Gossip Girl Review: She’s Having a Maybe (Season 1 Episode 2)
Despite the flaws of the series premiere, Gossip Girl Season 1 Episode 2,” She’s Having a Maybe,” delivers a more compelling installment, giving us a reason to dig in our heels and get invested in the show’s characters.
The episode goes beyond Julien (Jordan Alexander) and Zoya’s (Whitney Peak) sisterly drama and begins to expand on the other major players at Constance Billiard and St. Jude’s — though it doesn’t give all of them a moment to shine.
“She’s Having a Maybe” opens with parent-teacher conferences at Constance Billard, where Kate (Tavi Gevinson) and her colleagues reveal that their plan to rein in their students is working.
It’s unclear how, exactly, the threat of Gossip Girl makes the teens speak up in class, but their teachers are pleased with their behavior (just not enough to log off of Instagram).
The episode quickly turns to Julien’s argument with Obie (Eli Brown), which sees the Upper East Side’s It Girl stressing about her relationship while she’s out with her friends.
From Julien’s closest pals to her Instagram followers, it seems everyone is more invested in her life when Obie’s around. Unfortunately, he shows no signs of missing her this week, fully embracing his feelings for Zoya instead.
Monet (Savannah Lee Smith) and Luna’s (Zión Moreno) reactions to Julien throughout this week’s Gossip Girl once again beg the question of why they’re even friends, but Julien’s boy drama does result in a touching scene between her and Audrey (Emily Alyn Lind).
Speaking of Audrey, “She’s Having a Maybe” expands on her character and the many things she’s going through at home. Her problems extend beyond her poor sex life with Aki (Evan Mock) and to her mother being both distant and a bit of an alcoholic.
Audrey’s struggles during this week’s episode give her character more depth, as does her heart-to-heart with Julien. It would be nice to see similar vulnerability from Monet and Luna, something future episodes will hopefully deliver on.
While Julien and Audrey struggle with their personal problems, Obie and Zoya become the primary focus of Manhattan’s new Gossip Girl account. Those two can’t make a move without someone snapping a photo, and Obie’s pursuits quickly make their way to Julien’s social media accounts.
Julien and her friends initially plan to break up Obie and Zoya’s romance, but it’s clear Monet and Luna are more invested than Julien is. Her complicated feelings for her sister come out often during this episode, and Alexander plays them well.
Kate’s attacks on Zoya prove even more uncomfortable during this week since she has a heartfelt discussion with her student before posting to Gossip Girl. She also chats with Zoya’s father as if nothing is awry. The whole thing is truly cringe-worthy.
As much as it evokes discomfort, however, Kate’s increasing obsession with running Gossip Girl’s Instagram is proving one of the most interesting aspects of the series. Hopefully, Gossip Girl will delve into the psychology of her actions at some point.
Adding to the intrigue is the fact that Julien strikes a deal with Gossip Girl, offering to help the platform after it’s reported and suspended for its offensive content. In return, she asks for dirt on Zoya — something Kate is more than happy to seek out.
Julien’s revenge doesn’t go as expected, however, especially after her and Zoya’s fathers run into one another during a school fundraiser. Their secret comes out in a tense and emotional scene that alters the dynamic between the girls.
Zoya leaves the event with Obie to do some charity work of their own, giving the characters much-needed screen time to get viewers behind their relationship. The moment is cute, but it’s also short-lived.
Once Kate sends their location to Julien, she arrives to break things up. When she decides not to — realizing that she and Obie never had fun together like this — the girls’ fathers show up and everyone heads home anyway.
The following day sees Zoya attempting to leave Constance Billard, something Julien persuades her against. Whether these two will continue to repair their relationship is the big question, but Julien seems to be trying.
Of course, there are other circumstances that could get in the way — starting with Julien’s deal with Gossip Girl. The account gets verified at the end of the episode, leaving Julien with mixed feelings about her role in keeping it alive.
That could hurt Zoya in the long run, since Kate discovered why Zoya left her old school. The show hasn’t clued us in on that secret just yet, but Kate tells the other teachers she hopes she doesn’t need to use the information. That doesn’t bode well.
This week’s episode of Gossip Girl also introduces a subplot where Max (Thomas Doherty) attempts to have sex with his teacher, who’s interested, but insists he can’t do anything until Max turns 18.
Max’s storyline is definitely the weakest of the week. The teacher-student romance is both overdone and problematic, and while Gossip Girl makes no effort to deny the latter, this subplot doesn’t feel necessary or built up to.
More interesting is Max’s dynamic with Audrey and Aki, which has officially crossed a line. Following Audrey and Aki’s awkward not-quite-break-up, Max and Audrey sleep together, promising more drama to come on that front.
The show repeatedly hints that all three are interested in one another, but Aki may have reservations about going down that road. It would be nice to see polyamorous relationships represented on-screen, so hopefully, he’ll work through them.
Overall, “She’s Having a Maybe” improves upon the Gossip Girl premiere, giving more insight into the new characters and their relationships. The series still hasn’t created a group dynamic on par with the original, but this installment shows promise.
With Zoya and Julien’s secrets out in the open, however — and with the girls seemingly calling a truce — one has to wonder what will serve as the central focus moving forward.
Of course, Gossip Girl is actively attempting to stir up trouble, so it’s possible something new will spark tensions between the girls. Their bond remains the most interesting aspect of the show, if only because both actors play their roles so well.
Hopefully, Gossip Girl will continue to lean into the relationships between the other characters, too. Monet and Luna are criminally underutilized at this point, and it would be great to see more of what drives them.
Likewise, Kate’s background may provide insight into why she’s so invested in her new Gossip Girl project. That could prove an interesting path to go down, and it would give the adults more complexity — something lacking from the reboot.
Only time will tell if Gossip Girl delivers on the setup, but “She’s Having a Maybe” indicates things are looking up.
What did you think of this episode of Gossip Girl? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Gossip Girl drops on Thursdays on HBO Max.
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