#GG 3x17

[forbescaroline]

235 FAVORITE SHIPS OF ALL TIME (ranked by my followers) 75. nate archibald and serena van der woodsen - gossip girl

[prxdk]

3x17 | 3x01: Lorelai’s Dream

[autumnrory]

every good rory/jess moment is tainted by something else like he shows up at the kims and he sounds genuinely concerned about the inn - like, jess is not likely to be like that about a thing of lorelai's, so it may just be recognizing the gravity of a situation but also you wonder if he know the details of why the independence inn is so important to rory since she first grew up there - but since her conversation with lorelai, rory is concerned about the school issue, so she's questioning that and of course he's evasive and they don't get anywhere like with so many other things and it's sooooo frustrating let them have a nice moment please

[gossiprelated]

C: He would've known. I did what I had to, to win. B: No... C: I can't let my feelings cost me all that I've built. B: Even if it means losing me instead?

[terrainofheartfelt]

Man, I always forget how fucked up the 4x20-4x22 string of episodes were. Did you know Leighton Meester and Ed Westwick had to film a domestic violence PSA for the CW after 4x20 aired? I genuinely cannot fathom what the writers were thinking, having Chuck physically abuse Blair and then having them hook up two episodes later. Not just in an “how could they!” outrage-y way, but like… why? Why write yourself into that box, particularly if your plan is to have those characters end up together and have the audience root for that? Misogynistic as the premise was, I at least kind of understand what they were going for with 3x17 - the Indecent Proposal of it all - but for the life of me I can’t wrap my head around 4x20.

No I did not know that! Good lord. I’m not in the Biz, but I would guess that psa was mandated by the network after they’d wrapped s4 completely. The benefit/curse of hindsight. Not that that lessens the absolute insanity of, in the space of a couple episodes and VERY few scenes, going from assault to hooking up. Maybe they should have done a psa for 🪑 hooking up and the damaging cycle abuse can keep up. 

It really ties into That Thing GG does, of alllllllmost brushing up against something impactful, and then proceeding to throw out the baby, the bathwater, and the bathtub. 

It’s a problem they have with their two endgame couples, 🪑 more so than derena, that if they “knew” they were going to end up together, it’s like…that gave them permission to have these characters do truly fucked up shit to each other, and then excuse it because Love Means Never Having to Say You’re Sorry. Like, thee endgames gave the writering permission to keep upping the stakes and raising the stakes under the assurance that it would all turn out fine, without realizing that they would also have to write the turning out fine!!!!

Sidebar: my mother hates the film Love Story because of that tagline. Because love means saying sorry when you fuck up, actually. 

[love-hope-faith-feels-like-a-lie]

Another one for you! What are your five "go to" GG episodes you find the most rewatchable? They Shoot Gilmores and The Lorelais' First Day at Yale are definitely both on my list, but I'm still trying to pick just three more from the zillion other episodes I love :)

Thank you for this. I really appreciate it💕 Right off the bat I’m going to apologies for how long this is. I couldn’t keep it to just five episodes and I had a need to explain why these are my most rewatchable episodes.

1) Forgiveness and Stuff (1x10) I’m such a sucker for Luke being there for his girls. The way he gives Taylor, the guy he’s thrown a frying pan at because he’s annoying and he hates him, the keys to his establishment just shows how much he cares and knew Lorelai needed him. It makes me happy. Plus it’s where we get the classic blue hat. Lorelai saying Luke always looks good and Luke saying “I can’t imagine anyone seeing you as a disappointment.” Such cute moments in this episode.

2) Dead Uncles & Vegetables (2x17) Just as I love Luke being there for his girls, I equally love when Lorelai and Rory are there for him. Luke and Lorelai are a cute married couple in this episode (and pretty much all episodes really) and you can’t convince me otherwise. Also, don’t we all just love the way Rory makes Jess help out. It’s so funny seeing him just let her and we all know he’s loving it.

3) A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving (3x09) If you don’t join in when everyone is chanting ‘Jackson,’ then you haven’t been watching this episode right. I love getting to watch the girls go through their Thanksgiving traditions, especially Lorelai and Luke’s. The Lane and Dave moments are cute! The girls eating with Luke and Jess is adorable and they all look like a cute happy family. I adore the fact that Lorelai takes food from Luke’s plate. I’m telling you these people have been married since day one. Plus it’s Jess and Rory’s first Thanksgiving together as a couple and ain’t that cute! I love drunk Sookie! She’s funny and I can’t help but say her lines with her.

4) A Tale of Poes and Fire (3x17) It’s super fun seeing Michel interacting with Miss Patty and Babette. Lorelai screaming ‘Stella’ for Luke to come to the window is always fun to watch. But the best part is Lorelai telling Luke about her dream and how they smile while discussing it. Lorelai not being about to tell Luke that they kissed in her dream because it hits too close to home brings out the feels. Oh and Rory’s going to Yale!

5) The Fundamental Things Apply (4x05) Luke and Lorelai’s first movie night. I love how Lorelai teases Luke about not having watched many movies and not knowing what the FBI warning is. It’s so fun to watch. I love how comfortable they both look while they sit and watch Casablanca. Luke helping Rory out with her awkward date is cute, and a little Dad moment which fuels my ‘Luke has always been a father figure to Rory’ feels. The best moment is when Luke is sleeping on their couch and Rory says, ‘He looks comfy there, doesn’t he?’ and Lorelai looks like she doesn’t want to think about how comfy Luke looks because she doesn’t want to admit how much she likes seeing him there. And I’m definitely reading way too into that look but it makes me happy so it counts. 

6) The Incredible Sinking Lorelais (4x14) The proud and happy smile on Lorelai’s face when she’s looking at the gum wrapper with the Dragonfly’s first reservation makes it worth watching this episode. She’s adorable and I’m so proud of her. Lorelai wearing her Bon Jovi hat and Luke commenting on it is fun. The best part about this episode has to be, as Lorelai puts it ‘the meltdown in the park’ moment. Lauren Graham is so good at emotional scenes (and pretty much everything this woman does) that it always hits me when Lorelai is breaking down. Of course I love the fact Luke instantly knows something is wrong when he sees her and he’s there to comfort and support her. 

7) Let Me Hear Your Balalaikas Ringing Out (6x8) Lorelai jonesing for her colours is super fun and cute. Colin and Finn are funny when they’re drunk. ‘I’ve forgotten how to get into a car,’ always cracks me up. Then he appears. The man of the hour. Yes, Jess Mariano. It’s nice to have Jess back for this episode. I alway forget how much I love his interactions with Rory until I watch them again. I’m super proud of all he’s done and seeing him come back, showing his book to Rory and telling her that he couldn’t have done it without her is such a beautiful moment. Probable one of my favorite between the two. And of course seeing Jess questioning Rory and being able to wake her up and make her realise that she’s not acting like herself is the best. All that said, the part which I just love is when Paul Anka gets sick and Lorelai is in Rory’s room watching him sleep. Once again Lauren is just incredible and makes my heart hurt at hearing Lorelai say she's a bad mother. Luke being there to comfort her is an added bonus, especially the way he touches her hair to comfort her. 

8) Santa’s Secret Stuff (7x11) I know what you’re thinking, how is a season 7 episode where Lorelai and Chris are still together on my most rewatchable list? Well let me tell you why. I love getting to hear about Lorelai and Rory’s Christmas traditions, such as how they put green and red M&M’s in their cereals on Christmas day (which I did last year and let me tell you it be yummy) and getting to see the girls go through those traditions is nice. Gigi isn’t my favorite character (honestly have no opinion on the kid) but she’s adorable when she copies Lorelai as she says ‘The redcoats are coming.’ The fact Lorelai doesn’t think twice about helping Luke with the character reference warms my heart to no end and is just super cute. Talking about cute, Luke and April! These cuties! Always love any Papa Luke moment. Luke being a Dad is so cute to watch and I love April (just hate what the writers did with her storyline in season 6 but that’s a rant for another day). Love that she’s 60% atheist and 40% agnostic. This girl is so quirky and I’m so here for it. What makes this episode one of my most rewatchable episodes is that scene between the girls and Luke and April when they’re all out shopping. This scene is amazing because it shows how much Luke cares for Rory. He’s always cared about her and throughout the years has always given her gifts for her birthday and holidays and maybe they weren’t the best gifts, but the love is what counts especially since Luke finds going out to buy presents such a daunting task. It just makes me happy seeing how much Rory means to him. What makes me love this scene is the smile and just the look on Lorelai’s face. If that look doesn’t show how much she loves and admires Luke then I clearly need new glass. (side note: I actually do need new glasses but that’s besides the point lol) 

9) I’d Rather Be In Philadelphia (7x13) This episode just really shows how great Luke is. The fact the moment he finds out about Richard being at the hospital he just had to go and see if everyone is okay, to see if Lorelai is okay is next level cute and just reminds me why Luke is always going to be the better man. Yes, he has issues and has dealt with somethings in ways that I just want to punch him so hard his hat starts spinning like Daffy Duck's beak, but he’s always there for his girls even when he’s not with Lorelai which just further shows how much he cares and is generally such a great guy. I love that Luke let’s Emily give him chores to do and that it kinda feels like he’s part of the family because he’s helping out, but then I remember he’s not and that hurts. I love that he comes back with food and a fish bag. He’s a cutie. Love that Lorelai is happy to see him. Logan is there for Rory which is nice to see. It’s interesting to see how everyone deals with Richard being in the hospital this time around compared to in Season 1, mostly Emily. All her moments especially when she has a little breakdown in front of Lorelai, and then her talk with Richard hurts to watch but in a really good way.

10) It’s Just Like Riding a Bike (7x19) Lorelai’s dress at the start of this episode is the only reason I rewatch this episode endlessly. Ah well that and some other things too, I guess but mostly the dress. When Lorelai calls Sookie, that whole scene I personally feel like it presents a parent having to deal with sick children so well. Sookie’s place being a mess, her sniffing what I’m hoping is milk from the kid’s bottle and using it for her coffee, and also picking a lollipop from the tablecloth is really how life looks like for a parent just in general, let alone when their kids are sick. So it’s refreshing seeing this being presented in a realistic way. Luke and Lorelai car shopping is awkward but I love every moment of it, especially when Luke starts ranting and then they starts bickering. The smile on Lorelai’s face. Lord take the wheel because my heart can’t deal with the cuteness. The smile screams ‘I have him back’ to me and I love how happy she is about that. Luke doing everything in his power to make Lorelai be able to have her old car is just sweet, and have I forgotten to mention that this guy is just the best? I love it. 

Okay, I’m finally done and the fact you’ve gotten to the end of this is amazing. It was hard to narrow it down to just these because there are a lot of episodes I love and rewatch often, like a bunch from season 4 and 5 but these just happen to be the ones I go to when wanting to rewatch an episode. It really only occured to me once I was done that I have no season 5 episodes on this list and more season 7 ones which I’m not even sure why that’s the case but it is. They Shoot Gilmores and The Lorelais' First Day at Yale is definitely episodes I watch often, especially because they both have cute moments: ‘Another kid might be nice’ and 'Rory says thanks for everything, too,’ are some. Thanks again for the ask, It was a fun distraction. 💕

[gossipgirls]

oh i totally agree with you on chair and treacherous, it fits them insanely well. i feel like begin again really only works when the couple join the show later (like brulian in oth) so it would be really hard for any gg ship to fit. would you do the same thing with ships/characters for folklore (or any other album lol)?

it's in my s1 chair playlist! the entire second verse is so crazy for them. and begin again is so cute for brulian 🥺

sure, i'll do folklore!

the 1: serenate (i made a gifset of this), but MAJOR rufly vibes too. a bigger dair fan than i would understandably love this song for them, and i do think this feels like how dan would always think about her. "i guess you never know, never know, and if you wanted me, you really should've showed."

cardigan: chair (again, made a gifset), especially imo in light of her s5 arc. but this song mainly screams van der baizen to me, because she knew him, leaving like a father, running like water... ugh. "you put me on and said i was your favourite."

the last great american dynasty: i edited this in response to one of the most galaxy brain requests that anybody on this website has ever gotten––the rhodes women! "free of women with madness, their men and bad habits, and then it was bought by me."

exile: serenate 3x22-s4. it really suits serenate's "right person, wrong time" angst and that dull, anticlimactic, disappointing way in which they ended (which was... pretty on-the-nose for serenate, as far as s3 goes). i also think of danessa with this one, but it would be more them if dan had actually like... seemed to care at all when they broke up. also, rufly? "it took you five whole minutes to pack us up and leave me with it, holding all this love out here in the hall."

my tears ricochet: chair in 3x17... "cursing my name, wishing i stayed, you turned into your worst fears."

mirrorball: this song is so serena it hurts. i also made an edit for this. this makes me soooo l3k2;423ljr2orj2lrl. "i'm still on that trapeze, i'm still trying everything to keep you looking at me."

seven: i think the nostalgia of this is so blair; that feeling that you peaked long ago, that you've been as good as you're ever gonna get. which is so tied up with her relationship with serena in ways i'm too tired to express, but... it's a blairena love song on some level. "i used to scream ferociously any time i wanted."

august: serenate and nobody but serenate ever. there has never been a more accurate, more perfect song for serenate. every word is them. for so long, nate was really just... SO CONTENT TO LIVE FOR THE HOPE OF IT ALL. a year and a half later and it still makes me go UGGGHHHHHHHHHH. i made a gifset for this too. "wanting was enough, for me, it was enough to live for the hope of it all."

this is me trying: this song could be from the perspective of literally any character, honestly. blair (i was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere), chuck (could've followed my fears all the way down), nate (maybe i don't quite know what to say), dan (my words shoot to kill when i'm mad, i have a lot of regrets about that), jenny (i got wasted like all my potential)... but mostly, i always think of serena. and i always think of this as her song to blair. "i didn't know if you'd care if i came back, i have a lot of regrets about that."

illicit affairs: i mean, serena and tripp is the obvious answer, since they're the show's only big, full-fledged affair plot, and the condescension mentioned in the bridge definitely fits. but i don't really wanna give tripp this song that i love so much, so i’m gonna give it to s1-2 rufly! "it's born from just one single glance but it dies and it dies and it dies a million little times."

invisible string: okay, so similar to what the ask here says about begin again, this song only really works with couples that meet later in life, so serenate, despite being the main ship that imo has the truly sweet, easy vibes that this song demands, is out. dair can suit this one nicely. and rufly, maybe. "were there clues i didn't see?"

betty: nate and blair is pretty obvious here (especially with august being serenate), but there was some discussion last summer about this as a 2x01 chair song. my favourite interpretation would be blairena. :') regardless, baby blair is clearly a certified BETTY. "i'm only seventeen, i don't know anything, but i know i miss you."

peace: there's something to be said here for chair's whole "we could never be boring thing" for sure, but that's not really the core of the song. i really see this as a potential serenate song, not really because we actually saw them deal with topics like this (though we did see the roots of this in 3x14), but because i feel like if they'd gotten back together and been endgame, this would have been the most compelling and mature direction in which to take them. nate being so easy and sweet and loyal and serena feeling so... Not That and coming to terms with her self-destructive instincts and the fact that she is way more a hurricane human than she likes to think lol. BLAH, IT JUST WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE IS ALL. "your integrity makes me seem small, you paint dreamscapes on the wall, i talk shit with my friends, it's like i'm wasting your honour."

hoax: chair, big time. "don't want no other shade of blue but you, no other sadness in the world would do."

the lakes: this is kind of serena's lifelong dream, finding the right person to run away from it all with. so, van der baizen. "i don't belong and, my beloved, neither do you."

[austennerdita2533]

I just started rewatching GG again (yes, AGAIN---don't judge me!) and am always eager to torture you with questions: 1. Three ways in which Lorelai and Rory are similar and three ways in which they're very different? 2. Same question, but substitute Luke and Jess for Lorelai and Rory. 3. Your 3-5 favorite, most rewatchable episodes from each of the first four seasons? 4. Your 1-2 least favorite episodes from each of the first four seasons?!

It’s always lovely to revisit Gilmore Girls, no matter how many times we do it! 😁

Lorelai and Rory Similarities:

They both can be rather self-absorbed, entitled, without realizing it. They don’t always take the time to consider how their decisions/actions will affect other people.

They appreciate/depend on the trust and constancy they have between them as well as the sense of community they’ve found among those of Stars Hollow.

They’re hardworking. Ambitious. They push themselves, strive for success.

Lorelai and Rory Differences:

Lorelai is an extrovert whereas Rory is an introvert. They both talk a lot, but the latter’s a lot more reserved in crowded settings. She’s apt to observe surroundings rather than command attention from those around her. Lorelai does far more commanding than perceiving.

While Rory can and does make impulsive decisions throughout the course of the series, she’s much more level-headed and detail oriented compared to her mother. Hence her notorious to-lists. She has a methodological mindset that’s similar to Luke’s, actually.

Lorelai is far more emotionally immature than her daughter. She has a tendency to use humor as well as sarcasm as a defense mechanism to keep people at bay, preventing them from getting too close.

Luke and Jess Similarities:

They’re both emotionally repressed. Neither one of them are particularly expressive about their thoughts, about their feelings, meaning they tend to keep them pressed close to their chest. Their affection and care is demonstrated in quieter, less bombastic ways. (Which is why it’s perfect they read the same self-help book about how to convey their love!)

They both harbor a lot of cynicism. They’re seemingly moody or grumpy in temperament on the surface, but underneath, they’re big ‘ol softies.

Neither one of them is what you’d call a “people person” in that they’re never enthusiastic about crowds or town events or the like. Their circles of trust, their comfort zones and/or people with whom they genuinely want to be around, are small. They keep to themselves more often that not.

Luke and Jess Differences:

Luke has a rigidity about him that I don’t think Jess possesses. He’s systematic in a lot of ways--in thought, in action, in values. He always struck me as a more stringent type of person, you know? Someone who tends to see in black and white, right or wrong, yes or no. Luke likes order. Certainty. Steadiness. More often than not, he operates from a place of practicality, of traditionalism. Jess, on the other hand, who is intellectually introspective in nature, isn’t afraid to cross let alone to push boundaries. There’s an unconventional pulse in him that allows him to think outside the box or pursue career/life paths that aren’t straightforward. That aren’t always “by the book,” so to speak.

I think Luke is largely set, comfortable, in who he is at his core whereas Jess has a lot of personal skeletons to combat before he’s able to get there. Sometimes I see them as Secure vs. Insecure archetypes. That makes sense to me when I consider how Luke is far more likely to stand still, to stay in the same place (Stars Hollow), but Jess is more likely to drift, amble, seek. I believe a lot can be said for the latter’s waywardness/running throughout the series in that regard. 

They’re both meditative, only in different ways. I see Luke thinking through things with an elaborate, laborious, dig-into-all-the-details, point-by-point methodology that keeps him from making any kind of rushed or rash decisions. That can inhibit him at times. Keep him rooted inside his own head. Jess, though he thinks hard and long and quiet himself, has a more extrapolated tangential manner of contemplation that allows him to lean into risk instead of away from it. He’s not afraid to think or act impulsively if/when the occasion calls for it.

**It’s so hard to pick least favorite episodes when the first 4 seasons are my favorite! But I tried to choose the ones I rewatch/have rewatched the least.

Favorite s1 Episodes:

1x01 Pilot

1x05 Rory’s Birthday Parties

1x10 Forgiveness and Stuff

1x12 Double Date

1x16 Star-Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers

Favorite s2 Episodes:

2x07 Like Mother, Like Daughter

2x10 The Bracebridge Dinner

2x13 A-Tisket, A-Tasket

2x16 There’s The Rub

2x19 Teach Me Tonight

Favorite s3 Episodes:

3x07 They Shoot Gilmores, Don’t They?

3x09 A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving

3x13 Dear Emily and Richard

3x17 A Tale of Poes and Fire

3x22 Those Are Strings Pinocchio 

Favorite s4 Episodes:

4x05 The Fundamental Things Apply

4x11 In the Clamor and Clangor

4x13 Nag Hammadi Is Where They Found Them

4x21 Last Week Fights, This Week Tights

4x22 Raincoats and Recipes

Least Favorite s1 Episodes:

1x04 The Deer Hunters 

Least Favorite s2 Episodes:

2x04 The Road Trip to Harvard

2x06 Presenting Lorelai Gilmore

Least Favorite s3 Episodes:

3x05 Eight O’Clock at the Oasis

Least Favorite s4 Episodes:

4x04 The Hobbit, The Sofa, and The Digger Styles

4x15 Scene in a Mall

[xsecretblastsx]

dair/dan stans are so selective about what they choose to acknowledge omg

Some of them yeah, they are a bit like that, and I guesst to some extent all shippers do that, to me it’s so funny because for example I don’t like Derena, but that doesn’t meant I don’t acknowledge that Serena really loved Dan. Do I believe she deserved better? Yes, but it is what it is, and I get why the show went that way.

No one is saying they have to like Chair, they can hate on Chuck but there’s saying “I get that he’s changed but I still don’t like him or chair” but no it frequently is framed as if Chuck hadn’t changed at all and Chair never had a good moment nor learnt from their mistakes, to them the only relevant episodes are 3x17 and 4x20 and the only part of GG that “made sense” were the Dair episodes. Wonder how they managed to watch the first 4 seasons.

[gilmoremovies]

Ed Wood (1994)

Date Watched: 1st April 2021

Referenced in: 3x17 and 3x18

Rating:  ★★★☆☆  

Interesting film, weird... I feel like I was missing something like my film intellect wasn’t high enough nor would ever be high enough for this film. Almost like it was trying too hard. That being said it did keep my attention and for some reason I couldn’t stop watching.

(Other GG Movies I’ve watched so far)

(Full references under the cut)

3x17, A Tale of Poes and Fire (2003) Lorelai quotes the film, then explains the reference to Luke. LUKE: Well, go home. LORELAI: Home? I have no home. Hunted, despised. LUKE: What? LORELAI: It's from Ed Wood, the movie.

3x18, Happy Birthday, Baby (2003) Rory talks about she and Jess renting the film the night before. JESS: Oh, come on. RORY: Hey, last night when we watched Ed Wood we got burgers like you wanted to. JESS: Okay, fine – tonight, Indian food, but tomorrow, Saturday Night Fever and Thai food.

[valeriemperez]

I read that at the end of Terminal Velocity, Iris, Linda and Hartley got to be badasses in Wally's absence, so I want the same for Iris. I always figured Iris as the "go-to" commander when Barry is out. Like in 2x23. She didn't plan the whole "Keep Zoom on E2" plan, but she lead the operation. And in 3x17, she took complete control. So writers and showrunners, let Iris have this one in the S3 finale.

That’s exactly what I want to see for Iris in 3.23, her leading the team in Barry’s absence and sort of being the decision-maker.

I just had a thought. Savitar was trapped in the Speedforce (Also in the stone, too), so he got to warp around and beat up Barry. It would be the pot calling the kettle black (And payback) if Barry gets to do that to Savitar if he does end up in the Speedforce as well.

Love this idea! It would be great to see Barry haunting Savitar’s ass for once.

Man, why Savitar couldn't stay a monster? I found him more intimidating that way and it would have been a test to see how the team could defeat something that is not Grodd or the Dominators. I feel like them trying to unmask the big bads is very Scooby Doo-ish.

It was totally unnecessary for Savitar to be anyone until they made Barry try to unmask him in 3.15. I really hope they have different and better ideas in S4.

Any relevant information from GG's panel?

Not really, but you can watch it here.

[autumnrory]

cannot fathom leaving my house with strangers in it and trusting that all my stuff will still be there as it should be when i return

[autumnrory]

there is definitely a missing scene of jess watching and teasing rory about her sock puppet show

[autumnrory]

also i still need a fic where rory does in fact go out the window with jess bc dammit the show makes such a point of acting like jess is a bad boy and yet rory never sneaks out with him

[gossipgirls]

chuck had absolutely no right to give blair an ultimatum after the hotel situation imo

oh of course not, he didn’t have much right to do or say anything to her after 3x17 and yet...

chuck and blair just operate on such a different moral plane from the rest of the world, like while i’m obviously glad she forgave him since they are my biggest ship ever, it’s something that should never be forgiven. but the whole world is this big chess game for chair and that plays out in some very crazy ways that it morally/realistically shouldn’t. i always find it difficult to play woulda/shoulda/coulda with anybody on gg but particularly with chair. just such a different world with such different morals, for chair more than any others.

[xsecretblastsx]

this is kind of random but do you think nate should’ve told serena jenny kissed him in 3x17

Since they lived in the world of GG and every secret always comes to light yeah, he should have. Better she find out from him than from anyone else, particularly because she was already bothered by him hanging out with Jenny.

I think had it been any other girl he would have told her, but truth is he always had a soft spot for Jenny, always saw her as a nice, naive, sweet girl, and as such even when it’s obvious she has an agenda and wants more than friendship from him, he doesn’t see it and in this case he knew if he told Serena things could get ugly, and she would have been less likely to believe him it really hadn’t meant anything to him.