9 Burning Questions for ‘Gossip Girl’ Season 2 on HBO Max

Zoya and Julien in HBO Max's Gossip Girl
Karolina Wojtasik/HBO Max

HBO Max’s Gossip Girl may not be quite as memorable as the CW’s  original series of the same name. But we are still left eagerly awaiting the exposing Instagram blasts, sly Gen-Z remarks, and acutely current trendiness that Season 2 of the reboot will offer.

Julien (Jordan Alexander), donned in sparkling silver and a modern tiara headpiece, reclaimed her throne as Season 1 came to a close. Her weapon used to get back on top? A flood of Gossip Girl tips … yet we don’t know which are true and which are lies. As the finale ended, the Instagram notifications fill our screens and Gossip Girl’s unmistakable voice crooned an ominous message as she returned to the forefront of everybody’s minds. Then, our screens went black, and we’re forced to wait to find out exactly what Julien sent to the gossip page — and Kate’s (Tavi Gevinson) condition.

Scroll down for our top burning questions for the drama-filled, designer-adorned teenage lives of Gossip Girl Season 2.

Gossip Girl, Season 2, TBA, HBO Max

Julien watches as a flood of posts come in from Gossip Girl.
HBO Max

What Will Come of Julien and Kate's "Alliance"?

Based on Julien and Gossip Girl’s alliance, the former has many tips for the Instagram account to dump on its followers. What those are, which are true, and the fallout of that will likely be completely chaotic. The ball seems to be in Julien’s court, but we know it won’t stay this way for long!

Obi, Julien, and Zoya running around the city during Santa Con
Karolina Wojtasik/HBO Max

Will We Keep Hearing Those "Post-COVID" Remarks?

The GG reboot is set in an entirely mask-less, distant post-COVID world, made clear by the quick mentions of “Zoom school” and life in quarantine. While discussing New York City’s SantaCon, Zoya and Julien even mention that it’s the first time the event has been held since the pandemic (which, coincidentally enough, is true to this weekend). Will these continue into the 2022 season? Will our post-COVID timeline exist throughout the series’ run?

Cyrus Rose and Eleanor Waldorf appear in the reboot
HBO Max

Will We Get More Original Series References and Cameos?

Audrey (Emily Alyn Lind) and her mother, Kiki (Laura Benanti), attend a Hanukkah dinner at the home of none other than Eleanor Waldorf (Margaret Colin) and Cyrus Rose (Wallace Shawn) in an attempt to secure fashion designer Eleanor’s support for Kiki’s new line. The scene even features iconic characters Dorota (Zuzanna Szadkowski) and her now husband Vanya (Aaron Schwartz) Although this scheme goes awry, the scene gave us a chance to reunite with GG favorites and we’d LOVE to see even more familiar faces in Season 2.

Zoya and Shan sneaking to watch the show
Karolina Wojtasik/HBO Max

How Will Season 2's Drama Affect Zoya Finding Her Own Friends?

Zoya (Whitney Peak) meets new friend Shan (Grace Duah) during study hall in the second half of Season 1. The two become fast friends and Zoya is torn when she is asked to spend New Year’s Eve with either Shan or Julien’s crew. Although Julien eventually realizes and accepts that her sister is finding people who she truly connects with, we can’t help but wonder what this sisterly separation will mean when the drama gets stirred up in Season 2.

Zoya and Julien have a meeting in Bemelman's Bar at the Carlyle Hotel
HBO Max

Will We See Other NYC Staples?

The Gossip Girl reboot is nothing without its name-dropping of popular NYC hangouts, such as DUMBO Hall (a spin on popular social club DUMBO House where the crew parties), Ralph’s Coffee (the always-crowded Upper East Side café where Audrey gets the hot barista’s number), and Bemelmans Bar (the dimly lit, jazzy historic restaurant tucked away in the Carlyle Hotel where Zoya and Julien secretly meet a woman to discuss Julien’s father’s sexual assault allegations). We love the on-site-in-NYC filming aspect of the show and hope to get peeks of other popular restaurants and sites.

Tavi Gevinson as Kate Keller on the phone in HBO Max's Gossip Girl
Cara Howe/HBO Max

Will Kate Be Able to Use Gossip Girl for "Good"?

In the second half of Season 1, Kate loses access to the Instagram account. But as she watches the other teachers use the tips to get back at students who were mean to them, she takes on this attitude that she started the page to teach students a lesson (still, she was posting gossip about high schoolers!). Now that she has control back — and considering the deal with Julien — what will this mean for how she handles the account going forward? Will she prove that Gossip Girl is better off in her hands?

Aki, Audrey, and Max in a hot tub in Gossip Girl.
Karolina Wojtasik/HBO Max

What Will Come of the Romantic Relationships?

In the second half of the first season, Max (Thomas Doherty) refused to join Audrey and Aki (Evan Mock) and Julien tried to reconnect with Obi (Eli Brown) after his and Zoya’s breakup. But by the finale, Obi met someone new and Julien’s scheme to get rid of her veered off track. And Max, Audrey, and Aki planned to give a relationship a try. The classic knotted relationship strings are reminiscent of the original Gossip Girl love triangles and downright turmoil, and we must admit we can’t wait for more of it.

Julien and her father, Davis, speaking in Gossip Girl
Karolina Wojtasik/HBO Max

Will We Learn More About the Allegations Against Julien's Father?

The second half of Season 1 brought about more serious plot lines that discussed sexual assault. Julien learned that her father, Davis (Luke Kirby), has multiple text messages from women saying that they do not remember the night before, shedding light on a serious subject. Julien faced society’s response to her father’s actions — and her reaction to them.

Tavi Gevinson as Kate and Adam Chanler-Berat as Jordan, who started Gossip Girl, discuss the site
Karolina Wojtasik/HBO Max

Will Gossip Girl's Identity Be Revealed to the Public?

The final exposé of the mastermind behind the original Gossip Girl blog in the original series took six seasons. But on the reboot, we already know who’s receiving the DMs and filtering through the tips. The students, however, don’t know it’s their own teachers running the account. What will happen when the news leaks? Will we see this in the second season, or will we have to wait until the sixth to watch the social media’s page demise?