Gossip Girl reboot: All the easter eggs and references to the original (so far)
9 July 2021, 13:35
Watch the Gossip Girl episode 2 trailer
Gossip Girl is back and the reboot is full of iconic easter eggs and references to the original.
Greetings Upper East Siders, Gossip Girl is back and there's a whole new generation of Manhattan's elite to fall in love with.
Yesterday (Jul 8), HBO Max released the first episode of the Gossip Girl reboot and it's safe to say that it did not disappoint. The new show focuses on long-lost half-sisters Julien (Jordan Alexander) and Zoya (Whitney Peak). They finally meet when Zoya gets a scholarship to study at Constance Billard and St. Judes, and is thrown into the world of the most privileged.
The original cast may not be in the show (for now) but, given that it's set in the same universe as the first Gossip Girl, there are plenty of iconic easter eggs and references to the initial series throughout. With that in mind, we will be analysing each episode and updating this post weekly to let you know all of the easter eggs and references you might have missed.
READ MORE: Who is Gossip Girl in the reboot? Her identity is revealed in the first episode
Episode 1 - Just Another Ride on the MTA
1) Kate wears the same first outfit as Serena.
Constance Billard and St. Jude's teacher Kate Keller is the first character we see on screen in the reboot and there's a direct nod to Serena who's the first character we see on screen in the original. Kate wears almost the exact same outfit as Serena. From the blazer to the scarf, it's impossible for fans to miss.
2) Constance Billard still has a Queen B with her own minions.
Blair's legacy as a Queen B with loyal followers continues in the form of Julien and her minions, Monet and Luna. The only difference is that the reboot promises to give Julien's besties more screen time and attention than Blair's ever got.
3) Nate Archibald is apparently thriving.
In the staff room, Kate complains about how awful the students at Constance Billard and St. Jude's are. She then says: "The school produced great people: Caroline Calloway, Colston Whitehead, Nate Archibald. It's why I wanted to teach here." In other words, it sounds like Nate has gone on to do amazing things since the original show ended.
4) Rebecca Sherman is back.
When Kate mentions Nate, Rebecca turns around and says: "It's not like Nate Archibald was such a saint when we started." Rebecca, who is now a teacher, was a student in the original show but she never actually appeared on screen. In season 2, Rebecca is who the main characters think is Gossip Girl before they assume it's Eric's boyfriend.
In the new series, Rebecca explains to the teachers what Gossip Girl was and she says: "People thought it was me but it was actually one of my classmates, Dan Humphrey."
5) Dan Humphrey is still a literary success.
When Rebecca reveals that Dan Humphrey was the original Gossip Girl, Kate says: "The novelist?" In other words, it sounds like Dan still has a great reputation as a writer in the Gossip Girl universe. Whether or not he's still with Serena though is yet to be confirmed.
6) There are many familiar locations.
Just like Blair and her posse, Julien and her friends still hang out at the MET steps for lunch. Not to mention, the exact same location is used for Constance Billard and St. Jude's and you'll likely recognise other places as the season goes on.
7) Headbands no longer hold so much power.
Headbands were a power accessory in the original but they no longer hold the same weight that they used to. Zoya wears one to her first day at school and Julien re-fashions it as a scarf for her to make it look more modern and in fashion.
8) Martinis remain the Gossip Girl drink of choice.
Fans of the original will remember that Blair and Serena regularly drank martinis in the show, and Julien and her friends love them too. However, when Zoya enters her friendship group and doesn't seem so keen on them, Julien's friends look down on her.
9) Cameos from high fashion icons.
Gossip Girl is still entrenched in the world of high fashion. The first episode culminates with Julien walking in a Christopher John Rodgers fashion show and The Cut Editor-in-Chief and former Teen Vogue Editor-in-Chief Lindsay Peoples Wagner makes a brief appearance to tell Julien that she's "had her eye" on her.
Given how many cameos the originals series had, expect plenty more to come.
