The recent season 1 finale of the Gossip Girl reboot left lots of fans with a sense of confusion and disappointment. A series that had been hyped to an astronomical level left viewers wanting, and without itching that teen drama scratch in the way the original Gossip Girl series always could.
For the most part, Joshua Safran's reboot of the beloved show kept the same premise as its predecessor, but with a few changes in its tonality and the nature of conflict on the show. While the series kept fans guessing by throwing in twist after twist, not all of them were successful. While some twists elicited audible gasps from fans, others really fell flat.
Max's Dad Cheating
Just like the original iteration of the show, the new Gossip Girl also tried to incorporate parents into the main story arcs, but it didn't quite work. Max's family seemed like a happy one in the first few episodes, but the supposed shocker was that Roy was actually cheating and was caught by Max when he was out partying with Julien.
Gideon and Roy's relationship doesn't really evoke any excitement in viewers, so naturally neither did the fact that there was trouble in paradise. Max may have gone on a bender after discovering the affair, but it didn't elicit the same emotional response in viewers.
The Scholarship Being Calloway-Funded
The Gossip Girl reboot is full of wealthy characters who don't shy away from using their money to buy the life that they want. Zoya getting a scholarship conveniently when Julien wanted her sister around was an almost transparent scheme, so the big scholarship scandal did little to shock audiences.
It definitely raised an eyebrow or two because of how much it resembled the real-life college issions scandal, but the ensuing on-screen drama wasn't nearly as exciting to watch unfold.
Monet Switching Sides
Besides being one of Gossip Girl's most likable characters, Monet is also one of the most volatile teenagers and she isn't afraid of stirring up a storm. Her dissatisfaction with Julien's non-catty and actually pleasant ways of being were clear from the start, and her defection to the other It Girls Pippa and Bianca wasn't too surprising.
It did sting to see her betray her friends, especially those who really cared about her, but the move was reminiscent of what Gossip Girl used to be back in the day, meaning the twist wasn't all that surprising for audiences.
The Teachers Being Gossip Girl
If Kate's hand behind the new GG handle had been revealed later in the reboot, it would have definitely been a lot more controversial. However, because it was revealed so early on, the shock was lessened for viewers. The ethics of it are completely wrong, no matter how Kate might try to justify it, and it is also one of the biggest things that don't make sense in Gossip Girl.
However, it was still quite a bold move on the writers' part, and a clear attempt to move away from the original series to create a new identity. The twist was bound to make viewers stare at their screens in puzzlement as teachers stalked their underage students, so it definitely succeeded in shock-factor there.
Julien Getting Livestreamed By Kate
The second part of the Gossip Girl reboot showed a distraught Julien on the verge of being canceled because of her father, and in a last-ditch attempt to save her reputation, Kate live-streamed Julien meeting with an alleged victim of her father's wrongdoings - but at the wrong moment.
The build-up towards the fateful moment when Julien asks the woman to stay quiet - but only for the time being so as to not ruin their own case - was very well done. What viewers thought was a rescue mission turned out to be an unintentional death knell for the teen at the hands of Kate. It was a complication which played out well.
Milo Turning Up
Zoya and Julien being at war was no big deal, but the appearance of Zoya's little helper really made audiences sit up and take notice. Georgina Sparks was one of Gossip Girl and the entry of her equally devious child into the foray was one of the best plot twists the writers snuck in.
The callback to the old series was fun, and so was Milo's character. Unfortunately, anything related to the old cast only lasts for an episode, so Milo didn't stick around for very long.
Davis' Assault Scandal
The mid-season finale indicated that something was brewing for Julien, but nobody could've imagined it would be a sexual assault case against Davis. In another attempt to bring the Upper East sider's parents to the forefront, Davis was accused by multiple women of taking advantage of them, which rocked Julien's world.
Overnight, Julien's life changed, and so did the cheery, glamorous tone of the show which made for a pretty big plot twist. The show did handle the assault storyline much better than the previous series dealt with similar sensitive topics, and the situation was quite unexpected overall.
Zoya And Julien Being Sisters Who Loved Each Other
The beginning of Gossip Girl 2.0 was very promising. What could initially be read as a situation of animosity between two stepsisters, which would form the core plot of the show, actually turned out to be something else entirely.
Surprisingly, the two sisters actually loved each other and had concocted a plan to make them both attend Constance together so that they could meet and bond. Long-time Gossip Girl viewers are not accustomed to the characters actually being nice and genuinely caring for one another, so this relationship twist was a new venture for the show.
Reema Becoming The Scapegoat
The teachers of Constance Billard may think of themselves as oppressed, but they're no sheep. Proving just how brutal they can be, Kate, Wendy, and Jordan conspired against Reema when the authorities were hunting Gossip Girl and made sure that she got caught while posting, taking the fall for their crimes.
It came as a big shock because of how Kate always harped on about how she was running the scheme in order for the teachers to be treated better. For someone who often preached about comion her actions in throwing Reema under the bus was unexpectedly ruthless.
Max Leaking His Video With Rafa
It may not have amounted to much at the end, but the most blindsiding behavior came from Max when he decided to send in a video of him and Rafa having sex for Gossip Girl to post. Max had a lot to lose with that video leaking, so it was shocking to see him do it himself. It certainly left a lot of fans in a state of shock.
The video was promptly deleted by Rafa himself, who then took hold of the and quit his job when he heard Max's ission of his part to play in the leaking. Out of all the twists in the rebooted series, this was by far the one with the highest stakes and biggest shock value and left plenty of fans reeling.