REACTION: Gossip Girl Spinoff Episode 2.08

The “Gossip Girl” spinoff inched closer to the end of its second season on Thursday.

Episode 2.08 is titled, “Y Lu’s Mamá También.” The official synopsis says, “While ushering at a prestigious local film festival, Aki feels ignored by Max and Audrey, who are scheming to redeem Kiki’s name. After Monet’s fall from grace at Constance, she helps Luna stand up to her indifferent actress mother. At an intervention held by Jordan, Kate promises that if she doesn’t ‘make real change’ in the next month, she’ll give up Gossip Girl for good.”

The episode was written by Joe Fazzio and directed by Jennifer Lynch.

Gossip Girl Spinoff Episode 2.08, “Y Lu’s Mamá También”

• It’s apparently a week since the last episode.

• I liked Kiki’s line about how she’s not hiding — she’s “cocooning.” I love a good cocoon.

• I wonder if they’re setting up Luna’s grandmother as a Dorota of sorts.

• First we got a Cyrus reference, then a “Dan Frumpey” reference, and later a Blair reference.

• Did we know Luna’s mom is an actress? And her dad an Oscar winner?

• So Jordan really DID sleep with Georgina. That surprises me. I thought it would be another one of Georgina’s lies.

• I’m sure the show’s fashion die-hards will love Eric Daman’s cameo.

• I wonder if they tried to get Lady Gaga to appear like she did on the original series or if it was always written that Zoya and Shan would miss her.

• There was a reference to Jessica Alba (Leanne, Beverly Hills, 90210).

• Why is Audrey’s dad named Will when they already named Serena’s dad William?

• It was pretty bold of Ingrid to kiss Aki, especially all out in the open like that.

• It was also an interesting choice to have Zoya, of all people, witness the kiss.

• I understand Aki being bothered that his partners aren’t giving him and his interests enough attention, but I’d argue that Audrey’s issues with her bedridden mom are more important.

• I was confused, though, at what Kiki “hid better” this time. She’s clearly depressed — but an addiction too?

• I thought we’d end on the Kate-Camille scene. It was fairly shocking to instead end on a sudden Obie beat-down.

• Was the attack on Obie an intentional echo of the attack on Chuck?

So I went into this episode relatively worried. With only two more installments left in the season after today’s edition, I felt like there was a lack of momentum as we head into season two’s final episodes. But I was pleasantly surprised by what this episode set in motion and what I have to imagine will build to the season finale with some kind of crescendo.

We have Kate with a one-month deadline to affect real change by taking down the parents but now also having a mandate from Camille, Audrey and Julien’s dispute continuing, and Julien vowing to go to war with Gossip Girl and reveal her identity with Obie’s Gossip Girl alliance mixed in. It feels like we might be going somewhere.

There were some specific things I liked here, too, like finally getting a Luna storyline. Also, while Wendy bothered me so much in season 1, now I’m loving every scene she gets to make her quips in. Watching Camille is always delicious with Amanda Warren’s acting; she’s another highlight in episode after episode. And since I’ve been saying for weeks that I wish Max and Audrey were a couple and not a throuple, I wouldn’t mind if we’re getting closer to seeing Aki leaving the triad.

Of course, I still have some gripes. I don’t really understand Monet’s rapid fall from grace. On the original show, Blair would suffer some embarrassment or exposure but still ultimately remain queen and bounce back. Why wasn’t that the case with Monet? So many fans were loving seeing her on top. Is her reign really over?

Seeing the various teachers return for Jordan’s intervention with Kate was a nice callback to season one, and we got a Rafa mention, too. But when we didn’t care about all those characters to begin with, it’s hard to now.

Luna having mom issues feels redundant — we’ve seen it with Audrey, Obie, Monet. And we know Aki’s parents, and his poor relationship with his dad, should be popping up again this season, too. I imagine creator Joshua Safran is intending it to be a theme and he’s pretty much said as much in interviews: the parents made these kids the way they are and the show / Kate is exposing that. But it feels less thematic to me then like ugh, a parent-child issue again?. Like, give me one a season, not five. Especially in a season that’s only 10 episodes long. I also just don’t have any interest in watching Kate try to take the parents down.

I definitely have more of an interest in watching things play out between the teen characters. Audrey and Julien’s fight again gave good Serena-Blair vibes. Even though Julien and Obie giving things a go again is repetitive, I do still like their chemistry and enjoyed their scenes in this episode. And now we’re set up for various paths to cross with Zoya given that she saw Aki’s kiss.

So this might be the first time I’m feeling somewhat satisfied this season. I genuinely want to see how things are going to continue to build in these final weeks. Hopefully I won’t feel let down in the end.