The fourth season of the American teen drama television series Gossip Girl premiered on The CW on September 13, 2010, and concluded on May 16, 2011, consisting of 22 episodes. Based on the novel series of the same name by Cecily von Ziegesar, the series was developed for television by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. The CW renewed the series for a full fourth season on February 16, 2010. Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Taylor Momsen, Ed Westwick, Jessica Szohr, Kelly Rutherford, and Matthew Settle all return as series regulars.
It was later announced that the show would stay in its Monday 9:00 p.m. timeslot as a lead-out to 90210. The season premiered on September 13, 2010, to a 1.0 Adults 18–49 rating and 1.84 million viewers. The fourth episode achieved a 1.1 Adults 18–49 rating, the season's highest-rated episode, while episode 11 was the most watched with 2.06 million viewers tuning in. The season concluded on May 16, 2011, with 1.36 million live viewers tuning in. On Metacritic, the season has a 75 out of 100 rating, indicating generally positive reviews by critics.
Synopsis Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass try to end their on/off again relationship, but their plans are thrown for a loop when new international love interests for both come into the picture. Dan Humphrey becomes a father when Georgina Sparks leaves her son Milo with him. Blair and Serena van der Woodsen begin attending Columbia University but face challenges at their new school. Nate Archibald begins dating Juliet Sharp, who has a mysterious vendetta against Serena and Lily van der Woodsen. Lily tries to sell Bass Industries, but the Bass family is in for a surprise when an old enemy, Russell Thorpe and his daughter Raina come to town. Serena gets in legal trouble for something Lily did years earlier. After keeping it secret for so long, Lily serves a house arrest sentence for forging Serena's signature on a legal document. Serena and her brother Eric's secret cousin, Charlie Rhodes, comes to Manhattan, but is she who she says she is? Blair becomes engaged to Prince Louis Grimaldi and is on the fast track to achieving her ultimate goal: becoming a princess.
Cast and characters
Main Blake Lively as Serena van der Woodsen Leighton Meester as Blair Waldorf Penn Badgley as Dan Humphrey Chace Crawford as Nate Archibald Taylor Momsen as Jenny Humphrey Ed Westwick as Chuck Bass Jessica Szohr as Vanessa Abrams Kelly Rutherford as Lily van der Woodsen Matthew Settle as Rufus Humphrey Kristen Bell as the voice of Gossip Girl (uncredited)
Recurring Hugo Becker as Prince Louis Grimaldi Katie Cassidy as Juliet Sharp Margaret Colin as Eleanor Waldorf Clémence Poésy as Eva Coupeau Michelle Trachtenberg as Georgina Sparks David Call as Ben Donovan Connor Paolo as Eric van der Woodsen Amanda Setton as Penelope Shafai Zuzanna Szadkowski as Dorota Kishlovsky Alice Callahan as Jessica Leitenberg Sam Page as Colin Forrester Sam Robards as Howard Archibald Aaron Schwartz as Vanya Francie Swift as Anne Archibald Kevin Zegers as Damien Dalgaard Michael Boatman as Russell Thorpe Tika Sumpter as Raina Thorpe William Baldwin as William van der Woodsen Kaylee DeFer as Ivy Dickens/Charlie Rhodes Nicole Fiscella as Isabel Coates Nan Zhang as Kati Farkas Melissa Fumero as Zoe
Guest Lou Doillon as herself Jayne Atkinson as Dean Reuther Marlyne Barrett as Martha Chamberlain Tim Gunn as himself Robyn as herself Luke Kleintank as Elliot Garfield Caitlin FitzGerald as Epperly Lawrence Florence and the Machine as themselves Sheila Kelley as Carol Rhodes Caroline Lagerfelt as CeCe Rhodes Joanne Whalley as Princess Sophie Grimaldi Desmond Harrington as Jack Bass Wallace Shawn as Cyrus Rose Jan Maxwell as Headmistress Queller
Episodes
Production The series was renewed for a fourth season on February 16, 2010. It continued to air Mondays at 9/8c following 90210, and premiered on September 13, 2010.
Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Ed Westwick, and Clémence Poésy began filming this season in Paris on July 5, 2010.'Gossip Girl' Begins Filming Season 4 In Paris, France Retrieved: 2010-06-22. It was announced that Jessica Szohr would be absent for an unspecified number of episodes. However, Szohr began filming on July 9, 2010, the first day of production in New York City along with Penn Badgley, which indicated she would be back sooner than anticipated.'Gossip Girl' Starts Filming In New York City Retrieved: 2010-06-22. Szohr appeared in the season premiere. Taylor Momsen began filming her scenes on August 30, 2010. Retrieved: 2010-09-09. Taylor Momsen appears in one episode titled "Easy J" which aired October 25, 2010, and will return in full series regular status for the second half of the season. It had also been confirmed that Tate Donovan, who previously worked with show's developers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage in The O.C., would be directing an episode scheduled to air in November 2010.
The first two episodes of the season take place in Paris.
The Airborne Toxic Event made a special appearance during the season 4 finale "The Wrong Goodbye" as the band for the Constance Billard Alumni party, playing the song "Changing" from their second album, All at Once.
Cast Harry Potter actress Clémence Poésy joined the cast in Paris as Chuck's new girlfriend, Eva, for four episodes.
Former Melrose Place star Katie Cassidy joined the cast as Juliet, a student at Columbia University and a potential love interest for Nate, with an agenda against Serena, together with David Call as Ben Donovan, Juliet's imprisoned brother.Casting News : David Call – Ben retrieved: 2010-08-19. Actor Sam Page was cast as Serena's new love interest, a Columbia business professor and Juliet and Ben's cousin, for a four-episode arc. Kevin Zegers returned to the show as Damien Dalgaard, appearing in five episodes. Desmond Harrington also returned as Chuck's uncle, Jack Bass. Taylor Momsen was absent for several episodes at the beginning of the season due to her touring commitments with the Pretty Reckless, but returned near the end of the first half of the season. She was then scheduled for an indefinite hiatus from the show and only appeared in four episodes of the season. Michael Boatman and Tika Sumpter guest-starred in episodes airing in 2011. Boatman played Russell Thorpe, a powerful business tycoon and a former associate of Chuck's father, Bart, while Sumpter portrayed his daughter, Raina.
Tim Gunn and fashion designers Diane Von Furstenberg and Rachel Zoe all made special cameo appearances during the first half of the season.Diane Von Furstenberg on Gossip Girl tonight Retrieved: November 2, 2010. Singer Robyn also made a cameo appearance performing her song "Hang with Me".
William Baldwin admitted he would like to return for the fourth season. He said he would return in the same capacity of Michelle Trachtenberg to come in cause some trouble then leave again. The CW announced in December 2010 that Baldwin would return in February 2011. Sheila Kelley replaced Illeana Douglas as Lily's sister, Carol, after Douglas was forced to drop out of the project due to scheduling conflicts. Michelle Trachtenberg returned to the series as Georgina Sparks in the season finale. Kaylee DeFer also joined the cast as Carol's daughter and Serena and Eric's cousin, Charlie Rhodes. DeFer had originally auditioned for the role of Raina. DeFer's contract with the show also included the possibility of her becoming a series regular next season. DeFer was officially promoted to series regular starting in season 5.
Hugo Becker, who played Prince Louis Grimaldi, returned on April 18, 2011, for the rest of the season. The Borgias actress Joanne Whalley had been cast in an episode of Gossip Girl following a Screen Actors Guild casting notice. Whalley was rumoured to play an adversarial role to Kelly Rutherford's Lily van der Woodsen, but turned out to be that of Princess Sophie, Louis Grimaldi's mother.
Academy Award-nominated director David O. Russell made a cameo. On April 6, 2011, it was reported that 10 Things I Hate About You star Ethan Peck had landed a role in the show. Both stars were seen filming with Lively in California. Peck would reportedly make his debut in the season finale and was in talks with producers for a recurring role for the fifth season. Recurring cast members Nan Zhang and Nicole Fiscella reprised their roles as Kati Farkas and Isabel Coates for the penultimate episode and the season finale. Zhang had left the show during the first season and Fiscella finished her stint as a recurring cast member during the second season of the show. Tony Award-winning actress Jan Maxwell reprised her role as Headmistress Queller for the season finale. Becker remained ambiguous on whether he would be joining the series as a recurring or regular cast member during an interview with Zap2it, stating "the answer is in the finale." On May 16, 2011, Entertainment Weekly announced that Gossip Girl author Cecily von Ziegesar would be making a cameo for the season finale.
Plot Season four begins with Serena and Blair enjoying their summer in Paris, until the unexpected appearance of Chuck Bass, who is using a false name and cozying up to a new girl. Blair has to decide if she wants to fight for Chuck or spend her energy trying to rule Columbia University. Serena needs to choose between Nate and Dan, but Dan is a bit busy coping with his new role as "dad" to Georgina's baby. Georgina later reveals the baby is not his.Gossip Girl season 4; Episode 3: "The Undergraduates" Stephanie Savage revealed in an interview that the Dan and Serena story is "reactivated" and sorting through it will become a bigger story. She also revealed that the third-season finale "Last Tango, Then Paris" had a big impact on Jenny and she would be a changed person when she returns.Stephanie Savage interview Retrieved: 2010-06-10. Her return later this season would be "full of drama".
The Gossip Girl website was under construction when Serena and Blair returned from Paris and debuted "never before seen technology" when it returned. It is revealed that Juliet is working with her brother to take down Serena, for unknown reasons.Gossip Girl season 4; Episode 2: "Double Identity" Vanessa gets caught in the middle when Juliet sets her up for stealing Serena's phone and sending an incriminating email. Vanessa later leaves town when only Dan believes her, but tells Juliet to watch her back.Gossip Girl season 4; Episode 5: "Goodbye, Columbia" After Blair ran Chuck's new girlfriend out of town, he pledges war against her.Gossip Girl season 4; Episode 4: "Touch of Eva" They later decide that it is best for both of them if they end their fighting after Jenny posts on Gossip Girl the reason why she left town.Gossip Girl season 4; Episode 6: "Easy J" In the next episode, at Blair's 20th birthday party they kiss and have sex.Gossip Girl season 4; Episode 7: "Ware At The Roses" Both Nate and Dan still have feelings for Serena,Gossip Girl season 4; Episode 8: "Juliet Doesn't Live Here Any more" but do not know what to make of her mixed signals.Gossip Girl season 4; Episode 9: "The Witches of Bushwick"