I met Thomas, Savannah, Eli, Whitney, and, well, I knew Jordan actually. Do you remember the first time you all met each other?Įmily Alyn Lind: We met a little bit differently. I wanted to backtrack a little bit first. Here, Doherty, Lind, and Mock talk us through their characters’ intertwined journeys, the importance of portraying sexual fluidity, and how the new Gossip Girl embraces consent.
The show’s creator, Joshua Safran, even admitted, “There was not a lot of representation the first time around on the show,” and promised of the spin-off, “There’s a lot of queer content on this show.” (For starters, Max is pansexual mean girl Monet de Haan, played by Savannah Smith, is also gay and fashionista Luna La is portrayed by trans actress Zión Moreno.) Though sticking true to the show’s signature melodrama, the Max-Audrey-Aki relationship is also new territory for Gossip Girl, whose original lead characters upheld a heteronormative status quo. In a drunken outburst, Max reveals that Audrey slept with him and that Aki “wanted to.” Plus, he uncovers Aki’s additional Scruff messages. Still with us?īy the end of the episode, the whole entanglement blows up in the trio’s faces. Max’s father bites, but curious Aki goes beyond his assignment and messages other guys on the app too. In this week’s episode, he notices that his Pops is on the dating app Scruff and enlists Aki to make a fake account (posing as his teacher Rafa Caparros) and flirt with him to see if he plans to cheat on his husband. As for Max, he’s a pleasure seeker and partier who’s also enduring trouble at home as his dads’ marriage is on the rocks. At the same time, Aki is self-questioning after kissing Max during a scheme to get Max’s teacher jealous. When Aki unsuccessfully supports Audrey while she’s looking after her distressed mother, Audrey gets frustrated and sleeps with Max. Now, where to begin? Audrey and Aki are dating, but they’re a bit distant lately, and she has an obvious crush on Max. But their woes are deeper and more complex than the base conflict of “You stole my boyfriend” they also explore identity, sexuality, and family. In HBO Max’s iteration of the show, a new romantically troubled trio arises: Max Wolfe (Thomas Doherty), Audrey Hope (Emily Alyn Lind), and Aki Menzies (Evan Mock).
It’s been part of the series since the very beginning (hello, Blair, Nate, and Serena). Gossip Girl is no stranger to the irresistible love triangle.