Serena van der Woodsen
Serena van der Woodsen | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Fictional character |
| Known for | Gossip Girl book series and television adaptation |
Serena Celia van der Woodsen is a fictional persona featured in the Gossip Girl books and their television adaptation, portrayed by actress Blake Lively. Serena is a central figure on the show's blog, "Gossip Girl," and is famously dubbed Manhattan’s "it girl." She uses her allure and charm to navigate and shape elite social networks. Her parents include a successful medical professional and a well-known socialite heiress.
Novel series
Serena is depicted as a tall, slender blonde teenager hailing from the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City. At Constance Billard, many peers accuse her of manipulating others through her appearance. While she struggles academically, those around her often remark that she could achieve more. Her father manages a Dutch shipping company established by his ancestors in the 1700s, and her mother, Lillian van der Woodsen, is recognized as a socialite, art patron, and philanthropist. Both are active members on boards of prominent charitable and cultural institutions in New York City. The van der Woodsen family resides in an expansive 14-room penthouse located at 993 Fifth Avenue, directly across from the Met and Central Park.
Serena exhibits a nervous habit of biting her nails and trimming split ends during lessons. Although she keeps up with fashion trends, her style is more relaxed compared to Blair’s meticulous approach, often described as effortlessly charming. Her natural charisma, talent, kindness, and carefree attitude contribute to her success and frequently draw the attention of older men.
Janet Malcolm of The New Yorker characterized Serena as "radiantly beautiful, exceptionally kind, and ultimately... somewhat dull."
Characterization
People likened Serena to Josh Schwartz’s original archetype of an it-girl, Marissa Cooper, noting that Serena "appears to have everything," including a party-girl image, hidden family secrets, and experiences of betrayal by close friends. Jason Gay from Rolling Stone described her as "the bad girl turned good(ish)" who serves as Gossip Girl’s unstable ethical guide. He emphasized her initially tense dynamic with Blair: "Lively’s Serena is an ex-queen bee who vanished from school only to return and find Blair (Meester), her vindictive former best friend, now in command."
Blake Lively has remarked that portraying Serena can sometimes feel surreal due to the character’s dramatic arcs but acknowledged that she retains much of her own identity. Vogue credited Lively’s background for enabling her to embody Serena as "glamorous, sophisticated, and hopeful." Lively recounted being teased at her Los Angeles private school for her distinctive fashion sense—a trait influenced by her former model mother from Georgia.
Season 1
The debut season presents Serena as a wealthy young woman returning from boarding school following her brother Eric’s suicide attempt. Her comeback sparks tension with Blair Waldorf, who perceives Serena as a threat to her position as Constance’s Queen Bee. Serena had left after losing her virginity to Nate Archibald, Blair’s boyfriend—a secret exposed by Chuck Bass. After evading Chuck’s advances, Serena forms friendships with Dan Humphrey, a Brooklyn native critical of the elite lifestyle, and his sister Jenny. Nate reveals his encounter with Serena to Blair, resulting in Serena’s social exclusion. The two rivals frequently clash but also reconcile at times; Serena admits fault and appreciates Blair’s support.
Serena encounters further complications when her mother becomes engaged to Bart Bass, requiring the family to cohabit with Chuck Bass. She uncovers her mother’s relationship with Rufus Humphrey—Dan’s father—adding strain to Serena’s own romance with Dan amid societal judgment. The arrival of Georgina Sparks unsettles Serena’s life by exposing the real reason behind her Manhattan departure and encouraging reckless conduct that leads Serena to miss the SAT exam. Georgina blackmails Serena over a past incident involving an accidental death, which damages Serena’s relationship with Dan until their eventual breakup.
With assistance from Blair, Chuck, Nate, and Vanessa, Georgina is driven out of Manhattan. Serena eventually reveals the truth to Dan but discovers at Lily’s wedding that their relationship has ended. Disheartened, she tries to move forward over the summer months.
Season 2
During the second season, Serena spends her summer in the Hamptons with her family and Blair, attempting to move past her relationship with Dan. Although they briefly reconcile at a party and return to New York together, their romance collapses during a blackout as unresolved conflicts resurface. Following a disastrous double date involving Dan and new transfer student Amanda, Serena reclaims her status as Queen, reigniting her rivalry with Blair and causing Dan to be publicly shunned.
Serena broadens her social connections by befriending socialite Poppy Lifton and competes against Blair at Eleanor Waldorf's fashion show. The two make amends during a trip to Yale, where Serena applies after Blair challenges her chances of acceptance. At Rufus's gallery opening, Serena reconnects with Aaron Rose, a childhood friend and artist. Though she briefly reconciles with Dan, her renewed friendship with Aaron creates tension, especially when Aaron invites her to Argentina following news of Bart's death.
After returning from Argentina, Serena ends things with Aaron and resumes dating Dan, only to discover they share a sibling bond. Their relationship deteriorates due to conflicting college plans, mistrust, and Dan’s affair with a teacher, ultimately leading to their breakup.
Following an unsuccessful Sweet Sixteen party for Jenny, Serena escapes to Spain with Poppy and Poppy’s boyfriend Gabriel Edwards. Upon returning to New York pursued by Gabriel, Serena begins a new relationship but uncovers that Gabriel and Poppy defrauded her mother’s guests. She enlists Blair’s assistance to recover the stolen funds and breaks up with Gabriel while pursuing Poppy. Blair collaborates with Chuck and Georgina against Lily’s wishes; however, their plan backfires—Serena is arrested, Poppy evades capture, and Georgina reverts to old behaviors.
Serena chooses to remain in jail until Dan posts bail; they attend prom together afterward. The arrest enhances her local fame. On graduation day, Gossip Girl releases damaging gossip about Serena and her friends, igniting tensions within the group. Serena confronts Gossip Girl by claiming knowledge of her identity, but Gossip Girl eludes capture and warns that the pursuit will continue in college. Serena spends the summer leaving New York alongside Carter in search of her father.
Season 3
Returning from Europe, Serena’s relationship with Carter is complicated and hints at romance. The Los Angeles Times noted that Serena’s secretive nature and “crazy behavior” stem from good intentions. Despite disapproval from peers, Serena finds redeeming traits in Carter. While Lily expects Serena will attend Brown, she decides to remain in New York to discover herself. During Lily’s wedding, Serena uncovers Carter’s troubled past and ends their relationship as he seeks redemption.
Serena briefly works as a publicist but experiences strain in her friendships with Blair and Nate. Her affair with Nate’s married congressman cousin, Tripp van der Bilt (Aaron Tveit), further complicates matters. Despite opposition from Nate and Blair and the tumultuous nature of the relationship, Serena ends the affair after Tripp’s wife offers her the role of mistress. After returning to New York, their car crashes; Serena survives, prompting Nate to express his love for her and leading to their relationship.
With Chuck’s mother back in town, Serena intensifies her search for her father, which strains her relationship with Nate as she reconnects with Carter for information but declines rekindling their romance. Jenny develops feelings for Nate that threaten his relationship with Serena; Jenny kisses Nate during his “assassin” birthday party, causing friction. After witnessing Jenny’s advances toward Nate, Serena reconciles with him when he rejects Jenny.
At Dorota’s wedding, Serena leaves with Carter while sending Nate a message about finding her father. She soon realizes Carter was stalling to get closer to her and ends things; instead of meeting Carter as planned, she encounters her mother at the hotel.
William van der Woodsen (William Baldwin) returns, delighting Serena but becomes involved in her father’s scheme to win back Lily. The plan collapses after Jenny, Blair, Nate, and Chuck expose William’s attempts to frame Rufus and harm Lily’s health; William then departs. This leads Dan to comfort Serena, rekindling their feelings. After spending the night together, Jenny sends a compromising photo of them to Gossip Girl. The scandal temporarily ends Serena and Nate’s relationship and prompts Serena to join Blair for the summer in Paris.
Season 4
During the summer, Serena stays in Paris alongside Blair, reluctant to disclose her enrollment at Columbia University, as Blair worries this might rekindle their old high school rivalry. When rumors surface that Chuck may have died, tension arises during a double date, but Serena and Blair eventually make amends. Chuck’s surprising reappearance and a visit to a Paris morgue confirm he is still alive. Serena follows him to London, determined to bring him back to New York. Upon returning, she must choose between Dan and Nate, yet both are involved with new partners—Vanessa and Juliet Sharp, respectively—with Juliet holding a personal grudge against Serena.
At Columbia, Serena faces Juliet's manipulations: exclusion from an exclusive society, turning Blair against her, exposing Serena’s relationship with Professor Colin Forrester (Juliet’s cousin) to threaten her reputation, and spreading harmful rumors. Juliet recruits Jenny and Vanessa to gaslight Serena into manipulating Dan and Nate, challenging Blair for a foundation position, and reverting to her party lifestyle. Serena recovers as Dan and Blair uncover Juliet’s true intentions, which stem from Serena’s purported illicit but unconsummated relationship with Juliet’s half-brother and former teacher, Ben Donovan. To protect Serena, Lily had forged an affidavit accusing Ben of statutory rape.
Over the holidays, Serena strives to free Ben from prison, causing strain in her relationship with Lily. She and Dan pause their potential reconciliation due to trust issues. After Ben’s release, a tumultuous romance develops between him and Serena but deteriorates when Vanessa reveals Ben’s role in harming Nate’s father while incarcerated. Meanwhile, Ben’s mother Cynthia advocates for his exoneration while disclosing his personal struggles. Serena admires Lily when she accepts culpability for Ben's wrongful imprisonment. Ultimately, family complications lead to the end of Serena and Ben’s relationship.
Serena's cousin Charlie Rhodes moves in with the family and helps uncover Dan and Blair’s secret romance, sparking a rift between Serena and Blair. Initially using Charlie as an informant, Serena grows concerned as Charlie begins imitating her behavior and even steals one of her dresses. In the season finale, Charlie assists with a medical emergency but is later revealed to be Ivy in disguise. The season concludes with Serena receiving a job offer in Hollywood, prompting her decision to relocate there.
Season 5
In the fifth season, Serena works as an assistant to a film producer in Los Angeles while spending time with Nate and Chuck. After impressing her employer Jane, she earns a promotion despite opposition from her direct supervisor Marshall. Serena persuades Charlie to return with her to New York.
When Dan reveals he authored a novel portraying Serena as a self-centered party girl, she takes offense and ceases communication with him. However, Jane requires Serena to acquire movie rights for Dan's book. To protect Dan from Jane's attempts to tarnish his reputation, Serena halts the deal—resulting in her dismissal. Nate's employer Diana Payne then hires Serena to launch a blog aimed at exposing Gossip Girl. They discover a list of Gossip Girl’s informants but decide against using it; nonetheless, the list leaks and exposes Louis as the source.
Serena begins dating Max without knowing he is Charlie's former boyfriend. Upon uncovering family secrets involving Charlie’s alias Ivy Dickens and Max’s deceit, Serena confronts them both and ends the relationship.
As Serena and Lily prepare Charlie for her debutante event, Dan plans to confess his feelings for Blair. To preserve Blair’s happiness with Louis, Serena orchestrates events that reveal Blair’s true love for Chuck. After Blair and Chuck suffer an accident, Serena declares war on Gossip Girl by leveraging Nate’s influence at the Spectator and Dan’s support.
With Gossip Girl gone, insiders send information blasts to Serena’s blog. Though hesitant to replace Gossip Girl herself, she uses these tips constructively with Nate's encouragement. At Nate’s New Year’s Eve party, Blair reveals she promised God she would marry Louis if Chuck survived; Serena pretends to rekindle a romance with Dan to protect Blair—rekindling genuine feelings for him herself.
Serena's blog launch fails after Nate shuts it down to aid his investigation into Blair and Chuck’s accident. Together with Nate and his grandfather, they set up Tripp, who confesses responsibility for the crash.
When Blair is arrested at her bachelorette party, Serena supports her friend while continuing the fake romance charade with Dan until Blair's wedding day. Despite Serena's pleas, Blair marries Louis after a Gossip Girl video exposes her feelings for Chuck. Following wedding chaos involving Georgina Sparks and Blair’s disappearance, Serena finds Blair with Dan in Queens—intensifying her unresolved emotions for him.
Serena takes responsibility for releasing the video revealing Blair’s confession and later reconciles with her friend. Unaware that she has been set up on a blind date with Dan after admitting her feelings for him, she witnesses Dan kissing Blair at a party—straining their friendship once again.
After the death of her grandmother CeCe leaves most of the estate to Ivy Dickens, Serena embarks on a campaign to reclaim her family fortune. She then receives assistance from Georgina Sparks that enables her to become the new Gossip Girl—a role she ultimately embraces.
Following loss of control over Gossip Girl and exposure of Blair's diary entries, Serena attempts to manipulate Blair by engaging intimately with Dan. The plan fails when Dan rejects her advances. Feeling despondent, Serena leaves New York with a drug dealer connected to Damien Dalgaard—a flashback revealing struggles from her past before returning once again to the Upper East Side.
Season 6
During the sixth season, Serena is involved with a new, older partner named Steven Spence and leads a tranquil life away from the Upper East Side. After Blair confronts her, Serena declares that their friendship cannot be restored. Eventually, she relocates back to the UES accompanied by Steven and his possessive daughter Sage, who, much like Georgina and Blair, plots against Serena. Following various disclosures, including Steven’s history with Lily (formerly Müller), Serena and Steven decide to end their relationship.
In a final attempt at reconciliation, Serena reconnects with Dan. Dan is working on a candid follow-up to "Inside," assisted by Georgina, which features "The Serena Chapter" released around Thanksgiving. This chapter portrays Serena as a "Golden girl" yearning for attention and affection, culminating in a turbulent breakup. Although she intends to leave New York, Dan stops her by confessing his lasting love. Initially doubtful, Serena then uncovers a second installment titled "Good Serena Chapter" authored by Dan and returns to engage in conversation.
The series finale reveals that Dan met Serena at Blair’s party and created the Gossip Girl blog as a seven-year-long love letter to enter her world. A flash-forward scene depicts their wedding taking place at the Bass-Waldorf residence.
2021 sequel series
Serena does not make an appearance in the 2021 sequel series. However, in season two’s episode "How to Bury a Millionaire," Georgina discloses that Serena resides in Brooklyn Heights, remains married to Dan, and they have a child together.
Television
Serena’s fashion sense has been widely acclaimed by publications such as InStyle and NYLON. EW ranked Blake Lively’s Tory Burch dress from the pilot episode as the second most iconic outfit of the 2000s. People magazine highlighted Lively’s admiration for Serena’s wardrobe, while InStyle emphasized her "vixen-like" style along with her off-screen fashion choices. Costume designers Eric Daman and Meredith Markworth-Pollack cited inspirations including Kate Moss and New York socialites Tinsley Mortimer and Arden Wohl. TV Guide placed Serena fifth among the most fashionable television characters, and Glamour listed her among the 12 Most Stylish TV Characters.
The intricate dynamic between Blair and Serena was praised for its complexity, drawing comparisons to Rory and Paris from Gilmore Girls. Conversely, Vanity Fair criticized Serena’s murder plotline as implausible and viewed it as a gimmick aimed at boosting ratings, suggesting the series may have "jumped the shark."
Blake Lively earned the 2008 Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress Drama for her role as Serena and received nominations in 2009 and 2010 but was bested by co-star Leighton Meester. She won again in 2011 and garnered People's Choice Award nominations for Favorite TV Drama Actress in both 2011 and 2012.