The Finest Half Of Gossip Woman Was Michelle Trachtenberg

This text accommodates a dialogue of habit.

Primarily based (very loosely) on Cecily von Ziegesar’s guide collection, “Gossip Woman” began its run on The CW in 2007 and, within the arms of Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, allow us to into the unique world of a bunch of uber-wealthy Manhattan youngsters, all of whom had 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 begin contemporary. Sadly for her, that is not an possibility thanks to 1 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 function 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 essential 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 advantage of its personal. Trachtenberg’s Georgina wasn’t a part of the principle forged — 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 function on “Gossip Woman” was to create utter catastrophe, which saved all the enterprise working. 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,” one of the best worst present to ever air on tv.

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, this is all the mess this character causes on “Gossip Woman.” Within the present’s first season, Georgina taunts Serena by sending her circumstances of champagne and extra … inappropriate presents (medicine) in a deranged try and rekindle their friendship, solely to drive Serena into confessing that the 2 of them had been current when their buddy 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 resort 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 not too long ago 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 every of Trachtenberg’s all-time finest line readings when she tells Blair, “you may 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 by some means finds the time to crash the marriage of Dan’s father Rufus (Matthew Settle) and Serena’s mom Lily (Kelly Rutherford) and inform everybody concerning the love little one they as soon as deserted. In that season’s finale, Georgina exhibits as much as inform Dan she’s pregnant along with his little one, and all through the primary a part of season 4, she principally makes use of him as a patsy to get him to maintain a baby 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 pieces 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 remaining season, Georgina is utilizing her evil powers for good (type of) by serving to Blair and Chuck evade the legislation after Chuck possibly by accident kills his father. Oh, additionally, she’s been working as Dan’s casual guide agent for some time at this level whereas he sells “Inside,” a scandalous tome based mostly on his associates. (I informed you this present was nuts.)

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Out of all the unique forged members from “Gossip Woman,” just one appeared within the (admittedly dreadful) reboot that aired on Max from 2021 to 2023 … and that might be Georgina Sparks. (Technically, Kristen Bell returns because the voice of the title blogger Gossip Woman, however I am probably not counting that.) The infant Georgina as soon as handed off as Dan’s love little one, Milo, is all grown up within the reboot (performed by Azhy Robertson), and within the present’s fourth-ever episode, “Hearth 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 a bit of Easter egg about her destiny after the unique present’s collection finale. We finally meet up with Georgina in individual within the season 2 episode “Tips on how to Bury a Millionaire,” and she or he hasn’t modified in any respect, fortunately.

As soon as Georgina realizes {that a} instructor — particularly, Tavi Gevinson’s Kate Keller — on the unique Constance Billard prep college is the one working the trendy 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 function 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 far more bearable than common.

All of this context is to say that Georgina Sparks, regardless of not being on each episode of the present, represents all the pieces it is about in a approach that principally 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 severely. Bear 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 to be able to smash all of it, however that is precisely how foolish this present turns into because it attracts to a detailed. 

Each time Georgina exhibits up, a love little one 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” isn’t purported to be “good,” per se. (Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage may disagree with my evaluation, however they will come speak 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 motels earlier than they flip 21, get into automobile accidents and discover God, and uncover scammers who infiltrate their ranks to be able 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 subsequent obtainable 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 one of the best 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.