Georgina Sparks

Georgina Sparks is a fictional character in the Gossip Girl novel series and a recurring character on the television series of the same name, in which she was portrayed by Michelle Trachtenberg.

While the novel series portrays her as a harmless, friendly drug-addicted little girl, the television adaptation portrays her as a cruel, manipulative young socialite who creates havoc throughout the show. Originally conceived as the series' primary antagonist, by the final season Georgina came into the good graces of the Upper East Side - even becoming a member of their inner circle.

She is notable for her manipulative machinations and sudden returns throughout the series, and for appearing in all the finales, and most recently the latter half of the fifth season in light of cast members Taylor Momsen and Jessica Szohr departing. In the sixth season of the show, she appears in eight of ten episodes. Georgina also appears in the second season of the HBO Max sequel series.

Novel series

Georgina Spark (Sparks in the television series), known as Georgie, is a pretty New York celebutante and probably the wealthiest character in the saga. She somewhat resembles Snow White: she is slim and has long, straight, silky dark brown hair, almost black, thin black eyebrows, dark brown eyes, dark red lips, pale skin and an average-sized bust. She is a talented equestrian who has won numerous awards. A rumor has it that she studied at the same boarding school — Hanover Academy — as Serena. Georgie is fatherless and her mother largely neglects her. Lost and adrift, she has an addictive personality and often behaves in extravagant and reckless ways. Among other things, she sold her favorite competition horse to buy fifty grams of cocaine. She lost all her friends because of her troubles. She and Nate meet during a stay in rehab at the Rupture Breakaway. They date for a while and, one evening, when Nate comes to see her at her mansion, the young woman overdoses after taking an excessive amount of various pills. The golden boy then saves her life by contacting their addiction counselor. They later go together to Sun Valley for spring break, where Georgie runs into Serena and Blair Waldorf. Georgie’s relationship with Nate ends when she and Chuck Bass are arrested by the police for sledding completely naked on a public highway. She then returns to rehab, this time in Switzerland.

In sixth grade, she and Chuck lost their virginity together.

She gave Chuck a South American snow monkey as a thank-you to his parents for getting them both out of jail and then covering up the incident. Contrary to what is shown in the television series, Georgina gets along fairly well with Serena and Chuck. Her mother and Misty Bass are cousins, which even makes her and Chuck third cousins[11]. A notable difference between her character in the book and in the television series is that, in the novels, Georgina has no cruel intentions toward anyone and interacts only minimally with the main characters. She gets along quite well with Serena and Chuck, although they do not spend much time together.

Television series

Casting

Tim Stack of Entertainment Weekly reported that Michelle Trachtenberg took on the role that actress Mischa Barton had been previously offered. The Buffy alumna was cast into the role of Georgina Sparks, described by Michael Ausiello as "an adolescent Cruella". Creator Josh Schwartz states that, "Georgina was [Serena's] enabler, her best friend, and her id." The actress stated that the character is "basically the evil bitch from hell" and that "She's been part of the Gossip kids' lives for a long time, and she's coming back around to make her presence known." She describes the role as "the best character I have ever played," saying "It's awesome playing the bad girl," and compared her previous role on Buffy as something very different from her current role as Georgina. She has stated that the character is "incredibly evil, manipulative and pretty much just takes no prisoners, and she doesn't care about the consequences." Trachtenberg also draws her on her "own painful teen experience in her L.A. private school," citing her work on Harriet the Spy as an inspiration for her portrayal of the character.

Season 1

Georgina Sparks, a girl who had frequently partied with Serena van der Woodsen, returns to New York from Switzerland. Georgina is first mentioned in "The Blair Bitch Project" when Serena discovers that she had been sending her packages of champagne, porn, sex toys and drugs—not Chuck. Serena apologizes to Chuck and shows him Georgina's recent letter. However, he later reassures her that Georgina is still in Switzerland.

Although Chuck has assured her, Georgina steals her family's jet and arrives in Manhattan to surprise Serena with a visit to her high school, Constance Billard, during the "Desperately Seeking Serena" episode. Serena's plans to study with Dan Humphrey for the SATs are interrupted when Georgina persuades her to go out and catch up with each other over drinks. She reluctantly agrees, but after a few cocktails, her wild-child persona returns. However, she answers a call from Georgina's phone, revealing she had still been in contact with drug dealers. Serena leaves the bar, realizing that Georgina has stayed the same. Since she had missed her study date with Dan, Chuck helps Serena conceal the truth—claiming she had suffered from food poisoning the previous night. When Serena realizes Georgina's intentions, she reverts to her good-girl persona. Serena apologizes for the missed study plans and says she will meet Dan and Blair at the SATs the next day. Georgina calls, asking Serena to go out to dinner. She initially declines the offer, but Georgina assures her it will just be a casual drink between friends. To further persuade her, Georgina tells her how she has been inspired to change her ways after seeing Serena the other day. Impressed, Serena meets Georgina for dinner, who compliments her on how much she's changed. With Serena being distracted on a call with Dan, Georgina had slipped unknown drugs into Serena's Diet Coke. Serena frantically wakes up in Georgina's apartment the next morning and misses the SATs. Georgina packs her bags to leave Manhattan until Serena confronts her, seeking to end their friendship, having realized that she makes too many mistakes when she's around her. Georgina recounts a past incident which Serena quickly dismisses. This incident is revealed later in the season and becomes a significant plot point for Serena. Unfortunately for Serena, Georgina changes her mind, unpacks her bags and meets Dan in Central Park while introducing herself as Sarah.

Determined to impose her presence in Serena's life, Georgina becomes friends with Dan and Vanessa under the guise of Sarah. Georgina sends Serena a video of what appears to be Serena in a sex tape. Afterwards, she invites herself into the van der Woodsen's home, subsequently outing Eric during dinner. Distressed, Serena runs to Dan; he introduces her to Sarah, who Serena is shocked to discover is Georgina in disguise. Georgina then proceeds to blackmail Serena with the video threatening to reveal all the dark secrets from her past.

Serena has a breakdown and eventually confides in Blair, Nate and Chuck. She reveals to her friends an instance from her past that brought her guilt: After Serena had sex with Nate at a wedding, Serena joined Georgina and a boy named Pete Fairman at a hotel. Georgina hid a video camera in the room to film a sex tape of Pete and Serena. Serena was not in the mood, though, and instead passed Pete a line of cocaine which he subsequently overdosed on. Panicked, Serena called the emergency services, and she and Georgina fled the hotel. After learning that Pete had died, Serena ran away to boarding school.

Chuck lost his virginity to Georgina in sixth grade; he recalls her partying attitude before Serena abruptly left for boarding school. Serena explains that Georgina is blackmailing her into continuing the lifestyle they used to have.

At Rufus's concert, Nate tells Vanessa about Sarah's true identity. However, Georgina has successfully deceived Dan by confessing her real name and a tale about needing the identity of Sarah. She concocted a story about an abusive ex-boyfriend, which caused her to need a disguise from her past. When Georgina learns about Dan and Serena's breakup due to her constant lies to cover up secrets, Georgina tells Dan she fell in love with him at first sight. After they kissed, Georgina calls Serena on Dan's phone. She claims, “all bets are off,” implying she will have sex with him that night. Dan and Georgina then walk away together, holding hands.

The next morning Serena confronts Georgina at Dan's apartment and furiously tries to attack her. After Georgina leaves; Serena with Blair’s assistance tells Dan the truth about Georgina. Dan believes Serena, and devises a plan to get rid of Georgina. Dan calls Georgina up and has her meet him in Central Park; he consequently leaves her after she confesses her feelings for him and is met by Blair who has tracked down Georgina's parents. Blair reveals that Georgina was supposed to be at an equestrian circuit but sold her show pony for cocaine. Georgina was in fact in a rehabilitation center in Utah where she escaped, hitchhiked into a town, stole a credit card and booked a ticket to Ibiza. Georgina is left with her parents who decide her fate by sending her to a boot camp for troubled young girls, originally where Lily threatened to send Serena amidst her daughters old habits returning, upon Blair's suggestion.