Chair Week | Day 04: Firsts

Firsts: Every couple has firsts – first dance, first kiss, first hug, first ‘I love you’ – but what’s more fascinating about Chuck and Blair is the story behind their firsts, the firsts behind the firsts.
So when Blair danced for Chuck for the first time, it wasn’t just that. It was the first time she felt free and allowed herself to let loose. The first time Chuck saw the real Blair - the Blair with none of the hangups, none of the frustrations. And he was mesmerized and amazed and he celebrated her. The first time they kissed wasn’t merely a kiss or the first time Blair had sex. It was the first time she got a taste of what it feels like to do something that wasn’t part of her plan, something impulsive that just felt right. The first time Chuck cared to stop and ask if she was sure. A first that changed their lives forever.

The first time Blair told Chuck she loved him was also the first time anyone told him that. No one understood the look of surprise and amazement on his face that silently asked if that was true better than her and she nodded. The first time they were just Chuck and Blair, without the games and the lies and the secrets. That was what led a broken Chuck to Blair’s bedroom, seeking for the comfort only she could provide. And for the first time, it didn’t matter if he didn’t say it back or never would or that moment maybe in the future would never come because all that matter was that he needed her. And so she hugged him for the first time and he let her in and see him vulnerable for the first time, even if it was just for a night.

But that moment maybe in the future did come when Chuck finally stopped running from his feelings. So he did the most dangerous thing and for the first time in his life he said ‘I love you’ and never looked back. The first day of Chuck and Blair as boyfriend and girlfriend. In the years that followed, they had their ups and downs, they made mistakes, they hurt and got hurt but despite all the pain, the screw-ups, the many break-ups and failed new starts, they persevered. And here they are today (or 5 years in the future), married and living in a townhouse with their firstborn, Henry. Chuck’s first chance at a real father-son relationship and Blair’s first chance to be the amazing mother Chuck always knew she would be.

Firsts – every couple has them. The little details that we make a note of to commemorate a relationship. But with Chuck and Blair, it’s always a big deal!

“I think the draw for me with Chuck and Blair was how unique they were to television. I admit to loving a very specific prototype couple before CB came along: the bad boy and the good girl. I liked the cliché redemption arc that always brought tears to my eyes. There was a comfort in knowing exactly how those couples and stories would play out, so I was reluctant to jump into the water with Chuck and Blair. He wasn’t just a bad boy, he was a bad, bad boy. He did despicable things and felt no remorse. And Blair… Well, Blair was the bad girl. She was the one you root against in romantic relationships while the “good” girl sneaks in and gets the guy. So, it was to my utter surprise when I found myself wanting the baddies together. Their spark, their energy – it just exploded on screen. I liked that they were devious and manipulative, and that they could revel in that together. There was something very freeing about watching a couple that not only accepted one another fully, but really enjoyed one another.

I once heard that loving someone means more than just loving the good parts of them, but also loving the monsters under their bed. I feel like that’s what it ultimately comes down to with Chuck and Blair. They love the good parts of one another - they’re loyal, they’re deeply devoted to each other and their friends - but they also know how to love the one another’s monsters. They fought them away together. I think it says a lot that at their lowest points, it was always the other who was there as a shining beacon of light. It didn’t always work out for the best, but the intentions were always good.

You hear so much about one person in a relationship needing to be redeemed, but that too was different with Chuck and Blair. They both came into this relationship needing redemption. It’s been a constant theme between them. Sometimes they needed to find forgiveness in others, sometimes in themselves, and most times from each other. I think it testifies to the strength of this couple that no matter what awful thing has been thrown at them, or what awful thing they’ve done to each other, they’re always able to come back around to the love. Some call that unhealthy, but I see it as the exact opposite. There’s something very beautiful and kind in the forgiveness they show one another. At their core they understand that while the love they share is messy, it is pure. It is the strongest thing in both their lives, the lightning rod they continually return to. And to me that’s the best kind of love. That kind of love survives the bad things, the third parties, the wandering hearts – it triumphs because it’s steadfast. At the end of the line, it will always be Chuck and Blair. Their hearts will always return to one another.”