Portrait of a Lady Alexander
| Company type | Television season |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | October 8, 2012 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Television series |
Number of employees | Cast and crew of Gossip Girl |
| Website | www |
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, consisting of 10 episodes. In response to waning viewership during previous seasons, the number of episodes was shortened to effectively bring the story to a close. Adapted from Cecily von Ziegesar's book series and developed by Josh Schwartz alongside Stephanie Savage, The CW officially renewed the show for this final chapter on May 11, 2012. The series finale was complemented by a special feature that included interviews with both cast members and crew.
Plot
As the characters transition into their twenties, they face critical decisions about their futures. Serena van der Woodsen embarks on a new relationship with Steven Spence, an older man whose teenage daughter is secretly involved with Nate Archibald. Meanwhile, Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass each focus on advancing their individual careers. Nate contemplates a move into politics as he struggles with financial difficulties at The Spectator. Dan Humphrey partners unexpectedly with Georgina Sparks to promote his latest book. After five eventful years, the identity of Gossip Girl is finally unmasked in a surprising revelation.
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 features as Chuck Bass
- Kaylee DeFer takes on the role of Ivy Dickens
- Kelly Rutherford is 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 portrays Bart Bass
- Barry Watson appears as Steven Spence
- Michelle Trachtenberg returns as Georgina Sparks
- Yin Chang plays Nelly Yuki
- Tamara Feldman acts as Poppy Lifton
- Zuzanna Szadkowski features as Dorota Kishlovsky
- Alice Callahan portrays Jessica Leitenberg
- Nan Zhang as Kati Farkas
- Margaret Colin appears as Eleanor Waldorf
- William Baldwin plays William van der Woodsen
- Sam Robards acts as Howard Archibald
- Desmond Harrington features as Jack Bass
- Wallace Shawn appears as Cyrus Rose
Special guests
- Connor Paolo returns as Eric van der Woodsen
- Taylor Momsen reprises the role of Jenny Humphrey
- Alexa Chung makes an appearance as herself
- Former New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg, appears as himself
- Singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb guest stars as herself
- Ella Rae Peck portrays Lola Rhodes (uncredited)
- Jessica Szohr returns briefly as Vanessa Abrams (uncredited)
- Katie Cassidy appears as Juliet Sharp (uncredited)
- Willa Holland features as Agnes Andrews (uncredited)
- Actress Rachel Bilson makes an uncredited appearance as herself
Episodes
Production
On May 11, 2012, the show was officially renewed for a brief sixth and concluding season, which aired from October through December 17. When The CW unveiled its 2012–13 lineup on May 17, Gossip Girl retained its Monday night slot but shifted to 9:00 pm Eastern/8:00 pm Central, following the fifth season of 90210. The final season was confirmed to consist of 10 episodes as of July 30, 2012.
In a notable change behind the scenes, former showrunner and executive producer Joshua Safran exited on April 25, 2012, to take charge of NBC's Smash. Subsequently, Sara Goodman was elevated to executive producer on May 11, 2012.
The fourth episode 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 occurred predominantly in New York City, showcasing prominent landmarks such as Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, The Empire Hotel, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Cast
Returning to their roles as series regulars were Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick, Kaylee DeFer, Kelly Rutherford, and Matthew Settle. Michelle Trachtenberg received a promotion to guest star status. Additionally, recurring actors Desmond Harrington and Robert John Burke made guest appearances once again.
On July 7, 2012, Andrea Gabriel—known for her work on Lost—was cast as a businesswoman based in Dubai. Meanwhile, 7th Heaven veteran Barry Watson guest-starred portraying entrepreneur Steven Spence, who becomes romantically connected to Serena.
British model Alexa Chung appeared as herself in a plotline centered on Blair’s fashion enterprise. Former Skins actress Sofia Black-D'Elia joined the cast portraying Sage Spence, daughter of Steven Spence.
Previous guest stars Tamara Feldman and Yin Chang returned to reprise their characters Poppy Lifton and Nelly Yuki respectively. For the finale, Taylor Momsen and Connor Paolo made their first appearances since season four, returning as Jenny Humphrey and Eric van der Woodsen.
The series finale also featured 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, all appearing following the revelation 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, derived from five critical reviews, 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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| Release Schedule | |||||||
| 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