details of their alliance weren’t revealed directly, but it seems like the two had something to do with the accident. The accident left a lot of questions, of course, but what really has us completely confused is how Trip and Max ever even formed an alliance. Why would Trip ever listen to a guy like Max? It’ll be a long time before any of our questions are answered.

Overall:

Throughout the season, the big mystery has been, who will Blair pick? Who will she end up with? Last night, she chose. It was beautiful, seeing her and Chuck back together. Now that the show is on hiatus for the holidays, we get to wonder what their future holds.

Rating: 7.5/10

“Gossip Girl” returns January 16, 2012 at 8 p.m. on The CW.

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Gossip Girl: Season 5 Episode 9: Rhodes to Perdition – TV Review

Laura Aguirre — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:15:05 +0000

It’s was a Rhodes family affair on “Gossip Girl” last night. Whenever these women come together, you never know what’s going to happen, especially when Grandma Cece is in town. Serena continues to occupy her bed, blogging about how fabulous her life, and Charlie’s fate is brought to the forefront. Sadly, the Upper East Siders didn’t come together during ‘Rhodes to Perdition’, but there was a lot of drama and a few Chair moments that made the episode worthwhile.

Let’s go over Monday’s ‘Rhodes to Perdition.’

The Players:

Director: Andrew McCarthy
Writer: Natalie Krinsky
Cast: Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick

Episode Title: “All The Pretty Sources“

Lily, Charlie and Serena eagerly anticipate the Studio 54 party being thrown in grandma CeCe’s honor. Nate takes on a new role at the Spectator, but his first big story turns out to be about someone he knows too well. Blair turns to an unlikely person for help.

The Good:

Dan Fights Off the Haters: Dan hasn’t recovered from his brief but painful moment as a successful, young writer. Now he’s traded in fiction for online squabbles – Dan is anonymously fighting off all of his online haters though an avatar he named ‘Danfan’. Where his career is going is hard to tell, but it’s bound to be something exciting. The suspense is slowly building.
Nate Takes Over: Last week we said good-bye to cougar lady Diana Payne. She resigned as editor-in-chief of The Spectator, and last night, Nate took over. As soon as he was done giving his “I’m in charge now” speech, one of his reporters jumps at him with a juicy scoop. The problem is that the story is one that involves someone from the Vanderbilt family tree. Nate’s ethics are tested, again. In the end, everything played out in a way that was honest to his character. Nate has always been a fair guy and that showed in what he ended up doing.
“Charlie Sheen to Charlie Brown”: Blair desperately tries to figure out the key ingredients to Chuck’s transformation, which leads her to realize that maybe she’s the one who brings out the worst in people. She and Chuck spend some time together, since Louis is once again M.I.A. Chair scenes are always great – there’s no denying that they still love each other.
Charlie Rhodes (SPOILERS!): Somehow Charlie was able to convince the gullible Rhodes (Serena included) family that she is Charlie, not Ivy. Although Charlie’s story hasn’t been as intriguing as others, there’s no denying that she’s different from the other guest characters the show gets. She’s not your usual villain (maybe she’s no a villain at all). The big question now is, once her identity is revealed, will the Upper East Siders shun her like they do those other villains? Or will they show her some sympathy?
Best Line: Rufus to Dan: “It’s time to leave Inside behind and go outside.”

The So-So:

Sister Quarrels: Yawn! That’s what happens when Lily and her sister Carol fight, and make-up. It’s a waste of time to see these two sisters go at it every time they see each other. We get it, they hate each other. And what’s with Lily being so mad at Carol for being a ‘horrible mother’? She’s the one who’s put her own daughter in prison.

Overall:

Even though “Gossip Girl” works best when all of the Upper East Siders come together, last night’s episode had enough good drama and witty lines to keep us entertained.

Rating: 7.5/10

Watch “Gossip Girl” Monday nights at 8 p.m. on The CW.

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Gossip Girl: Season 5 Episode 8: All The Pretty Sources – TV Review

Laura Aguirre — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:53:53 +0000

Serena and Blair do best friends better than anyone. Those two are more than just pals, they’re sisters and they know each other inside and out. In last night’s episode of “Gossip Girl,” maid of honor Serena threw her BFF a ‘Blair Waldorf’ bridal shower to die for. Many of the Upper East Siders came together for this event – a couple even showed up uninvited. And surprise, surprise all hell broke loose!

Let’s go over Monday’s ‘All The Pretty Sources.’

The Players:

Director: Cherie Nowlan
Writer: Austin Winsberg
Cast: Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick

Episode Title: “All The Pretty Sources“

Serena is hard at work planning a dream bridal shower for Blair, but she has to plant false info about it to keep Blair in the dark. Chuck and Dan decide to spend the day together to distract themselves from the big event. Nate and Serena find a silver bullet in Diana’s war against Gossip Girl, but struggle about whether to use it or not.

The Good:

Chuck and Dan Bromance: Chuck and Dan spend an afternoon getting high, drinking scotch, eating bruschetta and watching The Matrix. Seeing them this close just shows how much these characters have actually grown. Chuck and Dan have come a long way since their fist fights in season one.
Likable Serena (SPOILERS!): It was about time that we saw the old Serena. During Blair’s Tiffany’s-inspired shower, Serena made a heartfelt speech about how much she values Blair as a friend. For the first time, in a long time, Serena is likable, and she looks more beautiful than ever.
Louis Gets Caught: Louis returns from Monaco a concerned man. About what, you ask? Well, the Prince is concerned about Blair’s friends because he believes they don’t have her best interests at heart. Once again, Louis schemes, this time against Blair’s friends. He wants to show her the truth about them, but it all backfires. It’s not enjoyable seeing Louis get down and dirty, but all of his actions are pushing Blair away. Blair belongs with Chuck. Always has, always will.
Best Line: Chuck to Dan: “I told you to get some ass not make one of yourself.”

The So-So:

The End of Diana (SPOILER!): Diana’s cougar days are over, for now at least. Last week it was revealed that her and Nate’s manipulating grandfather William Vanderbilt were working together, and last night their agenda was revealed. Grandpa Bill simply wanted to restore Nate’s name, and what better way than to start a gossip website – not!
Charlie Is Running Out of Ideas (SPOILER!): Charlie’s secret almost came out last night, but somehow she managed to twist the truth. Still, she’s running out of ideas and her boyfriend Max (who also has a thing for Serena) is after her.

Overall:

It was great to see Blair and Serena spend some time together. Their relationship is one of the reasons we love this show. Louis and Blair are still having relationship problems and at this point there’s no telling where they’re going to end up.

Rating: 7/10

Watch “Gossip Girl” Monday nights at 8 p.m. on The CW.

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Gossip Girl: Season 5 Episode 7: The Big Sleep No More – TV Review

Laura Aguirre — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:04:16 +0000

“Gossip Girl” loves to showcase anonymity and secrecy. In last night’s episode, the Upper East Siders went to a charity event where the required accessory was a white mask. Dan was the only one missing out on the action. Now that he’s a published author, he’s got readings to do and empty book stores to visit. So he was off doing that, or he telling people that that’s what he’s doing. Let’s go over the ups and downs of ‘The Big Sleep No More.’

The Players:

Director: Andy Wolk
Writers: Dan Steele
Cast: Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick

Episode Title: “The Big Sleep No More”

Several of our favorite Upper East Siders attend a performance of Punchdrunk’s provocative theater experience, ‘Sleep No More,’ which translates to masks, anonymity and some surprising romantic twists by the end of the evening. Meanwhile, Diana sets her sights on Serena in her quest to ruin Gossip Girl. Dan is out on his book tour, but things aren’t exactly as they appear to his friends and family.

The Good:

Chair (SPOILERS!): Chuck’s apology last week was the highlight of the episode, but Blair didn’t fall for it one bit. This week, with Louis being away and all, she was determined to expose Chuck. The first time they run into each other, Chuck is walking Monkey and being photographed doing other good deeds. Blair is on her way to feed the ducks. They have a mild confrontation. The next time, Blair seduces Chuck so that she can prove to herself (right…) that he’s the same old Chuck. In the end, the two share a passionate kiss that only Darota gets to witness.
Dan And Failure: Dan has a hard time dealing with failure. We don’t see much of him during this episode, but it’s interesting to see the roller coaster he’s on. He was on top of the world a couple of week’s ago, and now he’s at a very low point. It’ll be interesting to see what he decides to do.
Charlie: Charlie’s ghosts are haunting her. Max, her Los Angeles boyfriend that she left behind, tracks her down in New York. Is he going to expose her? Charlie’s story is finally getting interesting.
Best Life: Diana to Nate: “Maybe you should have some fun without the pressure of me on top of you all the time.”

The So-So:

High School Games: Last week, Diana told Charlie that Nate was hers. (“He’s mine!” she cried). But this week, Diana does a 180 and suggests that she and Nate take a break. So there’s this love triangle going on between Diana and Nate and Charlie, but it feels a lot more High School than it should. Thankfully Nate did point out that this is a bunch of high school nonsense: “Diana tells me she wants to take some time off. Then Charlie kissed me and ran. I mean, I thought we left stuff like that behind in high school.”
Diana Always Knows What To Do: Some of Diana’s appeal is that she always knows what to do, but even James Bond needs some time to think things over. Maybe it’s because we’re not entirely sure of who she is (she could be a spy or maybe just someone’s mom), but it’s beginning to feel odd how quickly she adapts to new information. In last night’s episode, she didn’t sweat it once. She always knew what to do to come out on top.
Serena’s Advice: Serena gives everyone very good advice but she very seldom follows it. She gives Blair the advice to focus on her relationship with Louis and leave Chuck alone (to deal with his own demons), but yet she’s always making the same mistakes. She tells Blair to deal with her problems, but she’s always sticking her nose into everyone else’s business.

Overall:

Chuck and Blair are the two characters carrying this show forward, right now. Dan is interesting to watch too. Last night we finally got a hint of who Diana might be working for, but it seems way too complicated. Hopefully Diana’s storyline pays off because a lot of time is being spent on this secondary character. Next week, the masks come off!

Rating: 6.5/10

Watch “Gossip Girl” Monday nights at 8 p.m. on The CW.

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Gossip Girl: Season 5 Episode 6: I Am Number Nine – TV Review

Laura Aguirre — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:45:35 +0000

Blair, Serena, Chuck, Nate and Dan might’ve graduated high school seasons ago, but they are still making the same mistakes. Last night on “Gossip Girl,” Blair unleashed her inner Queen Bee only to boss around and mistreat her minions (Penelope returns), Serena accidentally ruins a life, like she has done so many times before, Chuck makes a scene, Nate gets whored out, and Dan does what he does best, he jumps to conclusions and hurts somebody’s feelings. The characters are making same mistakes, but this isn’t high school anymore, the stakes are higher now and that means that they have a lot more to loose.

The Players:

Director: Joe Lazarov
Writers: Peter Elkoff
Cast: Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick

Episode Title: “I Am Number Nine“

Blair makes all of her former minions and Charlie compete to secure the coveted bridesmaid spots in her upcoming royal wedding. Nate is tired of keeping his relationship with Diana secret, so he decides to use Charlie to make Diana jealous. Serena’s boss is determined to acquire the film rights to Dan’s book, so Serena must put her personal feelings about Dan and the book aside in order to close the deal.

The Good:

My Royal Wedding: Blair preps for her Royal Wedding (she actually calls it that and then draws comparisons between her and Kate Middleton). Her first task is to choose a bridesmaid. Serena is obviously the maid of honor, but since she’s too busy playing producer, Blair needs someone else to take on the responsibility. She calls on her minions (and Charlie) and puts them though a mini-boot camp where they have to undergo different tasks that would be likely to happen on the day of the wedding. Only Blair could pull off a thing like this because she has.
Clueless Nate: Leave it to Nate to be clueless that Diana has a main squeeze besides him. It’s just who he is. Even though he works in media, he has no clue that his cougar is exclusive with somebody else (it has been all over the tabloids apparently). This eventually leads to some big jealousy thing between Nate and Diana, similar to the one between Nate and Dutchess Beaton in Season 2.
Serena, The Life Ruiner (SPOILERS!): The Serena of Season 5 is not the Serena we know and love (and sometimes hate). She’s not a selfish schemer (that’s Blair) . Serena’s always trying to help situations, mind you she always ruins peoples lives in the process, but still, it’s always with a good intention. Last night she tried to help Dan, but her plan backfired and she completely screwed Dan over, unintentionally. While it’s not good to see Dan get kicked off the best seller’s list, it was good to see the old Serena.
Chuck’s Honest Apology (SPOILER!): Chuck’s apology to Blair saved this episode from being a soap opera of cliches. It was so honest and beautiful when he showed up to Blair’s house to apologize for everything he ever did to her (not saying ‘I love you’, not waiting for her at the Empire State Building, etc). The moments between Chuck and Blair are really the best. They have unmistakable chemistry.
Best Life: “We’re going to Zuckerberg him.” Serena’s boss refers to Dan.

The Bad:

Chuck’s Psychoanalysis: Doesn’t it takes years and year of psychoanalysis for a person to figure out their fears? In just a few sessions, Chuck figures out that his biggest fear and deals with it. He gets over it, like it’s nothing.
Serena’s Boss (SPOILER!): Why is Serena still working for this freak of a boss? Doesn’t she have any self respect? And why does her boss have to be that evil? She went from being the nicest producer to being an intern’s worst nightmare. Luckily, Serena’s lost her job and that means we won’t be seeing the evil producer anymore.

Overall:

There’s no denying that these characters have matured, but last night’s episode of “Gossip Girl” felt like it was taken straight out of Season 2. The Chuck and Blair scene at the end was a nice touch though.

Rating: 6.5/10

Watch “Gossip Girl” Monday nights at 8 p.m. on The CW.

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Gossip Girl: Season 5 Episode 5: The Fasting and the Furious – TV Review

Laura Aguirre — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:25:35 +0000

Dan Humphrey is enjoying the fruits of his labor. The “Gossip Girl” stud always had the chops to be a successful writer. In the first season he won a young writer’s contest, followed by a short story published in The New Yorker. In the past, whenever he came close to ‘making it,’ his father would work at his conscience. He told him never demean others to attain success because you could end up alone. Five seasons later, those words have become a reality. Everyone is on non-speaking terms with him, including Rufus. So last night’s episode ‘The Fasting and the Furious’ focused on the aftermath of his book release.

Check out our review…

The Players:

Director: Joe Lazarov
Writers:Peter Elkoff
Cast: Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick

Episode Title: “The Fasting and the Furious”

In the midst of celebrating Yom Kippur with family and friends, Blair and Louis find themselves in a power struggle with his family. Serena’s boss puts her in the awkward position of choosing between her new job and her relationship with Dan. Diana prepares to debut the New York Spectator, but a last-minute surprise delays the launch.

The Good:

Gossip Girl’s Blast: If we know one thing about Gossip Girl, it’s that she doesn’t like to be messed with. Nobody double-crosses her and gets away with it. She’s shown it in the past, and she showed it last night when Diana was about to debut her own gossip website, The New York Spectator. Just before the site was about to go live, Gossip Girl sent out an e-blast that put everyone in the company’s newsroom to shame. It was an awesome moment!
Harvey Weinstein: Dan’s novel is the hot item of the day, and now that it’s out, Hollywood wants it. So the name dropping begins… Unlike the super-fake Daniel Day-Lewis story they told us last week, the Harvey Weinstein tale is a lot more believable. Yes, he’s an A-list producer, but he’s also part of the New York elite.
Serena’s Jealous: We’re not liking the new and unimproved Serena one bit (see below), but last night the real her came out for a brief second. When she received Dan’s novel, she thought she’d be the star and last night, finally admitted her jealousy of Blair. It was honest and unexpected. Also, it makes us think that Dan and Blair and just meant to be.
Best Line: Chuck walks in to Nate’s job in a crisis and says, “I’m trying to bed an older woman and she’s being resistant. It’s driving me crazy which is ironic because she’s a shrink. You speak old lady what’s my play?”
Second Best Line: Serena’s producer calls Dan “F. Scott Fitz-jackass.”

The So-So:

Serena’s Blair: Serena has turned into Blair, a scheming and manipulative girl. However, unlike Blair, Serena (or perhaps Blake Lively) doesn’t have that wicked charm. Even at her worst, Blair is a likable character. She can get away with almost anything and you’ll still be rooting for her. On the other hand, Serena is another story. From the beginning of the series, Serena has never had that evil spark. Maybe she got away with a few ‘Blair’ moments before because they were so few and far between but season 5 has showed us a new side to her (and not in the character development kind-of-way). Athough it’s occasionally entertaining, it’s mostly annoying because it’s not the Serena we know — at all.
Dan Wants To Be Aaron Sorkin (SPOILER!): Dan agrees to give Serena’s boss the movie rights to Inside, with the condition that he’ll be the screenwriter. What are the chances that this could actually happen in the real world?

The Bad:

Charlie/Ivy: “Gossip Girl” villains have always had an agenda, but since Charlie/Ivy appears to lack one, she’s officially the lamest of villain of all.
Royal Pains: Where exactly is this heading? It seems like Louis’ family has disowned him and as much as we’d like to believe that Blair really loves him, she’s more in love with the idea of being Grace Kelly. As for her baby delimma, The Waldorfs wants it to be raised in Manhattan, while the monarchs want the baby in Monaco. Maybe there should be less focus on the child’s location and more focus on the results in that envelope. The clock is a ticking.

Overall:

It was a good follow-up to Dan’s coming out (as the author of Inside), but there’s too much going on – Blair and the monarchs; Serena trying to get the rights to Dan’s book; Chuck going to therapy; Nate trying to make a name for himself as a journalist; Charlie/Ivy being blackmailed by Diana; Lily getting use to her life as a free woman; Dan trying to rekindle with everyone; and more. My head is literally spinning. Let’s slow down and tackle less at a time.

Rating: 7/10

Watch “Gossip Girl” Monday nights at 8 p.m. on The CW.

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Gossip Girl: Season 5 Episode 4: Memoirs of an Invisible Dan – TV Review

Laura Aguirre — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:36:07 +0000

For so long “Gossip Girl” fans have been waiting for the moment when Lonely Boy, Dan Humphrey would release a tell-all novel. Though it was just recently revealed (in Season 4) that Dan was even working on a novel, it was always implied that Dan would someday give his perspective on being the outsider among his rich society friends. Finally that day came, and it was well worth the wait. During last night’s episode of “Gossip Girl” Dan spent his time trying to convince Serena, Blair, Chuck, and Nate, that Inside is a work of fiction and merely inspired by their lives, and he learned the true meaning of what it is to be a Lonely Boy.

The Players:

Director: Tate Donovan
Writers: Amy B. Harris
Cast: Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick

Episode: “Memoirs of an Invisible Dan”

After much deliberation, Dan decides to gather Serena, Blair, Nate, Chuck, Rufus and Lily to reveal the truth about his book in the hope that they will support him at his book party. Meanwhile, Blair and Louis hit a crises point after Louis reads Dan’s book. Diana learns incriminating information about one of Nate’s friends and uses it to her advantage.

The Good:

Together Again: The show’s always much more exciting when the whole gang gets together. Dan wanted everyone to come to his book release party, but before he sent out the party invitations, he had to break the news. Dan calls a meeting at the Van Der Woodsens – one by one they come in, skeptical about why they’re there (though exciting, these meetings are never good news). The highlight of the scene is when Serena walks in, looking super chic, and at the sight of everyone says, “Okay, I’m pretty sure this is how every murder mystery begins.”
Reactions to Inside (SPOILERS!): Dan gives everyone about 10 hours to read his novel (which looks lengthy by the way). The only ones who actually read his novel are the adults, Rufus and Lily, and Chuck, oh and Louis. Serena has to hear about her portrayal as Sabrina from her co-worker. She doesn’t think much of it at first, but when her job is put on the line because of her portrayal, she confronts Dan. Serena thinks Dan has forgotten who he fell in love with those years ago, and Dan thinks Serena isn’t seeing the whole picture. In a lot of ways, their confrontation was quite enlightening and showed insight into their complicated relationship. Like Serena, Blair is also furious at Dan. She finds out through Louis that Dan’s book includes “fictitious” details that could potentially ruin her royal wedding, again. Blair’s confrontation with Dan isn’t as intense as Serena’s, but it shows us just how much Dan has grown to care about her. Nate also gets upset, not because of his portrayal as a gay guy, but because his character, “Derek,” was a combination of him and Eric, Serena’s younger brother. Kudos to Dan for showing just how secondary Nate’s character has become.
Chuck Analyzes Himself, Hangs Out With Lily: Out of everyone, Chuck was the only one who wasn’t raging at Dan for his portrayal. He saw this as an opportunity to re-evaluate his priorities. He doesn’t want to be alone. Towards the end of the episode, he shares an emotional and sweet moment with Lily.
Rufus Goes From Proud Father to Heartbroken Dad: It was shocking to learn that Rufus’ feeling were also hurt. Rufus waits for the right moment to tell Dan that he’s heartbroken by his description as a “hasbeen turned trophy husband.” How will Dan’s novel change the dynamic of this father/son relationship?

The So-So:

Charlie/Ivy and Diana: These two have joined forces. We don’t know much about their plans yet, all we do know is that Diana might be blackmailing Charlie/Ivy to become the new Gossip Girl.
Blair and Dan’s Liplock (SPOILERS!): While Blair is reading Dan’s book (she just read a part of it), she imagines one of the scenes and it comes alive onscreen. Dan and Blair share a disturbing kiss. It was a shocking moment because for a second it appeared to be real. Luckily, it was all a daydream.

The Bad:

Serena As Production Assistant: Serena’s gig as a production assistant continues to be totally unrealistic. Last night, she sent Daniel Day Lewis (c’mon writers, DDL? really?) rosebushes as a bribe to do a movie. It’s totally unrealistic that an actor of DDL’s caliber would ever, ever agree to do a project on these terms, and even more unrealistic is that he would turn down a project because of some Upper East Side party girl’s reputation. First David O. Russell, now DDL? If you can get DDL to do a cameo on “Gossip Girl” then I’ll never question this show again, but until then, this is NOT okay.

Overall:

‘Memories of an Invisible Dan’ was a revelation for the characters of “Gossip Girl.” Through Dan’s book, everyone – except Diana and Charlie/Ivy – learned the harsh reality of their personalities. Last night’s episode was served like a season premiere, especially when Gossip Girl’s epilogue included the phrase, “We’re just at the start of a brand new chapter.” Five seasons and Dan’s writing is barely seeing the light of day. It’s safe to say that Inside is going to be at the center of a lot of storylines to come.

Rating: 8.5/10

Watch “Gossip Girl” Monday nights at 8 p.m. on The CW.

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Gossip Girl: Season 5 Episode 3: The Jewel of Denial – TV Review

Laura Aguirre — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:05:43 +0000

Now that Blair’s pregnancy is confirmed, the big question is, who’s the father? Last night’s episode of “Gossip Girl” shows Blair trying to avoid the results of her baby’s paternity test. Dan tries to distract himself with Blair’s problems, but eventually has to deal with his own trouble. Dan has to decide between leaving his novel anonymous or owning up to the work and putting his name on it. And for the first time ever, “Gossip Girl” gets a dog!

The Players:

Director: Larry Shaw
Writers: Amanda Lasher
Cast: Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick

Episode: “The Jewel of Denial”

Nate must decide whether to cross moral lines at Diana’s request. Dan has figured out who is publishing his book, and seeks help to stop it, but he ends up in the spotlight anyway. Chuck helps Dan come to terms with his fate, just as Dan continues to try to help Chuck break through his emotional block. Serena and Charlie return to the Upper East Side from California. And Blair deals with the paternity of her baby.

The Good:

Blair’s Baby Daddy Drama: When life get tough, Blair prefers to ignore it by pretending to live in a parallel universe where everything is perfect. So when it came time to face the paternity of her baby, she did what she would normally do in any stressful situation – shop. Dan and Dorota team up against Blair, and eventually force her to face the results of her paternity test. (SPOILER!) Who is it? Well, here’s the thing, we’re told it’s Louis, but the tension and mystery (and camera focus on the envelope) at the end of the episode suggest that Blair may be lying to us. If that’s the case, then bring it. Blair’s baby daddy drama is totally intriguing.
“Gossip Girl” Gets A Dog: Dan gets Chuck a doggy called Monkey. This is absolutely brilliant! Chuck with a dog? The point of it all is to get him to feel something again and now, he’s got a new best friend to keep him company. Now that he knows that Blair is pregnant with Louis’ baby (again, supposedly), he’s going to need that dog to help him get through the pain (oh yeah, he can feel again). One of the best parts of last night’s episode was when a very serious Chuck introduces Monkey to Blair: “Blair meet my dog monkey,” he says, as he takes a drink from his scotch.
Written by Dan Humphrey: Dan has always been praised for his “brilliant” writing (we’d never actually seen this said “brilliant” writing though and probably never will). He’s had plenty of chances to get published, but because he’s always afraid to hurt people’s feelings, never has. Luckily, Vanessa submitted his novel and now, Dan is well on his way to be a published author. (SPOILER!) During last night’s episode, he tries to stop this from happening. He seeks out Noah Shapiro to help him kill the novel, but Shapiro has an agenda that ultimately pushes Dan to, claim authorship or let someone else take credit for his work. In next week’s episode we get to see how his novel is going to play out with his high-society friends. It’s going to be an episode you’re not going to want to miss. Will Dan finally get recognized, perhaps even famous? The preview (see below) looks hilarious.
Lily, Rufus and the End of Ankle Bracelets (SPOILER!): Lily, a.k.a. Serena’s mom, is done with house arrest. Last season, Lily hit a low point in her life when it was discovered that she sent an innocent man to jail to protect Serena. She was put under house arrest for it, and now, she’s free. Rufus, a.k.a. Dan’s dad a.k.a. “the waffle king”, somehow convinced the judge to set her free (more on that below). As a free woman, the first thing she does is…go to a party, of course! No one is informed about this big event, and when some of the characters do find out, they don’t act surprised. Maybe nothing surprises them anymore. Still, kudos for getting Lily to a fashion party where people start to whisper gossip about her because that’s totally what would happen to someone like Lily.

The So-So:

Nate Breaks the Rules: Nate becomes an intern for Diana’s newspaper. As soon as he walks in through the door, she fires all of her staff. According to Diana, she wants to be able to rebuild her newspaper, but also she wants to be able to “celebrate” with Nate whenever she wants. Now that Nate is the only staff member, an opportunity is created to give him something to do, besides stand around looking pretty. Through his new job, he is faced with something morally questionable. Nate has seen, first hand, that bending the rules can lead to a lot of trouble – during season one when his father was being charged with fraud – so seeing him go through these dilemmas can lead to something quite interesting. On the other hand, Nate is not the type to get himself into these sort of situations. He’s honest and considerate, so seeing him act otherwise felt unnatural.
Charlie/Ivy: She’s here to stay. Still don’t know where this storyline is headed. Is Charlie/Ivy a friend or a foe of our Upper East-siders? She’s not your typical villain that’s for sure. Still, don’t know much about this to really care.

The Bad:

Paternity Test: Didn’t Blair need blood samples from Louis and Chuck to figure out who the father is? How did she get her hands on that paternity test? Seeing Blair struggle to get blood samples from these guys could have been pretty great… just saying.
Rufus Does Something, Besides Waffles: How does Rufus, all of a sudden, have enough influence to sway a judge and get Lily her freedom? Not even Lindsay Lohan has that kind of power.

Overall:

Between Blair’s baby daddy drama and Dan’s debut novel, “Gossip Girl” is anything but boring.

Rating: 7.5/10

Watch “Gossip Girl” Monday nights at 8 p.m. on The CW.

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Gossip Girl: Season 5 Episode 2: Beauty and the Feast – TV Review

Laura Aguirre — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:43:12 +0000

There’s more scheming and more lies coming this season of “Gossip Girl.” In last night’s episode ‘Beauty and the Feast,’ the villain was introduced, and she’s already stirring up some drama. Serena is still in Los Angeles, spending time with her non-cousin Charlie/Ivy, seeing past all her shadiness. Dan brings the laughs when he reconnects with Chuck, who’s twice found in a back alley. And, Blair reveals some life-changing news that’s going to make Season 5 of “Gossip Girl” one to remember.

The Players:

Director: Mark Piznarski
Writers: Sara Goodman
Cast: Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick

Episode: “Yes, Then Zero”

Nate reconnects unexpectedly with Diana (Elizabeth Hurley), who offers him an exciting opportunity. Serena forces Charlie to decide which world she wants to embrace. Dan seeks out Chuck’s help to stop the publication of his book, but discovers it is Chuck who needs the help. Blair’s future sister-in-law, Beatrice, arrives from Monaco, but her motives with Blair may be more than just to get acquainted.

The Good:

Typical Serena: Oh Serena, always so oblivious to everything around you. Serena meets up with Charlie/Ivy. She’s eager to make catch up, but she’s totally unaware that Charlie isn’t really her cousin. We don’t blame her. Charlie had us all fooled when we first met her. Still, Serena is so unsuspecting of Charlie’s shady behavior. The girl can’t take a hint. It’s a character flaw Serena can’t seem to shake.
Blair’s Morning Sickness (SPOILER!): This isn’t much of a surprise (or spoiler), but let’s get it out there – Blair Waldorf is pregnant. During last week’s premiere episode, it was exhausted that Blair was with child, but it was never really confirmed. Now that the news is out, Blair has to play the part. Right now, she’s going through the morning sickness phase and everything (food, perfume) gets her to purge. Her facial expressions are hilarious. And eventually her morning sickness gets her into a bit of trouble.
Dan and Chuck: It turns out Chuck isn’t seeking thrill and adventure, he’s in search of pain. He’s numb. He can’t feel anything anymore and all of his actions are attempts to feel pain. This time he resorts to back alley fights, but Dan steps in to save the day (not that Chuck wants him to). Chuck and Dan have always had a strange relationship. They’ve never called each other friends, but they have been there for each other. In last night’s episode, Dan comes to Chuck for some help with his book-publishing dilemma, but finds out that Chuck is the one in need of help. Dan offers to help, but like always, Chuck refuses by making jokes about Dan’s relationship with Serena.
Dan and Blair: Does Dan just bring out the best in people or what? Dan and Blair (or Dair) are back to being friends (it’s purely platonic). These two have a very strong and special bond right now. Dan is Blair’s shoulder to lean on, her confidant. He keeps her grounded. They share a touching scene at the end where Dan tells her, “You’ll always have me.” It’s very cheesy, but cute.

The Bad

Blair’s Sister-in-Law Beatrice: Prince Louis sister comes to visit. She comes to the Upper East Side to meet Blair, but she’s also got other plans. Basically, Beatrice is this season’s villain. Her plans are to sabotage Blair and Louis. Even during this episode, she tries to wreck the royal relationship by telling Louis that Blair is bulimic. So far, she’s not making a very good villain. She’s not making a good impression with anyone, and even though she says it a couple of times, it’s unclear what she wants.
Nate and Diana: Nate has become such a boring character over the years. He’s nothing more than a good looking sidekick now. Still, the writers keep him around, but only to feature him in steamy sex scenes. Seriously, all we’ve seen him do is have sex. During last night’s episode he’s on the hunt for the cougar he met in Los Angeles (Elizabeth Hurley). Eventually, he finds her. No offense to Ms. Hurley, but this storyline seems to be going no where.
Charlie/Ivy Leaves Los Angeles (SPOILER!): It’s hard to believe that a schemer like Charlie can’t figure out a way to get rid of Serena. It’s even harder to believe that Charlie would agree to live with Serena and dump her lovely boyfriend. And even harder to believe is that she would move back to New York with Serena, at the snap of a finger. We get that Charlie is a part of the show now, but there were too many plot holes in this storyline. Also, when the woman you love tells you she’s leaving you, you don’t just stand there, you chase her out the house to see where she’s going, right? The “Gossip Girl” writers made some serious mistakes.

Overall:

There were a few horrible, eye-rolling moments, but that’s “Gossip Girl.” If you’re a fan, those moments don’t matter because the characters are what’s important.

Rating: 7/10

Watch “Gossip Girl” Monday nights at 8 p.m. on The CW.

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Gossip Girl: Season 5 Episode 1: Yes, Then Zero – TV Review

Laura Aguirre — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:47:42 +0000

The season premiere of “Gossip Girl” opened 3,000 miles west of the Upper East Side. Best friends Chuck Bass and Nate Archibald traveled across the country to meet up with Serena van der Woodsen. Last season, Oscar-nominated director David O. Russell made a short blink-and-you-missed-it cameo on the show, where he offered Serena a job on his new (fictitious) set of The Beautiful and Damned. Now, Serena is working hard as a production assistant (or intern) in Hollywood. Meanwhile, Blair Waldorf is still chasing fairy tales.

There were a lot of guest stars including Elizabeth Hurley, Zoë Bell, and another David. O. Russell cameo. It was a big season premiere with plenty of new storylines, plus the unresolved ones of last season.

The Players:

Director: Mark Piznarski
Writers: Joshua Safran
Cast: Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick

Episode: “Yes, Then Zero”

Serena makes a grave error at her new job in Hollywood. Chuck and Nate then meet up with her in L.A., where Nate is captivated by an older woman. Elsewhere, Blair is not pleased when Louis sides with his family over her; and Dan receives help from an unexpected source.

The Good:

Chuck Bass Says ‘Yes’ to Everything, Including Zoe Bell: Chuck Bass always finds new ways to cope with the absence of the love of his life, Blair. Last season he escaped to Paris. This time, he’s turned into an adrenaline junkie who always says “yes”. His new character isn’t afraid of anything. So when he starts hanging out with bad-ass Zoe Bell, it’s a match-made in heaven.
Bright Young People: Serena is working on the film adaptation of The Beautiful and Damned, a book that she can definitely identify with. Seeing Chuck, Nate and Serena together, popping a bottle of champagne right in front of a limo, makes you think that these are the kinds of people F. Scott Fitzgerald would probably be writing about if he was alive and young today.
Cameos in Hollywood (SPOILER!): Besides David O. Russell and Zoe Bell, Jenny Lewis also makes an appearance. All of the cameos added some authenticity to Serena’s Hollywood experience, despite the fact that her overnight success as a producer’s assistant did not.
Serena Can’t Catch a Break: Everywhere Serena goes she has a hater. She’s Serena van der Woodsen, and everyone hates that her life is handed to her on a platter. This has always made for interesting storylines – last night another storyline was born involving Serena and a hater. Chances are Serena’s in for another sabotage, and then showdown will ensue. Serena’s haters always stir up some riveting drama.
Blair’s Unresolved Feelings: Blair has wanted to be a princess since always. She craves to be a part of a royal family, but has always gone back and forth between Chuck or being Princess Diana. Now, there’s another boy in the mix and he’s nothing like Chuck Bass. Dan Humphrey and Blair’s relationship went through a roller coaster last season including a lot of denial and sneaking around. The denial continues – Blair is stuck in another love triangle only this time it’s between the Prince of Monaco and the boy from Brooklyn. Sorry Chuck Bass.

The Bad

How Dan Finds Out His Story Is Being Published: So Dan wrote a book and in last season’s finale, Vanessa Abrams took the manuscript of Dan’s novel to an editor who was eager to publish it. But just how was Dan suppose to find out that his novel had been published? Leave it to Noah Shapiro, Dan’s mentor from Season 2, to be at the right place at the right time. Hate those over-convenient moments. He tells Dan that he read an “advanced copy” of a story in Vanity Fair that reminded him of Dan’s work. The writers just had to bring back a phony old character.
Nate and Serena Takes Chuck’s Advice: Nate and Serena know Chuck well enough to never take any advice from him. Why then would they so easily agree to Chuck’s advice? Yes, it sounds like Chuck is being optimistic and positive, but Nate and Serena needed to not be so easily persuaded.
Blair’s Hair: What is wrong with her hair? She’s usually perfect from head to toe, it was hard not to notice her bad hair day.

Overall:

There was a lot of entertaining new storylines, and the change to Hollywood seems nice. There’s a few plot points that felt forced, but overall “Gossip Girl” is off to a good start.

Rating: 7/10

Watch “Gossip Girl” Monday nights at 8 p.m. on The CW.

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Warner Brothers Still Talking about Green Lantern 2

Damon Houx — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 18:45:20 +0000

The Green Lantern has a listed production budget of $200 Million dollars. Currently the film has made $114 Million domestic, with that total edging toward maybe crossing over $120 Million. Currently the international numbers list the all-in total at $40 Million, which means even if a studio got every dollar of every ticket (they don’t, the rule of thumb is usually a 2-1 ratio), they haven’t made a profit, and may never. And yet Jeff Robinov has told the LA Times that the sequel – which they are supposedly working on – needs to be “edgier.”

As with any movie like this, Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively and Martin Campbell are surely locked into multi-picture deals to return, so the studio has the base they need to go forward. But what they haven’t proved is that anyone cared. Warners is going forward with a Clash of the Titans sequel, but though the domestic numbers weren’t great, the film was huge internationally, and did nearly half a billion dollars worldwide.

There are two reasons to keep talking this up. One is that they’re trying to keep interest going, and get people seeing the film, even though it’s perceived as a misfire or flop. This may not lead to a future movie, but it could lead to a break-even balance (not that Warner Brothers is having a bad summer, with both Harry Potter, The Hangover Part IIand Horrible Bosses being hugely profitable). The other is that they’re serious, in an attempt to bludgeon audiences into seeing more Lantern with a slightly different (more Batman-based) take. We’ve seen the studios pursue interestingly stupid attempts at using brand name recognition to get audiences in theaters, ala Battleship, so perhaps they would rather gamble on something that seems like a losing bet with name recognition than an unknown. Or perhaps international will save Lantern. Still, until we get closer, this just seems to be talk.

Do you want a Green Lantern sequel?

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Gossip Girl: Season 5 Episode 13: G.G. – TV Review

The Players:

Episode Title: “G.G.”

The Good:

The So-So:

Overall:

Rating: 8.5/10

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Gossip Girl: Season 5 Episode 10: Riding In Town Cars With Boys – TV Review

The Players:

Episode Title: “Riding In Town Cars With Boys“

The Good:

The So-So:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 7.5/10

Gallery:

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Gossip Girl: Season 5 Episode 9: Rhodes to Perdition – TV Review

The Players:

Episode Title: “All The Pretty Sources“

The Good:

The So-So:

Overall:

Rating: 7.5/10

Gallery:

What did you think of last night’s episode?

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Gossip Girl: Season 5 Episode 8: All The Pretty Sources – TV Review

The Players:

Episode Title: “All The Pretty Sources“

The Good:

The So-So:

Overall:

Rating: 7/10

Gallery:

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Gossip Girl: Season 5 Episode 7: The Big Sleep No More – TV Review

The Players:

Episode Title: “The Big Sleep No More”

The Good:

The So-So:

Overall:

Rating: 6.5/10

Gallery:

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Gossip Girl: Season 5 Episode 6: I Am Number Nine – TV Review

The Players:

Episode Title: “I Am Number Nine“

The Good:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 6.5/10

Gallery:

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Gossip Girl: Season 5 Episode 5: The Fasting and the Furious – TV Review

The Players:

Episode Title: “The Fasting and the Furious”

The Good:

The So-So:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 7/10

Gallery:

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Gossip Girl: Season 5 Episode 4: Memoirs of an Invisible Dan – TV Review

The Players:

Episode: “Memoirs of an Invisible Dan”

The Good:

The So-So:

The Bad:

Overall: