Ben’s mother comes to town, forcing issues to the surface between Ben and Serena. Russell Thorpe is determined to destroy Chuck’s family legacy, but he risks alienating his daughter, Raina, in the process. Billy Baldwin returns as William van der Woodsen, Lily’s ex-husband and Serena and Eric’s father.

Blair must make a difficult decision about her future, the consequences of which could hurt those she loves most. Serena takes the blame for an incident with Gossip Girl in order to protect someone she loves.. Georgina smells the scent of scandal and decides to follow its trail.

Blair feels like her Upper East Side status might be slipping away and devises a plan to assure that doesn’t happen. Meanwhile, Lily throws a family gathering – including William, Carol and Lola – in an attempt to prove the van der Woodsen family is as united as ever. Finally, Nate digs into Diana’s past and is surprised by what he discovers.