Chuck and Blair, Meester stated, "I can really relate to it—not necessarily because it's this dramatic, tumultuous relationship, but because the way they love each other is very real, and not for the sake of being dramatic. It's actual love. There's nobody for each other but them." Meester also expressed fondness for Dan and Blair, however, stating, "I think they're good for each other in a lot of ways, in a way that Chuck and Blair aren't." Badgley claimed that he thought "Blair [was] Dan's soul mate" but that Blair's soulmate was Chuck “because Blair and Chuck belong with each other, obviously.” He further stated that he thought the Blair and Dan storyline was "the most exciting for Dan as a person". According to producer Joshua Safran, the outcome wasn't necessarily decided ahead of time. "One thing we are very conscious of—and I know some fans get upset about this—is we really try to treat the characters as living, breathing, well-rounded individuals. And we're often surprised by where their journeys take them; they open new doors for us all the time," he said. Controversy Following the of Safran spoke on behalf of the series regarding the scene in which Chuck became violent with Blair. In response to these comments, Carina MacKenzie of Zap2it stated, "We're left wondering if Safran missed the part where she went home bleeding because Chuck was using physical intimidation to release his own emotions." While reviewing the episode, Tierney Bricker of Zap2it felt that there were "really no excuses for Chuck Bass anymore." MacKenzie also called the show's explanation "disturbing, particularly given the young, female target demographic of Gossip Girl and The CW." In a review for the Los Angeles Times, Judy Berman addressed Safran's description of Blair during the scene. "Considering how terrified Blair looked at the end of their encounter, and how quickly she got out of there, the show is sending a mixed message at best." She went on to state, "We have no right to expect Gossip Girl to be a paragon of morality, or even realism, but the idea that true love requires taking a shard of glass to the face is disturbing even in this alternate, soap-opera dimension." Season 5 In the fifth-season premiere, Blair continues to plan her wedding, but begins to encounter problems in her relationship with Louis. It is later revealed that she is pregnant. Blair tells