I love Thanksgiving and Christmas episodes of shows. There is always a crisis and somehow it gets resolved in that hour. And in that time you might just laugh and cry many times. I just hate that in Canada we have to wait for another month and a half before we get to see the Thanksgiving episodes from the States. But we still appreciate it.

Episode eleven of the season is called, Treasure of Serena Madre, and it goes like this: It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving on the Upper East Side if there wasn’t a serving or two of some major drama for the holiday. Blair (Leighton Meester) suspects her mom (guest star Margaret Colin) has been keeping a big secret from her, but it turns out to be something else entirely. Vanessa (Jessica Szohr) is supposed to spend Thanksgiving with her parents, but has a fight with her mom (guest star Gina Torres) and shows up on Dan’s (Penn Badgley) doorstep. Rufus (Matthew Settle) learns that Lily (Kelly Rutherford) has been lying to him about her mother, Cece (guest star Caroline Lagerfelt). Chuck (Ed Westwick) tells Nate (Chace Crawford) that he has some potentially damaging information about one of their friends. Jenny (Taylor Momsen) learns that Eric (Connor Paolo) was behind her very public embarrassment at Cotillion and can’t pass up a chance to get even. Serena (Blake Lively) is put in a very awkward position when her mother invites Trip (guest star Aaron Tveit) and Maureen (guest star Holley Fain) to join them for Thanksgiving dinner..

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I have to say that Gossip Girl has really brought the guest stars this year,  Hilary Duff, Jimmy Fallon, Lady Gaga and one of my personal favorites, Kevin Zegers. I was going to write about Kevin before…he starred in the Air Bud movies and he grew up in Canada…right near where I lived in Ontario. We all know he has to be cool then!

The tenth episode of the season is called, The Last Days of Disco Suck, and it goes like this…Hoping to impress the elitist theater kids at NYU, Blair (Leighton Meester) sets her sights on landing a private concert with the hottest musical performer of the year, Lady Gaga. Dan (Penn Badgley) and Olivia (guest star Hilary Duff) sign up to write and star in a school play, based on an idea by Blair and directed by Vanessa (Jessica Szohr). With Blair out of the picture, Serena (Blake Lively) turns to Nate (Chace Crawford) to help her get through a difficult situation. As a favor to Chuck (Ed Westwick), Jenny (Taylor Momsen) agrees to hang out with Damien (guest star Kevin Zegers), the son of an ambassador who is staying at Chuck’s hotel, but the experience proves to be a lot more intriguing than she expected.

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Can you believe we are already at episode 8 of the season? I think that’s crazy talk! I was caught up with Gossip Girl but now I’m lagging again. I just need to have time to watch all my shows.

Episode 8 is called, They Shoot Humphrey’s, Don’t They?, and it goes like this: Not satisfied with just being Queen of Constance Billard, Jenny (Taylor Momsen) sets her sights on becoming the Queen of all the Upper East Side by landing the hottest escort for Cotillion. Nate (Chace Crawford) and Chuck (Ed Westwick) plot to help Serena (Blake Lively) and Blair (Leighton Meester) repair their damaged friendship. Dan (Penn Badgley) is upset when Olivia (guest star Hilary Duff) contemplates leaving school for a movie project.

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Penn Badgley is everywhere these days. And now he is the cover boy for the November 2009 issue of Men’s Health. I was disappointed to find out that his movie, The Stepfather didn’t do very good at the theaters last weekend. I guess next time I better make sure that I go to the movie. In the interview with the magazine he talks about his girlfriend, Blake Lively, and his personal style.

On dating co-star, Blake: “Having a relationship with someone you work with might not always be the smartest move. But it’s been wonderful to be in a relationship where we can both identify with what the other is experiencing.”

On his personal style: “There’s a stigma about looking like you’re tying too hard, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try at all. I really think that’s a bigger mistake.”

Gossip Girl is on a hot streak. And I really need to catch up on the episodes I’ve missed!

The seventh episode is called, How To Succeed In Bassness. And it goes like this: In need of publicity for his new hotel, Chuck (Ed Westwick) decides to move up his club’s opening and enlists Serena’s (Blake Lively) help to get the word out to her celebrity clients. Feeling left out of the planning, Blair (Leighton Meester) attempts to win Chuck’s approval by secretly helping him with a problem concerning opening night. Dan (Penn Badgley) is unnerved when he finally watches one of Olivia’s (guest star Hilary Duff) infamous sex scenes with co-star and real-life boyfriend at the time, Patrick Robinson (guest star Simon Miller). Jenny (Taylor Momsen) is forced to choose between her relationship with Eric (Connor Paolo) and her new role as Queen Bee. Rufus (Matthew Settle) gets Lily (Kelly Rutherford) into the Halloween spirit.

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Chace Crawford was at the premiere of Stepfather on Monday night. He was probably there to support his friend, Penn Badgley, since he’s in the movie. I want to go see it so bad. Nothing like psycho stepfathers on the loose. You always see stepmothers like that but never stepfathers. It’s about time!

[Images by B. Ach/INFevents.com]

It looks like Gossip Girl is getting steamy again. I really love the whole Blair and Chuck thing this year. It’s about time they are together.

Episode 6 is Enough About Eve and it goes like this: As Vanessa hopes to win her mother’s approval, she and Blair vie for the honor of delivering the NYU freshman toast. Dan invites Olivia to meet the parents.

That’s too bad that Serena and Dan aren’t together. I loved them together.

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More pictures from the Gossip Girl photo shoot here were released today. I have to say that I absolutely love these pictures. Especially the Chace Crawford ones. It’s too bad everyone is here except Blake Lively.

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Penn Badgley, star of Gossip Girl and the upcoming film The Stepfather, opens up to about relationship advice and romance in the October 2009 issue of Women’s Health magazine. Here are the highlights:

The best piece of relationship advice he’s received: “Passion is number one and trust is number two. You need to start with a passionate connection, and if you can maintain it and cultivate it, that’s most important. Then trust can develop. I have both now, and it’s been an incredible thing.”

The most romantic meal he’s cooked for a woman: “Earlier this year I went to Thailand and took some cooking classes. I learned how to make classic Thai dishes, which are exotic, spicy and quick and easy to make—and a rare thing to cook for a woman. I made a yellow curry with pineapple. I think pineapple is very sexy. It reminds me of bikinis and the beach.”

The Gossip Girl character he’s most like in real life: “Nate is too normal, and Chuck is too bad. I understand Dan, even though he’s too nice sometimes. He’s just so earnest that he can’t help but mess up. But in our third season, he’s going to have more fun acting out of character.”

Catch this interview in the October 2009 issue of Woman’s Health magazine, the cover features Christina Applegate on the cover.

[Images by Woman's Health, Dara Kushner/INFphoto.com]

I swear I miss one episode and everything seems to happen in it. (Ask me about the Vampire Diaries that I missed that had a reference to Twilight in it. I almost died!)

In the fifth episode of the season, Rufus Getting Married, Lily (Kelly Rutherford) and Rufus (Matthew Settle) decide to move up their wedding to the next day, but will someone or something come between them before they become man and wife? Blair (Leighton Meester) grows suspect of Bree (guest star JoAnna Garcia) and shares her concerns with Nate (Chace Crawford). Chuck (Ed Westwick) discovers a secret that Carter (guest star Sebastian Stan) has been keeping from Serena (Blake Lively). Dan (Penn Badgley) and Vanessa (Jessica Szohr) are pulled into one of Georgina’s (Michelle Trachtenberg) schemes.

Now, this is Gossip Girl!

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