To me, a lot of characters regressed in this ep. I’m not shunning last night’s 43 minutes of soapy rich-kid-ness, just making an observation. When we first met Serena, she was a former party-girl elitist who was trying to make a fresh, less-shallow start. Yet, last night, S was all about being the “cool kid” once again, no matter the cost of Jenny’s feelings. She plans a Sweet Sixteen bash for Little J, and then is obviously hurt when celebutante Poppy smirks at her social calendar. Haven’t you grown beyond that, Serena?

Jenny, after dabbling in the high-class fashion biz for a few eps, wants a low-key, family-only party (complete with Rufus’ famous homemade chili), and Serena concedes. Until the lame-o cliquesters announce that they had their own party planned all along. So, unbeknownst to birthday girl Jenny, Serena decides to reinstate the bash she’d originally planned. How second-season Blair of you, Serena.

Meanwhile, Vanessa and Nate are on the rocks while Blair tries to rekindle an old flame. Vanessa and Nate have a rather yawn-worthy breakup sesh, and Blair seems set on getting Nate… or is she really just set on getting someone a bit safer than Chuck? This leads to Vanessa allowing her own integrity to plummet, when she snogs the ever-ready Chuck to make both Nate and Blair jealous at Jenny’s big bash. I loved when Nate called V out on succumbing to Blair’s old games.

Blair herself has a childish scene in which she throws Nate on the bed and insists that he’s not leaving until they figure out if they are just friends or not. I mean, yes, throwing Chace Crawford on a bed is every girl’s dream, but who comes up with lines like that? Blair is the creme de la creme, yet she’s suddenly chasing her ex like an attention-starved puppy. WTF, B? You’re better than that!

Now, as any GG fan knows, every episode revolves around some sort of shindig. Last night, Jenny’s 16th was the big soiree. And last night was also the first night that the party actually looked like a high school bash. And by high school bash, I mean cheap keg party, which sends Poppy packing (apparently socialistas frown upon table dancing and unprotected sex in neighboring bedrooms?) Feeling bad for Serena’s awful life, she later invites S to Spain for the week. Because that’s always my solution to drunk girls table dancing at my friend’s house.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Did anyone else feel bad for Jenny when both the Van der Woodsen AND Humphrey clans ganged up on Jenny on her own bday? Even Eric! Yeesh.

So basically, Serena acted like an attention whore, Jenny rebelled by inviting the entire freshman class, and Blair pursued Nate like an insecure tween. With several random plot lines scattered in between (apparently the supposedly dead illegitimate son of Lily and Rufus is trying to reach out to Dan. What?!).

Because I am a tried and true Chuck Bass fan, I have to say I like where the Vanessa-Chuck subplot is going. They clearly had some chemistry at the beginning of the season, and now they are putting up fronts to find excuses to shack up. Now THIS is the juice I love in my GG eps! For real- when Vanessa was trying to sneak out and told Chuck that “last night didnt’ happen,” Chuck replied with,”Then neither did this,” and gave her a passionate, morning-breath smooch. They are so falling in love.

Honestly, I thought they could have ended the ep right there, but instead they had to depict the Nate-Blair rekindling, which obviously isn’t going to work out. I think they should just rename the series, “Chuck Bass Weekly” and go from there.

Anyone else feel my sentiments? Or blatantly disagree?

Don’t lie to me. We all do it.

We curl up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn, a Diet Coke and soak up every minute of teenage nostalgia, especially the angst-y, heartbreak-y, hormone-driven parts that come with the High School Movie. We may be out of high school, but that doesn’t mean we’re over it. Our very fascination with those 4 years and the events that might have changed our lives is secretly compelling to us. So we watch. And we love it.

And that’s OK. There is nothing wrong with enjoying a little high school drama (and an occasional choreographed dance) again. There is so much to be learned from those flicks and so much happiness to be gleaned from the fact that we are no longer living them.

Just to let you know that indulging in high school drama is a healthy and well-adjusted way to waste your free time, I created a list of the best/awesomely funny/most ridiculous high school movies you will ever see.

1. Get Over It

Because breaking up is never funny (all the time) but getting over it is. High School Basketball star Burke Landers (Ben Foster) gets chucked by his girlfriend, who then takes up with the cocky, arrogant, “Mary Poppins sounding” Striker (Shane West). Burke ends up stalking them into the school play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, landing a lead role (after a series of unfortunate events) and develops a closer relationship with his best friends’ sister (Kirsten Dunst). If the way Burke attempts to get over the girl doesn’t get you, his “hip and understanding” parents will make you cringe and the boy band-esque song Ben Foster and Shane West perform will make you wet your pants… or vomit in your mouth.

Oh, I almost forgot: Sisqo of “Thong Song” fame has a supporting role.

2. Drive Me Crazy

They’re next door neighbors, former BFFs before high school. She’s preppy (Melissa Joan Hart). He’s alternative (Adrien Grenier). She wants to get a date for prom. He wants his girlfriend back. Quid Pro Quo. They fall for each other under watch of the scheming socialistas of high school. Nothing says true love like scheming for a prom date. Pre-Entourage Adrien Grenier is still oh so pretty. Yes, pretty.

Btw, they use similar SAT words that the supposed 15 year olds of Dawson’s Creek encouraged. Love it.

3. Some Kind of Wonderful

Classic. Mary Stuart Masterson is Watts. Her BFF is Keith (played by Eric Stoltz) is in love with the popular girl (what else is new). Watts, out of the kindness of her heart, helps him and realizes she’s falling for him. Why watch? Because Mary Stuart Masterson is amazing. She’s the tomboy you want to be.

John Hughes, writer/director/producer of Brat Pack film fame, gives this movie Pretty in Pink ‘s original ending. Is that a teardrop I see?

4. Dead Poets’ Society

You know how comedic actors try serious roles and are super successful and under rated? (Will Ferrell in Stranger Than Fiction, Jim Carrey in The Majestic and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) This is Robin Williams’ moment. John Keating is the teacher above all teachers. Walt Whitman never made me cry harder than when Ethan Hawke saluted his teacher with O Captain, my Captain. Aw man, here I am getting misty eyed again.

This movie captures the awakening of adulthood within teenagers. It explores sex, suicide, love, and passion. It encourages Thoreau’s view that “the universe is wider than our views of it.”

This movie gets you.

5. Footloose

Ren (Kevin Bacon) moves to a town that banned public dancing and music. Think about how that would affect your life. Especially with a soundtrack this danceable!! You’ll sing along to “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” when he teaches his best friend Willard to dance. There’s also a lesson to learn about teenage relationships and abuse. (Dear Rihanna, I thought of you and CB.)

6. The Virgin Suicides

Kirsten Dunst has a knack for choosing fantastic roles. In this movie she is Lux Lisbon, the oldest in a family of five girls. The sisters suffer under their overprotective parents after the youngest sister commits suicide. The Lisbon girls are placed under house arrest and home schooled by their parents after Lux returns home the morning after a dance, their records are taken away and it seems like there’s nothing to live for. The story is told by the boys who lived next door and were fascinated by the girls. It’s a beautiful story. A bit bland but still heart wrenching. I guess the ending won’t be much of a surprise.

7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

If you don’t know, get familiar. Enough said.

8. Angus

Tagline: For everyone on the outside looking in…your moment has arrived! I saw this movie when I was 14 and I have always remembered it. Before James Van Der Beek found the Creek, he was a bully with a seriously tweaked sense of humor who tormented Angus. Angus is ostracized and humiliated by his peers because of his obesity. In addition, the girl of his dreams is the girlfriend of the bully of his nightmares. Armed with no confidence and fading hope, Angus tries to be invisible until he can leave the school.

9. Heathers

The Original Mean Girls!! They’ve got sex appeal and intimidation down. The Heathers could eat Regina George alive! Though Veronica is the one that should be feared. She killed them all. There are two lessons to learn from this movie:

1. Mean people suck!
2. Popularity leads to murder?

Still working on that last one.

10. Election

You are not an overachiever if you’re not Tracy Flick. She slept with, then blackmailed her teacher to win an election. I bet you’ve only made straight A’s. BO-RING!

There you have it. The best of the best high school movies.
Order from Netflix, visit Blockbuster, or buy online. Just watch em!

Okay, every other time I’ve written about screaming at the TV during Gossip Girl is officially taken back. Because tonight was the night for throwing sh*t in the living room during obsessive fits of GG excitement.Warning to fans who missed the episode (and if you did, I hope you had a good excuse – like finding Chace Crawford naked in your dorm after class or something): there will be spoilers in about two seconds. Major. Spoilers.

Before I get to the real juice, can I just ask if anyone else noticed the “dress” Serena wore to Eleanor and Cyrus’ wedding? Girlfriend needed some pants. Or at least the rest of her skirt.

Yes, tonight was a night of new beginnings in the wake of the death of Bart Bass. The funeral prompted Cyrus to ask Eleanor to get hitched ASAP. It prompted Lily and Rufus to plan to admit their love, and for Serena to encourage Lily to run off with Rufus. And it prompted Serena to run off to Buenos Aires with Aaron. And Aaron to tell S. that he’s falling in love with her, which might have been more romantic if it didn’t immediately follow his suggestion that their first time together be in the airplane bathroom.

But seriously, all that is trivial. Tonight was Leighton Meester’s chance to shine, as ALL the good parts centered around Blair.

Obviously, Chuck is a mess after losing his dad. He and Dan have a showdown at the funeral, where a wasted (would we expect anything less?) Chuck tells Dan that Bart’s death was Dan’s fault. It was actually refreshing to see Ed Westwick have a chance to expand his acting range beyond that cold, throaty whisper he always uses. Anyway, Blair is trying to be there for Chuck, and chasing him, and chasing him… and THEN.

Chuck: You are not my girlfriend.

Blair: But I am me. And you are you. Blair and Chuck. Chuck and Blair.

Blair: I will stand by you through anything.

Chuck: Why would you do that?

Blair: Because… I love you.

Chuck: Well, that’s too bad.

Okay, readers and GG fans. Take a minute to scream, throw pillows, jump on furniture. This recap will continue when you’re ready.

Tonight’s ep made waiting for “the words” to come out totally worth it. And Chuck’s douchey response was more than perfect. Wait, why would “Well, that’s too bad” be perfect? Because it sets up the NEXT best scene of the whole CW season. Towards the end of the ep, Blair walks into her bedroom to find Chuck sitting on her bed.

“What are you doing here?” she demands. And he turns to look at her, and looks like total sh*t. And then she holds him. The bitchy Queen B. and the heartless Chuck Bass with tears streaming down his face. Now that, my friends, is teen drama at its finest.

Of course, GG can’t end there. Lily’s mom pays a visit to Rufus, to convince him not to go off with Lily. Though the Blair-Chuck scenario takes the cake by far, the question of what Lily was really doing in that hospital keeps popping up. It seems that Mrs. Van der Woodsen lets the cat out of the bag, in order to convince Rufus to stay away. When Rufus goes to meet Lily, he only has one question. “Was it a boy or a girl?”

I guess since I usually put the old-people plotlines on the backburner, I took it for granted that Lily had probably tried to pull an Eric and kill herself. Was it for an abortion after all? Nice curveball, writers, and just enough of a shocker to get our minds off of Chuck and Blair for a second…

That is, until the ep cuts to Blair, waking up in her bed to a note from Chuck that reads, “I’m sorry for everything. You deserve better. Don’t find me.”

And now we’re expected to wait until January 5, 2009.

Thank you, GG writers. You’ve officially made it impossible for any of us to sit down, crack the books, and get ready for finals.

For years us British viewers have been bombarded with US shows that supposedly depict the lives of teenagers and British telly had never been able to compete…until now.

Skins exploded onto British television and into the consciousness of young viewers in late 2006 and early 2007. The raw energy, humour, wit, and intelligence of the show was unbelievable and never seen before. Skins deals with issues such as drugs, sexuality, race and the difficulties of growing up. It’s British youth culture to the max.

The fast-paced energy of Skins mimics the flow of hormones that surge in the blood of real teenagers. The issues and storylines are entertaining yet easy to relate to or emphasize with. The characters are far from the typical one-dimensional entity, with the writers really getting into the minds of the individual they have created, rather than simply having them ‘exist’. The episodes focus on one character, specifically on the issues they are battling with along with how they manage themselves in the real world.

Head writer Bryan Elsley sought to create an authentic teen drama, and went about achieving it by having youngsters help him in the creative process.

“We wanted to show that teenagers have interesting, complex lives,” says Elsley. “Most teenagers are intensely moral people, but they are given absolutely no credit for this because their parents are all so busy behaving disgracefully. I wanted to portray these kids as the true inheritors of happiness.”

You could describe it as the British version of The OC, One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl and other shows that have found their way over to our side of the pond, but rather then sensationalizing teenage life, Skins attempts to tell the truth. The actors are actual teenagers, so reality need not be suspended for some 25-year-old attempting to recapture their teenage angst.

Many of the actors on Skins were unknowns or had never acted before, with exception of Nicholas Hoult. Hoult played the cute 11-year-old sidekick to Hugh Grant in the film ‘About a Boy‘. These days, he’s a young man with tremendous acting abilities and capacity which is being further revealed in the series.

Skins is so huge that people have even started hosting themed parties called Skins ‘Secret’ parties, usually held in the major cities with live and up coming bands taking the stage to entertain the misunderstood youths of our society.

The show has it’s own channel on Myspace TV, Dailymotion and the show can be seen on E4 and 4od or alternatively you can catch up on episodes on watchskinsonline.com

What are you waiting for? Check out what us Brits have to offer!