▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times ▁noted ▁her ▁character ' s ▁pen chant ▁for ▁secre cy ▁but ▁stated ▁" It ▁initially ▁seems ▁as ▁though ▁Bad ▁Ser ena ▁is ▁back , ▁but ▁we ▁all ▁know ▁her ▁highway ▁of ▁cra zy ▁behavior ▁is ▁always ▁p aved ▁with ▁good ▁intent ions ." ▁Ser ena ' s ▁relationship ▁with ▁Carter ▁ear ns ▁the ▁disapp ro val ▁of ▁her ▁pe ers ▁but ▁disco vers ▁re de em ing ▁qual ities ▁in ▁him . ▁L ily ▁first ▁assumes ▁that ▁she ' s ▁prepar ing ▁to ▁go ▁to ▁Brown ▁but ▁def ers ▁from ▁entering , ▁prefer ring ▁to ▁stay ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁and ▁find ▁herself . ▁During ▁L ily ' s ▁wed ding , ▁she ▁disco vers ▁Carter ' s ▁previous ▁trans gress ions ▁and ▁she ▁los es ▁him ▁when ▁he ▁cho oses ▁to ▁make ▁am ends ▁for ▁his ▁mistakes , ▁breaking ▁her ▁heart ▁in ▁the ▁process . ▁ ▁Ser ena ▁eventually ▁makes ▁her ▁time ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁useful ▁by ▁taking ▁a ▁job ▁as ▁a ▁public ist , ▁one ▁that ▁is ▁short - l ived ▁as ▁her ▁relationships ▁with ▁both ▁her ▁friends ▁and ▁her ▁family ▁begin ▁to ▁er ode . ▁Her ▁friendship ▁with ▁Bla ir ▁and ▁N ate ▁cr umble ▁due ▁to ▁her ▁job ▁but ▁finds ▁even ▁more ▁trouble ▁when ▁she ▁falls ▁for ▁N ate ' s ▁married ▁con gress man ▁cousin , ▁Tri pp ▁van ▁der ▁B ilt ▁( A aron ▁T ve it ). ▁Her ▁relationship ▁with ▁him ▁is ▁tum ult uous ▁as ▁both ▁N ate ▁and ▁Bla ir ▁fail ▁in