Gossip Girl 2.17 “Carnal Knowledge” recap

Gossip Girl 2.17
“Carnal Knowledge”
Original airdate: February 3, 2009

© 2009 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved

Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester)complains to Serena (Blake Lively) about having to serve detention, although it seems that Dorota is doing all the work! Serena tells her that she has never had a teacher that actually gets her like Miss Carr (Laura Breckenridge). She also admits that she and Dan (Penn Badgley) haven’t talked all week.

Meanwhile Miss Carr is chatting with Dan, saying that this story is even more than the last one. She can totally relate with the feeling of isolation, feeling like an insider. After some witty banter, she says that she’s been talking to Head Mistress Queller. Serena walks in, quite surprised that the two of them are hanging out together. After Dan leaves, Miss Carr continues to rave about his paper, causing Serena to pocket hers and ask for more time.

Chuck (Ed Westwick) wakes up in a hotel bedroom, flashbacks of the night before drifting through his mind. He goes to wash his hand, noticing a strange stamp on his wrist. He calls Nate and asks if they spoke the night before. “I think last night may have been the greatest night of my life.”

Miss Carr greets Blair on the steps of the school, saying that she has completed detention. Blair approaches her group of girls and says that it’s time for a take-down. They all turn away, saying that they are going to sit this one out. Nobody is looking for trash duty. Blair lectures them, telling them that it is not about Yale, it’s about their legacy. “Who’s with me?” she asks. But nobody is in. They apologize and say that it’s her vendetta.

Head Mistress Quiller announces that there is a new school policy. No cell phones during school! Once everyone realizes Miss Carr is behind the rule, everyone is on Blair’s plan.

So what is the plan? Everyone hides out in the bathroom where Dorota finds them. She hands off a Louis Vuitton purse, containing cell phones. The goal is to dig up dirt on the teacher.

Nate and Vanessa meet with Chuck. He reveals that the day prior he received an envelope and business card with an address, a date, and a time on it. When he arrived, he found the “ultimate gentleman’s club” with the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. He unlocks the door and they walk into the empty foyer. They’re on the search for more information on his mysterious evening.

After failing to dig up anything bad, Blair says they must abandon the truth and make something up. She notices Dan and Miss Carr chatting it up, with Dan stumbling over his words. Makes for good Gossip Girl fodder!

Little Jenny (Taylor Momsen) confronts Dan, who is of course clueless as to the gossip that spreads around him. Serena arrives on the scene and Dan tells her there is absolutely nothing going on.

Inside the home Chuck continues to walk around and describe the room in detail. He picks up a picture and says that “this is her”. It’s a woman holding a baby. And the house is for sale.

Dan corners Blair in the ladies room and says he knows she sent the rumor to Gossip Girl. He tells her that Rachel cares about people and about her job. Meanwhile Serena approaches Rachel to give her the paper. She says that she handed it in late because of Dan. Rachel tells Serena that Dan’s confidence comes from a lifetime of encouragement, and she doubts Serena had the same.

Chuck speaks to the Realtor selling the home and learns that the woman in the photo is the nanny. He coerces into leaving personal details and calls to speak to the nanny. He learns that Elle is in the park with the children. And he also finds out that she wasn’t in the city, she was at home watching the children.

Head Mistress Queller and MIss Carr bring in Blair to have a chat about Gossip Girl. “Now that a teacher has become involved, I have to deal with it,” she says. Blair denies any involvement but Miss Carr says that she knows Blair started the rumor about she and Dan. In comes Nelly, who says that it was her record or Blair’s. “We tried to tell you that something like this would happen, but you just wouldn’t listen.” Head Mistress says she has no choice but to ask Blair to leave the school.

Blair wallows in self pity. Daddy Waldorf says that if she did indeed start the rumor, Miss Carr may have a case for slander. “I didn’t lie, I promise Daddy,” she says. He stands up, saying he will contact his laywers – that won’t be punished for telling the truth.

Vanessa gets an invitation and a sexy mask. Seems like she’s got an invite to the “ultimate women’s club”!!

Serena approaches Miss Carr and says that Blair shouldn’t have been expelled. “Gossip Girl is just a stupid website,” she says. Rachel apologizes that this has all happened, but says she has to go and hopes they can still be friends. Serena realizes that Rachel left her planner behind and picks it up.

Inside the house, Chuck’s mystery girl arrives. Outside the house, Dan and Rachel are having a cozy dinner. She starts to cry, saying that she would never have an affair with a student. “You can call me in five years,” she tells him. Serena walks up to the window, having seen the restaurant written in Rachel’s book. She arrives just in time to see Dan reach over to tuck a piece of hair behind Rachel’s ear. Serena pauses, and then whips out her camera phone to take a picture. Rachel tells Dan that this isn’t appropriate and leaves.

Mystery woman, who is in fact Elle, tells Chuck that the invitation wasn’t meant for him. He kisses her but she says that the invitation was meant for his father. Elle took over another girl’s “client list” and sent the invitation without realizing. She admits to drugging Chuck get him out of the house and she then left him at the hotel to keep him safe. She tells him to leave and that she could get in trouble for having brought the wrong man into the event. Chuck promises to protect her. “How? Your own father was one of them, and you didn’t even know it. Don’t contact me again.”

Serena heads over to Blair and says that she was right about Dan and Rachel. Serena admits she has proof but thinks she should talk to Dan first. Blair sees the picture and says it’s awful, but they have to get to the parent meeting. Blair disrupts the meeting and tells the Head Mistress to check her email. Up pops the picture on the overhead projector.

Serena asks Dan to meet her at the school. She says that she saw them in the coffee shop. He admits that Rachel was upset and he tried to comfort her. Serena asks if he kissed her and then says she took the photo and left. Out come all the parents. “They fired me,” Rachel says. Blair exits and says that she is back in. Dan says that she lied and Daddy Waldorf overhears. He’s none too pleased.

Outside Dan and Serena realize that their relationship is over. It’s one last hug before he heads home.

Serena apologizes to Rachel for taking the picture. Rachel hands her the essay and says it was wonderful, but she should go.

In his father’s safe, Chuck finds several envelopes, dating back to 2000. “Father, what were you involved in?” he says to himself. Then the phone rings. It’s the father of the children that Elle watches. She was supposed to arrive home the night before, but never got off the train at Greenwich. They wonder if Chuck has heard from her?

Dan knocks on Rachel’s door. She asks what he is doing but he apologizes. “That hug was totally stupid and wildly inappropriate and I don’t know what came over me.” Rachel kisses him and says she doesn’t teach at Constance anymore. But she does. Head Mistress says that she will get to stay at the school because they want to avoid a scandal!