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Released by: Warner Brothers
Released on: February12, 2013.
Director: Various
Cast: Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley
Year: 2012
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The Series:
The final season of GOSSIP GIRL sees the venerable high-gloss soap playing to its strengths and going out strong. The core group has remained remarkably intact over the series run with the central characters of golden girl Serena (Blake Lively), best friend and sometime nemesis Blair (Leighton Meester) and outsider/Brooklynite Dan (Penn Badgley) the main focus. But the best news this season is the heavy focus on the greatest creation of this series - Ed Westwick's obscenely rich child of privilege Chuck Bass and his battle to destroy his evil tycoon father.
Filled with often venal and utterly amoral characters GOSSIP GIRL manages to take all of the classic elements of the compulsively watchable over-the-top nighttime soap opera that was perfected by the original MELROSE PLACE in the the 90's and add a high-gloss sheen. It's a fantasy set on the Upper East Side of NYC where backstabbing, bed-hopping and shopping at some of the most exclusive boutiques in the world are a daily way of life. The proletariat (aside from the odd doorman and limo driver) don't appear here often - this is a show about rich youth (and those that aspire to break into that social circle) and their eternal struggle for status and power.
The final season manages to close satisfactorily the plot threads that have defined this series - Serena and her on-again-off-again romance with writer and perpetual outsider Dan, Blair's tumultuous love affair with the flamboyant Chuck Bass and Nate's (Chace Crawford) struggle to overcome the legacy of his disgraced father. Chuck's quest to prove his father's corporate and criminal malfeasance is the strongest dramatic thread this season and is surprisingly weighty. We also get plenty of the bread and butter of the GOSSIP GIRL world - fashion shows and society galas, a cotillion soiree and loads of gallivanting around some of the most expensive real estate in New York City and the obligatory sex tape scandal. An interesting aspect of this series has always been the way it treated its adult characters - these were far from the throwaway parent cutouts that populated the likes of BEVERLY HILLS 90210. Robert John Burke's Bart Bass is the absolute standout - in today's world of rampant corporate shenanigans he's a villain for the ages. And it is always a pleasure to see old pros like Wallace Shawn (as Blair's stepfather) show up to interact with "the kids".
Finally, if you are wondering if the identity of the title character is revealed in the final episode, the answer is yes.
Video/Audio/Extras:
There really isn't any issue with Warner's 1.77:1 anamorphic transfer here. This was an expensively produced show and as such it looks excellent - solid black levels, excellent detail and near-perfect contrast levels. Would have been nice to have it on Blu-ray however. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix (English subtitles, BTW, are present on the set) is very good also with nice balance and use of rear channels. Extras include two excellent series retrospective features, a season gag reel and an audiobook download.
The Final Word:
GOSSIP GIRL's sixth and final season is an entertaining wrap-up to this long-running series. This set has some nice extras, strong A/V values and a good presentation all around. Recommended for fans of the show and soapy dramas in general.
