Chuck Bass
Encyclopedia
Charles Bartholomew "Chuck" Bass is a fictional character in the Gossip Girl
series of teen novels and the television series of the same name
. He is portrayed by English
actor Ed Westwick
. Although he is a secondary, antagonistic character in the original book series, in the television series Chuck is one of the main characters. The television series character is noted for his financial ambition, hedonistic lifestyle and personal style. Since they were children, Chuck has been best friends with Nate Archibald
, Serena van der Woodsen
, and Blair Waldorf
, who is his main romantic interest throughout the series. In the TV series, he is the adoptive brother of Serena and Eric van der Woodsen
and step-brother of Jenny
and Dan Humphrey
.
. Chuck is largely friendless, but is tolerated by the others because of his family's enormous wealth. He is described as having flamboyant fashion sense, with a penchant for scarves, and has a pet monkey named Sweetie whom he carries around with him everywhere. Lazy and vain, Chuck's only interests are sex and money, and he is frequently chided by his father for lacking ambition and performing poorly in school. Following flings with numerous females and males, his only serious relationship comes near the end of the series, when he begins dating Blair Waldorf, a self-obsessed luxury loving teenager. In the twelfth book in the series, Gossip Girl: It Had To Be You (2007), Chuck is rejected from colleges because of poor grades and is sent to military school by his father. When next mentioned in Gossip Girl spin-off The Carlyles (2008), it is stated that Chuck never showed up to military school, and his whereabouts thereafter are unknown. In the thirteenth Gossip Girl novel, I Will Always Love You (2009), it is revealed that Chuck went off to Deep Springs College
in California and returned a changed man, and to have dated main character Blair Waldorf
in Oxford, England
for a year.
's alma mater, the Nightingale-Bamford School
. It was revealed in preparation for the 2007 TV series debut, Josh Schwartz
hired recent graduates of Ziegesar's alma mater to retool several characters.
Chuck Bass was then reconfigured as a more central character, an antiheroic heterosexual playboy whose on-off relationship with Blair Waldorf
serves as one of the show's major ongoing storylines. Chuck is the resident "bad boy" of the Upper East Side, and like Blair is both vengeful and manipulative; the two often scheme elaborate plans together. As the show progresses, Chuck develops a softer side, specifically towards Lily, Eric and Serena, his adoptive mother, brother and sister, Nate, his lifelong best friend, and Blair.
, Blair Waldorf
, and future-stepsister Serena van der Woodsen
. His father is Bart Bass, a self-made billionaire, which is irregular, compared to the Bass' old money friends. Chuck is often described as the "bad boy of his circle". Chuck is a playboy who sees women as recreational tools. Chuck frequently skips class and smokes marijuana.
In the pilot episode, Chuck attempts to rape both Serena and Jenny Humphrey
. His depiction as a sexual predator was abandoned in subsequent episodes, where his flaws were watered down to being a womanizer and manipulating those around him.
In episode seven, "Victor/Victrola", Chuck purchases a burlesque
club, Victrola. After Nate and Blair break up, Blair visits Chuck at Victrola where she ends up performing on stage, and she later loses her virginity to him in the back of his limousine
. Though she tries to deny the encounter, Chuck buys a necklace for her and admits that he feels "butterflies" in her presence, leading to a clandestine sexual relationship. Despite this, Nate and Blair rekindle their relationship, leading to a jealous Chuck revealing to the anonymous "Gossip Girl" that Blair and Chuck had a sexual relationship. This leads Chuck to have a temporary rift with both Blair and Nate.
As Bart Bass and Lily van der Woodsen's relationship progresses, they decide to move their families in together. Chuck and Eric van der Woodsen
, Lily's son and Serena's younger brother, become especially close. When Serena begins receiving mysterious packages (pornography
in the mail, alcohol
delivered to her at school), she automatically blames Chuck. Bart subsequently forces Chuck to move out of the family home. Serena discovers that the culprit was actually Georgina Sparks
, a past classmate of both Serena and Chuck. We later discover that Chuck lost his virginity to Georgina in the sixth grade. Chuck and Blair join together to prevent Georgina from further harming and embarrassing Serena. This process rekindles their bond, and they succeed in getting rid of Georgina.
At Bart and Lily's wedding
at the end of Season 1, Chuck apologizes and confesses to Nate that he was in love with Blair. During the wedding reception, Chuck gives a speech about forgiveness that is implied to be directed towards Blair. She accepts his apology and the two kiss. However, as they are about to embark on a trip to Tuscany
together, Chuck gets cold feet
. Blair leaves for Tuscany without him.
In order to gather material for a story, Dan tags along with Chuck for a night, ending with the two of them in jail after a fistfight. While in jail, Chuck tells Dan in confidence that Chuck's mother died while giving birth to him, and that his father blames him for her death, which explains their icy relationship. When Chuck later discovers that Dan was using him for a story, he feels betrayed and tells Dan that he was lying about all of it.
Chuck's storyline throughout season 2 mainly deals with his inability to tell Blair that he loves her. Eventually, his father is killed in a car accident. Lily adopts him so that he's able to own Bass Industries, making Serena and Eric his sister and brother. When Blair begins dating Nate again, Chuck realizes his true feelings for her. The two team up to take down Poppy Lifton, and Blair realizes that she still has feelings for Chuck as well. She breaks up with Nate. In the final episode of season 2, Chuck admits to Blair his true feelings and the two finally begin a relationship.
Chuck and Blair agree to team up to take down Jack, but Chuck ends up offering Blair to Jack in exchange for his hotel. When Jack tells Blair this, she breaks up with Chuck at Dorota and Vanya's wedding. Chuck tries desperately to win Blair back, doing everything from banning all of the other Upper East Side men from dating her to asking her to meet him on top of the Empire State Building
. Blair decides that Chuck is her true love and she's going to meet him, but Dorota suddenly goes into labor and she ends up being late. Chuck, thinking she is finally over him, leaves the building heartbroken and nearly suicidal. When he gets home, he sees that Jenny Humphrey
has arrived looking for Nate. The two drunkenly sleep together, heartbroken that their true loves don't return their feelings.
Blair appears later in Chuck's suite, apologizing for being late, and the two reunite. Chuck is about to propose to Blair at the hospital, as they visit Dorota and her new baby, when Dan appears and rashly delivers a punch to Chuck's face. He then forces Chuck to tell Blair what happened between him and Jenny. Blair breaks things off with Chuck and informs him it's for good. She also threatens to ruin Jenny's life if she doesn't leave Manhattan immediately for good. Chuck then travels to Prague to escape New York for a while, feeling as though he has nothing left. He gets robbed by three muggers who insist on taking the ring that Chuck intended on proposing to Blair with and when Chuck puts up a fight, he gets shot in the stomach. The last shot of season 3 is him lying in an alley, presumably dying.
Other story lines for Chuck in season 3 include a feud with his sister leading to him trying to break Nate and Serena up, as well as a phony sexual harassment suit filed against him by the staff at The Empire.
) who has no idea of his wealth or of who he is. He creates a fake name and persona as he no longer wants to be the manipulating Chuck Bass. He eventually reveals who he really is and returns to New York with her, at the request of Blair and Serena. Blair insists she no longer loves him, but still schemes to undermine his new relationship. He eventually falls for one of her schemes and breaks up with Eva. He realizes his mistake and begs her to take him back, but she refuses, saying that he showed his true feelings by continuing to believe Blair over anyone else.
Chuck then declares war on Blair and sabotages various aspects of her life by making her lose internships, inviting Jenny Humphrey
back to town, and generally trying to make her miserable. They soon blossom into an enemies-with-benefits relationship.
In the "The Witches of Bushwick", Chuck accidentally tells Blair that he loves her during sex and, not knowing whether his words are true, Blair chooses to gloss over the moment. Although Chuck and Blair spend the episode striving for different ends which will eventually alienate each other (Blair to become the face of Anne Archibald's charity, Girls Inc, and Chuck to increase the revenue of The Empire by returning to his bad boy persona), Blair makes the decision to attend Chuck's Saints and Sinners party in order to confront him. Chuck confesses that he loves her, and the pair kiss in front of everyone after the curtain concealing them is pulled down. Anne tells Blair that she can no longer be a part of Girls Inc just as Chuck's publicist KC tells Chuck that she thinks Blair will be good for business. Blair re-thinks her decision to sacrifice it all for their relationship, and she and Chuck break up once again. Chuck promises he'll wait for her, and both affirm their belief that their love will reunite them in the end.
On thanksgiving Chuck and Blair run into each other at Serena's house, Chuck offers to leave but She tells him that she was heading to JFK anyway and came to drop off the traditional pie and that they should get used to this. They hear about Serena being hospitalized and while they're sharing that maybe nothing can change between them, Jenny walks in and their conversation interrupts. While driving Blair home, Chuck tells her that he showed up only for Serena. When she told him that what happened with Serena made her question what she told him after the Saints & Sinners party; Chuck tells her that he cannot be her friend now as much as he wishes he could. After that Blair still sends him her traditional pie, saying that even if they can't be friends it doesn't mean that they aren't.
In "The Townie" episode, It was revealed that Lily was going to sell Bass Industries instead of giving Chuck the company back. So he sets off to New Zealand, where his uncle Jack Bass is currently living. Chuck returns to the Upper East Side with revenge for Lily. Chuck's new love interest Raina and her father, Russell Thorpe, a former rival of Chuck's late father Bart Bass. Chuck, however, manages to save the company after it is reveled that Russell accidentally killed his wife in a building fire that Bart was originally accused of. Later, Blair is kidnapped by Russell, but Chuck saves her, and the two go to a Bar Mitzah. There, the two are seen dancing and smiling happily, disapproving the idea that Chuck cannot make Blair happy. The two have sex, and Blair decides she is going to leave Louis, but Chuck stops her, telling her that she needs to be with Louis because he makes her happy. At the end of the episode, Chuck decides to spend the summer traveling with Nate, and it also revealed that Blair may be pregnant with Chuck's baby.
In response to these comments, Carina MacKenzie of Zap2it
stated, "We're left wondering if Safran missed the part where she went home bleeding because Chuck was using physical intimidation to release his own emotions."
While reviewing the episode, Tierney Bricker of Zap2it remarked that there were "really no excuses for Chuck Bass anymore." MacKenzie concluded that Chuck's behavior throughout Season 4 fit the signs of an abusive relationship
, citing examples from HelpGuide.org, a non-profit health resource. She noted Chuck's public humiliation of Blair, his attempt to pawn her during a business deal, and his use of physical intimidation. MacKenzie also called the show's explanation "disturbing, particularly given the young, female target demographic of Gossip Girl and The CW."
He meets a psychiatrist, Eliza Barnes, who tells him that he acts out because he never had a childhood, and needs help. When he finds himself falling back into his old patterns, he calls Dr. Barnes, ready to seek help. However, it is revealed that Blair's fiance, Louis, gives Dr. Barnes money to upset Chuck, in hopes that he will do something reckless and drive Blair away forever. When Chuck finds this out, he publicly exposes both Dr. Barnes and Louis, leaving Blair devastated.
Later that same night, he goes to Blair's apartment to apologize to her for all the times he's hurt her and let her down. His apology recounts all the obstacles Chuck and Blair have faced in their relationship thus far, and prompts an emotional Blair to thank him. Chuck assures her that she is going to be "an amazing mother", having come to terms with her relationship with Louis. He resolves to keep his distance from her after that, but is seduced by her in "The Big Sleep No More", when a conflicted Blair seduces him in hopes to prove that his efforts to be a better man is just a ploy to win her back. When he kisses her, she slaps him, and tells him that he will never change. It is later revealed that he conspired with Dorota and kissed Blair in order to confirm her suspicions of him, and push her back to Louis. In the same episode, Serena states that Chuck has been seeing a therapist regularly. In the following episode, Blair figures out that Chuck tricked her when she goes to his apartment and witnesses him helping Dan. She says: "You've really been good this whole time, haven't you?"
" ranking at number 13 with an estimated $1.1 billion fortune.
Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
series of teen novels and the television series of the same name
Gossip Girl (TV series)
Gossip Girl is an American teen drama television series based on the book series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series was created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, and premiered on The CW on September 19, 2007...
. He is portrayed by English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actor Ed Westwick
Ed Westwick
Edward Jack P. "Ed" Westwick is an English actor and musician, best known for his role as Chuck Bass in the main cast on the American television series Gossip Girl.-Early life and career:...
. Although he is a secondary, antagonistic character in the original book series, in the television series Chuck is one of the main characters. The television series character is noted for his financial ambition, hedonistic lifestyle and personal style. Since they were children, Chuck has been best friends with Nate Archibald
Nate Archibald (Gossip Girl)
Nathaniel Fitzwilliam "Nate" Archibald is a character in the best selling Gossip Girl book series. He is portrayed by Chace Crawford in the television series of the same name...
, Serena van der Woodsen
Serena van der Woodsen
Serena Celia van der Woodsen is a fictional character in the young adult novel series Gossip Girl and its television adaptation. Serena is featured on the blog of the novel series' mysterious "Gossip Girl" narrator...
, and Blair Waldorf
Blair Waldorf
Blair Cornelia Waldorf is the main character of Gossip Girl, introduced in the original series of novels and also appearing in their television and manga adaptations. Described as "a girl of extremes" by creator Cecily von Ziegesar, she is a comical overachiever who possesses both snobbish and...
, who is his main romantic interest throughout the series. In the TV series, he is the adoptive brother of Serena and Eric van der Woodsen
Eric van der Woodsen
Eric van der Woodsen is a fictional character from the book series Gossip Girl and the television series of the same name. The television character is portrayed by Connor Paolo.-Novel series:...
and step-brother of Jenny
Jenny Humphrey
Jennifer Tallulah "Jenny" Humphrey is one of the characters in both the Gossip Girl and The It Girl series of novels by Cecily von Ziegesar...
and Dan Humphrey
Dan Humphrey
Daniel Randolph "Dan" Humphrey is a fictional character in the best selling Gossip Girl book series. He is the main male character in the television series of the same name and is portrayed by Penn Badgley. Daniel Humphrey is the son of Rufus Humphrey and has a younger sister, Jenny Humphrey. His...
.
Novel series
In the Gossip Girl novels, Chuck has a series of flings with male and female characters across the course of the series. Chuck's role is initially that of an antagonist to the main characters. Chuck resides with his family at the Plaza Hotel on the Upper East Side and attends school at the Riverside Preparatory School for Boys on the Upper West Side, along with scholarship student Dan HumphreyDan Humphrey
Daniel Randolph "Dan" Humphrey is a fictional character in the best selling Gossip Girl book series. He is the main male character in the television series of the same name and is portrayed by Penn Badgley. Daniel Humphrey is the son of Rufus Humphrey and has a younger sister, Jenny Humphrey. His...
. Chuck is largely friendless, but is tolerated by the others because of his family's enormous wealth. He is described as having flamboyant fashion sense, with a penchant for scarves, and has a pet monkey named Sweetie whom he carries around with him everywhere. Lazy and vain, Chuck's only interests are sex and money, and he is frequently chided by his father for lacking ambition and performing poorly in school. Following flings with numerous females and males, his only serious relationship comes near the end of the series, when he begins dating Blair Waldorf, a self-obsessed luxury loving teenager. In the twelfth book in the series, Gossip Girl: It Had To Be You (2007), Chuck is rejected from colleges because of poor grades and is sent to military school by his father. When next mentioned in Gossip Girl spin-off The Carlyles (2008), it is stated that Chuck never showed up to military school, and his whereabouts thereafter are unknown. In the thirteenth Gossip Girl novel, I Will Always Love You (2009), it is revealed that Chuck went off to Deep Springs College
Deep Springs College
Deep Springs is a private, all-male , alternative college in Deep Springs, California, in the United States. A two-year college, the institution currently aims for a student body size of 26, though the number is occasionally lower...
in California and returned a changed man, and to have dated main character Blair Waldorf
Blair Waldorf
Blair Cornelia Waldorf is the main character of Gossip Girl, introduced in the original series of novels and also appearing in their television and manga adaptations. Described as "a girl of extremes" by creator Cecily von Ziegesar, she is a comical overachiever who possesses both snobbish and...
in Oxford, England
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
for a year.
TV series
Constance Billard school is an exaggerated version of Gossip Girl author Cecily von ZiegesarCecily von Ziegesar
Cecily von Ziegesar is an American author best known for the young adult Gossip Girl books.-Early life and education:...
's alma mater, the Nightingale-Bamford School
Nightingale-Bamford School
The Nightingale-Bamford School is an independent all-female university-preparatory school founded in 1920 by Frances Nicolau Nightingale and Maya Stevens Bamford. Located in Manhattan on the Upper East Side, NBS is one of the top ranked private schools in New York City and among one of the...
. It was revealed in preparation for the 2007 TV series debut, Josh Schwartz
Josh Schwartz
-Film school at USC:In 1995, Schwartz realized his boyhood dream of attending film school to study screen and television writing at the University of Southern California...
hired recent graduates of Ziegesar's alma mater to retool several characters.
Chuck Bass was then reconfigured as a more central character, an antiheroic heterosexual playboy whose on-off relationship with Blair Waldorf
Blair Waldorf
Blair Cornelia Waldorf is the main character of Gossip Girl, introduced in the original series of novels and also appearing in their television and manga adaptations. Described as "a girl of extremes" by creator Cecily von Ziegesar, she is a comical overachiever who possesses both snobbish and...
serves as one of the show's major ongoing storylines. Chuck is the resident "bad boy" of the Upper East Side, and like Blair is both vengeful and manipulative; the two often scheme elaborate plans together. As the show progresses, Chuck develops a softer side, specifically towards Lily, Eric and Serena, his adoptive mother, brother and sister, Nate, his lifelong best friend, and Blair.
Season 1
Chuck grew up on the Upper East Side with his three best friends and fellow elites Nate ArchibaldNate Archibald
Nathaniel "Nate" Archibald is a former American professional basketball player. He spent 14 years playing in the NBA, most notably with the Kansas City Kings and Boston Celtics....
, Blair Waldorf
Blair Waldorf
Blair Cornelia Waldorf is the main character of Gossip Girl, introduced in the original series of novels and also appearing in their television and manga adaptations. Described as "a girl of extremes" by creator Cecily von Ziegesar, she is a comical overachiever who possesses both snobbish and...
, and future-stepsister Serena van der Woodsen
Serena van der Woodsen
Serena Celia van der Woodsen is a fictional character in the young adult novel series Gossip Girl and its television adaptation. Serena is featured on the blog of the novel series' mysterious "Gossip Girl" narrator...
. His father is Bart Bass, a self-made billionaire, which is irregular, compared to the Bass' old money friends. Chuck is often described as the "bad boy of his circle". Chuck is a playboy who sees women as recreational tools. Chuck frequently skips class and smokes marijuana.
In the pilot episode, Chuck attempts to rape both Serena and Jenny Humphrey
Jenny Humphrey
Jennifer Tallulah "Jenny" Humphrey is one of the characters in both the Gossip Girl and The It Girl series of novels by Cecily von Ziegesar...
. His depiction as a sexual predator was abandoned in subsequent episodes, where his flaws were watered down to being a womanizer and manipulating those around him.
In episode seven, "Victor/Victrola", Chuck purchases a burlesque
Burlesque
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects...
club, Victrola. After Nate and Blair break up, Blair visits Chuck at Victrola where she ends up performing on stage, and she later loses her virginity to him in the back of his limousine
Limousine
A limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....
. Though she tries to deny the encounter, Chuck buys a necklace for her and admits that he feels "butterflies" in her presence, leading to a clandestine sexual relationship. Despite this, Nate and Blair rekindle their relationship, leading to a jealous Chuck revealing to the anonymous "Gossip Girl" that Blair and Chuck had a sexual relationship. This leads Chuck to have a temporary rift with both Blair and Nate.
As Bart Bass and Lily van der Woodsen's relationship progresses, they decide to move their families in together. Chuck and Eric van der Woodsen
Eric van der Woodsen
Eric van der Woodsen is a fictional character from the book series Gossip Girl and the television series of the same name. The television character is portrayed by Connor Paolo.-Novel series:...
, Lily's son and Serena's younger brother, become especially close. When Serena begins receiving mysterious packages (pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
in the mail, alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
delivered to her at school), she automatically blames Chuck. Bart subsequently forces Chuck to move out of the family home. Serena discovers that the culprit was actually Georgina Sparks
Georgina Sparks
Georgina Sparks is a fictional character in the Gossip Girl novel series and a recurring character on the television series Gossip Girl. She is portrayed by actress Michelle Trachtenberg on the show...
, a past classmate of both Serena and Chuck. We later discover that Chuck lost his virginity to Georgina in the sixth grade. Chuck and Blair join together to prevent Georgina from further harming and embarrassing Serena. This process rekindles their bond, and they succeed in getting rid of Georgina.
At Bart and Lily's wedding
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
at the end of Season 1, Chuck apologizes and confesses to Nate that he was in love with Blair. During the wedding reception, Chuck gives a speech about forgiveness that is implied to be directed towards Blair. She accepts his apology and the two kiss. However, as they are about to embark on a trip to Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
together, Chuck gets cold feet
Cold feet
Cold feet is apprehension or doubt strong enough to prevent a planned course of action.Cold Feet may also refer to:*Project COLDFEET, a CIA operation in 1962*Cold Feet, UK television series*Cold Feet Cold feet is apprehension or doubt strong enough to prevent a planned course of action.Cold Feet...
. Blair leaves for Tuscany without him.
Season 2
In the season premiere, "Summer Kind of Wonderful", we learn Blair has stayed in Europe. Chuck regretted his actions but told this to Blair too late as she was already dating Lord Marcus Beaton. Blair asks Chuck to tell her he loves her, but his fear of commitment stops him.In order to gather material for a story, Dan tags along with Chuck for a night, ending with the two of them in jail after a fistfight. While in jail, Chuck tells Dan in confidence that Chuck's mother died while giving birth to him, and that his father blames him for her death, which explains their icy relationship. When Chuck later discovers that Dan was using him for a story, he feels betrayed and tells Dan that he was lying about all of it.
Chuck's storyline throughout season 2 mainly deals with his inability to tell Blair that he loves her. Eventually, his father is killed in a car accident. Lily adopts him so that he's able to own Bass Industries, making Serena and Eric his sister and brother. When Blair begins dating Nate again, Chuck realizes his true feelings for her. The two team up to take down Poppy Lifton, and Blair realizes that she still has feelings for Chuck as well. She breaks up with Nate. In the final episode of season 2, Chuck admits to Blair his true feelings and the two finally begin a relationship.
Season 3
When Season 3 returns, Chuck and Blair are very happy and very much in love. Chuck struggles to run Bass Industries to his deceased father's impeccably high standards. He opens up a hotel, The Empire. Halfway through the season, Chuck meets a woman claiming to be his mother. Hit with a sexual harassment suit at work, he temporarily signs over The Empire. She betrays him and signs the hotel over to his sinister uncle, Jack Bass, who has previously attacked Lily and slept with Blair.Chuck and Blair agree to team up to take down Jack, but Chuck ends up offering Blair to Jack in exchange for his hotel. When Jack tells Blair this, she breaks up with Chuck at Dorota and Vanya's wedding. Chuck tries desperately to win Blair back, doing everything from banning all of the other Upper East Side men from dating her to asking her to meet him on top of the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
. Blair decides that Chuck is her true love and she's going to meet him, but Dorota suddenly goes into labor and she ends up being late. Chuck, thinking she is finally over him, leaves the building heartbroken and nearly suicidal. When he gets home, he sees that Jenny Humphrey
Jenny Humphrey
Jennifer Tallulah "Jenny" Humphrey is one of the characters in both the Gossip Girl and The It Girl series of novels by Cecily von Ziegesar...
has arrived looking for Nate. The two drunkenly sleep together, heartbroken that their true loves don't return their feelings.
Blair appears later in Chuck's suite, apologizing for being late, and the two reunite. Chuck is about to propose to Blair at the hospital, as they visit Dorota and her new baby, when Dan appears and rashly delivers a punch to Chuck's face. He then forces Chuck to tell Blair what happened between him and Jenny. Blair breaks things off with Chuck and informs him it's for good. She also threatens to ruin Jenny's life if she doesn't leave Manhattan immediately for good. Chuck then travels to Prague to escape New York for a while, feeling as though he has nothing left. He gets robbed by three muggers who insist on taking the ring that Chuck intended on proposing to Blair with and when Chuck puts up a fight, he gets shot in the stomach. The last shot of season 3 is him lying in an alley, presumably dying.
Other story lines for Chuck in season 3 include a feud with his sister leading to him trying to break Nate and Serena up, as well as a phony sexual harassment suit filed against him by the staff at The Empire.
Season 4
In the first episode of season four, we find that Chuck is alive and well, having been rescued by Czech girl, Eva (Clemence PoesyClémence Poésy
Clémence Poésy is a French actress and fashion model. Since starting on the stage as a child, Poésy had dramatic education, and has been active on both film and television since 1999, including some English-language productions...
) who has no idea of his wealth or of who he is. He creates a fake name and persona as he no longer wants to be the manipulating Chuck Bass. He eventually reveals who he really is and returns to New York with her, at the request of Blair and Serena. Blair insists she no longer loves him, but still schemes to undermine his new relationship. He eventually falls for one of her schemes and breaks up with Eva. He realizes his mistake and begs her to take him back, but she refuses, saying that he showed his true feelings by continuing to believe Blair over anyone else.
Chuck then declares war on Blair and sabotages various aspects of her life by making her lose internships, inviting Jenny Humphrey
Jenny Humphrey
Jennifer Tallulah "Jenny" Humphrey is one of the characters in both the Gossip Girl and The It Girl series of novels by Cecily von Ziegesar...
back to town, and generally trying to make her miserable. They soon blossom into an enemies-with-benefits relationship.
In the "The Witches of Bushwick", Chuck accidentally tells Blair that he loves her during sex and, not knowing whether his words are true, Blair chooses to gloss over the moment. Although Chuck and Blair spend the episode striving for different ends which will eventually alienate each other (Blair to become the face of Anne Archibald's charity, Girls Inc, and Chuck to increase the revenue of The Empire by returning to his bad boy persona), Blair makes the decision to attend Chuck's Saints and Sinners party in order to confront him. Chuck confesses that he loves her, and the pair kiss in front of everyone after the curtain concealing them is pulled down. Anne tells Blair that she can no longer be a part of Girls Inc just as Chuck's publicist KC tells Chuck that she thinks Blair will be good for business. Blair re-thinks her decision to sacrifice it all for their relationship, and she and Chuck break up once again. Chuck promises he'll wait for her, and both affirm their belief that their love will reunite them in the end.
On thanksgiving Chuck and Blair run into each other at Serena's house, Chuck offers to leave but She tells him that she was heading to JFK anyway and came to drop off the traditional pie and that they should get used to this. They hear about Serena being hospitalized and while they're sharing that maybe nothing can change between them, Jenny walks in and their conversation interrupts. While driving Blair home, Chuck tells her that he showed up only for Serena. When she told him that what happened with Serena made her question what she told him after the Saints & Sinners party; Chuck tells her that he cannot be her friend now as much as he wishes he could. After that Blair still sends him her traditional pie, saying that even if they can't be friends it doesn't mean that they aren't.
In "The Townie" episode, It was revealed that Lily was going to sell Bass Industries instead of giving Chuck the company back. So he sets off to New Zealand, where his uncle Jack Bass is currently living. Chuck returns to the Upper East Side with revenge for Lily. Chuck's new love interest Raina and her father, Russell Thorpe, a former rival of Chuck's late father Bart Bass. Chuck, however, manages to save the company after it is reveled that Russell accidentally killed his wife in a building fire that Bart was originally accused of. Later, Blair is kidnapped by Russell, but Chuck saves her, and the two go to a Bar Mitzah. There, the two are seen dancing and smiling happily, disapproving the idea that Chuck cannot make Blair happy. The two have sex, and Blair decides she is going to leave Louis, but Chuck stops her, telling her that she needs to be with Louis because he makes her happy. At the end of the episode, Chuck decides to spend the summer traveling with Nate, and it also revealed that Blair may be pregnant with Chuck's baby.
Controversy
Following the 20th episode of Season 4, Safran spoke on behalf of the series regarding the scene in which Chuck became violent with Blair.In response to these comments, Carina MacKenzie of Zap2it
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
stated, "We're left wondering if Safran missed the part where she went home bleeding because Chuck was using physical intimidation to release his own emotions."
While reviewing the episode, Tierney Bricker of Zap2it remarked that there were "really no excuses for Chuck Bass anymore." MacKenzie concluded that Chuck's behavior throughout Season 4 fit the signs of an abusive relationship
Relational aggression
Relational aggression, also known as covert aggression or covert bullying, is a type of aggression in which harm is caused through damage to relationships or social status within a group rather than by means of actual or threatened physical violence...
, citing examples from HelpGuide.org, a non-profit health resource. She noted Chuck's public humiliation of Blair, his attempt to pawn her during a business deal, and his use of physical intimidation. MacKenzie also called the show's explanation "disturbing, particularly given the young, female target demographic of Gossip Girl and The CW."
Season 5
In the first episode of season 5, we find out that Chuck has spent his summer travelling the world with Nate. The two arrive in Los Angeles to meet up with Serena, who is working as an assistant on a film set. Seemingly over his break up with Blair, Chuck exhibits a positive outlook on life, telling Serena and Nate that he's seeking to experience everything he can in life. However, his heartbreak soon becomes apparent when he receives an invitation to Blair's upcoming wedding, which causes him to drive recklessly and get into a motorbike accident. In the following episode, it is revealed that Chuck has an emotional disorder as a result of his losing Blair, and which now causes him to be numb to physical and emotional stimuli. Dan Humphrey decides to help Chuck break through this emotional barrier, and gets him a dog, hoping to spark some emotion. However, it is only when Blair reveals to him that she is pregnant with Louis's baby does Chuck begin feel again - he is shown crying at the end of the episode. He names the dog "Monkey" (a homage to the pet monkey Chuck's character had in the books). He forms a reluctant friendship with Dan Humphrey from here on.He meets a psychiatrist, Eliza Barnes, who tells him that he acts out because he never had a childhood, and needs help. When he finds himself falling back into his old patterns, he calls Dr. Barnes, ready to seek help. However, it is revealed that Blair's fiance, Louis, gives Dr. Barnes money to upset Chuck, in hopes that he will do something reckless and drive Blair away forever. When Chuck finds this out, he publicly exposes both Dr. Barnes and Louis, leaving Blair devastated.
Later that same night, he goes to Blair's apartment to apologize to her for all the times he's hurt her and let her down. His apology recounts all the obstacles Chuck and Blair have faced in their relationship thus far, and prompts an emotional Blair to thank him. Chuck assures her that she is going to be "an amazing mother", having come to terms with her relationship with Louis. He resolves to keep his distance from her after that, but is seduced by her in "The Big Sleep No More", when a conflicted Blair seduces him in hopes to prove that his efforts to be a better man is just a ploy to win her back. When he kisses her, she slaps him, and tells him that he will never change. It is later revealed that he conspired with Dorota and kissed Blair in order to confirm her suspicions of him, and push her back to Louis. In the same episode, Serena states that Chuck has been seeing a therapist regularly. In the following episode, Blair figures out that Chuck tricked her when she goes to his apartment and witnesses him helping Dan. She says: "You've really been good this whole time, haven't you?"
Reception
Entertainment Weekly named Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf number one in their "Best Dressed TV characters of 2008" list, as well as in their "Best Performances" list for Ed Westwick, alongside co-star Leighton Meester. The character also made the "Forbes Fictional 15Forbes Fictional 15
The Forbes Fictional 15 is a list generated by Forbes magazine that lists the 15 richest people in the realm of fiction. The members are characters from movies, books, cartoons, television, video games, and comics....
" ranking at number 13 with an estimated $1.1 billion fortune.