Giovanni Rufino/ THE CW Oh no!
Don't get us wrong, we dig Tika Sumpter (and heck, all of the One Live To Live alums who cross over to Gossip Girl), but we are also wary of any character who catches the eye of Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick) for more than a split second. And it seems like Tika's Raina Thorpe has indeed intrigued the emperor of the Empire Hotel. Not only do things seem to be getting serious with Chuck, but Raina told us she's going to be around for the entire season.
Find out what Tika told us about Raina's romance with Chuck (it goes "further than just a sexual thing"), and get a revealing exclusive video sneak peek of Raina Thorpe in next week's episode of Gossip Girl:
Freak out, Chair fans. While we have no doubt that Chuck and Blair are meant to be long-term, this new girl Raina is definitely setting up shop in Chuck's life for the time being. Tika told us that despite Raina seemingly having the professional edge on Chuck, she's not immune to his personal charms. Tika says, "She sees that he is intelligent and handsome and that he has some kind of power—it's not that hard to want to be with somebody like him. And Raina's not like most girls that you can throw away or whatever, because she's usually the one who's like, 'OK, goodbye,' or 'OK, come back another time.' I think she sees herself in him, so she's attracted to that, too."
Apparently the attraction may be mutual. Says Tika, "It's going to go further than just a sexual thing. I think Chuck and Raina start seeing each other maybe a little differently...I think it's a surprise for both of them what may flower and what may come out for both of them." Sounds like love to us. Eek!
Tika also shared that she's "there for the whole season" and that she's worked with everyone in the main cast because, "a lot of characters are going to get pulled into this story."
And as you can see from the exclusive sneak peek below of the next week's episode (don't watch it yet if you don't want to be spoiled for tonight's installment), it looks like Raina quickly becomes a key part of the Chuck-Blair-led Upper East Side social circle that we have come to know and love.
Gossip Girl airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on the CW. Are you prepared to wait for Chuck and Blair's inevitable reunion? Or do you want this new girl out of the way and Chair back together now? What have you thought about this season of the show? Tell us in the comments!