Blair gets excited when her mother, Eleanor, chooses her to be the new face of her clothing line. However, Blair's happiness turns quickly into feelings of betrayal and jealousy when Serena takes her spotlight and Blair finds herself back in Serena's shadow. Meanwhile, Serena and Dan remember once again that they come from two very different worlds. Also, Nate and Chuck do a boys weekend to blow off steam after Ivy Week ends.

Dan invites Serena and her family to spend the holiday with his family, creating an uncomfortable situation for Rufus and Lily. The children are unaware of their complicated romantic past. Meanwhile, Blair's freaks out when she learns that her father isn't coming home for Thanksgiving. Nate spends the holiday with his family, but their awkward dinner quickly goes from bad to worse.

As the summer draws to a close in the Hamptons, Serena and Nate have everyone fooled into thinking they are a couple to cover up the fact that Nate has been hooking up with a married, older woman. Blair returns from abroad with a hot guy on her arm, making a very jealous Chuck question his decision to leave Blair stranded at the heliport. Dan has spent the summer assisting a famous author. While interning for Eleanor Waldorf's company, Jenny sneaks an invite to a much-coveted Hamptons' White Party at which Eric introduces her to socialite Tinsley Mortimer.

In a humorous twist, Blair questions the lack of passion in her relationship with Marcus, while at the same time Chuck appears to have lost his "passion" for any woman other than Blair. Meanwhile, Nate struggles between his feelings for Vanessa and his more-complicated-by-the-day relationship with Catherine. Jenny risks losing her internship when Eleanor catches Jenny critiquing one of the Eleanor Waldorf designs.

Blair and her minions decide to befriend the new girl, Amanda, in order to sabotage her possible new relationship with Dan. Vanessa discovers a scandalous secret about Catherine and enlists Blair's scheming expertise to use the information to help Nate. Meanwhile, Lily finds herself drawn back to her ex, Rufus, once again.

In the midst of Fashion Week, a furious Blair learns that her mother, Eleanor, at the suggestion of her protege Jenny, has given Serena and her new socialite friend, Poppy Lifton, front row seats to the Eleanor Waldorf show. Hurt once again by Serena's popularity and her mother's betrayal, Blair decides to sabotage the show. Meanwhile, Dan starts hanging out with Chuck, but a walk on the dark side always has its risks and Dan learns that the hard way. Lily learns a secret that her new husband, Bart, has been keeping from her.