Double Identity (Gossip Girl)

"Double Identity"
Gossip Girl episode
Blair and Chuck met in Paris
Episode no.	Season 4 Episode 2
Directed by	Mark Piznarski
Written by	Sara Goodman & Joshua Safran
Production code	402
Original air date	September 20, 2010 (The CW)
Guest stars
Katie Cassidy as Juliet Sharp Clémence Poésy as Eva Coupeau Hugo Becker as Louis Grimaldi Ronald Guttman as Inspector Chevalier
Episode chronology
← Previous "Belles de Jour" Next → "The Undergraduates"
List of Gossip Girl episodes

"Double Identity" is the 67th episode of the CW television series, Gossip Girl, as well as the second episode of the show's fourth season. The episode was written by Joshua Safran and Stephanie Savage and directed by Mark Piznarski. It originally aired on Monday, September 20, 2010 on the CW.

Plot

Serena and Blair both run into a different Chuck in Paris, who is discovered to now be living with Eva, a young French woman who saved his life after he was shot in Prague. Juliet suggests that tricking Vanessa to be with Dan might be the right thing to remove Dan from the Dan-Serena-Nate triangle. Rufus learns that Dan isn't Milo's father after he checks Georgina's and Milo's blood test. Serena finds Chuck, and discovers his plan to leave Paris under a different identity. Prior to Blair's date with Prince Louis Grimaldi, she visits Harry Winston, when Serena and a French detective arrive, and it is revealed to both Serena and Blair that Chuck had intended to propose to Blair before he was shot. Ultimately, Serena convinces Blair to intercept Chuck at the train station before he left Paris with Eva, and convince him to return to New York.

Production

Leighton Meester had been dressed in an Oscar de la Renta gown while filming in Paris' famous Avenue Montaigne.^[1]

Although she is credited, Taylor Momsen (Jenny Humphrey) does not appear in this episode.

Cultural Allusions

• Dan sings a derivative song of You Are My Sunshine by country music singer Jimmie Davis called "This loft is your loft" as a lullaby to his son, Milo.^[2]
• Blair refers to Sophie's Choice^{[disambiguation needed ]} to describe Serena's dilemma between Nate and Dan.^[2]
• Lily states that Rufus licensed a Lincoln Hawk song for Chicago Hope.^[2]
• Inspector Chevalier is named after Inspector Chevalier Dupin of The Murders at the Rue Morgue.^[2]
• Juliet compares Serena's life to a Jane Austen novel.^[2]

Reception

The episode was watched by 1.836 million of viewers, but it was 25% up from last week’s premiere with women 18-34 to a 2.5/6 and was up 7% with adults 18-34. It was also the first time that the second episode of the season was higher than the premiere episode.^[3]

The episode received generally favorable reviews from critics, who praised Leighton Meester and Ed Westwick for their acting. Entertainment Weekly praised the train station scene, calling it "stunningly shot and impeccably acted". Michael Ausiello integrated suspense on Serena's storyline, telling viewers "By the end of the second episode, the question you (and everyone else) will be asking yourself is “Who the hell did Serena piss off?”". On the possibility of a reunion between Chuck and Blair, EW stated that "Waldorf and Bass are epic, eternal and sure to reunite again one of these days."^[4][5]

During the night that this episode aired, the name "Chuck Bass" was one of the trending topics on Twitter.^[6]

References

1. ^ "On The Gossip Girl Set With Leighton Meester In Oscar de la Renta". New York Magazine. July 12, 2010. http://www.redcarpet-fashionawards.com/2010/07/12/on-the-gossip-girl-set-with-leighton-meester-in-oscar-de-la-renta/. Retrieved March 20, 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Gossip Girl Recap: It Takes More Than Even You to Destroy Blair Waldorf". New York Magazine. September 21, 2010. http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/09/gossip_girl_recap_it_takes_mor.html. Retrieved March 20, 2011. 
3. ^ TV Ratings Monday: Dancing, Castle, Two and a Half Men Up ; Lone Star No Star; + The Event, Hawaii Five-0. TV by the Numbers. September 21, 2010. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
4. ^ Spoiler Chat: Get Premiere-Week Scoop on Glee, Big Bang, Dexter and More!. EW. September 20, 2010. Retrieved September 20, 2010.
5. ^ Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on 'House,' 'Glee,' 'Bones,' 'Supernatural,' 'HIMYM,' and more!. EW. September 9, 2010. Retrieved September 20, 2010.
6. ^ Current Twitter trends: Chuck Bass, 'Prinsjesdag,' the death of Kenny McKinley. The Independent. September 21, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2010.

External links

• Full Cast & Crew at the Internet Movie Database
• Gossip Girl Episode Listings
• Recap from Official Website
• The Official Gossip Girl website