Last week Gossip Girl fans were introduced to a new recurring guest star on the show, Serena's cousin Charlie, played by Kaylee DeFer.  The daughter of Lily's sister Carol, Charlie came to New York at the height of Lily's legal troubles to reconnect with the extended family she barely knew.

Serena took Charlie under her wing, introducing her to her various Upper East Side friends.  But Charlie, like many other Gossip Girl stars, seemed to be a little suspicious.  While nice, it was clear that she was hiding something.  When Charlie refused to return home with her mother at the end of the episode and elected, instead, to stay with Serena in New York, Carol warned Lily that Charlie recently went through some things, and her sister should keep an eye on Charlie.

I recently chatted with Kaylee DeFer about Charlie, how she enjoyed working on the show (and around all of those gorgeous clothes!) and what could be in store for this potential new trouble-maker.

Kaylee gushed about her recurring guest appearance on Gossip Girl.  Despite the brutal New York winter weather, she was thrilled to be appearing on The CW show, and working with the cast and executive producer Stephanie Savage.  The question, of course, is exactly what Charlie is up to.

In tonight's all new episode (view a trailer and promo photos) Charlie becomes even more entangled in the games that Serena and her friends play.  Serena sends Charlie on a reconnaissance mission to figure out why Blair and Dan are spending so much time together.  And while she's got a bit of a learning curve, Charlie proves adept at learning the ins and outs of the Upper East Side manipulations.

While we may think that Charlie has a hint of a bad girl in her, Kaylee is quick to point out that there is definitely more to Charlie than meets the eye.  But that doesn't mean she's evil.  In fact, Kaylee thinks that she's a genuinely good girl that's gotten caught up in some bad stuff.  Will she take everyone for a ride, though?  Possibly.

You'll also notice in tonight's episode that Charlie seems a bit fixated on Dan, which isn't surprising considering the look she gave him near the end of last week's episode.  Kaylee said that she might be targeting Dan in particular, in part because Charlie might just be lonely and fixating on Dan is a way to combat that loneliness.  Could it lead to a hook-up between the pair?  That we don't yet know.  But even as she's dealing with Dan, Charlie will get exposed to, and interact with, most of Serena's other friends.

And what about  the mysterious warning Carol gave to Lily?  Is it a scandal worthy of the Rhodes and Van der Woodsen families?  Kaylee wouldn't divulge the secret, but we will definitely get a better taste of what it could be in the May 2 episode.  Don't expect the producers to draw out the mystery - by the end of the season we should have an idea exactly what happened to Charlie and how it's affecting her.  As Charlie's mysteries unravel, you can also expect to see her mother, Carol, return to New York to help her daughter deal with her secrets.

Gossip Girl hasn't been given a renewal at this point, but it's likely the show will return next Fall.  If that's the case, then Kaylee would definitely love to reprise her role as Charlie.  She thinks that even when Charlie's secret is exposed, there's still plenty for her to do on the Upper East Side.  The icing on the cake were the gorgeous Gossip Girl clothes that Kaylee got to wear.  Unlike wardrobe fitting days on other shows, Kaylee said that fittings for Gossip Girl were an absolute treat, with closets filled with gorgeous purses, the best accessories and beautiful dresses.

Tune into an all new episode of Gossip Girl tonight on The CW, and don't miss Kaylee's recurring role as Charlie!  If you want to learn more about tonight's episode, read Mark's advance preview.

clarissa @ tvovermind.com
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