The Lost Boy is the 3rd episode of the third season and the 46th overall.
Morning in New York. Time to wake up from bad dreams, roll out of the beds we've made, and start making plans for a brighter future.
-Gossip Girl
Summary
It's an Upper East Side face-off when Blair and Chuck both set their sights on a particular item up for bid at Sotheby's and the personal stakes are high. Meanwhile, Serena suspects that Carter may be up to his old habits and being not completely honest with her. Georgina takes an interest in Dan, and Vanessa begins to suspect that something isn't quite right with Scott. Finally, Bree's true intentions with Nate are secretly revealed: related to Carter and his exploits.
Recap
The episode begins with Blair walking into her dorm and discovering Dan and Georgina making out on her bed. After making a scene, she takes her mail and leaves. Georgina tells Dan that everyone will be happy for them when they find out, but Dan doesn't say anything and leaves. On the way out, he runs into Serena and lies that he just came from seeing Vanessa, who emerges from her room. They realize he was in Blair and Georgina's room and bring him into Vanessa's room to interrogate him. He explains that he was hooking up with Georgina but that's all it is, nothing serious. They go to leave, and Vanessa mentions that she's going to try and catch Scott after his Comp Theory Seminar. Dan says that they're in the evenings, according to a friend of Georgina's, and Vanessa decides to stay in her dorm. She calls Scott, and starts asking about the seminars. He says the seminars are in the evening but the study groups are in the morning and hangs up. After he does, it's revealed he's at the VDW penthouse taking guitar lessons from Rufus. He starts to say something but is interrupted when Jenny and Eric come out and ask Rufus if he's excited for the Sotheby's auction that night. Rufus explains that Lily has a picture she wants being auctioned and he's going to check it out. Scott takes it as his cue to leave and says they can talk next time. Meanwhile outside, Serena tells Dan that she is officially dating Carter and if he wants to date Georgina, he should. Dan says that they aren't dating just hanging out, and Serena advises him to make sure she knows that. Dan walks on and Serena meets Carter. He invites her to spend the weekend with him at his hotel, and she's about to invite him to come to the auction and meet her family when they're interrupted by a woman who claims to have slept with Carter. He brushes her off, claiming he's never met her, but Serena remains unsure and doesn't ask him to go.
Meanwhile, Vanessa goes to the Registrar and asks if Scott is even a student at NYU; and is surprised when no record of Scott Adler is found in the system. At The Palace, Blair arrives to see Chuck, hoping to spend some quality time with him. However, he tells her that he's preparing for a big meeting and can't be distracted. Offended, she leaves and drops her mail on the way out. When she stops to pick it up, she discovers a note for her inviting her to La Table E'litaire. At NYU, Dan visits Georgina and attempts to tell her that he isn't looking for a relationship. She's fine with it and invites him out for pizza with no strings. In the park, Blair fills Serena in on her invitation. While they talk, Blair tells Serena that guys like Carter don't change and she's just using them to distract herself from telling Lily about not going to Brown. Serena calls him to invite him to the auction so he can prove himself but Blair isn't really interested. She gets a text containing her initiation instructions from La Table E'litaire and leaves the park. Meanwhile, Chuck goes to Sean McPherson's office and learns from the girl up front, Devyn, that Sean isn't interested in hearing plans from just anyone. She suggests to Chuck that he find someway to show Sean he respects his past, and then he'll get a shot at being heard. After some snooping, Chuck finds a pamphlet of photos up for auction that night; including one of Sean himself. He takes the book and leaves. Elsewhere outside, Nate and Bree are taking a walk. She still hasn't heard from her family, and he suggests they go out for the night. She agrees to go to whatever, and he plans to ask his friends what their plans are. At Sotheby's, Chuck runs into Blair, who is planning to attend the auction to buy the Sean McPherson photo to be initiated into La Table E'litaire. He tells her that he needs the photo, but she promises he won't get it. At NYU, Scott goes to see Vanessa. She asks why he lied about going to NYU, and he admits that his name isn't Adler, it's Rosson, and he is Rufus and Lily's son. He says that his adoptive parents told him that Rufus and Lily wanted nothing to do with him, but Vanessa replies that's a lie and that they went looking for him; and his parents told them he was dead. Scott realizes that they were talking about his younger brother Andrew, and wonders why they lied. Vanessa encourages him to tell Rufus, but he says he needs to talk to his parents first and asks her to not say anything.
At The Downing, Carter's credit card keeps repeatedly being declined. When he sees the bill, including room service, he denies ordering any of it and refuses to pay. Serena offers to let him use her credit card, and insists he should at least pay for room service. He realizes she doesn't believe him, and asks what they're doing if she can't trust him. At NYU, Chuck goes to see Blair at her dorm. He apologizes for earlier and proposes neither of them go to the auction and get the photo. She agrees, and they plan to spend the night together instead. At the coffee shop, Vanessa meets Dan and tells him Scott's been lying about who he is. Before she can say more, Georgina comes in and says Blair locked her out. Vanessa decides to leave, and Dan asks if she's still planning to go to the auction because Rufus wants them all there. She says since Rufus will be there, she definitely will be and leaves Dan alone with Georgina. He tells her about Scott lying about who he is, and she suggests they find out who he really is. At the dorm, Chuck and Blair get simultaneous txt messages and realize both have someone at the auction to get them the photo. Blair gets up, announces the photo is hers, and leaves while taking Chuck's shoes. At the loft, Georgina finds out that Scott's real last name is Rosson, not Adler. She asks Dan if that name as any meaning. Meanwhile, Scott goes to pick Vanessa up at the dorm and tells her he told his parents and that he is planning to tell Rufus. Back at the loft, Dan finds the fan letter Scott wrote him. While Georgina looks it over, Dan calls Vanessa to warn her that Scott might be a dangerous stalker. After he hangs up, the two agree to head over to the auction.
At the auction, Nate and Bree arrive at the auction and get photographed kissing by the entrance by paparazzi. Vanessa and Scott arrive, and she sees she has a missed call from Dan. She turns to Scott and promises him he can do it before they head inside. Blair arrives and runs into Serena, who is also heading in. She complains about Chuck wanting the same photo, and Serena says she was right about Carter. Blair replies that some guys just are who they are. Chuck then approaches and Blair tells him he can't distract her anymore and heads in. He asks Serena where Carter is, then mentions that some guys just are who they are. Serena realizes Blair just said the same thing, and Chuck heads into the auction. Inside, Rufus goes over to Scott and Vanessa. Before he can say anything, Rufus goes to check when Lily's photo is up. While they wait for him to come back, Scott spots his adoptive mother. The auction begins and Chuck and Blair begin to battle. During bids, they lose focus when they begin to argue and end up losing to Serena. Meanwhile, Scott takes his mother aside and says she can't stop him. She says she isn't there to stop him, and she only came to support him. She admits they lied because they didn't want to lose another son so soon after Andrew. Georgina and Dan arrive, and they tell Rufus about Scott and his weird actions. Vanessa comes over and says that Scott isn't dangerous, he just wants to talk to Rufus. Scott and his mother also come up, and he tells Rufus his real last name and that he's his son's brother. Meanwhile, Blair and Chuck confront Serena but she reveals she knows they sabotaged Carter. Blair promises she did it to protect her, and Chuck says he just hates him. He explains that when they sent him to Dubai, he went to Greece instead and then to Fiji. Serena realizes Carter was looking for her father, and they ended up in Santorini together but almost got arrested on a stolen boat on the way to crash her father's wedding. Blair asks if he found him, but Serena says she has to go and leaves. Unbeknownst to the group, Bree overheard the whole conversation. Elsewhere, Rufus invites Scott and his mother to go back to the apartment to talk. Scott thanks him, and says maybe in time. They hug, and Scott leaves. Blair follows Serena and asks if Carter is really worth the risk. Serena gives Blair the photo, and she realizes the right thing to do is let Chuck have it. She goes to give it to him, leaving her invitation to La Table E'litaire on the table. Serena picks it up, and realizes exactly what it is and who sent it. Blair gives Chuck the photo, and promises that she believes in him. Serena confronts Georgina about sending a fake invitation to Blair. She asks if La Table E'litaire even exists, and Georgina says it does but NYU probably doesn't have a chapter. Serena reminds her that if provoked, Blair will push back and when she does, she has her full support. Outside, Rufus, Vanessa, Serena, and Dan decide to go out to dinner together. Dan goes to call Georgina, but Serena tells him to do it after they talk. As their car pulls away, Georgina emerges alone from the building.
The next day, Dan calls Georgina from the VDW's and says he knows what she did. She defends what they did, but he tells her they need to take a break anyway. After they hang up, Serena admits she left Carter several messages but he doesn't want to talk to her. Meanwhile, Chuck goes to Sean McPherson's office and confronts Devyn about scheming with Georgina. She doesn't deny it, and says he needs a sense of humor to survive in the club business. Sean enters the office and compliments Chuck on the photo. He introduces himself, and then tells him to thank his assistant when his club lease at The Empire Hotel isn't renewed. At NYU, Scott goes to see Vanessa before heading back to Boston. She asks him to come back one day and tell Rufus and Lily the truth, but he says he can't do that. They hug, then kiss, but unbeknownst to them, Georgina overheard the whole conversation. At the VDW's, Carter arrives to see Serena. She apologizes for not believing them, and he says he already realized Chuck and Blair set him up. He says that if she's looking for an excuse to bolt, she will find one, but she promises she isn't looking for an excuse anymore. They kiss, and then go to have breakfast with Rufus, Dan, Jenny, and Eric. Meanwhile, Blair and Chuck meet up outside. He tells her that he's planning to buy The Empire Hotel; using all of his shares and risking all the money he has. She asks how he's sure he'll succeed, and he says because she believes in him. They then head inside to christen his legacy. Elsewhere, Serena and Carter kiss and part ways. As he walks down the street, he's stopped by Bree. She explains that she's headed home to Texas and considering what he did to her family, finding him will go a long way in getting her back in their good graces. At NYU, Georgina packs to leave school and calls the train station to ask when the next one to Boston is leaving.
Starring
Main Cast
- Blake Lively as Serena van der Woodsen
- Leighton Meester as Blair Waldorf
- Penn Badgley as Dan Humphrey
- Chace Crawford as Nate Archibald
- Ed Westwick as Chuck Bass
- Jessica Szohr as Vanessa Abrams
- Taylor Momsen as Jenny Humphrey
- Kelly Rutherford as Lily van der Woodsen (Credit only, as she does not appear in the episode)
- Matthew Settle as Rufus Humphrey
Recurring/Guest Cast
- Connor Paolo as Eric van der Woodsen
- Sebastian Stan as Carter Baizen
- Michelle Trachtenberg as Georgina Sparks
- Joanna Garcia as Bree Buckley
- Chris Riggi as Scott Rosson
- Sean McPherson as Himself
Soundtrack
- Animal by Miike Snow
- Ready For The Floor by Lissy Trullie
- Check The Score by The World Record
- Weld at the Seams by The Broken Remotes
Memorable Quotes
Blair (on walking in on Dan and Georgina): I'm wearing a glove and I still want to wash my hands!
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Hotel concierge (on Carter's credit card): I've been instructed to destroy it and to call the authorities.
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Blair (on Chuck): Putting his own happiness above mine? What kind of boyfriend does that?
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Chuck: You can't outbid me. How do you plan to win?
Blair *rubbing his thigh*: Your lack of focus.
*after several rounds*
Blair: Enough! I need this and you're going to let me have it!
Chuck: No you don't, and no I'm not.
Blair: I need that society. You don't turn down destiny.
Chuck: It's not destiny if you have to barter your way in. You're special enough on your own, you don't need some group to say you are.
Blair: And what about you? Since when does Chuck Bass pay for a partner? The Chuck I knew bribed no one but me.
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Georgina: When it comes to Blair Waldorf, I don't have to do much but light the match and watch her go up in flames.
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Dan (to Serena): You're a pretty tough one to shake.
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Chuck: Why settle for some club in a hotel if you can just buy the hotel?
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Trivia
- The episode title is based off the movie The Lost Boy.
- Serena mentions that the way Georgina writes her "G" has cost her enough trouble over the years. The first time it appeared was in season one's The Blair Bitch Project before Georgina makes her first appearance.
- This episode marks the first appearance of The Empire Hotel.
