How Did The ‘Gossip Girl’ Sequel Series End? Breaking Down The Final Episode

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Image Credit: HBO Max

Gossip Girl’s going dark once again. After just two seasons, the Gossip Girl reboot bid farewell on January 26. The HBO Max sequel series was surprisingly canceled ahead of the season 2 finale. The last episode was full of twists and a post-credits scene that no one expected.

The crew decides to expose Gossip Girl once and for all — at the Met Gala of all places. Julien and the rest of the gang hatch a plan to draw Gossip Girl out, by claiming credit for her work right on the Met Gala steps. Zoya is the one who steps up to claim Gossip Girl’s identity, and the plan is something Blair Waldorf may have thought of back in the day.

The cast of ‘Gossip Girl’ in the series finale. (HBO Max)

“It has to be me. It makes the most sense,” Zoya says. “She started when I arrived. Dan was an outsider.”

Audrey has Kiki create a gown for the big reveal. Max convinces Gideon to invite Zola as his plus-one. Luna smuggles Zoya’s dress to change into at the Met Gala. They decide to come together and ensure Gossip Girl is watching by posting all of their most revealing secrets. Kate is watching it all play out like a hawk. Jordan urges Kate not to take the bait.

The very wicked Heidi can’t resist telling Audrey that Max slept with her before the reveal goes live on Gossip Girl. Max admits that sleeping with Heidi was the first time he “felt true regret.” Max is then heartbroken to learn that Aki and Audrey slept together without him.

As the grand plan is underway, Luna gets fed up with Julien once and for all. Obie exposes Heidi, while Monet takes matters into her own hands to make sure the plan goes down. Zoya walks out in a dress that has “I Am Gossip Girl” embroidered on the front. The crowd goes wild, and she’s quickly thrown out of the event by security.

Later, Julien thinks the plan didn’t work because the real Gossip Girl hasn’t revealed herself yet. Meanwhile, Max is devastated by Audrey and Aki’s secret. When Max mentions “all for all or none for none,” Audrey and Aki confess they don’t want to be done. Max feels like a total fool and walks away from them.

Jordan Alexander as Julien. (HBO Max)

Kate just can’t leave well enough alone. When she spots a story about a movie deal for Zoya’s life rights after the Gossip Girl reveal, that’s what sets her off. She shows up at the “meeting,” but it’s a trap. “I’m Gossip Girl and I can prove it. I refuse to allow anyone else to take credit,” Kate says. Julien and Zoya are beyond shocked.

Andy Cohen is there sitting beside Obie, along with Jonathan, who reveals that Eric is currently at the Spectator giving Nate an exclusive. Nick is also blindsided by Kate’s secret. “I wanted to make them better. I want them to be better,” Kate explains. She is then arrested for cyberstalking and other charges.

Two months later, the crew is all in Italy. Luna is now a full-fledged model. No one has heard from Max. He’s in Berlin getting into trouble. Zoya meets a new guy, who may become the “great love” she wants. Julien goes out on her own to meet her Aunt Naomi. She wants to find out more about her mother and her family.

There is a post-credits scene featuring Aki’s dad, Roger, and Jordan. Roger wants to expand Gossip Girl by making it an app. He offers Jordan a boatload of money to run it.

Gossip Girl Season 3 Plans

If Gossip Girl would have gotten a season 3, creator Josh Safran had exciting plans for the show. “We wanted to see what would happen if we ‘democratized’ Gossip Girl. We were really excited about that story,” he told TVLine. He also noted that Kate would have been back but in a lesser capacity.

Thomas Doherty as Max Wolfe. (HBO Max)

Luna would have been back as well, and her storyline would have been amped up in a major way. Josh pointed out that Luna’s rising stardom was going to drive Julien and Monet “incredibly mad with jealousy and envy, and they were going to team up to try and take Luna down.”

Audrey and Aki would have also regretted letting go of Max. “What you see is what was always going to happen, but season 3 would have explored Audrey and Aki realizing they jumped the gun,” he noted. “Max is trying to move on because he’s been so hurt, but they come to realize that they miss him.”

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