Ep 6. The Handmaiden's Tale

The Handmaiden's Tale is the sixth episode of the first season of the popular show Gossip Girl. In this episode, we get to see how Serena and Blair's friendship falls apart briefly due to a series of unfortunate events, while Dan tries to impress Serena by hanging out with her world and rubbing shoulders with some of Manhattan's elite.

The episode revolves around the annual school fundraiser, which is a charity event called the Snowflake Ball. While Blair, as the Head of the Planning Committee, is busy arranging the event, Serena gets an invitation to the ball from a Georgetown guy named Patrick, who happens to be her ex-boyfriend. This upsets Blair, who has always been fiercely possessive of Serena.

Meanwhile, Dan bumps into Serena's mother, Lily, at the gallery. He is impressed by the fact that she is a successful working woman and decides to attend the Snowflake Ball to broaden his horizons. He then persuades his father to lend him enough money to buy a suit and a ticket to the ball, hoping to make an impression on Serena at the event.

Things take a turn for the worse when Blair finds out that Jenny, who is her handmaiden for the night, broke one of her mother's dresses. Jenny begs Blair not to fire her, and Blair decides to take advantage of this situation. She forces Jenny to deliver invitations to Blair's enemies, knowing full well that they will not attend the party. This is all part of her plan to make the Snowflake Ball an exclusive event that only the "right" people attend.

Serena, who has no idea about Blair's plan, invites Dan to the ball. Dan arrives, looking dapper in his suit, but is immediately subjected to snickers and sneers by Blair and her clique. He tries to stay, but is eventually humiliated in front of everyone when he accidentally spills his drink on Blair's mother's dress. Humiliated and ashamed, Dan leaves the ball.

At the same time, Serena gets into an argument with Patrick, who tells her that he doesn't want to see her again because he values his reputation more than his relationship with her. This argument leads Serena to lash out at Blair, who tries to comfort her but unintentionally makes everything worse. Serena leaves the ball in anger, leaving Blair to wonder what she did wrong.

The episode ends with Dan returning home, disheartened and depressed, while Serena and Blair drift apart once again. The Handmaiden's Tale provides some insight into the complex relationships between the show's characters, exploring themes of betrayal, social status, and deception. It's a riveting episode that sets the stage for the many plot twists and turns that the show has become famous for.