| “ | I do not have to close my eyes and fantasize about anything. I allow myself to sample everything. | ” |
— Max to Audrey
| ||
Maximus “Max” Wolfe is a main character in the Gossip Girl revival. He is portrayed by Thomas Doherty.
Max is the Jewish, enigmatic playboy partier of the group. He values the freedom and individualism that his lifestyle grants him. Max is the group's hedonist, a gender non-conforming pansexual[2] model, lothario, gadabout - whatever it is, he’s done it. Max is up for anyone and anything at all times, which he’s been able to be, as he goes about it the right way.
Summary[]
Max is Jewish and the son of two gay men, Gideon Wolfe, a theatre impresario and Roy Sachs, a landscaper. The duo are donned the millionaire gays of the Upper East Side. His biological mother, who served as a surrogate for the men, is Saskia Bates, who pops in and out of his life as she wants. Max has been friends with Julien Calloway, Aki Menzies, Audrey Hope, Luna La, Monet de Haan, and Obie Bergmann since they were all babies.
Television Series[]
Season One[]
In "Just Another Girl on the MTA", Max Wolfe enters the kitchen of his Upper East Side apartment and takes his lunch from Rocky as his dads give him a kiss on each cheek. He leaves to start his senior year of high school. He saunters up to Julien Calloway, who is getting her makeup touched up by Luna La and Monet de Haan. Monet warns him to only do air kisses as Julien is setting, so he obliges and takes a seat. The others funnel in, including Aki Menzies, who compliments Max, Audrey Hope, whom Max flirts with despite Aki's presence, and Obie Bergmann IV. Max settles into his role of nonchalant observer. He doesn’t remember Julien having a half-sister, which prompts everyone to remind him of what he missed while he traveled. He shrugs it off as he doesn’t really care about family drama. He watches Zoya Lott arrive and is surprised when Julien compliments the girls shoes.
Spotted at the MET steps, the seven elite lounge while Max reminds them to come to Dumbo Hall for fashion week. Obie answers that he will be late, and reminds Aki he’s supposed to help him stuff envelopes. Max asks who waits for the light, referencing Zoya who is on the corner. Julien answers that she isn't from here. Zoya takes a step on the MET steps and Max is surprised when Julien asks for a picture with Zoya, complimenting her shoes again. He eats his yogurt as he watches the sisters bond. Finally, she invites Zoya to Dumbo Hall, much to Zoya's nervousness and the others' exasperation. Max says she's cute enough.
That evening, the first Gossip Girl blast releases on Instagram, tagging the seven elite. Max is notified of the tagging and chuckles softly at the post. He blocks the account without a second thought. He goes to the club where he enjoys the riches of his wealth. He details his drinking, drugs, and sex plan for the evening to Zoya. He is escorted away by an attractive woman as Audrey makes verbal jabs at his choices. He remarks back that there are no losers when everyone can win. He goes to the back room where he makes out with both a man and a woman. The man orally slips Max an ecstasy pill, though Max notices Audrey watching the event. He approaches her outside the room and reprimands her for being married and monogamous at sixteen. She refuses to be insulted. She asks if she's the one he wants to spend his energy on out of all the people in the room. He redirects that things are different between Aki in the best way, though she is visibly unnerved. He seductively offers her the ecstasy pill on his tongue, as it wasn't in his plans for the night. She merely bites her lip and shakes her head. She leaves so he smirks and flicks the pill away before rejoining his duo.
Max sees a Gossip Girl blast telling him about Zoya and Julien's deception. He gathers with the group to watch the showdown between Julien and everyone else. He humorously points out that Julien wanted to make sure “Z wasn’t zzzz’s” before inviting her to the school. He laughed off his comment and resumed his partying, seemingly unbothered by the relevels. He attends school the next day and stands alone at the balcony as he watches the students arrive.
In "She's Having a Maybe", while his dads attend parent teacher night at Constance Billard St. Jude's School, Max and his friends attend a party at Dumbo. Despite his social media displaying his entertained state, he finds himself bored and is grateful when Audrey arrives. He notes that he's bored, adding that she's the only one in the room that he doesn't know intimately. She calls him uninspired so he asks her to inspire him, but she refuses. She tells him to close his eyes and pretend its someone else, noting that she does it all the time. He counters that he doesn't have to imagine anything as he allows himself to have everything. Aki arrives so Max offers the same to him, but Aki refuses the offer. When Max notices that St. Jude's teacher Rafa Caparros has arrived, he scurries off to the approach the teacher in the bathroom. Despite Rafa's insistence that them even being there together is inappropriate, Max continues to flirt. He explains that he's bored and already had most of Dumbo Hall. Rafa states firmly that he doesn't have sex with his students, though Max counters with a flirtatious remark. Rafa calmly refuses and states that for Max's continued enrollment at St. Jude's, he'll pretend the conversation never happened. Max's interest is piqued even further when he learns of Rafa's notoriety within the community as a generous partner; outshining even Max.
This inspires Max to find out for himself how true the rumors are. He ups his game by stalking Rafa's Instagram the next day to figure out where the man will be. He enlists Aki's help on this mission, though their partnership takes a turn when Max asks Aki's consent to do whatever he needs to make Rafa jealous. Aki is reluctant at first, but impulsively kisses Max in front of Rafa. Max quickly recovers from his surprise just in time for Rafa to rush over, asking if they're stalking him. He points out that he could be fired and leaves. That night, Max attends the charity black-tie gala fundraiser for CBSJ. He plans to bid on an auction item; a private tour of New York's Picassos led by Rafa. Aki confronts him to make sure he doesn't tell Audrey about their kiss, with Max cheekily agreeing in his own way. When Max goes to claim his prize he learns that he should have read the fine print - students can't partake in the auction. He once again reiterates that he doesn't sleep with his students. Max switches to being direct as he needs his questions answered soon. Rafa tells him that he will have to wait until graduation, but whispers something in the eager students ear that leaves Max perplexed.
The next morning, Audrey returns to her room and is surprised to find that Max is still there getting dressed. He apologizes for not leaving already as he couldn't find his tie. He thanks her for the other night as he was pretty pent up, though she could tell as she was too. She tells him not to tell anyone about what happened, to which he agrees before walking out. At school, Max passes Rafa and they exchange sly knowing glances. Max continues into the inner courtyard and takes a seat next to Audrey and Aki. The group watches as Zoya and Obie kiss before the new couple walks to class together.
In "Lies Wide Shut", Max offers to take a disgruntled and still heartbroken Julien on a "Manhattan Maxploration" to help her find her true self, as opposed to relying on the filtered version of he that Monet and Luna have crafted. He is thrilled when she agrees. That night after school, Max enjoys Rocky's fabulous cooking at a family dinner with his dads. Max's pops, Roy Sachs gushes over his landscaping business, just as Max's dad, Gideon Wolfe, makes a grand entrance wearing a corseted dress. He has plans to attend a new Jeremy O'Harris play, which is enticing to Max as it's promised to have genitals and gore. Gideon assures Max and Roy that they have tickets for tomorrow night - including a block for Max's friends. As the conversation drifts, Roy and Gideon disagree over Gideon's choice of attire, while Max nervously watches the brimming tension.
That evening, Max goes partying with Julien and places himself in charge of her social media presence for the event. He even stays sober by redirecting the waitress to Julien when he's offered a drug tray. He's impressed when Julien does two lines of coke which is laced with ketamine. When Julien returns from the bathroom, Max is checking a gay dating app called Scruff, looking for a promising candidate to end the night with. The pair make surprising discoveries at the same time; Max's father Roy is on Scruff as "Newly Single", while Julien's father Davis Calloway is cuddling up with a young woman across the club, despite allegedly being out of the country for work. The teens exchange truly horrified expressions.
The next day, Max struggles with his hangover and isn't pleased when Aki and Audrey separately accuse Max of sharing their individual liaisons to Gossip Girl. Max assures them that, not only has he not seen the recent blast due to blocking the account, but he hasn't told anyone. The alleged blast could be about any of the multitude of affairs, not just theirs. He adds to Audrey that if she is so afraid of it getting out, the maybe she shouldn't have done it. Inside, Max and Julien talk about the sins of their fathers, with Max having learned from Gideon that their relationship has never been open to the public so Roy shouldn't be on the site as "Newly Single". He later intercepts Aki in the hall, enlisting his help in catfishing Roy on Scruff. While Aki initially refutes the idea, Max assures Aki that he would be using a clone of Rafa Caparros's profile, adding in that since Rafa "doesn't want to fuck me, I'll fuck with him". Aki concedes and Max seals the deal by setting up the profile.
After school, Max secures Julien an extra ticket to the play that evening while he gets dressed at home. Gideon emerges wearing a suit, which prompts Max to push his dad to be his authentic self in the same sense that Gideon and Roy raised Max to be. Gideon agrees to change into something more authentic to himself, and Max chimes in that he will do the same. At the theater, Max checks in with Aki and they discuss their plan. Rafa Caparros arrives and Max feigns innocence as the teacher walks up, thanking Max for the tickets and asking him to relay his thanks to Max's dads. Max quickly swaps his and Rafa's tickets, citing that Rafa deserves a better seat anyway. He scampers off to intercept Julien, instructing her to switch tickets with him. She is offended as her new seat has an obstructed view, but he recommends she steal someone else's plan next time. He tells her to gain some clarity with the new seat. He takes his seat between Audrey and Aki, swiping Aki's phone while Audrey is distracted. He turns Rafa's cloned profile offline, but also notices that Aki did some extra credit homework in the chatting department, delightfully teasing Aki. As the play unfolds, Max sets one hand on each of Audrey and Aki's knees, though Audrey removes his hand with an air of annoyance.
His master plan comes to fruition at the after party, when he outs Roy's affair to Gideon in front of Rafa. He pulls up the fake profile with Rafa's name and image, though Roy tries to wrestle the phone out of Max's hands. Gideon intercepts and is horrified to learn the truth, especially since it involves Max's teacher. Max, at Rafa's insistence, admits that he set Roy up using a false profile. His dads continue to argue at the bar, with the fight escalating as Roy admits that Gideon's femininity is an issue for him. Gideon walks away with Roy turning to Max, asking how he could do this to him. Max, brimming with tears, asks Roy how he could "do this to us" before storming off.
Feeling betrayed by his father and angry that his plan did not end as expected, he spirals into his comfortable habits of drugs and drinking to cope with the emotional pain. During his bender, Aki and Audrey express concern over him. They advise Max to call it a night. Max, however, is so high that he outs Aki for chatting with guys on Scruff, then begins to ramble and rant about how everyone fucked up. Max outs his affairs with Audrey and Aki, as Audrey slept with him while Aki wanted too. He wants everyone to tell the truth and goes first, as the only truth-teller here. He blurts out that the couple don't "do it for each other" anymore, so instead, they do him. But they can't have him, no one can, because he's already gone. After blowing up his fathers' relationship and sparking drama in his friends' relationship, Max retreats to Rafa's house where he breaks down in tears. Rafa didn't appreciate being used, but Max didn't think it would blow up that way. He thought his dads would realize they were being stupid and talk, but instead, he had to mess it up. Rafa, concerned for Max, assures that the affair would have come out in the end as it always does. Max admits that he didn't think it would hurt this much when it did. He begins to cry into Rafa's shoulder, ultimately staying the night on his couch.
In "Fire Walks With Z", Max disappears as he spirals into a bender that consists of drugs, sex, and alcohol. He avoids his friends and family. He doesn't go to school for days at a time, with even Gossip Girl unable to find him. When Max does return to Constance he is high, disheveled, and adamant on having sex with Rafa. The teacher continuously turns down Max while trying to make the boy realize that he's out of control. At Julien and Zoya's party that evening, Max is turned away at the door for not being on the list. He tries to shove his way through, proclaiming that he "is the list", but Rafa intercepts him and pulls him away. He had asked Julien's father to remove Max from the list as Max would be carrying. Max tries to lie that he isn't, but Rafa pickpocketed a tin of Altoids that are filled with a variety of pills. Max admits that he's on acid and a few other substances, leading Rafa to wonder why Max is breaking all the clear boundaries he is known for setting. Max lashes out that Rafa used to be hot but is now a bad trip. Finally fed up, Rafa drags Max away from the party.
Once they arrive at the Wolfe-Sachs residence, Rafa tells Max that Roy has been worried about him and wants him to come home. Max coldly replies that Roy is only his father on paper - Gideon is his biological father. Rafa admits that not everyone has one father that loves them let alone two. Max apologizes for being insensitive and agrees to speak with Roy. When the conversation goes terribly, Max retreats to Rafa's apartment. Roy had blamed Max for everything but Rafa assures Max that it wasn't his fault. Max wonders what is wrong with him, though Rafa is probably the only person who disagrees. Rafa tries to get Max to leave but instead, the teen kisses Rafa until Rafa concedes and they have sex.
In "Hope Sinks", Rafa and Max continue to hookup whenever and wherever they can, even traipsing around school. They barely avoid the questioning stares of Max's friends. Rafa is insistent he and Max keep their relationship low-key as to avoid trouble, though a perceptive Aki Menzies notices the stares and Max trailing Rafa more than usual. Aki confronts Max about the affair, though Max tries to play the situation coyly before telling Aki to mind his own business.
In "Parentsite", Max is making a homemade quiche for Audrey. Rocky offers to help but he insists that he wants the meal to come from him. Rafa sends Max a message but Max ignores it. He and Aki visit Audrey at the hospital, who has been micromanaging the staff attending to her mother. After listening to her many grievances, he presents his breakfast quiche to her and persuades her to change into fresher clothing. While Audrey goes to change, Aki and Max bond over their concern over their shared lover - only for their conversation to be interrupted by one of Rafa's many texts. Max assures Aki that he broke it off with Rafa. Back at the school, Max is approached by Rafa but swiftly rebuffs the teacher. Mere moments later, Max watches Audrey flee the school to attend to her mother and Aki walks up with a shopping bag filled with designer clothes for his girlfriend. Aki is frustrated at not being able to keep up with and help Audrey, so Max offers to deliver Aki's present to Audrey so Aki can attend sports try-outs. As they walk to class, Aki reminds Max to not make any comments about Aki's orientation since Aki is still not out.
Later that day, Aki catches up with Max at the hospital. Max mischievously yet concernedly points out Audrey nagging the hospital staff again when suddenly his phone is bombarded with irate messages from past flings. Max checks Instagram and finds out that Gossip Girl has been spreading false rumors about Max having STDs using photos of Max waiting for Audrey and Aki at the hospital. Knowing that Rafa was behind the posts, Max goes to Rafa's apartment and confronts his teacher about the lies. Rafa threatens to continue his attacks unless Max returns to him; Max retaliates by threatening to go public about Rafa's predatory behavior with students. When Max leaves, Rafa reaches out to Roy on a dating app in hopes of seducing the father and hurting the son in the process. Max meets up with Roy later that week and Roy tells his son about meeting up with Rafa. Max asserts that Rafa is not a good man and breathes a sigh of relief when his father reassures Max that he saw through Rafa's displays and they only had a conversation over drinks. Max retaliates against Rafa by sending a sex tape he made with Rafa to Gossip Girl. The illegal video was in the inbox of the Gossip Girl account long enough for Wendy, Kate, and Jordan to see it. When the video mysteriously disappears, Kate and the group deduce that Rafa must have seen the video.
Across the city, Max has dinner with Audrey and Aki. Audrey invited the two boys over to thank them for supporting her through her mother's ordeal. After dinner wraps up, Max gets ready to leave to give Audrey and Aki some privacy. The pair convince him to stay and the trio consummate their love for one another, and seem to begin a threesome.
In "Once Upon a Time in the Upper West",
In "Posts on a Scandal",
In "Blackberry Narcissus",
Appearance and Style[]
Max has striking features with accentuated and strong defined features, including high cheekbones, hollow cheeks, a strong jawline, and an oval-shaped face. He has thick black hair and vibrant, piercing blue eyes. Max is tall and muscular, as well as being handsome and thin.
He has a high sense of fashion which he learned from his father, Gideon. He is not afraid to use bold patterns, silk and other soft fabrics, and incorporate blouses intended for women into his decadent wardrobe.
Personality[]
Max is a confident, hedonistic individual who doesn't care much for the world outside the nice bubble he's meticulously crafted. Max is dismissive of people and situations that do not directly benefit him and will freely volunteer his sharp critiques about these matters. A man with a plan, he relies on a careful regimen of medications to deal with even the mildest of inconveniences such as the monotony of his daily classes. He approaches drugs and alcohol with precision in order to maximize their benefits (and minimize their side effects). He loses control when confronted with particularly stressful situations, his plans becoming less thought out and his reliance on drugs spiraling into outright abuse. His stoic facade breaks under high stress to reveal a deeply vulnerable and isolated interior.
Max strives to be the best at what he enjoys, and instantly becomes jealous of Rafa Caparros upon learning of his notoriety in the gay social scene. His jealousy and intrigue pushes him to pursue the attractive Classics teacher despite the blatant age difference and teacher-student relationship. He enjoys the chase that prospective partners like Rafa, Audrey, and Aki provide, unabashedly flirting with them when opportunities arise in the hopes of eventually charming his way to what he wants. While assertive in his pursuits, he tries to respect the boundaries set by others. He asks Aki Menzies for the latter's consent to do whatever is needed to make Rafa jealous and initially dials down his pursuit of Rafa after a conversation. Him repeatedly using Aki and Rafa for various plans shows that he gets attached to potential lovers and looks for ways to include them in his life when sex is off the table.
Max cares deeply for his family and the life his dads have created for him, though his moral standards demand that he out his pops for cheating on his dad. He displays an egregious amount of naivety, most likely due to his spoiled and sheltered childhood, in thinking his fathers would merely discuss the cheating, as opposed to the blowout they had instead.
Relationships (TV Series)[]
Family[]
- Roy Sachs (adoptive father)
- Gideon Wolfe (biological father)
- Saskia Bates (surrogate/biological mother)
Romances[]
- Heidi Bergmann (Lost virginity too, former fling)
- Rafa Caparros (Former affair)
- Aki Menzies (Ex-Boyfriend)
- Audrey Hope (Ex-Girlfriend)
- Valeria (Hook-up)
- Several unnamed people (Hook-ups)
Memorable Quotes[]
- "No, I do not have to close my eyes and fantasize about anything. I allow myself to sample everything."
- Max to Audrey and Aki: I've never been in a relationship. I -- Not only do I not know how one works, I... I don't know how I might be in one. But if you're willing to take a risk on me, I'm willing to take a risk on you. One for all or none for none, right? That's a pact? -- Gossip Gone, Girl
Hobbies & Skills[]
Though not an employable skill set, Max enjoys partying and allowing himself to live a free lifestyle. He spends most of his time trying to further his social agenda; parties, drugs, alcohol, and sex. He appears to be knowledgeable of the effects of the many intoxicants he consumes and can apply this information to know how much to take to maximize his and his friends' enjoyment.
He has demonstrated a keen eye for fashion that he learned from his father. In "Parentsite," he is shown cooking and baking food for Audrey - a skill he most likely learned from Rocky.
Trivia[]
- Max is the only character who blocked Gossip Girl on Instagram. However, it's assumed that he unblocked her as there were moments he was looking at his phone whenever Gossip Girl posted a new post.
- Max is Jewish.
- When he was 13, he lost his virginity to Obie's older sister Hedi, when she was 17.
- He identifies as pansexual and prefers to top. He occasionally records videos of his sexual trysts.
- He mentions his preferred role in bed in the episodes "She's Having a Maybe" and "Hope Sinks."
- In "Parentsite," he shares a sex tape of him topping Rafa to Gossip Girl.
- Max was born of a natural surrogacy (where the surrogate is also the egg donor) via his fathers' close friend, Saskia Bates. His dad Gideon provided the sperm.
- He is the second oldest of the group, being 17 at the start of the first season. Luna being the oldest being 18 at the start of the first season.
Photos[]
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