It seems the CW decided to drop the clever extra R in their title for the upcoming Gossip Girl episode, now known as “Carnal Knowledge.” (You remember, of course, that the newest troublemaker at Constance Billard is the new Shakespeare teacher, Miss Carr.)

I personally liked the overtly punny title better, but no matter: the network has begun showing promos for the episode, which will air Monday, February 2. And now we see how the title came about: it seems that the Shakespeare instructor is a bit of a strumpet, and she's about to teach Dan a thing or two outside of the classroom.

Read on to watch the promos, plus a new casting scoop for a mysterious new lover for Chuck Bass…

As we reported last week, “Carnal Knowledge” will find Blair in full battle mode against Miss Carr, and Chuck waking up with only a vague memory of a beautiful girl while Nate and Vanessa try to help him fill in the blanks of his mystery evening.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

There are two versions of the promo. The first has some foreboding Blair clips, and the second gives a peek at Chuck's mystery woman. Check them out:

Promo 1:



Promo 2:



Here's what I can gather: Serena sees Dan and Miss Carr out to dinner, where he a little too romantically brushes her hair back from her face. Serena thinks the two are “having an affair.” She tells Blair, who tips off Gossip Girl. And then, as we can see… the “rumor” turns around and bites Blair in the behind.

As for Mr. Bass's troubles, this masked vixen appears to be the actress Kate French, whom it was reported earlier this month would be guest-starring as a “mysterious nanny who gets tangled with Chuck.” You may recognize French from her role as Niki Stevens on The L Word. But she's entering decidedly hetero territory here, and is reportedly signed on for a three-episode arc on Gossip Girl.

So, my questions for you, my Gossip Girl devotees:

1. Are Dan and Miss Carr really getting it on?
   ...Could Serena have caught an innocent (though still wildly inappropriate) sympathetic friend moment between Lonely Boy and Serena's “mentor”? (Sidenote: Isn't that word a little strong for a new English teacher, S?)
   ...Maybe they were just commiserating about how lonely it is to be poor, brilliant, and brooding.
   ...Or maybe Carr just had hair in her face? (Okay: I'm not that naive.)

2. Will Blair really be expelled?!

3.What do you think of this “mystery” between Chuck and the masked woman? What's the deal with those cards Chuck is looking through—and why is Vanessa in a mask, too? In other words: what the OMFG is going on here?!

All I know is that I'm dying to find out.

What do you think will happen on next week's Gossip Girl? Sound off in the comments below!


For more Gossip Girl scoop, check out:

Gossip Girl: Bad News for "Bluck" Fans
Gossip Girl: New and Familiar Faces to Stir Up the Upper East Side
Gossip Girl Aftergasm: What Happens When a High School Drama Goes to College?


-Meghan Carlson, BuddyTV Staff Writer
Image courtesy of the CW