not the ggwriters

6.09 The Revengers producer’s preview

6.08 It’s Really Complicated Producer’s Preview

6.07 Save the Last Chance Producer’s Preview

MISDEEDS OF THE PAST — After a run-in with an increasingly paranoid Bart (guest star Robert John Burke), Blair (Leighton Meester) grows alarmingly concerned for Chuck’s (Ed Westwick) safety. However, feeling confident that his father will never hurt him, Chuck makes a deal that could change his life. Wanting to make things better for Chuck, Blair devises a plan with the help of Serena (Blake Lively), Georgina (guest star Michelle Trachtenberg) and Sage (guest star Sofia Black-D’Elia) to try and get what they need out of Bart. Meanwhile, Nate’s (Chace Crawford) financial dilemma finally lands him in a place that he never thought he would be. Penn Badgley and Kelly Rutherford also star. Patrick Norris directed the episode written by Sara Goodman and Natalie Krinsky (#609).

6.06 Where the Vile Things Are producer’s preview

Portrait of a Lady Alexander Producer’s Preview

Executive Producer Sara Goodman and Co-Producer Matt Whitney discuss the upcoming drama from Monday’s all new episode of Gossip Girl at 9/8c

Gossip Girl - Dirty Rotten Scandals Producer’s Preview

Executive Producer Sara Goodman and Executive Story Editor Natalie Krinsky discuss Monday’s all new episode of Gossip Girl at 9/8c.

THE TRUTH — After Eleanor (guest star Margaret Colin) gives Blair (Leighton Meester) an ultimatum, Blair is even more determined to remedy Waldorf Designs’ problems by making a splash with a dress at the upcoming Cotillion, but a shocking revelation at the ball affects everyone. Serena (Blake Lively) becomes worried about Steven’s (guest star Barry Watson) attitude toward her, but after some investigating she discovers the surprising reason why. Chuck (Ed Westwick) finds an unlikely ally as he tries to drive a wedge between Bart (Robert John Burke) and Lily’s (Kelly Rutherford) relationship to help expose his father’s secret. Meanwhile, Dan (Penn Badgley) publishes another article, but the effect is just the opposite of what he was hoping for. Chace Crawford and Matthew Settle also star. Amy Heckerling directed the episode written by Sara Goodman (#605).

Things moved forward as Gossip Girl’s final season continued to unfold.

The connection between Serena’s new love Steven and Nate’s new significant other Sage was revealed, Bart’s affair with Amira (Andrea Gabriel) was uncovered and Dan made a big move when he opted to go the uncensored route (after several failed meetings with big-time publishers) with his new tell-all, instead bringing it to Nate’s struggling publication, The Spectator. Blair also got a taste of her own medicine when one of her former Constance minions returned for what turned out to be a not-so-pretty fashion debut.

With only eight episodes left in The CW drama’s season, just what do these latest developments from “High Infidelity” mean for Manhattan’s elite? Gossip Girl boss Sara Goodman discussed the aftermath of Dan and Nate’s team-up, why it was important to introduce a new family connection and what kind of damage Sage could do.

The Hollywood Reporter: The battle lines have been drawn with Dan deciding to have his new book published in The Spectator. How does that decision affect his relationships moving forward?

Sara Goodman: Dan as a power player is going to affect everybody. The way that we’re doing the chapters is a character at a time, so each chapter will be a character. Some episodes it will be there, some episodes it won’t. And of course, there will be twists and turns within that. But how he’s releasing it is chapter by chapter of characters. The fallout, unlike his original book, where he didn’t use real names, it keeps building with each chapter that comes out.

THR: It’s also told through one perspective. Are we to assume events and observations featured in Dan’s book will be twisted into his point of view?

Goodman: Definitely, definitely. He’s not writing like a newspaper story just reporting on what happened. He went with Georgina (Michelle Trachtenberg) to Italy so I think we can expect it will be a little bit more brutally honest.

THR: Why was it important to introduce the Steven (Barry Watson) and Sage’s (Sofia Black D’Elia) father-daughter connection in the final season?

Goodman: For us, the final season we really were trying to go back and tell our own multigenerational stories, in terms of Lily and Bart, Rufus and Ivy, and Eleanor and Cyrus – and the core group. Are the kids going to become their parents? When we talked about who we wanted to bring in, we decided we wanted to bring a family that had that same dynamic – a different dynamic, obviously. We brought in Barry Watson to be an adult love interest for Serena and sometimes adults have kids. We really thought we could get a lot more complications, not in terms of someone with a deep, dark, plotty agenda but in terms of what buttons those things can push. I mean, Serena’s Sage’s step-mom, right?

THR: Obviously this will affect the dynamics between Serena-Steven and Sage-Nate. What can you say about how this will change the four?

Goodman: You’re going to have to stay tuned. Is Sage going to be OK with Serena in that stepmom way – which I think by the end of the episode, she’s not. Is Steven going to want his daughter dating someone his girlfriend used to date? It’s not going to be simple for any of them involved.

THR: What kind of damage could Sage do?

Goodman: I can say that she’s going to stir up a lot of trouble. She will do her damndest to make it difficult for Serena to be with her father.

THR: Poppy Lifton (Tamara Feldman) and Nelly Yuki (Yin Chang) came back for Blair’s fashion show. Should we expect more favorites to pop back up again?

Goodman: There will be more familiar faces. I can’t tell you who, but yes. [THR reported last week that Gossip Girl alum Katie Cassidy, who appeared in season four as Juliet Sharp, will be back for the series finale.]

Gossip Girl airs 9 p.m. Mondays on The CW.

The countdown to the final Gossip Girl episodes has begun — and the season six premiere featured some interesting developments.

In previewing the season, executive producer Sara Goodman hinted that the characters “are going to end where we feel like they belong.” If that’s the case, then step one to reaching that destination consisted of a wedding (though not Serena’s), a Blair-Chuck deal that kept their romance at bay, the start of a questionable (age-inappropriate?) relationship and the near-reveal of Gossip Girl.

The Hollywood Reporter asked executive producer Sara Goodman to weigh in on some of the premiere’s top moments, the decisions behind them and the potential aftermath.

The Hollywood Reporter: The Rufus (Matthew Settle) and Ivy (Kaylee DeFer) story line was a surprise, in terms of where it may end up going. Did you and the writers have any reservations moving forward with their relationship?

Sara Goodman: It is a big development. [Laughs] It’s so funny, in a weird way when we came into the season and we knew we had a limited amount of time and we knew who we wanted to keep around, Lily (Kelly Rutherford) had chosen Bart (Robert John Burke) last season and we really felt that we didn’t want Rufus sitting there moping — and that hewouldn’t be. He and Ivy had some interesting connections last season, especially when he found out Lily had betrayed Ivy, and he had taken Ivy’s side at that time. So when we were talking about what to do, it made sense for us in terms of them ending up together. Now, of course, we know Ivy is Ivy so she might have her own motivations. It felt like they both were outsiders, but they both had been in. They might be an interesting couple – and I think they are. They have a lot of the same problems: They both have issues with Lily and that obviously is going to cause huge ripples with people around them the fact that they are together.

THR: This was a development that was discussed last season?

Goodman: Yes, we planted that possibility in season five.

THR: At the end of the episode, Dan (Penn Badgley) witnesses the two of them in bed. How will that affect him going forward?

Goodman: As this goes on further, we’ll just have to see what he does from there and how Dan reacts. We tried to make it clear that seeing that took off all of the moral questions that he might have had about publishing this serial with real names. He always felt like his dad was the moral center and now that he doesn’t trust that his father is the center of anything now that he’s with Ivy, it means that there’s nothing stopping Dan from going all the way with this serial.

THR: Ivy also has some tricks up her sleeve. What is her grand plan exactly?

Goodman: We know that at the end of the season last year, Lola (Ella Rae Peck) came to her with the caveat that she take Lily down. It’s not a secret that that’s what she’s up to. We should all assume that that’s what she’s up to, and whether Rufus is going to be in it or not in it will be a question. Is Rufus just a tool or is she interested in him and what will he do if he finds out? Whose side will he be on?

THR: Nate (Chace Crawford) also failed at unmasking Gossip Girl. How close does he actually get to doing so?

Goodman: That one you’ll have to wait and see. Gossip Girl is definitely part of this season.

Gossip Girl airs 9 p.m. Mondays on The CW.