The Gossip Girl reboot needs to be meaner or it risks going down as a failure for HBO Max. The first part of Gossip Girl season 1 premiered over the summer to middling reviews despite the fact that, on paper, it was an update on its predecessor in every way. Taking place in a post-COVID world, the series had the opportunity to explore the inner-workings of the Upper East Side elite in a way that hadn't been done before. When the original Gossip Girl was released, social media was still on the rise, but now, platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok are fully embedded in the lives of today's teens. Despite these advantages, however, the first part of season 1 is considered a letdown for a slightly surprising reason.
Like the original, Gossip Girl follows a group of teens who attend Constance Billard, a private school in New York City. The first episode of the 's biggest twists - this time, audiences know from the beginning who the titular gossiper is and it's none other than the teachers at Constance. Additionally, the Gossip Girl reboot was more diverse than ever, reflecting the real landscape of New York by having people of color as main characters and exploring the spectrum of LGBTQ+ identity. Still, it's clear there's something missing.
In order to succeed, the new Gossip Girl needs to be meaner, something the original series never shied away from. The backstabbing and power plays of the original Gossip Girl were front-and-center, but the new iteration instead focuses on the relationship between Julien Calloway (Jordan Alexander) and Zoya Lott (Whitney Peak), two half-sisters who trade barbs then quickly apologize to each other at least every other episode. While the major reveal helps the show avoid the story trappings of the original, it still feels hollow. There's one show that it could take a page from in the meanness playbook, though.
Gossip Girl have to be mean. Succession has several characters who operate with good intentions, but their very circumstances force them to make decisions that go against their ideals.
Operating within this morally grey area could help elevate the Gossip Girl reboot to another level. With no clear villain and no one to really root for, it feels like the show is treading water as it decides what it wants to be. Updating Gossip Girl for a more forward-thinking generation was never the wrong move, but to strip it of its fangs makes its bite that much duller. Luckily, HBO has the opportunity to rectify this - not only will reportedly incorporate more cameos of past characters, but it also has a season 2 on the horizon. Whether or not the show heeds the call of its premise will determine whether or not the Gossip Girl reboot can build upon its predecessor or go down as just another of the numerous failed television reboots of the last decade.