The only interesting diagetic thing about this story is the acting of Laura Breckenridge (also the only thing that made her character possible to stomach on Related, which you may remember I alone in this world loved, because it coincidentally starred nearly all of my favorite TV actresses). Like, all the parallels with Blair and the way-gross way she crosses lines and the way in this episode that he twists the narrative around her, all of that is fine. But within the show itself, watching Rachel be increasingly and unendingly horrified by herself -- which again, is Blair's hallmark as well -- is really affecting. I like the chemistry between Rachel and Dan, because you can actually for once posit that he has working parts and the desire to use them, but mostly I just admire Breckenridge's acting, because I feel like she's doing the work to show us Rachel's conflicts about all of this, and her gradually dissolving ideals and all that. I think if she'd started out a bit more falsely authoritative it would be nice, like, she's clearly been playing the Serena and in-school scenes as a blowfish puffing up because she's scared, but I think a bit steelier in the beginning would lend her even more weight now. Whatever, I think she's marvelous, and good at playing completely murder-worthy useless characters sympathetically. You almost want to be like, "It's okay, sometimes it happens this way" even though really it doesn't because it can't, ever, and she should be imprisoned, but that doesn't mean she doesn't need a hug.

Next morning Rufus tells Dan that they need to talk and Dan says no they don't and Rufus says he went to Rachel's and Dan says no he didn't and Rufus says Dan is being stupid and Dan says Rufus is stupid and Rufus says that Dan is getting played and Dan says that he's a big boy blah blah blah. Just imagine the scene when Jenny ran away and that's the exact same scene about how Dan is not a child anymore and Rufus is just dumb and Rachel is Dan's fashion career. And the whole time Jenny's in the corner like, "This is so embarrassing from the outside. Damn."