On February 4, 2022, the production of season 2 of the HBO Max Original Series, Gossip Girl began, much to the chagrin of some fans. The Gossip Girl reboot has been a point of contention with longtime fans of the original series due to its seeming lack of reverence for the source material. However, the reboot is not the only adaptation to do so.
The original series is known to have taken many creative liberties with its source material altering not only storylines but character details as well. Serena van der Woodsen is definitely a prime example of how things can change from page to screen. Many plotlines and elements of Serena’s character were modified or omitted, making the TV version a separate entity.
Mrs. Humphrey? I Don’t Think So!
One of the main hallmarks of the Gossip Girl TV series is the intense romance between Serena and Dan Humphrey, culminating with both characters ing in marital bliss. In the books, however, Dan and Serena date very briefly and ultimately decide to stop seeing each other due to having no shared interests. And that’s it, folks. No wedding. No bliss.
Turning Dan into Serena’s main love interest brought an unexpected depth to her character, becoming one of the Gossip Girl's most beloved couples. This allowed her to step out of her narrow worldview and view things objectively. Their ionate, sometimes tumultuous relationship is a significant part of Serena’s character and the show, with Dan’s moral fiber often acting as a guiding post for Serena, which made it an appropriate change from the book series.
A Fiery Triangle
The dynamic between Serena, Blair, and Nate is somewhat comparable to their written counterparts. However, while the love triangle between the three exists on the show, it is much more intense in the books. Nate is a more prominent love interest for Serena in the books, while this storyline of Serena and Nate as a couple was briefly explored only in the first and third seasons of the show.
Changing this part of Serena’s arc in the books made sense because Serena’s growth as a character and her interactions with Dan allowed for her to step out of her predestined pathway and make her own rules, going against the norm of high society. This made her relationship with Nate seem false to her character and thus they resolved their feelings and moved on.
You Never Forget Your First
In the show, Serena slept with Nate at the Shepherd wedding during summer break, seemingly both losing their virginity to each other. However, it is revealed that Nate was the only one losing his virginity on that fateful day.
In the books, however, there is no twist and in fact, they both lose their virginity to each other. This change fundamentally makes Serena more complicated, adding to the mystique of her character. The unknown history of her past allows for richer plotlines and unique character development that does not exist in the books.
Welcome Back Home, Serena
The reason for Serena’s return from boarding school in the show is due to the fact that her younger brother, Eric, tried to take his own life due to the loneliness he felt after her sudden departure. In the first novel, however, Serena returns home due to being kicked out for missing too many classes. There is no suicide attempt nor is there mention of her brother suffering in her absence.
Rewriting the motivation for her return causes Serena to carry around an immense amount of guilt and influences the way she views her family, namely her mother. This dynamic was necessary to add depth to not only Serena but to her family, as well.
Runaway
There is a major difference as to why Serena left for boarding school in the first place. In the novel, Serena leaves due to the guilt she feels for sleeping with Nate. The series takes some serious liberties with her reasoning, creating the character of Pete Fairman and involving Serena in his accidental drug overdose. She believed she was responsible for his death and left the city guilt-ridden.
Obviously, this is much more of a sensational and unexpected storyline for Serena but appropriate, given the heightened reality of the show. The Pete Fairman addition made for a shocking and entertaining arc that raised the stakes for Serena, making her decisions going forward believable.
What’s Up, Baby/Big Bro?
Serena in the series has a close relationship with her younger brother, Eric. In the book, Eric is older than Serena, and he actually spells it Erik. There is no attempted suicide nor is there a close bond between the two, at least not as close as it is explored in the series.
This makes Serena’s view of her family very different than what is shown on TV. Their bond is a big part of Serena’s character and allows her to take on the caretaker role allowing for the character to have a perspective outside of her smaller world, which does not exist in the books.
Good Luck, Chuck
One of the most popular friendships on the show was between Serena and Chuck Bass. Their relationship in the books is vastly different. First off, they never become close friends, nor do they become family as they did for a short while in the series. The most shocking difference between the show and the books is that Serena and Chuck actually sleep together for a few weeks before being exposed on Gossip Girl.
Changing the relationship between Serena and Chuck makes complete sense in the world Serena finds herself in. With Dan now a key figure in her life, it did not make sense to include this aspect in the show. This camaraderie created for the series gives Serena a much-needed ally, making the dynamic super entertaining on-screen.
Papa, Can You Hear Me?
Serena’s home life is a big element of her character. She lives a luxurious life with her brother and mother, her dad not being in the picture anymore. However, in the series, her parents are still married. In fact, in the novels, the entire van der Woodsen family live happily together. There is no mention of Lily ever having had with Rufus.
This completely changes the trajectory of Serena’s next few years. Serena’s search for her estranged father was a big storyline in the series, reopening some familial wounds that still cut deep for her, giving a lot of depth to a part of her life that isn’t fully explored in the books.
Oh Half-Brother, Where Art Thou?
One of the most shocking scandals from Gossip Girl is the realization that Serena has a half-brother, and that half-brother is also Dan’s half-brother. But, since Rufus and Lily never cross paths in the books, it means that they never conceived a child, meaning Serena never had a half-brother named Scott Rosson. This character and storyline were completely created for the show.
The creation of the character Scott Rosson did not add much in the way of Serena’s character. Their scenes together did not change any aspect of Serena’s character nor did it allow for any growth. Scott was written off after a couple of seasons, making his appearance unrealistic and somewhat unnecessary.
Lights. Camera. Action!
In the finale, little is known as to what Serena was up to during the five-year-jump, but whatever it was it was completely different from where the character ended up in the books. Serena moves to Hollywood and becomes an incredibly famous actress. In the final canonical novel of the book series, I Will Always Love You, Dan is shocked to see the former Manhattan “It Girl” has become a Hollywood A-Lister.
While there are definitely nods to that in the TV series, nothing is explicitly stated making this one of the biggest changes to the character. Serena’s trajectory is completely altered and gives the character a more complete conclusion as the series left it much more open-ended.