['Gossip Girl' - 'Memoirs of an Invisible Dan']

Lonely Boy definitely lived up to his nickname this week; Dan may be on the cusp of literary greatness, but with friends and family feeling stung by their fictional portrayals, our budding Hemingway found himself alone in a room full of people, and his Amazon ranking certainly won't make waffles with him in the morning.

This week's 'Gossip Girl' was firing on all scandalous cylinders, elevating itself above guilty pleasure viewing to recapture some of the sparkle of its glory days. The whole gang got together, which always guarantees fireworks, and there were moments to tease both the loyal Chair and the Dair fans. Serena's selfishness was back with a vengeance, and Ivy got herself a new ally -- or did she?

Join us after the jump for our five favorite moments from this week's episode.

1. Dan's Social Suicide
It's not just Muppet hair that Dan has to contend with; the truth may be stranger than fiction, but it's obviously difficult for some of his nearest and dearest to distinguish between the two. Clearly, Dan's critical eye managed to hone in on all of the insecurities that Rufus, Serena and Chuck have tried to keep hidden, and as much as they may be offended by their written portrayals, it's hard to deny that Daddy Humphrey is kind of a "has-been turned trophy husband," even if he didn't marry for money. And Serena certainly checks all the "flighty, irresponsible, selfish, shallow" boxes, just as much as she embodies "the dreamy blonde with the legs." Still, while Chuck's trying to climb his way up from rock bottom, having Dan and his loudmouth literary agent point out that he'll probably die alone in a closet (to be discovered by his staff, no less) perhaps wasn't the most life-affirming observation. Meanwhile, Nate, just to be contrary, got mad at his bestie for not being featured in the book enough -- you can't please everyone, Humphrey.



2. Nate Almost Goes Brokeback
Chuck might've been the one playing for the other team in the original book series (and it was amusing to see him pay homage to that this week), but there's definitely a subsection of 'GG' fans who've been waiting for Nate and Dan to take their bromance to the next level, and Nate was certainly acting like a jealous boyfriend last night. While Dan's other friends had more scandal than they could handle in their portrayals, Nate found himself relegated to supporting status and sharing character traits with Eric -- he didn't even get his own literary alias (perhaps because no normal guy names can be mutated from Nate? Would he have been more satisfied with Kate Archibald, I wonder?). Still, that almost-kiss was a total cop out, wasn't it?

3. Chuck, Blair and Monkey
Fans of the couple must've been relieved to see a close encounter of the Chair kind this week, and it was all thanks to Chuck's new four-legged friend. The starcrossed couple still has enough chemistry to burn down a building, and though Chuck is bravely playing the martyr -- even helping to convince Louis not to abandon his potential princess -- we finally saw him open up to Lily about his feelings for Blair in this episode.

But is she truly lost to him? Even though she's still playing "Unmarried and Pregnant Princess" or "Royally Screwed" (I'd totally watch both of those reality shows, FYI) and being surprisingly tender with Louis, the prince's trust issues don't seem likely to disappear any time soon. Will there be a Ross and Emily-style ultimatum ('Friends' has a reference for everything!) where Louis demands that Blair forgo her friendships and cast off her former lovers in order to save their relationship, or is it a paternity revelation that will fracture them? Only time will tell. Still, despite his daredevil ways, there's a glimmer of growing maturity in Chuck, best illustrated when he told Lily that he didn't want to be the "unrepentant bad boy" any more -- and not a moment too soon.

4. Dan and Blair's Literary Lip-Lock
Dair fans have been itching for another intimate moment between the two for months, but if a kiss falls in the fictional Upper East Side, does it make a sound? They've certainly got oodles of sexual tension, but unfortunately for Dan, Blair wasted no time in denying their connection, insisting that they never were an "us" to begin with. Ouch. Long-suffering Louis must be wondering exactly what he's marrying into, considering that Blair has a romantic history with all three of her male friends. And we all know that lying down with your eyes open is always a sign of trouble in TV Land -- uh oh!

5. Ivy's Deal with the Devil
God, Chivy, didn't you ever see 'Bedazzled'? Everyone knows that you should never trust an Elizabeth Hurley bearing gifts. It certainly didn't take Diana Payne long to figure out that Charlie Rhodes wasn't what she seemed, but it was a special kind of madness that had Ivy filling in all the blanks that Diana hadn't put together yet. Diana's offer of protection might seem altruistic, but there's a sinister motive hiding behind that polished exterior, and I'm guessing that Nate's morals won't protect his friends from Diana's curiosity for long ...

'Gossip Girl' airs Mondays at 8PM ET on The CW.

What was your favorite moment of the episode, Chuck and Blair's doggie entanglement or Dan and Blair's fictional kiss? Who do you think will forgive Dan first? Share your thoughts below!