It's Really Complicated
| Company type | Television season |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television |
| Founded | October 8, 2012 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
| Products | Television episodes |
The sixth and concluding season of the American teen drama series Gossip Girl debuted on The CW network on October 8, 2012, and wrapped up on December 17, 2012, encompassing a total of 10 episodes. In response to a decline in audience numbers during earlier seasons, the episode quantity was shortened to efficiently conclude the narrative arc. Adapted from the book series authored by Cecily von Ziegesar, the television adaptation was created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. On May 11, 2012, The CW officially renewed the show for this final installment. Prior to the series finale, a special retrospective aired, featuring interviews with both cast members and production staff.
Plot
As the main characters enter their twenties, they encounter fresh obstacles. Serena van der Woodsen embarks on a new romantic relationship with Steven Spence, whose teenage daughter is secretly involved with Nate Archibald. Meanwhile, Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass concentrate on progressing their individual careers. Facing monetary difficulties at The Spectator, Nate considers a political career path. Dan Humphrey partners unexpectedly with Georgina Sparks to promote his latest book. After five eventful years, Gossip Girl prepares to disclose her most startling revelation yet: her true identity.
Main
- Blake Lively portrays Serena van der Woodsen
- Leighton Meester plays Blair Waldorf
- Penn Badgley as Dan Humphrey
- Chace Crawford in the role of Nate Archibald
- Ed Westwick as Chuck Bass
- Kaylee DeFer depicts Ivy Dickens
- Kelly Rutherford as Lily van der Woodsen
- Matthew Settle plays Rufus Humphrey
- Kristen Bell provides the voice of Gossip Girl (uncredited)
Recurring
- Sofia Black-D'Elia as Sage Spence
- Robert John Burke in the role of Bart Bass
- Barry Watson portrays Steven Spence
- Michelle Trachtenberg as Georgina Sparks
- Yin Chang plays Nelly Yuki
- Tamara Feldman as Poppy Lifton
- Zuzanna Szadkowski in the role of Dorota Kishlovsky
- Alice Callahan portrays Jessica Leitenberg
- Nan Zhang as Kati Farkas
- Margaret Colin plays Eleanor Waldorf
- William Baldwin as William van der Woodsen
- Sam Robards in the role of Howard Archibald
- Desmond Harrington as Jack Bass
- Wallace Shawn portrays Cyrus Rose
Special guests
- Connor Paolo returns as Eric van der Woodsen
- Taylor Momsen reprises her role as Jenny Humphrey
- Alexa Chung appears as herself
- Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg features as himself
- Singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb appears as herself
- Ella Rae Peck as Lola Rhodes (uncredited)
- Jessica Szohr returns briefly as Vanessa Abrams (uncredited)
- Katie Cassidy appears as Juliet Sharp (uncredited)
- Willa Holland as Agnes Andrews (uncredited)
- Actress and producer Rachel Bilson makes an uncredited cameo as herself
Episodes
Production
The series was confirmed for a brief sixth and concluding season on May 11, 2012, with episodes airing from October through December 17. The CW scheduled Gossip Girl for Monday evenings at 9:00 pm Eastern/8:00 pm Central during the 2012–13 lineup, positioned after 90210. This final installment consisted of 10 episodes, a detail revealed on July 30, 2012.
Joshua Safran, who previously served as showrunner and executive producer, exited the project on April 25, 2012, to take on a leadership role for NBC's Smash. Following his departure, Sara Goodman was elevated to executive producer status on May 11, 2012.
Due to the impact of Hurricane Sandy, the fourth episode titled "Portrait of a Lady Alexander" was rescheduled from its original October 29 air date to November 5.
Principal filming for the concluding season occurred predominantly in New York City. Prominent sites featured included Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, The Empire Hotel, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Cast
Series regulars Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick, Kaylee DeFer, Kelly Rutherford, and Matthew Settle reprised their roles. Michelle Trachtenberg received a promotion to guest star status. Additionally, former recurring performers Desmond Harrington and Robert John Burke returned in guest appearances.
On July 7, 2012, Andrea Gabriel—recognized for her role in Lost—was cast as a businesswoman based in Dubai. Barry Watson, known from 7th Heaven, joined the cast portraying Steven Spence, an entrepreneur involved romantically with Serena.
British model Alexa Chung made an appearance as herself within a storyline centered on Blair's fashion venture. Sofia Black-D'Elia, previously seen in Skins, was introduced as Sage Spence, the daughter of Steven.
Returning guest stars included Tamara Feldman and Yin Chang reprising their roles as Poppy Lifton and Nelly Yuki respectively. Taylor Momsen and Connor Paolo returned for the series finale as Jenny Humphrey and Eric van der Woodsen—their first appearances since season four.
The finale also featured cameo appearances by Kristen Bell, Rachel Bilson, Katie Cassidy, Ella Rae Peck, Willa Holland, Lisa Loeb, 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 installment of the series has garnered a 60% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, derived from five critiques, with an average rating of 5.3 out of 10.
DVD release
| Gossip Girl: Complete Sixth and Final Season | |||||||
| Package Information | Bonus Content | ||||||
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| Availability Dates | |||||||
| Region 1
(February 12, 2013) |
Region 2
(February 18, 2013) |
Region 3
(July 19, 2013) |
Region 4
(February 27, 2013) | ||||
External links
- Compilation of Gossip Girl season six episodes on IMDb