GossipGirl

Firstly, it feels weird to hold Dan being GossipGirl against him, as if it wasn’t a last minute decision that makes 0 sense. It was a canon breaking twist. He literally couldn’t have been GG, unless he lost GG for long periods of time in seasons 2-4. Even having Jenny as an aide doesn’t make a lot of sense (since they were at odds/ not speaking during moments he couldn’t be posting blasts). Dan in season 1-5 is clearly written and portrayed as a different character than Dan6. Dan (1-5) would have had to be schizophrenic, and that’s just not what this show was trying to do or say about these characters. It was a SCHEME.

But...

Even if Dan is GG, who cares. Gossip Girl (particularly post season2) is a fantasy soap opera about beautiful disasters. There’s so much realism missing. Blair and Serena get in fights that would ruin any other friendship, then laugh it off and get drinks together before the credits roll. Chuck at 17 drinks dangerous levels of scotch and waltzes into board meetings like a 50 year old businessman, and people act like it’s normal.

And most importantly... The show established that EVERYONE who participates was Gossip Girl. Everyone is accountable. Except Nate I guess.

Almost everyone in the show is an elitist lying sociopath. SCHEMING is the main past time of Blair, Chuck and kind of Serena too. And Lily, and Bart. Also Jenny in season 2-3 if we’re being honest. And don’t get me started on all of Chucks problematic behaviour (SA, DV).

Dan is just doing the same thing as everyone else. Scheming. He’s just doing a long con (instead of the typical short cons that the others do...) and doing it more successfully than the rest.

We don’t call Blair a sociopath every time she schemes, but her 100 schemes throughout the show are on par with Dans big overarching scheme IMO.

The show establishes pretty clearly that in the end they see Gossip Girl and Dans success as his entry into their club, for real. It makes him an insider, and he contributes power to the group, which is why they forgive him. Because they all forgive each other for horrible stuff within an episode or 2. That a part of the fantasy of the show.

Also, Dan and Serena ending up together makes sense. Serena, Blair and Lily all end up in the “Greek Tragedy” marriage endings.