I thought "School Lies" was one of the best episodes of the season. Why? Well, for one, the show's just getting better and better. But also because this episode was both a lot of fun to watch and really emotional.

And because Chuck is back. I seriously missed his evil grin. Am I the only one who thinks he and Blair make a perfect couple? The ice queen and the devil. I love it.

In case you missed it, the episode was about a party-- and the consequences of that party. When Serena, Blair, and all their high-society buddies break into the school pool building to throw a drunken party, one kid gets hurt, and they all get caught. But who's the one who broke in? The new headmistress at the school is going to find out, come hell or high water.

Regardless of your age or gender, Gossip Girl has something that appeals to you—between the show's dramatic characters, the sometimes convoluted plot, the unique music and the gorgeous fashions, there's a little something for everyone.  But there's no arguing that GG has succeeded in building a die-hard fan base of young "tween" girls whose passion for TiVo-ing the show or downloading it on iTunes led to it being the first new fall series to be picked up for a full season.  These girls are a movement in and of themselves, and they've got a surprisingly strong grip on the economy.

Don't believe me?  Think of your 13-year-old cousin who just had to have an iPod for Christmas last year.  Mommy swooped in with her credit card and got it for her, didn't she?  Or what about the increasing number of young girls begging and pleading for Juicy Couture sweats and Coach purses?  Isn't it a little scary when you see how successful these girls are at wrangling every last cent out of their parents?  If you still don't agree, at least consider this Philadelphia Inquirer article, titled 'Where tweens go, big dollars follow."

BuddyTV has written a great article about Penn Badgley's success thus far on Gossip Girl, check it out below. 

Article: Penn Badgley has been acting for the past eight years, but it is only now with his role on The CW's Gossip Girl that he has gotten a taste of fame and celebrity.

Badgley, however, remains very modest about his newfound success. Although he knows he is the series' first break-out star, he is quick to commend his Gossip Girl costars.  "It's a great cast all around," he told the New York Post.  "In a lot of teen soap operas, you have a lot of pretty faces and maybe not a lot of talent, but I really do feel that there isn't a weak link in the Gossip Girl cast."

Still, he does feel like the acting veteran among the cast, having starred in several short-lived and quickly forgotten series like Do Over, The Mountain and The Bedford Diaries, all three of which aired on the WB, the predecessor of the CW.

Eonline corners Penn Badgley for a little Q & A about his character on Gossip Girl and how it relates to the late great Seth Cohen.  Check out the interview below and click the read more link for the rest.

Gossip Girl is the first freshman series to get a full-season pickup. That must feel pretty good.
Yeah, it’s cool. We were on set when we heard the news. [Executive producers] Josh Schwartz and Stephanie [Savage] had us all gather around the speakerphone, and they told us, so that was exciting.