I dair you to move...: two great works... →

alluringcliche:

@GGWriters:

• There are actually 2 great works that inspired the top half of S5
• Both made into movies the same year, actually! Just realized that. Crazy.-Oscar nominees, both
• We deviate from the books wildly, of course — but they serve as a good starter for conversation, and character.

(…)

So assuming they are originally books and books that are consider great I think the two lead contenders are

• Romeo and Juliet and Tale of Two Cities (both nominated 1935)
• Wuthering Heights and Gone With the Wind (both nominated 1939)

and I’m in a speccing mood so here goes:

Romeo & Juliet

• Most naturally I think we can put Chuck as Romeo and Blair as Juliet. Even Ed compared their relationship to R&J at one point in an interview.
• Perhaps instead of death…their love leads to the destruction of both characters which I would argue has already happened at the end of S4.
• Paris would be Louis, in either case. She’s engaged to him, but he’s not her real love.
• Another way to interpret it would be DB as Romeo/Juliet which is supported by the fact that both Dan and Blair do seem to be losing a lot in this first half of the season.
• Dan/Serena would be Romeo/Rosaline. And the feud between the houses makes sense, because Blair isn’t supposed to be with someone from that social class.
• In this case, Chuck would be Tybalt the angry youth who challenges Romeo to a duel or “You’re not supposed to love him he’s humdrum Humphrey”. Just like Dan doesn’t fight with Chuck and isn’t baited by his words, Romeo refuses to fight with Tybalt.

A Tale Of Two Cities

• This one is pretty depressing. Carton switches places with Darney when Darney is meant to be executed. This is because he loves Lucie, but knows she only loves Darney.
• This would point to either Chuck or Dan sacrificing their own relationship with Blair, so that she is happy with the other one. It would be something Gossip Girl has done and would do again.
• Dan has already sacrificed himself a lot in the relationship and Blair hasn’t yet admitted having no feelings for her. They also need to redeem Chuck. So I think it is actually more likely that Chuck will be the one to sacrifice his own relationship with Blair so that Blair can be happy with Dan. It could go either way though.
• Additionally, though Carton seems to parallel Chuck because basically they both have a lot of issues. He drinks, lies, etc.
• Darney has a lot of sympathy for the “masses”, like Dan.
• Lucie and Darney have a daughter…again there is a baby here.

Wuthering Heights

• A major parallel here is I think Cathy/Heathcliffe. They love each other but they basically destroy each other just like Chuck/Blair.
• Cathy marries Edgar (Louis) for his position of power.
• Cathy dies in childbirth which relates to Blair’s pregnancy and the baby storyline.
• In the end things do turn out well, forecasting ultimate happiness for our characters? 

Gone With the Wind

• Scarlett has A LOT of elements of Blair specifically her selfishness and self-absorption at times.
• Rhett has elements of both Chuck and Dan, I think. Their banter, and the fact that Rhett helps Scarlett become less selfish more open-minded is very Dair. Rhett’s violent streak and depression is very Chair.
• Their relationship doesn’t end happily however, success is still an option. Do with this what you will.
• Bonnie, Rhett and Scarlett’s daughter, dies, driving Rhett to depression. Again this relates to Blair’s pregnancy storyline. Maybe it forecasts Louis leaving her after her baby dies? Or, if the baby is Chucks, him going into a further depression post-miscarriage?
• The Melanie/Scarlett relationship has some parallel to Blair/Serena with Scarlett/Blair being jealous of Melanie/Serena’s easygoing appeal and lack of need to put in so much effort to do “good” things, however they are defined.
• Dan also seems to parallel Will Benteen. Will is there for Careen after the death of her love Brent (Louis?) even though Careen eventually goes into a convent.
• Scarlett marries a man she doesn’t love in Ashley. This parallels to Louis.
• Frank could also be paralleled to Louis. He is Scarlett’s second husband and basically doesn’t understand her “ruthlessness” or dark side.

So yeah those are my thoughts, pretty long and pointless but I had to get that out there. Reblog with any further thoughts you have? Or other theories for the two works?

I have nothing to add, unfortunately - just reblogging because this deserves to be spread around!

Lies e Silence|| Every first scene of the season Chuck and Blair have, Blair tells lies.

[With Chuck watching her from afar]
Katy: “Didn’t you know she was coming?”
Blair: “Of course I did. I just wanted it to be a suprise.” (1.01)

Chuck: Do you, ah, really feel the same way about him as you did Nate?
Blair: I do.
Chuck: I’ll see you at school. (2.01)

Chuck: Or we could just stay in. Whatever you want.
Blair: No, it’s fine. I’ll go. We’ll go. (3.01)

Blair: I don’t love you anymore.
Chuck: Your world would be easier if I didn’t come back. (4.02)

Blair: There was a part of me that really wanted it to be yours. (5.03)

(via bcwaldorf)

savechuckandblair:

▲ WHO ARE YOU? ▲

Blair: Look at me. Who are you?

Chuck: Wrong. Bart may have been a bastard, but he saw me better than anyone. I’m simply living up to my potential. It’s time to let go of your fantasies.
Blair: Chuck. Stop. All this doesn’t help. It isn’t you. (2.14)

Chuck: What are you doing? Trying to destroy the old you? Burn every bridge? It won’t help. Believe me I’ve tried.
Blair: Well maybe I should head up to the roof, make it a little more dramatic.
Chuck: This isn’t you. (2.19)

(Source: iheartchair)

signaturescarf:

Some might call it a pattern.

Despite the mediocrity of the episode, what made me enjoy it were all the parallels/callbacks/inside jokes with some of the better past arcs when they ran the FIRST time. Of course, the lines uttered in the episode are more fun ‘cause they’re referencing something in the past.

(via chairfan)

▲The men who expected Blair Waldorf to change▲

2.21, Seder Anything

Nate is an angry with Blair for even thinking about manipulating him for her personal gain because he thought she changed. Chuck tells him that he needs to accept her the way she is like he does and believe in her.

5.02, The Beauty and the Feast

Dan is angry with Blair for sleeping with Chuck and apparently keeping it a secret for her own gain. He also voices his disappointment at her being the same person she was a year ago.

Both Nate and Dan wanted Blair to change. Nate got back together with her because he thought she’s different, Dan started to be her friend also because he was certain she’s a better person. Neither of them accepted her cruel, selfish and manipulative side. It seems that they also hope that their presence in her life will somehow trigger Blair’s change. The question remains, will either of them ever manage to do that? And should anyone try it?

(On the other hand, when in 3.06 Blair lied to Chuck, also for her own gain, he was angry at her because he knew how little respect she had for people she manipulated. He did not expect her to not be like that at all - just not to him.)

krism23:

Parallel 1 - Denying how they are affected by the other. 

4x01

Serena: So what does it say about Chuck?

Blair: I couldn’t be less interested…

5x01

Nate: What you knew?

Chuck: Nate, I know you think I must be dying inside because Blair is marrying another man, but we let each other go…

Parallel 2 - Denying the truth to live as a prince or princess. Blair denying her pregnancy and Chuck denying who he is and his past.

4x01

Eva: Who are you? What’s your name?

Chuck: Henry…Henry Prince.

5x01

Seamstress: Do they know?

Blair: Know what?

Seamstress: How far along you are? I’d say six weeks? They sent me your measurments

Blair: Well you obviously can’t read or they were wrong when you got them because I’m not pregnant.

Parallel 3 - Contrasting between Blair and Chuck. Blair hurt all over from the pain of losing Chuck and Chuck cannot feel anything, even the massive bruise from the pain of losing Blair. He’s numb.

4x01

Blair: They say its a broken heart but, I hurt in my whole body

5x01

Chuck’s whole body is physically hurt, and he doesn’t feel it

*

These are actually just a few of the parallels you could point out. When you get to Louis and Eva there’s more. Louis saying he’s Blair’s rock, Eva calling her place “safe” for Chuck. It’s not that these people aren’t good people or good options. It’s just that Chuck and Blair will always be connected and they are only complete and fully themselves with each other.

(via devilredeemed)

▲Chuck Bass and Scarlett O’Hara▲

Although I always found the dynamic between Rhett and Scarlett on the one hand and Chuck and Blair on the other to be similar, I also have to agree with those who claim that Chuck is as different from Rhett as possible and Blair, despite all her flaws, appears to be a far better person than Scarlett.

It’s true. Chuck Bass is no Rhett Butler.

That’s because he’s a complete Scarlett O’Hara.

They are both twisted and heartless children, often playing with other peoples’ feelings. Their personalities could be described as toxic, since they destroy everything around them. At the same time they’re trying to reach the impossibly high standards of their beloved and feared parents. But no matter how hard they try, Chuck is not that mature young man Bart wants him to be and Scarlett isn’t a real lady like Ellen expects. They constantly fail and the truth is that it’s actually their own fault.

They go through many hardships to maintain the only thing they seem to value in life - their parents’ legacy. Chuck traded his girlfriend for The Empire and I doubt there’s anyone who will argue that Scarlett was ready to sell her soul to keep Tara. Trying to reach their impossible dreams, they forget what’s really important and lose their loved ones. When they realize that, it’s already too late.

Also, somehow twins always find them.

Jack Bass: Welcome home, Chuck. You’re not mad at me are you? I mean you didn’t actually believe Blair could sleep with me and you two would be okay? Or are you mad because I told her?
Chuck Bass: You may have told her, but Blair and I will get past this.
Jack Bass: Is that what you think? Don’t you get it, Chuck? Blair’s seen the real you now. It’s over. She could never love that. No one could. I hope the Empire is everything you wanted. Because now it’s all you’ve got.
(Inglorious Bassterds, 3.17)

Blair Waldorf: This isn’t copycat dressing at Constance. Or dropping dairy on your best friend to prove a point. Nate and Serena, that’s mythic. You don’t mess with that and survive. You’re hurting people I love. You’re hurting people you love.
Jenny Humphrey: I wasn’t trying to, I—
Blair Waldorf: Nate loves Serena, Dan loves Vanessa—god knows why—and Chuck loves me. But you Jenny? No one loves you. Except your daddy. And, after what you pulled yesterday, who knows if that’s even true anymore.
(Last Tango, Then Paris, 3.22)

The more I think of it, the more similarities between Chuck and Jenny I see.

Jenny Humphrey: I’m trying to forget some things, too. Mostly how happy I thought I’d be once I made it in this world.
Chuck Bass: The world you’re looking for only exists from the outside. The only reason I survive in it is because I always knew it was empty.
Jenny Humphrey: Yeah. And now I know, too. I found out the hard way.
Chuck Bass: The hard way is the only way.
(Last Tango, Then Paris, 3.22)

Chuck Bass: The only thing that’s ever been real is me and you.
(The Princess and the Frog, 4.20)

Chuck and Jenny are actually quite similar characters, if you think of it. They are both very driven, ambitious and utterly self-destructive. They also need to prove themselves to other people - be it Bart Bass, Blair Waldorf, Upper East Side elite - and constantly find themselves unworthy of any affection.

Seasons three and four end with Chuck breaking down after he loses Blair. And each time, when he’s sure she’ll never love him again, he states that the world he lives in is empty and unreal. The only real thing for him is Blair and her love for him - she’s his anchor. Jenny didn’t find anyone to keep her sane and so she exploded and let the UES destroy her.

At this point the only way Chuck can be redeemed is for him to learn how to live without Blair and then, someday, get her back. Other way he’ll be lost, just like Jenny before him.

krism23:

Uncle/Nephew.Scar & Simba - Jack & Chuck.

The Uncle trying to reign through lies, deceit, and destruction.

Brilliant!