Can anyone who watches gossip girl explain the storyline about Serena's cousin?

[Caz10]

Missed the end of last series and have started watching this one, I can follow everything apart from the Charlie storyline?!

I'll have a go - Serena's cousin Charlie ended up in New York (can't remember why - I think a fight with her mum, allegedly). Serena loves having her around and persuades the grandmother to give her some money (can't remember if it's money she is "owed", as in all of them get it, or if it's just extra). Charlie has lots of fun living the New York lifestyle, but then goes off the rails.

She impersonates Serena, and is about to jump out of a window (aided/abetted by Georgina) but Serena stops her. We see her going back to her mum, and it turns out she isn't the cousin at all but an actress called Ivy who impersonated the cousin so that they could trick the grandmother into giving them money.

That sounded much more helpful in my head, sorry. Key thing is she's not actually a relation, and was previously colluding with Serena's aunt in order to swindle the family out of money that the aunt wasn't getting.

Thank you!! So the aunt is a real aunt? Lily's sister?

Yes. Where are you up to in the new season?

I think we are up to date now, Blair has just told Louis that the baby is his (although I have my doubts!)

Me too! Anyway - at the fashion show in this episode Lily says to Charlie "tell her yourself" or something, not "who is this woman pretending to be my sister", so I guess it's the real aunt!

I LOVED Blair's Louis Vuitton dress in this episode...