All the Pretty Sources

"All the Pretty Sources" is the eighth episode of season 5 on the show, Gossip Girl. The episode was directed by Cherie Nowlan and written by Austin Winsberg. It was aired on November 21, 2011 on the CW.^[1]

Character Summary

In this episode, Serena throws Blair a bridal shower that turns in to a disaster. Here is a description of what happened with each character:

Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively): Serena throws Blair a bridal shower. She keeps the theme a secret until Blair shows and finds that the party is a Tiffany-themed party; just what Blair would want. Serena also has the list of who has tipped something off to Gossip Girl sent by Nate, but refuses to sell out her friends. She begins seeing Max at the end of the episode.^[2][3][4]

Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford): Nate struggles with his relationship with Diana through the whole episode. He wants to help her save her job at the Spectator but when the way to save her was selling out all of his friends who tipped off to Gossip Girl, he decided not to tell her that he had the list in the first place. After telling Serena this, Diana enters his office after overhearing his decision. He convinces Diana not to publish the page. At the end of the episode, Nate is named editor-in-chief of the Spectator after his grandfather, William van der Bilt, fires Diana and reveals to Nate that he is a sole investor in the newspaper.

Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester): Blair has major anxiety about her shower but turns out to love it when she arrives. Her and Louis are seen fighting throughout the episode. Eventually, after Blair finds that Louis published the list of tips and that Louis's sister sent a tip to Gossip Girl about her paternity test, she asks Louis to leave her alone so she can figure out if she still wants to marry him. Also, she realizes that the only reason Chuck kissed her at the party in the previous episode, "The Big Sleep No More," was to push Blair towards Louis.

Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick): Chuck has realized that he is now an outsider in the Upper East Side as Blair's wedding date inches closer and closer. He spends time with his dog, Monkey, and even hangs out with Dan, who also an outsider. He struggles with his eternal feelings for Blair and tries to stay away from her wedding shower.

Ivy Dickens (Kaylee DeFer): Ivy AKA Charlie is trying hard to conceal the truth from her family. The arrival of her ex-boyfriend Max makes this especially difficult. Truth almost comes out when Max shows up at the van der Woodsen's penthouse but Charlie lies her way out again. Max knows that she is lying to everyone and accepts Charlie's offer to pay him off in exchange for his departure. At the end of the episode, Max calls Charlie and tells her he is staying in town longer to pursue Serena and that he wants more money from her.

Daniel Humphrey (Penn Badgely): Dan is feeling the effects of a failed book and tries to blame it on Serena. He tries to distract himself from the fact that he wasn't invited to Blair's party by seeking help from Chuck. Dan listens to Chuck's advice about being a man of action and crashes Blair's party. Chuck takes an inebriated Dan to his penthouse after the party.

Detailed Plot

The episode starts with a recap of the previous episode, "The Big Sleep No More"

Serena is shown filling gift bags for Blair's baby/bridal shower with Gossip Girl speaking in a voice-over. She says that two people were left off of the party's guest list and the camera switches to Chuck walking his dog. Serena and Blair's doppelgangers harass Chuck by questioning his latest personal decisions.

Dan is reading a Gossip Girl post about how his book, "Inside" is failing. Charlie enters and gives Lily, Rufus, and Dan the cold shoulder. Dan mentions he isn't invited to the party.

Louis enters Blair's room with gifts and asking for her forgiveness. He promises to be the best man he could be. Louis asks Blair if his friends have her best interest at heart.

Nate is at the Spectator speaking with his grandfather, William Vanderbilt. Diana enters and acts as if she doesn't know William when she actually does.

Charlie answers a call from Carol Rhodes. Carol threatens that whatever happens to her will happen to Charlie.

Louis and Blair are fighting about how Blair's friends aren't loyal when a Gossip Girl blast about Blair's paternity tests. Blair says that maybe it's Louis's sister that is out to hurt them.

William Vanderbilt tells Diana Payne to let Nate run the Spectator. He says she has three days to give the newspaper to him or she is fired by William, a key investor.

Dan goes to Chuck's penthouse to ask for help with distracting himself from his book's failure. Chuck doesn't seem interested until he sees a picture of Blair and Louis in the newspaper and agrees to spend time with Dan.

Charlie's boyfriend, Max, arrives at the Van der Woodsen's penthouse asking about a girl named Ivy. He says that some people call her Charlie but he knows her as Ivy Dickens. Charlie enters and Lily asks for an explanation. Charlie seems like she's going to come clean, but continues lying. She says that Carol Rhodes made her change her name so that she wouldn't be burdened with the Rhodes name and so that people like Max would like her for her. Lily instantly believes Charlie and blames Carol saying it's "classic Carol" and then exits. Charlie then tells Max that when she said she was visiting family she really was and he seems as if he believes her.

Diana Payne is shown at the Spectator with Nate. She tells him that they need a big story or she is going to get fired, conveniently, in three days. Nate suggests to go after Gossip Girl and Diana tells him to find something. He exits and calls Eric van der Woodsen.

Dan and Chuck are watching a movie with drinks and marijuana. They express how they are trying to ignore Blair and why they weren't invited. Dan says that Serena is the reason that his book has failed and he is now an outsider again. Chuck says that Dan needs to not label himself an outsider and be a man of action.

Blair is desperate for details about her party. Her "minions" tell her that Serena is planning a very casual party. Blair panics and runs to go shopping.

Nate calls Serena and sends her a webpage of every person that has ever sent tips to Gossip Girl. Serena tells Nate he can't publish it and he needs to leave his feelings for Diana out and think of the ramifications of publishing the website.

Charlie continues to lie to Max about her double life. He asks if she would like to get back together but she says that she needs some time to figure out her real life without having to lie to him. She offers to pay for Max to open his own restaurant.

Lily shows Max a family portrait and asks if he knows Carol, Charlie's mom. He instantly realizes that Charlie is lying again and says he'll see Lily more often.

Diana tries to convince Nate to post the Gossip Girl tips list. She looks up Nate's name on the list and discovers he has never sent anything in to Gossip Girl. She says she won't publish the site and she'll find another way to save her job. Nate exits and Diana places a call to an unknown person.

Blair calls Lily and asks for details about the party but Lily continues to lie to her. Lily then talks to Charlie about Max and how Carol made Charlie lie about her name.

Max is shown looking up an old program from a play and then leaves purposefully.

Blair discovers Louis looking at the Gossip Girl tips list. She tells him that her friends may not have her best interest at heart because they're throwing an awful party for her. Blair leaves for the shower and Louis publishes the website from Serena's computer.

Louis and Blair arrive at her shower and find that the party is perfectly planned in Blair's taste. Penelope notices that the list has been published and shows Serena.

Dan crashes Blair's party, obeying Chuck's advice to be a man of action. Chuck arrives to talk to Dan.

News about the Gossip Girl list is becoming known as people at Blair's party begin saying harsh words to each other.

Diana goes to see William and tells him that she cares more about Nate and the newspaper than William ever will. Nate walks in to see the two talking.

The party becomes more and more chaotic. Serena tries to save the party.

Max arrives at the party to talk to Charlie about her lying.

Chuck tries to control Dan but Dan goes to confront Blair about the reason he wasn't invited.

Blair yells at Serena about how no one in the Upper East Side are really friends and that they're out on their own. Serena tells Blair that Louis could be the one that published the list.

Diana tells Nate that she called his grandfather to ask how to save her job. Nate accuses Diana of publishing the tips list. William tells Diana that she is fired.

Max and Charlie are fighting about how she's lying. She says that she will give him money to leave and keep her family alone. He accepts and leaves.

Chuck finds Dan sitting on a case of stairs. Dan says he was listening to Chuck's advice but Chuck tells Dan that Dan is in love with Blair. Dan instantly denies it. Chuck tells Dan that he's in love with Blair because Dan knows that Blair follows her heart and doesn't care about social standing.

Blair asks Louis if he posted the page. He says he was trying to show her about her friends. Blair says that Louis's sister tipped Gossip Girl about her paternity test and tells Louis to leave. She says she needs time to think about the future of their relationship.

Blair and Serena are sitting in the aftermath of the party. Blair says that Louis is self-destructing and tells Serena not to tell people that Louis published the site. Serena tells Blair that Chuck stills loves her.

William van der Bilt gives the editor-in-chief position to Nate.

Max meets Serena at Blair's and apologizes for standing her up. She gives him one more shot with her.

Diana is on the phone with William. He says it's good that she's getting out now while people don't know her secret. She says the same to him.

Max calls Charlie and says he wants more money.

Blair goes to Chuck and asks him that he only kissed her to push her towards Louis.

References

External links

• The CW station website
• Gossip Girl official website
• Gossip Girl Season 5