The Gossip Girl reboot is upon us. We've been poring over the paparazzi pictures of the actors shooting in New York, and obsessing over every little nugget of news emerging from set. But the biggest development to date has just been delivered in the form of a juicy trailer released by HBO Max. Take a look:
Honestly, I think it looks amazing. It's a fresh take on the original format, with a new, more diverse (except for body size, clearly) cast of people, many of whom actually look the age of the people they're playing. There is clearly a more dramatic tone that feels closer to something like Euphoria than its more soapy, OC-like predecessor. And there are some really impactful moments that show that the writers have really thought about how to make a new show that hearkens back to the original - the moment one character removes a newcomer's hair scarf almost feels like a 'Bin the Blair' moment - without depending fully on its legacy. Which is why I have an issue. A critique that could be seen as sacrilege to Gossip Girl fans. I fear that the inclusion of Kristen Bell - the voice of Gossip Girl past and present - is a mistake.
To me, casting Kristen Bell ties the show too specifically to its old incarnation. Fans of the old Gossip Girl will naturally be intrigued to watch this new version because of a nostalgic loyalty to something we loved in the past. But really this show isn't for us, is it? It's for teenagers, and those in their early twenties: the same age range that was targeted by the original.
Casting Kristen Bell may be a sweet nod to the past, but to me it is jarring. She is a forty-year-old woman. Kristen doesn't doesn't sound like a teenager, she sounds like an adult. I may also be influenced slightly by the fact that Kristen's voice is now far more famous than it was all those years ago. To me, hearing her voice does make me think 'Gossip Girl', but it also makes me think 'Anna from Frozen.' I think my brain is waiting for Gossip Girl to break into a rendition of Love Is An Open Door. It also is a reminder of the identity of the original Gossip Girl which, even now, goes down in history as one of the most absurd reveals in TV history.
I think it's hugely positive that this new Gossip Girl is an extension of the original universe. Serena, Blair, Chuck et al existed in this same New York once, and perhaps they will be referenced here and there. The original series, after all, culminated in flash forwards that were set only three years before now, so Serena and Dan are still relative newlyweds, and Nate only recently ran for New York Mayor. Did he win? Will we see him cutting ribbons or debating Cynthia Nixon? I accept that the Kristen casting is the clearest way to keep the thread between Gossip Girl old and new without actively paying Ed Westwick or Blake Lively a bundle to walk past our new favourites with a knowing smile. But I think there were smarter ways to do it.
Will I be watching? I'll never tell. Actually, yes I will: of course I'll be watching. I look forward to having my mind changed.
As Kristen herself says: 'you know you love me...'
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