"Bad News Blair" Recap

Blair’s obsession with Audrey Hepburn and Breakfast at Tiffany’s makes its appearance early on – until an appearance from Serena rears its ugly head in Blair’s dreams.

Blair’s mother, Eleanor arrives from Paris. Blair finds her chatting with Serena about her new fashion line. Eleanor is predictably judgmental about Blair and her weight. Blair excitedly reports to her mother that she has lost two pounds.

Chuck throws a decadent post-Ivy Week party that begins at the Palace and travels other places. Connor Baizen, an old friend of Nate’s, shows up at the party. Once a hard core party-hopper and drug user, Connor claims to be a changed man. After traveling the world, he began filming documentaries. Nate is intrigued but Chuck is bored.

Blair and Serena try to work things out by shopping the morning away. Serena runs into Dan on the street and they make a date to make a date (sort of).

Eleanor looks for her new face for Waldorf Fashion. Her assistant suggests Blair and Serena coaxes her into the role. Blair is thrilled.

The girls (Blair, Serena, Isabel and Kati) have a fun day in posing as models. Dan calls and asks Serena to a movie later that evening. She agrees.

Rufus has a showing at his gallery and gets chatted up by a potential buyer, Bex, – a woman who seems to have an eye for art and for Rufus. He gets asked out but demurs, explaining that he is married.

At the fashion shoot, Blair can’t seem to get the right look for the photographer. She is too rigid. Serena overhears the criticism and tries to get Blair to loosen up. Serena blows off Dan in order to make Blair happy.

Chuck is concerned about the hold that Carter seems to have over Nate when Nate blows off the party to tag along with him.

Dan returns home and discusses Serena with his dad. Mostly, he is distressed that Serena is so focused on Blair, who represents everything that Dan doesn’t like about the East Side.

Blair loves the attention that her mother is giving her based on her modeling.

Serena tries to make up with Dan by inviting him to the fashion shoot. At first he balks, but hangs on to the words that his father said which leads him to believe that Serena is worth the effort.

The photographer is not happy with Blair’s work. He suggests that Eleanor consider Serena instead. Eleanor is intrigued… for all of the wrong reasons. She is impressed by Serena.

Eleanor breaks the news to Blair, who is considerably disappointed. Blair pretends to be relieved and then decides to crash the shoot anyway. She sees Serena in the shoot and is upset. Serena claims that she was told that Blair would eventually arrive, a claim which she disputed. Dan witnesses the exchange and recognizes that he and Serena are very different.

Also realizing that they are different, Rufus is surprised when Lily shows up to return the painting that Bex bought earlier. Lily says that Rufus’ wife would not want the painting hanging in her house because of their prior relationship.

Nate finds himself in a high stakes poker game with Carter. Chuck realizes there is a problem when he notices an empty drawer – but Nate is not answering his text messages.

Dan talks to Serena about what happened at the shoot. She asks him to leave and he seeks out Blair. She is insulting to him and yet, he stays. He tells Blair about his mother leaving his family and Blair realizes that she needs to tell her mother what she thinks about the way she was treated.

Nate loses a significant sum of money at poker ($10,000). He realizes that Carter has set him up to lose. Chuck arrives to save Nate. Chuck pays Nate’s debts; when Nate goes to pay his debts, Nate realizes that his father has taken his trust money.

Blair confronts her mother about her realization.

Dan comes up to the rooftop to tell Serena that he’s sorry.  They make a new date.  Blair and Serena make up (again) and take Eleanor’s clothes for their fun day out.  BFF?