Monstrous Ball
| Company type | Television season |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television |
| Founded | October 8, 2012 |
| Fate | Concluded |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
| Products | Television series episodes |
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, after airing 10 episodes. Due to a drop in audience numbers, the episode total was shortened to bring the narrative to a close. Adapted from the book series by Cecily von Ziegesar, the television adaptation was created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. The CW officially confirmed the renewal for this final installment on May 11, 2012. The series finale was complemented by a special retrospective featuring interviews with cast members and production staff.
Plot
As the main characters transition into their twenties, they face significant life choices. Serena van der Woodsen attempts a new beginning through a relationship with Steven Spence, an older man whose teenage daughter is secretly involved with Nate Archibald. Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass concentrate on their individual professional goals. Nate contemplates entering politics while grappling with financial difficulties at The Spectator. Dan Humphrey unexpectedly partners with Georgina Sparks to promote his latest book. After five eventful years, Gossip Girl unveils her most astonishing revelation: her true identity.
Main
- Blake Lively as Serena van der Woodsen
- Leighton Meester as Blair Waldorf
- Penn Badgley as Dan Humphrey
- Chace Crawford as Nate Archibald
- Ed Westwick as Chuck Bass
- Kaylee DeFer as Ivy Dickens
- Kelly Rutherford as Lily van der Woodsen
- Matthew Settle as Rufus Humphrey
- Kristen Bell as 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 as Eric van der Woodsen
- Taylor Momsen as Jenny Humphrey
- Alexa Chung as herself
- Michael Bloomberg as himself
- Lisa Loeb as herself
- Ella Rae Peck as Lola Rhodes (uncredited)
- Jessica Szohr as Vanessa Abrams (uncredited)
- Katie Cassidy as Juliet Sharp (uncredited)
- Willa Holland as Agnes Andrews (uncredited)
- Rachel Bilson as herself (uncredited)
Episodes
Production
The series received a renewal for a brief sixth and concluding season on May 11, 2012, which aired from October until December 17 of the same year. The CW placed Gossip Girl in the Monday 9:00 pm Eastern/8:00 pm Central time slot, following the show 90210. This final installment comprised a total of 10 episodes.
On April 25, 2012, Joshua Safran, who had served as showrunner and executive producer, exited the series to take on a leadership role at NBC's Smash. Subsequently, on May 11, Sara Goodman was elevated to executive producer.
The fourth episode of the last season, titled "Portrait of a Lady Alexander," experienced a broadcast delay from October 29 to November 5 due to the impact of Hurricane Sandy.
Principal filming for the concluding season was conducted mainly in New York City, showcasing prominent sites such as Bethesda Fountain in 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. Additionally, Michelle Trachtenberg was promoted to guest star status. Former recurring performers Desmond Harrington and Robert John Burke made guest appearances.
On July 7, 2012, Andrea Gabriel—recognized for her role in Lost—joined the cast portraying a businesswoman based in Dubai. Barry Watson, known from 7th Heaven, appeared as guest star Steven Spence, an entrepreneur involved romantically with Serena.
British model Alexa Chung featured as herself in a plotline centered around Blair's new fashion venture. Sofia Black-D'Elia, previously seen in Skins, took on the role of Sage Spence, Steven's daughter.
Former guest stars Tamara Feldman and Yin Chang reprised their roles as Poppy Lifton and Nelly Yuki. For the series finale, Taylor Momsen and Connor Paolo returned as Jenny Humphrey and Eric van der Woodsen respectively—marking their first appearances since the fourth season.
The finale also included cameo appearances by Kristen Bell, Rachel Bilson, Katie Cassidy, Ella Rae Peck, Willa Holland, Lisa Loeb, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Jessica Szohr. These guest spots occurred following the revelation of Gossip Girl’s true identity in the final episode.
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 received a 60% approval score 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 | |||||||
| Set Information | Bonus Content | ||||||
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| Release Dates | |||||||
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 3 | Region 4 | ||||
| February 12, 2013 | February 18, 2013 | July 19, 2013 | February 27, 2013 | ||||
External links
- Compilation of Gossip Girl season six episodes on IMDb