This story contains details from the Season 2 finale ofHBOMaxsGossip Girl.
Since news of the shows cancellation broke last week, the episode now also serves as aseries finale.
I asked HBO Max if I actually could go back in [to the episode].
Gossip GirlHBO Max
We got the editorial team back together.
I went in and I lifted a bunch of stuff, I changed as much as I could.
I couldnt do as much as I wanted, because I couldnt re-shoot anything, obviously.
Aki and Audrey stay together, but Max splits.
That, Safran says, was meant to set the gears in motion for the Season 3 plot.
Below, Safran breaks down more about the finale, as well as his plans for Season 3.
How were you intending to approach this episode?
What loose ends were you tying up, and what did you want to leave open?
JOSH SAFRAN:It definitely wasnt approached as a series finale, when we wrote it.
We even had a Season 3 mini [writers] room to break the arc for Season 3.
So it was meant to launch Season 3.
I asked HBO Max if I actually could go back in.
I had the idea to take some of the cliffhangers out, because there were a lot of cliffhangers.
So we got the editorial team back together.
I went in and I lifted a bunch of stuff, I changed as much as I could.
I couldnt do as much as I wanted, because I couldnt re-shoot anything, obviously.
So it closes out kind of, but it was never meant to [end the series].
Even Kate being found out and being arrested was meant to tip off a story in Season 3.
It was never built to be series finale.
We knew we were going to kill the teachers story.
I guess thats the biggest thing.
I knew that it was time to end that, but there was going to be more.
SAFRAN:It was lovely.
Even back on the web connection, maybe it would come back mid season.
You wouldnt know, and you wouldnt want to leave the audience without too much.
We only did it once.
But for this, you never know with streaming.
So I definitely wanted to close out the season and just leave a tease.
The same thing was with Season 1.
The characters were in a pretty good place at the end of Season 1.
You just could see the seeds.
DEADLINE: That Met Gala scene is so much fun.
It feels like you wrote it as a heist, of sorts.
SAFRAN:We always wanted to do the Met Gala, which Ive talked about before.
This time we decided we would do the Met Gala that had previously happened, so that helped us.
Of course,Oceans 8had their heist.
It was like, Whats theGossip Girlversion ofOceans 8?
We had a lot of fun building that out.
I had the luxury, the privilege of directing that episode.
So I knew how to place everybody.
This cast loves each other so much, and at that event, theyre all there.
So everybody was there together for three full days on that set.
It was a blast.
We did build it as a heist, Ill just say more succinctly.
In the writers room, we were like, This is a heist.
The heist is: Who is Gossip Girl?
Its got to get announced somehow, everything has to go according to plan.
So I echo that here.
I had Julien explain the whole plot, and you see the plans starting to get into motion.
And then from there, it just became: How many people can we put in one room?
How many secrets have to come out?
And whats the order to do it?
DEADLINE: Andy Cohen makes an appearance in this episode.
How did that come about?
So we always talked about Andy Cohen and the Bravo universe.
We were like, Why had we never dealt with that before?
Then somebody had the idea, like, why not Andy himself?
And we were like, Oh, my God, absolutely.
So we asked him, which it was insane that he said yes.
He doesnt usually act, especially as himself.
DEADLINE: Well, and hes there when Kate is exposed asGossip Girl, which is also brilliant.
SAFRAN:That was the first thing we shot with him, and that was just so fun.
The cast loved him and people walking down the street were calling out to him.
It was really just a great time.
I really hoped that ifGossip Girlcontinued there would be more crossover with his universe.
DEADLINE: Lets talk some more about what was removed from the episode.
I know fans will be curious about Monet and Luna.
Was that the ending you always envisioned for them?
SAFRAN:Nothing changed with that story.
It was always going to end with Luna having achieved the success that Julien could have only ever dreamed.
The only thing that changed was stuff around Aaron Dominguezs character.
That did not involve Monet or Luna or Shan.
Aarons character interacted with Julien, Zoya, and Audrey.
I cut the Julien and Audrey parts of that story.
There was some dialogue I cut between the characters with more hints of things to come.
But yes, they are both talking about Aaron.
That was also excised.
DEADLINE: Lunas decision to cut Julien off was sad but also predictable.
I am going to miss their dynamic though.
SAFRAN:You would have loved Season 3 then, because were not getting rid of Luna.
Luna is taking more of a center stage.
So there was gonna be a fun story there.
We had spent a lot of time over the two seasons fostering a friendship between Luna and Max.
We were really excited to explore Lunas level of celebrity.
Julien is an influencer.
She wants to be a great influencer, but theres no such thing as the top influencer.
She was happy to be a celebrity in that way.
But Luna is a super star.
Luna is a supermodel.
Luna is all over the world.
So the dynamic would still be there.
DEADLINE: Lets talk about that end credits scene.
SAFRAN:Yes, well, money speaks a different language.
I think Jordan is a character who has never gotten the spotlight.
All of the hard work he put in was never rewarded.
So he would be grabbing that brass ring much faster than his morals.
What was going to be fun there was the idea of democratizingGossip Girl, but not really.
Meaning, we all go on our apps and think we control our content.
But a corporation is controlling all of that, not us.
What happens when those two things come together?
We were going to create our own version of TikTok basically.
And the teachers roles would still be in the show, but they were going to change.
Their storyline would have been lighter.
But I actually think the audience has really come around to them in Season 2.
They got a little more devious this year, a little more God Complex-y.
So Season 3 would have gone even further down that road.
SAFRAN:Thats exactly what we would have done.
But it is a very slight hope, I have to be honest.
Its next to nothing at this point.
But yes, we would have played in that universe.
SAFRAN:The show was not a failure.
Its not going to reach aStranger Thingsaudience or aHouse of the Dragonaudience.
So the problem was just inherent in having the budget be what it was.
The clothes, the locations, the food…
It was an incredible world to play in.
I also think that executives and companies are wise enough to know that.
Meaning they cant afford to make the version that is making it successful.
So why make a lesser version?
I dont see it happening.
If it did, I would be overjoyed.
I think everybody would be back in an instant.
Its just the nature of where the business is at right now.
DEADLINE: Im curious how you feel about the current streaming era as a creator.
Thats all anybody wanted to hear for the lifetime of television.
Do you have enough?
Is the engine enough to keep it going?
So now, oftentimes, when youre pitching, people still want to know that.
Because in success, you hope that Emily can stay in Paris for six years.
Thats the hope, right?
But shows dont get that chance.
Or should I be trying to create a show that still can run eight years?
I havent figured that out.
Im lucky that the project that Im working on now at AMC is kind of a limited series.
Its not meant to go on for years.
I dont know whats gonna happen.
I still believe that audiences want 22 episodes of their shows.
I think that helps grow the audience and helps keep the audience.
The real problem is the span between seasons for shows.
How do you get people back?
Overall, theres going to be less content, which is a good thing if you ask me.
But still, its hard, right?
Because youre vying even more for a prized spot that still may not last as long as you want.
