Where the Vile Things Are
| Company type | Television season |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television |
| Founded | October 8, 2012 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, Sara Goodman |
| Products | Television series episodes |
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, spanning 10 episodes. Due to a decline in audience numbers during previous 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. The CW officially renewed the series for this sixth season on May 11, 2012. The series finale was accompanied by a special feature including interviews with cast members and production staff.
Plot
As the characters transition into their twenties, they face significant life choices. Serena van der Woodsen embarks on a new chapter by dating an older man named Steven Spence, whose teenage daughter secretly dates Nate Archibald. Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass each pursue distinct professional goals. Nate contemplates entering politics as The Spectator faces financial difficulties. Dan Humphrey forms an unusual partnership with Georgina Sparks while working on his latest book. After years of upheaval, Gossip Girl delivers her most astonishing revelation yet: disclosing her true identity.
Main
- Blake Lively portrays Serena van der Woodsen
- Leighton Meester as Blair Waldorf
- Penn Badgley plays Dan Humphrey
- Chace Crawford appears as Nate Archibald
- Ed Westwick embodies Chuck Bass
- Kaylee DeFer as Ivy Dickens
- Kelly Rutherford portrays 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 as Steven Spence
- Michelle Trachtenberg returns as Georgina Sparks
- Yin Chang as Nelly Yuki
- Tamara Feldman portrays Poppy Lifton
- Zuzanna Szadkowski as Dorota Kishlovsky
- Alice Callahan plays Jessica Leitenberg
- Nan Zhang as Kati Farkas
- Margaret Colin appears as Eleanor Waldorf
- William Baldwin as William van der Woodsen
- Sam Robards portrays Howard Archibald
- Desmond Harrington as Jack Bass
- Wallace Shawn plays 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 features as himself
- Singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb makes an appearance 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 as Agnes Andrews
- Actress Rachel Bilson makes an uncredited cameo as herself
Episodes
Production
The series was officially renewed on May 11, 2012, for a brief sixth and concluding season that 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 a total of 10 episodes.
In April 2012, former showrunner Joshua Safran exited to take on the role of showrunner for NBC's Smash, leading to writer Sara Goodman’s promotion to executive producer in May 2012.
The fourth episode, titled "Portrait of a Lady Alexander," experienced a delay, moving from its original October 29 air date to November 5 due to the impact of Hurricane Sandy.
Filming for the concluding season was predominantly conducted 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. Michelle Trachtenberg was elevated to guest star status, while 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. Guest-starring as entrepreneur Steven Spence, who becomes involved with Serena, was Barry Watson from 7th Heaven.
British model Alexa Chung appeared as herself in a storyline centering on Blair’s fashion line. Former Skins actress Sofia Black-D'Elia took on the role of Sage Spence, daughter of Steven. Returning guest stars included Tamara Feldman and Yin Chang reprising their roles as Poppy Lifton and Nelly Yuki. After being absent since season four, Taylor Momsen and Connor Paolo returned for the finale as Jenny Humphrey and Eric van der Woodsen.
The series finale 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 occurred following 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" | "Error: Year value is required (help)2012-12-17" | "0.8/2" | "1.55" |
Reception
The sixth season received a 60% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes, derived from five critic reviews, with an average rating of 5.3 out of 10.
DVD release
| Gossip Girl: The Complete Sixth and Final Season | |||||||
| Disc Set Information | Bonus Content | ||||||
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| Release Dates | |||||||
| Region 1
February 12, 2013 |
colspan=2 align=center | Region 2 February 18, 2013 |
colspan=2 align=center | Region 3 July 19, 2013 |
colspan=2 align=center | Region 4 February 27, 2013 | ||||
External links
- Compilation of episodes for Gossip Girl season six at IMDb