Saskia Bates is a minor guest character in the Gossip Girl revival. She is portrayed by Lucy Punch.
Summary[]
Saskia is a famous, yet struggling, actress from England. She is the biological mother of Max Wolfe, having carried him via surrogacy for Gideon Wolfe and Roy Sachs. She maintained contact with Max but is not actively present in his life, nor did she have say in his upbringing.
Television Series[]
Season One[]
In "Once Upon a Time in the Upper West", Saskia makes an unscheduled appearance at the Wolfe residence for Thanksgiving, bringing her yorkshire terrior with her. She learns from Gideon that Roy has moved out, and expresses sympathies but promises to be a supporting ear. Her surprise visit isn't actually a surprise, as Max arranged for her to arrive unbeknownst to either of his fathers. He hopes Saskia can work her matchmaking-love-fixing magic on his parents to get them back together. As she keeps Gideon occupied she begins to insult Roy so Gideon must defend him, planting the seeds for a potential reunion when the time is right. She convinces Roy to come with her to a dinner, as Max encourages Gideon to have Thanksgiving at a restuarant courtesy of Saskia pulling strings. He purposefully leaves out the part where Roy will be joining them. Their plan is ruined when Gideon decides to wait for Saskia outside of the restaurant. When Gideon sees Roy he realizes how Saskia and Max have been manipulating things. Despite Saskia's best efforts to convince the men to come inside for a quiet Thanksgiving meal together, Gideon isn't ready and leaves with Max. In a last ditch effort, Saskia and Max bring Gideon and Roy to Zoya Lott's "open door Thanksgiving" where they are forced to behave or risk a public scene. Saskia turns her nose up at the quaint apartment and smokes a cigarette despite Zoya's protests. She drinks wine happily at the end of the table, buffering the bickering boys as she does. As everyone confesses their secrets, sins, or salcious behavior, Saskia admits she was fired from her acting role. She seeks comfort in Gideon who assures her another role will come, though she isn't so sure. She bids the trio goodnight after dinner, riding off in an Uber as she does. When Max walks home with Audrey and Aki, he discovers Saskia's dog in his bag as a last minute present.
Personality[]
Relationships (TV Series)[]
Family[]
- Max Wolfe (biological son via surrogacy)