Top 10 Best Serena Moments on Gossip Girl

Usually, Blair can be credited for starting the cat fights on the show, but every once in a while Serena contends with her for the title of queen bee- and wins. In this season two episode, Serena wants to get revenge on Blair (and to prove her wrong about her ability to get into an Ivy League school). So she shows up at Blair’s dream institution Yale, and proceeds to charm the Dean to the point that he invites her to his exclusive private reception. She does manage to prove herself, but (being Serena) in the end she can’t help but try to help her friend achieve her aspirations.

In this season one episode, Blair is upset that her father won’t be present at Thanksgiving dinner, and reverts to old habits by binging on the pie that he typically makes. This episode is full of flashbacks, showing Blair taking care of Serena the year before, but this time the roles are reversed and Serena comes to pick up the pieces after Blair has relapsed into her disordered eating. This is a rare episode of “Gossip Girl” that addresses relatable real life issues, and Serena shows just how friends should act when coping with a difficult situation like this one.

Early in season one, Blair and Serena are more enemies than friends, and Blair is attempting to orchestrate a full social takedown of her former bestie. She decides to take out some of her aggression on the hockey field, and things quickly get violent between the two girls. Even though Blair was the instigator, Serena manages to beat her at her own game and ends up taking her down in a full tackle. While these two usually spar with cruel words and underhanded manipulations, it’s fun to see them actually have a physical confrontation.

In the first episode of “Gossip Girl” season two, we follow along as the characters temporarily vacate their Upper East Side bubble in Manhattan for the equally ritzy Hamptons. Nate has started having an affair with an older and very much married woman, and he recruits Serena to pretend to have a relationship with him to throw people off the scent. When he really needs to make Catherine jealous though, Serena knows exactly how to pull it off, stepping things up with a kiss. Of course, her tactic works. What are friends for?

Serena and Nate team up again in this season four episode when it falls to them to make sure that Chuck and Blair don’t totally destroy each other. The two exes are at war and because of all the vindictive back and forths they’ve had, their friends are forced to take extreme measures to ensure peace in their group. Nate and Serena help the two by devising a peace treaty, which specifies exactly what each one is allowed (and not allowed) to do. The stakes are high because if one of them breaks it, they’re cut out of the friend circle for good. Harsh, but fair; well played, Serena!

Though they may feud a lot on the show, there’s no denying the deep bond between our leading ladies; Serena and Blair will always be there for one another. In the first season when everything seems to be falling apart for Blair, she makes the decision to leave New York and go to France. Things haven’t worked out with either Nate or Chuck and she has had to concede her position as queen bee to Jenny Humphrey. Adding to the drama, of course, is the pregnancy scare. But when Serena finds out what her plans are, she races to change Blair’s mind at the last minute- and of course, using her BFF powers, she succeeds.

After breaking up in the previous episode, Serena and Dan are having trouble navigating their relationship now that they’re no longer together. What starts off as your typical bumbling awkwardness develops into something worse when Serena becomes jealous after Dan starts seeing another girl. Fueled by her anger, Serena rises to the top of the social sphere, taking over Blair’s spot of queen bee and delivering some bone chilling coldness in the process. Her social takedown of Dan and that withering glare she gives him at the end is a reminder of just what she’s capable of.

While their friendship moments are golden, there are still plenty of moments where Blair and Serena are totally trying to sabotage one another. In this episode, Blair is jealous of Serena’s friendship with Poppy Lifton, after being asked to walk in her mother’s runway show at Fashion Week. So naturally, Blair tries to ruin the show by handing Serena a dress that wasn’t designed by Eleanor but by Jenny. Despite the fact that she’s walking in the wrong dress, Serena absolutely kills it, and all of a sudden it doesn’t really matter who actually put the garment together.

The very thing that kicks off the action of “Gossip Girl” is Serena returning home to New York after a mysterious year away. “Gossip Girl” heralds her homecoming, and we see Serena arrive at Grand Central Station (as if she would take the train). We quickly learn about her exploits, and the fact that she slept with her bestie’s boyfriend shortly before she disappeared. While viewers weren’t sure exactly what to make of Serena in the pilot episode, it was immediately clear that we were in for a wild ride - and that she’d be at the center of much of the show’s drama.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Hosting Thanksgiving
"It's Really Complicated"

Planning Blair's Shower
"All the Pretty Sources"

“S by S” Newspaper Column
Various Episodes

Putting Her Feelings About Nate Aside for Blair’s Sake
Various Episodes

Taking Over as Gossip Girl
"Con-Heir"

“Gossip Girl” premiered in 2007, and if you were a teen or young adult at that time, you’ll remember how much the fashion on the show influenced an entire generation. Of course, Blair’s headbands and preppy style were perfect for some, but Serena’s boho glam aesthetic was actually way more timeless. She always looked effortlessly chic, making it clear that she didn’t put too much time into focusing on her appearance, while always achieving a stunning end result anyway. Her style morphed as the show went on, but it always remained inspiring.