Gossip Girl is a timeless piece of fiction with everything you want in a drama series. It’s got scandalous twists of events, popular love tropes, and romantic storylines. But Gossip Girl season 1 still stands out as one of the best seasons of the show.
Gossip Girl Season 1 is not only considered one of the best seasons of the show, but it also holds its own against a lot of other shows. The introduction into the prestigious and messy world of the Upper East Side left viewers all across the world wanting more. It was near perfect, and it’s no wonder that the show’s legacy continues to date. Additionally, Season 1 set a very high standard that the rest of the series was unable to meet. Here are 10 reasons why Gossip Girl Season 1 was the best season of the show.
1. It Had An Unmatched Soundtrack
Gossip Girl starts off strong when it comes to the music. Season 1 has one of the best soundtracks out there, featuring timeless classics like Justin Timberlake‘s What Goes Around Comes Around, Peter Bjorn and John‘s Young Folks, and Timbaland‘s Apologize. The rest of the series continues in Season 1’s footsteps, with more groundbreaking songs. But there’s just something about the soundtrack that hits differently. Every song is incorporated so perfectly, reflecting each scene’s energy and dynamics.
2. Gossip Girl Season 1 Had Strong Character Development
Gossip Girl starts with strong character development, putting a spotlight on the troubled teenager Serena and her perfectionist BFF Blair. Other than the pair, there are plenty of other fascinating character arcs, such as Nate, Dan, Chuck, and Jenny. Even though these characters start out as pretty realistic, they somehow get completely lost throughout the show. At the end of the day, their actions often make less sense.
3. The Fashion is Timeless
Where there’s luxury, there’s fashion. Gossip Girl season 1 set a truly high standard for the rest of the show with its timeless outfits and fashion trends. From classy Audrey Hepburn-like Blair to the modern IT girl Serena, the fashion in Season 1 is pretty top-shelf.
4. It Had A Realistic Plot
Gossip Girl Season 1 is hands down one of the most realistic seasons of the show. As the series progresses, the focus is more on wealthy lifestyles and scandals than it is on a realistic plot. Some storylines become almost fantastical. Case point lost cousins and children that appear out of nowhere (Rufus and Lily’s love child) to questionable parenting choices. Then there’s finally, the big reveal that Dan was Gossip Girl all along.
5. Serena and Blair’s Friendship Was Layered
One of the best things about Season 1 was the tumultuous on-and-off friendship between Blair and Serena. They were both so complex, with real human flaws, that made viewers connect to them on a deeper level. Although they were living a luxurious lifestyle, they were both extremely relatable in terms of self-esteem issues, weird family dynamics, and boy troubles. Every episode was a rollercoaster, especially for Serena/Blair fans. But the rest of the series took their dynamics to extremes and somewhat unrealistic levels.
6. Blair and Chuck’s Romance Offered A Huge Twist
Blair and Chuck were the ultimate endgame couple. Throughout the duration of Gossip Girl, fans all over the world were rooting for the King and Queen of Manhattan to be together. They were indisputable soulmates, constantly scheming together and supporting each other dreams. But for the first couple of episodes in Season 1, nobody saw this match-made-in-heaven coming.
Blair was still madly in love with Chuck’s best friend, Nate, and she was constantly fighting for his attention. On top of that, she was the epitome of an innocent girl, while Chuck was the complete opposite. So Chuck and Blair getting together in Gossip Girl season 1, episode 7 is the twist of all twists. It’s the beginning of the ultimate power couple and their long reign together. No other season was able to top this pairing.
7. The Non-Judging Breakfast Club
Serena, Blair, Nate, and Chuck are all completely different people. But they all have one thing in common — they all did some shameless and questionable things in the past. What makes them pick themselves up every single time is they’re all in it together. The Non-Judging Breakfast Club, as they like to call themselves, is one of the most powerful moments from Season 1. They always have each’s backs, through thick and thin, which makes viewers root for them every single time.
8. High School Power Dynamics
Gossip Girl became an instant hit among audiences mostly because of the toxic high school politics and exciting power dynamics between Blair and Jenny in Season 1. The show was truly at its peak while they were all still in school. Everyone was trying their best to fit in, get accepted to prestigious colleges, and maintain a luxurious social life in Manhattan.
9. There Were Realistic Family Issues
If there’s anything that Season 1 got right, it was the depiction of the toxic family dynamics of Manhattan’s elite. From absent mothers and fathers to narcissistic grandmothers, Gossip Girl showed the world that the rich also cry. But as the show progressed, some family dynamics got out of control. It turned some realistic problems into a chaotic soap opera parade. Season 1 remains the rawest and most relatable in terms of complicated family affairs.
10. Innocent Jenny
Gossip Girl gave the world one of the most interesting character arcs in television history. Innocent Jenny became an absolutely feral Queen B. Many fans agree that Jenny from Season 1 was more authentic, natural, and believable. After that, she just kept on getting wilder and wilder until she eventually got kicked out of the high society she so desperately tried to conquer.
