Since we're (I assume) going to be seeing her regularly, I though Vanessa should have her own thread. So far, I'm neutral about the character and actress.

I think she's a welcome sight among all the WASPy looking cast. Other than that, uh, I love her hair?

I might be the only one in the entire universe who enjoys this character, if only because I'm seperating her from her book counterpart as much as I can. Book!Vanessa is annoying(ly awesome). TV!Vanessa has the potential to be annoying, but so far is just a clean slate.

I also think she's a breath of fresh air compared to the rest of the cast (which is not a knock at the rest of the cast, because they're all lovely looking). For once, when a character on TV says, "She's beautiful," about another character, I completely agree.

The thing with the B&Eing through Dan's bedroom window totally makes me think of Joey. And Dawson/Joey. (Which would make Dan the Dawson and Serena the Jen, but who is the Pacey?!)

Anyway, I think Jessica Szohr is gorgeous and that she has a nice rapport with Penn Badgely. I regret that her introduction was so clunky and that her framing as the anti-Serena was so unsubtle, but I think that her addition to the cast will ultimately be a good thing. She should add a lot to the narrative structure of the show. As Dan becomes less and less of an outsider, the tension between the glitzy UES stuff and the Humphreys' humbler lifestyle would mostly have evaporated. Vanessa will anchor that theme, and her presence should free Dan up to be a little less judgey-judgey.

I don't think I much like Vanessa. Given that she and Dan are best friends, but they hadn't spoken to each other in a year, I don't see how Vanessa could expect everything to be completely normal again so soon. I felt that she was completely intrusive what with her still popping in through his window. Plus, she's a bit too judgmental about Serena. And what was with her 'if it were me' crap? Creepy. Wrong. Embarrassing to watch.

I can't really hate Vanessa. It's not really her fault that the writers don't seem to have a clue what to do with her now they've introduced her. It's not as if they've given her much to do except give advice to Jenny. They don't even seem to be attempting to establish her friendship with Dan beyond her running lame interference between him and Serena. If I were the actress I'd probably look bored too.

And yes, it was presumptuous of her to think that she could come back after a year and start off where she left off with Dan, but I can't really see how that's any different than Serena coming back after a year of ignoring her Blair and expecting things to be the way they were when she left.

I hope they work on her character because outside of his relationship with Serena Dan doesn't seem to have any friends so I'd like to see him developing a non-romantic relationship with someone who isn't his sister. I mean I was a dork at school and pretty socially awkward, but even I had good friends. Not everyone is part of the cool set and I'm sure even Dan knows how to develop relationships. Come to that does Jenny have any friends outside of Blair's crew?

I find this character to be a hideous wretch, and a waste of screentime they could be devoting to other characters.



While it is good for Jenny to have a friend, I don't see any chemistry between Vanessa and Dan. At all. The thought of this pairing falls as flat as a steamrolled pigeon on the NYC streets this series is so fond of showcasing.

She offers nothing to me as a viewer, with all her snotty comments and her propensity for stalking ... I mean, dropping in on people when they least want to see her mangy mop head.

Considering the way they've made Dan and Serena the it-couple of the show (referencing book, so will spoiler it?) how close can they follow the books? Isn't Vanessa sort of like Dan's true love? I wonder if they'll ditch that considering the chemistry between Dan/Serena. I mean, I'm sure he'll hook up with Vanessa at some point, but I don't see her being able to rival Serena (in the show, that is).

I'm only on like Chapter 10 of Pride and Prejudice, but I think I can safely say that Vanessa is TOTALLY Miss Bingley without the social status.

I find her pretty dull, I don't love her or hate her. I didn't even notice she was gone from the latest few episodes.

Didn't Josh Schwartz and company used to visit The O.C. forums? I hope they're doing the same with GG, so they can see how much people dislike Vanessa. I don't necessarily want her gone (although I wouldn't complain if we never saw her again), but I can't stand the character as she is now.

Okay I am trying to pin down what makes me insanely negative towards her.

So far I have figured out that she purposely and inexplicably walks like one of her legs is broken; I think this is to convey her "I'm so cute and vulnerable" false image.

Also she has a very weird clicky thing going on when she speaks, at the back of her throat.

Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa. She is one of those characters that has fallen victim to writers thinking that we will all accept her awesome without giving us any examples of actual awesome. But I remain positive that they can bring her around. After all, in the begining I hated Lily, Chuck and Dan. Now the first two are two of my absolute favorites and the third is slowly growing on me.

I think her most annoying trait is her self-satisfaction that borders on smugness. It's possible for a teenage girl to be self-assured without being cocky.

I think the actress is really making some unfortunate acting choices (although the writing isn't doing her any favors either). On paper, who wouldn't sympathize with the girl from the wrong side of the tracks competing with an UES princess for the affections of a boy (that just so happens to be her bestfriend?). But ugh, I CANNOT stand Vanessa and that obnoxious smugness she brings to every scene. While every other actor on this show (even Chace Crawford) has managed to bring some vulnerability and depth to their roles, all I get from Vanessa is annoyance and arrogance. There's nothing even remotely sympathetic about her and I find myself FF through most of her scenes. I think half the problem with D/S and why they seem so boring to some is that Vanessa is not a viable or realistic obstacle for them to overcome. If Vanessa were somebody to root for, somebody that would actually be a semi acceptable alternative for Dan, then we might have something here. But it's so obvious that V is nothing to D/S, so what exactly is the point of the character?

The thing that personally annoys me the most is that the actress can't keep her face still. Admittedly, it is an improvement over Chace, who barely moves his, but it's just all so too-too for me. I never saw What About Brian, so can't speak at to whether or not it's an entire "acting thing", but all her scenes with Dan, she's... rubbery. Jerking her face and eyes around isn't acting. She needs to tone it down considerably.

She nods with every syllable.

And she speaks with a faux accent like this: "HUMPHRAAAAAAAAY."

"Whaaayer's Humphraaaaaaay?"

Yes, that's it! I hate her accent! It's almost a valley girl, Kristin Cavalleri accent. She draws out all her words in the most annoying way possible.

When I finally managed to stop laughing hysterically at this, I realized that you're so right. Where did she pick up this funky accent? And, more importantly, where would her character pick it up?

No idea. According to Jennifer Szohr's IMDB bio, she's from Wisconsin. So the fact that she has this very pronounced affectation is really kinda puzzling. No wonder I can't muster up an ounce of sympathy for the character, what with her drawling and stretching out every syllable. Even her supposed heart breaking monologue to Humphraaaaaay about her undying love for him was more irritating then vulnerable. Yuck.

Ha! I love you guys.

Okay, this is what Vanessa does (I'm sorry I can't stop.)

Asks extremely inappropriate and personal questions (about Alison leaving Rufus, about whether Dan and Serena had sex last night, about where Humphray is every single second) and then when the person she's asking looks at her like she's a douchebag, she totally fakely backs down and says "Oh my god, where are my manners, why would I ask such a thing, it's none of my business" and then proceeds to do the exact same thing with a new person in a new scene. She also, as Jacob would say, stomps the hell all over the place telling people information she certainly should not, because she has no brain or manners.

I'd really enjoy a Vanessa and Blair friendship.

Okay, one thing that bugged me about Vanessa in the last two eps is how she likes to bait people so she can pat herself on the back later.

In Roman Holiday, she eavesdropped on Dan and Serena's conversation about their gift budgets and like the opportunistic creep she is, suggested to Serena his favorite bookstore reminding S how much she knows Dan better. Then Serena had to go back later to apologize to Vanessa and Vanessa didn't want to "gloat" when she shouldn't have been nosy in the first place.

In School Lies, I was actually warming up to her character for beating Chuck at his own game and doing the decent thing at the end until she had to point out that she did the decent thing herself... no, Vanessa, the decent thing would've been to not film people on their property and conversing privately when they told you not to. When they didn't even invite you to their home. Blair could've kicked Vanessa out of her home, but she didn't and Vanessa proceeds to be her creepy self.

I've criticized Jessica, but I'm beginning to see the poor writing of her character now.

I am completely confused about this character,-is she supposed to be the same age as Dan? Or is she supposed to be older? Because she seemingly has no parents, lives alone, pays her own rent, doesn't go to school, etc. If anyone has any info/insight, much appreciated. Also, if anyone filmed me in my house after I told them not to, I'd be furious.

In the books, Vanessa lives in Williamsburg with her older sister Ruby, who is in her early twenties. Ruby is in a band that's pretty popular, locally.

Since we heard Dan say that he was in charge of Vanessa's sister's van for the weekend (in "Blair Waldorf Must Pie"), I would assume that her living situation is similar to the one in the books.

This character has so not been thought through, which is why nothing makes sense IMO.

If she lives with her sister, and is a minor, then why is she so worried about paying her rent? I mean I can understand chipping in from her money at the coffee shop, but they made it sound like she lived alone and it was all up to her to come up with the money.

Does she or does she not go to school? Nothing is ever mentioned and she's always hanging around St. Jude's/Constance during obvious school hours.

She has no ties to any of the characters except Dan, so she's always tagging along and ending up in places she has no business being. And then she's her annoying smug, entitled self when crashing those places!

Not only do I agree with chickens clap, Vanessa deserved whatever smackdown Chuck and/or Blair wanted to put down on her. Girl was working my last nerve.

ITA, Miss Scarlett. It is all very confusing! At the same time, I can't honestly say that I want to know more about Vanessa's homelife or schooling. And from a practical standpoint, it seems like the additional casting and sets or location shoots that would be required would be expensive and superfluous -- the show is about students on the UES. I can't help thinking that it was a poor choice on the part of the show's creative team to not include her at Constance.

If Vanessa attended Constance, like she did in the books, she could actually have a real place on the show. As it is, she's being thrown haphazardly into the path of the UESers, via her relationship with Dan. I think they've thought up some creative ways to include her, but none of them have helped her become a real character. It's like she's more of a plot device, and a generally unwelcome one at that.

Like QueenAnne was saying in the "School Lies" thread, it would be interesting if they could find a way to include her at Constance. If she got a scholarship, I thing it would be especially interesting to see what happened to her relationship with Jenny. She'd probably be counting on Jenny as a friend at Constance, and I'd love it if Jenny ended up blowing her off in her quest for popularity.

Thanks CaitieUGA for the info- I haven't read the books, so I was really in the dark. The show really made a muddle out of her. I'd still love to know why she never seems to go to school.

Good point. If it were some sort of Party of Five-esque situation where her early-twenties sister was sole support, and they were orphans, then I can see her theoretically having to come up with 40% or 50% of the rent. But if they've got parents, one assumes the parents would pay some sort of support if Vanessa insisted she couldn't live without being in New York. Do we know who she was staying with when she went out of town to Connecticut? If it was their parents, then the concept really makes no sense.

Seeing her confront G was the only time I ever liked Vanessa. Most times I find her obnoxious and out of place. But her mouthiness was put to good use when she told Georgina straight up not to mess.

Other than that, I could do without Vanessa in my GG world. Pairing her with Nate was an interesting twist but there's something about her integration with the Constance gang that brings all sorts of awkwardness into the mix. Not sure that I like it.

I think that Nate and Vanessa decided to end their relationship and to help each other pursue their *true loves/obessions* Serena and Dan over the summer months.

Vanessa makes me not entirely bored by Nate. Yay to this Vanessa S2.

I know there are lots of folks who don't like Vanessa...but I have to say...from the time she was moved to being a love interest for Nate by the end of last season I liked her. I like how Nate is with her and after last episode especially, I'm a Vanessa fan.

I wish Vanessa would move back to Vermont. She has annoyed me since her first appearance. Plus, because of her, the show missed a golden opportunity for a non-judging breakfast club reunion.

I'm so going to start shipping Vanessa/anywhere-else-but-the-NY-state. What a bitch for stealing a letter that wasn't hers...

I didn't care that she took the letter. It was shitty but I thought it was human and for once, appropriate to her age. She likes Nate and now that she has another chance with him doesn't want to lose him to Jenny, who she probably sees as this little 15 year old child with this great life who doesn't even appreciate what she has. Taking it rang a lot truer to me than her putting it back and stepping aside in some great show of maturity. Besides I think V has already thrown her pride aside when it comes to Nate considering he basically said earlier that since he hadn't heard from Jenny in a while sure he'd call her.

L star, I'm with you. Most of my Vanessa problems stem from her being overly judgmental. Taking the letter was a shitty thing to do, but it was just the move a teenage girl would make. Personally, I think Vanessa has a major inferority complex, and much of what she does is overcompensating. Which makes me wonder why her and Dan haven't been revisited- they really do suit each other well, and might even tone down their behavior if they had a significant other to commiserate with.

Taking the letter is something that a teenager would do. But Vanessa doesn't look like a teenager to me - she looks much older, in her twenties. So for her to take that letter does seem very bad. And right after her spiel about "some boy should not come between friends." She is such a hypocrite - she did the same thing with blackmailing Blair, and now Jenny. Jenny is her friend!

I so need the show to have B expose Vanessa's little theft. She has been looking down on and judging B since the moment she met her, and would like the tables to be turned on her for once.

On the bright side, Vanessa suddenly got a little more interesting ;)

I agree. Her relationship with Nate has made me like them both. Apart they're a bit bland but together they come to light and are warm and full of life.

And interesting enough the only other person they both have mad chemistry with is Chuck.



I think after Jenny and Eric Vanessa looks the youngest in the teen cast. Her scenes with Dan and Serena in Handmaiden's Tale and 17 Candles used to make me laugh because of how much younger she looked than the two of them, as in she looked like an actual teenager and they looked 21+.

Vanessa, ups to you. Yeah, she can be judgemental against the richies...but that's because they generally treat the Brooklynites like dog poo and she clearly is bitter and scarred about it. But she can be classy. And I felt for her big time this last ep.

Also Jessica Szohr can act for sure.

Actually, the whole cast is quite good in the acting department.

Other shows on TV take note: good acting is good.

I'm glad to see I'm not totally insane for appreciating Vanessa these last two episodes. From helping Nate to hiding that letter, she showed that she's human, unlike Danny Humphrey.

Chuck has chemistry with everyone.

I really wanted to like Vanessa at the start but her insipid self-insertion every step of the way is not made better by the actress's poor performance. I realize the character kind of sucks, but the way Vanessa is played makes me really hate her and what makes it worse is that I think I'm supposed to like her with her real-world problems (rent) and moral high ground (as if). Even in the Jenny-Nate-Vanessa triangle, I was rooting for the idiocy that is J.Humphrey and when Vanessa cries, I smile.

I must respectfully disagree, Love2Hate in the sense that I never thought Vanessa was a character the viewers/readers should like. I also believe that the actress is not that bad. I'd say she's on par with some other weaker cast members, but she has potential.

Good! Because I hate her!

I have disliked most of the characters at some point or another, but none grate like Vanessa. I suppose that's why I blamed the actress.

I've had a hard time determining what the writer's intentions with Vanessa are as far as likeability goes. We get that scene in S1 where she and Serena bond over Guitar Hero, and her being generally supportive of Dan & Jenny in S1. But then we get scenes with her attempts to blackmail Blair (in a very hurtful way, I might add) and backstabbing Jenny by stealing the letter & dating Nate behind her back. Maybe they're trying to give V layers and show she has flaws despite her high ideals. What I do find is that a lot of the time V comes off as smug and judgmental. I think that's how the character is written vs specific acting choices, but I could be wrong.

I do think that Jessica brought her "A" game with that scene with Nate in 2-11. I do find it weird that she feels so much for Nate, given the supposed epic!LOVE she had with Dan prior to moving to Vermont, but the show has always been a bit loose with their character continuity.

I think we're supposed to like Vanessa, especially given comments like the one from Jenny in 2x12 that "Vanessa's ten times the person you'll ever be," to Penelope and Co. Only it's not working too well (for me, anyway.) I think she's just as flawed as all the other characters, only she (and the writers) don't seem to realize it, which I often find irritating.

I never got that sense they want us to like her, but good catch on highlighting that Jenny's quote. At any rate, they surely will notice it's not working? Or did they already do so and started showing Vanessa's transgressions sprinkled along the season to make us empathize with her not so perfect side.