High Infidelity (Gossip Girl)
| Company type | Television season |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment, Television |
| Founded | October 8, 2012 |
| Defunct | December 17, 2012 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
| Products | Television series episodes |
Number of employees | Cast and crew |
The sixth and concluding season of the American teen drama series Gossip Girl debuted on The CW on October 8, 2012, and wrapped up on December 17, 2012, comprising a total of 10 episodes. In response to declining viewership in earlier seasons, this final installment was shortened to provide a definitive conclusion to the narrative. Adapted from the book series by Cecily von Ziegesar, the television adaptation was created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. On May 11, 2012, The CW confirmed the renewal of the series for this abbreviated sixth season. Prior to the finale, a special retrospective aired featuring interviews with cast members and production staff.
Plot
As the characters transition into their twenties, they face pivotal decisions about what lies ahead. Serena van der Woodsen embarks on a new chapter by dating Steven Spence, an older man whose teenage daughter is secretly involved with Nate Archibald. Meanwhile, Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass each chase their individual professional ambitions. Nate contemplates entering politics as he struggles with financial difficulties at The Spectator. Dan Humphrey forms an unexpected partnership with Georgina Sparks to assist with his upcoming book. After five years of turmoil, Gossip Girl unveils her most startling secret: her actual identity.
Main
- Blake Lively portrays Serena van der Woodsen
- Leighton Meester plays Blair Waldorf
- Penn Badgley appears as Dan Humphrey
- Chace Crawford acts as Nate Archibald
- Ed Westwick takes on the role of Chuck Bass
- Kaylee DeFer features as Ivy Dickens
- Kelly Rutherford plays Lily van der Woodsen
- Matthew Settle appears as Rufus Humphrey
- Kristen Bell provides the voice of Gossip Girl (uncredited)
Recurring
- Sofia Black-D'Elia as Sage Spence
- Robert John Burke as Bart Bass
- Barry Watson as Steven Spence
- Michelle Trachtenberg as Georgina Sparks
- Yin Chang as Nelly Yuki
- Tamara Feldman as Poppy Lifton
- Zuzanna Szadkowski as Dorota Kishlovsky
- Alice Callahan as Jessica Leitenberg
- Nan Zhang as Kati Farkas
- Margaret Colin as Eleanor Waldorf
- William Baldwin as William van der Woodsen
- Sam Robards as Howard Archibald
- Desmond Harrington as Jack Bass
- Wallace Shawn as Cyrus Rose
Special guests
- Connor Paolo returns as Eric van der Woodsen
- Taylor Momsen reprises role of Jenny Humphrey
- Alexa Chung appears as herself
- Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg makes an appearance as himself
- Singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb features as herself
- Ella Rae Peck appears uncredited as Lola Rhodes
- Uncredited appearances include: Jessica Szohr as Vanessa Abrams, Katie Cassidy as Juliet Sharp, and Willa Holland portraying Agnes Andrews
- Actress Rachel Bilson makes an uncredited cameo as herself
Episodes
Production
The series received a renewal on May 11, 2012, for a brief sixth and concluding season, which aired from October through December 17. The CW placed Gossip Girl in the Monday 9:00 pm Eastern/8:00 pm Central time slot, following the fifth season of 90210. This final installment comprised 10 episodes.
Former showrunner and executive producer Joshua Safran exited on April 25, 2012, to take the helm of NBC's Smash. Subsequently, Sara Goodman was elevated to executive producer as of May 11, 2012.
The fourth episode of the concluding season, titled "Portrait of a Lady Alexander," experienced a delay from its original October 29 air date to November 5 due to the impact of Hurricane Sandy.
Filming predominantly occurred in New York City, showcasing prominent sites such as Bethesda Fountain within Central Park, The Empire Hotel, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Cast
Returning as main cast members were Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick, Kaylee DeFer, Kelly Rutherford, and Matthew Settle. Michelle Trachtenberg was upgraded to a guest star position, while previous recurring actors Desmond Harrington and Robert John Burke also made guest appearances.
On July 7, 2012, Andrea Gabriel, recognized for her role on Lost, was cast portraying a businesswoman based in Dubai. Actor Barry Watson joined the cast as Steven Spence, a young entrepreneur involved romantically with Serena.
British model Alexa Chung appeared as herself in a plotline centered on Blair's new fashion venture. Former Skins actress Sofia Black-D'Elia took on the role of Sage Spence, Steven's daughter.
Previous guest stars Tamara Feldman and Yin Chang returned to reprise their characters Poppy Lifton and Nelly Yuki. After absences since season four, Taylor Momsen and Connor Paolo reappeared as Jenny Humphrey and Eric van der Woodsen for the series finale.
The finale featured cameo appearances by Kristen Bell, Rachel Bilson, Katie Cassidy, Ella Rae Peck, Willa Holland, singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Jessica Szohr. These guest spots followed the disclosure of Gossip Girl's true identity.
Ratings
| No. | Title | Air date | Rating/share (18–49) |
Viewers (million) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Gone Maybe Gone" | October 8, 2012 | 0.4/1 | 0.78 |
| 2 | "High Infidelity" | October 15, 2012 | 0.4/1 | 0.78 |
| 3 | "Dirty Rotten Scandals" | October 22, 2012 | 0.4/1 | 0.95 |
| 4 | "Portrait of a Lady Alexander" | November 5, 2012 | 0.3/1 | 0.66 |
| 5 | "Monstrous Ball" | November 12, 2012 | 0.4/1 | 0.73 |
| 6 | "Where the Vile Things Are" | November 19, 2012 | 0.4/1 | 0.72 |
| 7 | "Save the Last Chance" | November 26, 2012 | 0.4/1 | 0.84 |
| 8 | "It's Really Complicated" | December 3, 2012 | 0.3/1 | 0.79 |
| 9 | "The Revengers" | December 10, 2012 | 0.6/1 | 1.06 |
| 10 | "New York, I Love You XOXO" | December 17, 2012 | 0.8/2 | 1.55 |
Reception
The sixth season has garnered a 60% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on a total of five critiques, with an average rating of 5.3 out of 10.
DVD release
| Gossip Girl: Complete Sixth and Final Season | |||||||
| Contents | Bonus Material | ||||||
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| Release Information | |||||||
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 3 | Region 4 | ||||
| February 12, 2013 | February 18, 2013 | July 19, 2013 | February 27, 2013 | ||||
External links
- Episode guide for Gossip Girl season six on IMDb