Take teenagers who cannot wait to do adult-like things and pair them with a privileged childhood. What do you get? Sometimes it's hard to comprehend that "Gossip Girl" aired its first episode more than a decade ago. Thankfully, those who are not eager to re-watch the episodes can have something that's more fitting for their time: "Dynasty."
But first, the obvious differences
"Gossip Girl" started in a high school setting, where its lead character, Blair Waldorf, struggled with deciding to invite her minions to exclusive parties while maintaining her stellar grades.
With its rumored reboot, "Gossip Girl" might continue with the same storyline to appeal to a younger audience. "Dynasty," on the other hand, talks about a Blair-ish character, only aged up and put in the corporate setting. And she goes by the name Fallon Carrington. Fallon's past is hinted to be similar to Blair's, but it's all water under the bridge for the femme fatale, whose main goal is to make a name for herself in a decidedly male-dominated society.
Blair's best friend, but often the enemy, Serena van der Woodsen, sees a counterpart in Fallon's Monica Colby, despite their different pasts. Serena, like Blair, has always been rich; Monica and her brother, Jeff Colby, has had a rough childhood due to Fallon's father's scheming ways that make him an aged-up version of Blair and Chuck Bass combined.
It remains to be seen whether Fallon and Monica's friendship turns out to be true, just as Blair and Serena sorted out the jealousy issues that always tore them apart.
Where the two stories intersect
Fallon and Blair are two memorable characters from two popular shows, but they are only two in each show's ensemble. Who could forget about Dan Humphrey--Gossip Girl herself?
Even Jenny Humphrey and Nate Archibald became household names, just as Jeff Colby, Steven Carrington, and Sammy Jo will soon be.
Each representative of their time of airing, both "Gossip Girl" and the "Dynasty" reboot are mirrors of the current "Trump" society. One of the notable changes from the 1981 original series is the diversity in casting.
In a society that constantly cries for diversity in the entertainment industry but also gives unfair chances to normal individuals due to their ethnical background, the show proves to be an accurate representation.
"Dynasty" executive producer Josh Schwartz, who was also behind "Gossip Girl," says the changes made in the 2017 "Dynasty" reboot are timely in a world that lives in "dynasties." Blood may sometimes go against blood, just as when Serena had to go against her half-sister, Charlie Rhodes, but alliances will always be formed, and it's important to make the right ones. And, at the end of the day, both shows say that it's not the name that makes a man (or woman); it's the path they choose to get to the top. There may be different hurdles, but hard work pays off.