In fact, sitting passively by and doing nothing appears to be Blair’s lot in life now. The issues with Blair’s characterization might be the most troubling of the season. Blair has gone from an active character, constantly engaged in a fight with the world around her, to a passive victim. When things used to go wrong for Blair Waldorf she would wipe her tears and plot revenge. This season, when times get tough Blair literally runs away from her problems. Whether that’s to cry on Dan’s shoulder in Brooklyn or run away to the Dominican Republic, Blair has become a classic damsel-in-distress.

It’s hard to imagine Blair reacting to threats with anything other than a good take-down, but this season she has barely schemed at all. She doesn’t fight for herself. She used to routinely try to destroy people for sometimes no apparent reason at all. This season she has become the perpetual victim of other people’s plots. I miss the strong, tough Blair Waldorf who always had a backup plan, even if they often (or always) went awry. I find this new iteration of Blair much less interesting to watch.