Serena Van Der Woodsen would, I think, desperately want Joey Potter to like her. She’d treat Joey like a Lady Dan, and court Joey’s approval of her; Joey, unlike Dan, would roll her eyes and treat Serena like Audrey — a totally reasonable and cool and fun and supportive college roommate, the jackpot of the random draw, whom Joey couldn’t handle because Joey lacks basic social skills. It would end with Joey grudgingly allowing that Serena isn’t terrible, and then Serena flitting off somewhere to forget Joey ever existed, satisfied simply with the trophy.

Anyway: Their portrayers were at the same event, so of course it got me thinking. As for the clothes: I appreciate Blake going for the Human Sunshine angle here, but does this not feel… half-cooked? There is a dress. It is present. It is on her, it is formal. But Blake Lively is not someone who EVER punts on her footwear, and yet lo and behold, we have half-assed shoes. We also have half-assed hair, and while I am loath to bestow the same criticism on someone who has seemingly eschewed makeup, the fact is that the gown demands a bit more. This entire aesthetic is, “Trying on Prom dresses at the mall with Mom; texting pics to friends and saying DON’T JUDGE THE STYLING because I had just pulled my shirt off over my head for the tenth time.”

Joey fared better:

American Ballet Theatre Spring 2017 Gala

That is a great dress, and she looks fabulous in it. Would it have killed her to add a lip color? Presumably not. I’d like, for convenience, to assume the one she’s wearing rendered better in person, and that she’s got a secret bracelet on her wrist. Because that would uncomplicate my feelings about the rest of this — namely, that it’s a glorious departure from how rumpled and weird Katie often appears at non-gala events. These days I’ll take my cheer wherever I can get it.