If you grew up during the golden era of Disney Channel, you definitely remember the high-pitched, condescending "Hi!" that signaled trouble in the hallways of Tribeca Prep. I’m talking about Gigi from Wizards of Waverly Place, the quintessential mean girl who made Alex Russo’s life a living nightmare—or at least tried to.
She was everything we loved to hate.
Honestly, looking back at the show now, Gigi (played by Skyler Samuels) wasn’t just a throwaway antagonist. She represented that very specific brand of middle-school elitism that feels like the end of the world when you're fourteen. While Alex was busy accidentally turning her brothers into guinea pigs or failing Potionology, Gigi was the real-world hurdle that kept the show grounded in reality. She was the pink-clad reminder that even if you have magical powers, you can’t just "zap" away a popular girl’s influence without making things ten times worse.
The Pink-Clad Reign of Gertrude Hollingsworth
First off, let's get the name right. Before she was the "fabulous" Gigi, she was Gertrude.
That was the big "gotcha" Alex used in the first season. It’s such a classic Disney trope, right? The mean girl with a secret, uncool past. But what made Gigi from Wizards of Waverly Place stand out compared to, say, Sharpay Evans or London Tipton, was her sheer commitment to being a "normal" bully. She didn't have a musical number. She didn't have a heart of gold buried under a designer bag. She just wanted to be at the top of the food chain.
Think about the episode "Curb Your Dragon." Gigi invites Alex and Harper to a tea party, but it’s a total setup. It’s a "Pinky Toes" party, which is basically code for "let's humiliate the weird kids."
It was brutal.
💡 You might also like: Greatest Rock and Roll Singers of All Time: Why the Legends Still Own the Mic
But it also gave us one of the best dynamics in the series. Alex Russo was cynical, lazy, and arguably a bit of a jerk herself, but Gigi was the one person who could actually get under her skin. You need that in a sitcom. You need a character who doesn't care that the protagonist is "cool" in an edgy way. To Gigi, Alex was just a girl who wore too much flannel and didn't fit the vibe.
Why Gigi Vanished After Season Two
One of the biggest questions fans still ask on Reddit and old forums is: Where did Gigi go?
She was a staple of the first two seasons, and then she just... disappeared. Poof. No magical explanation, no moving-away arc. She just stopped showing up at Tribeca Prep.
The real-world reason is pretty straightforward. Skyler Samuels, the actress who played Gigi, landed a lead role in the series The Gates and later starred in The Nine Lives of Chloe King. When you get a chance to be the star of your own show, you don't usually stay behind to play the supporting mean girl who gets juice spilled on her dress every three episodes.
Still, her absence left a bit of a void. Later "rivals" for Alex, like Stevie Nichols, were more about magic and rebellion. They lacked that petty, high-school-drama energy that Gigi brought to the table. Gigi represented the "mortal" world that the Russos were constantly trying to navigate. Without her, the school scenes felt a little less high-stakes.
The Iconic Moments We Still Quote
You can't talk about Gigi from Wizards of Waverly Place without mentioning the "Tea Party" incident. It’s iconic.
📖 Related: Ted Nugent State of Shock: Why This 1979 Album Divides Fans Today
- The "Pinky Toes" lie: Gigi literally convinced people that a tea party was a high-society event just to prank Alex and Harper.
- The Spelling Bee: Remember when she tried to sabotage the competition? It showed she wasn't just popular; she was tactical.
- The "Hi!": The way Skyler Samuels delivered that one-word greeting was masterclass-level annoying.
There's something deeply nostalgic about those early episodes. The show was still finding its footing, and the stakes were low. It wasn't about saving the wizarding world yet; it was about surviving a party where everyone was wearing pink and you were wearing a giant dog suit (classic Harper).
Was Gigi Actually Right About Alex?
Okay, let’s get controversial for a second.
If you look at the show through Gigi’s eyes, Alex Russo is a nightmare. Alex is a girl who constantly breaks rules, manipulates her friends with magic, and usually ends up ruining school events because she’s bored.
From Gigi's perspective, she was the one keeping order!
Of course, Gigi was a bully, so we don't feel too bad for her. But she provided a necessary contrast. Alex was a rebel, and you can’t be a rebel if there isn’t an "establishment" to rebel against. Gigi was the establishment. She was the velvet rope at the club. She was the popular table in the cafeteria.
Moving Beyond the Character
Skyler Samuels went on to do some pretty cool stuff after leaving the Disney nest. She showed up in Scream Queens and played the Frost Sisters in The Gifted. It’s funny to see her play these intense, powerful characters when most of us first saw her trying to find out Alex’s secret in a hallway.
👉 See also: Mike Judge Presents: Tales from the Tour Bus Explained (Simply)
She’s even talked in interviews about how much fun it was to play a character so unapologetically mean. There’s a certain freedom in playing a villain, especially in a kid's show where the "bad" things you do are mostly just social sabotage.
How to Re-watch the Gigi Era
If you’re looking to go back and appreciate the peak Gigi years, you really only need to focus on Season 1 and the early parts of Season 2.
- "Curb Your Dragon" (Season 1, Episode 8): This is the quintessential Gigi episode. If you only watch one, make it this one.
- "Movies" (Season 1, Episode 9): Alex goes into a movie screen to get away from the stress of school and, you guessed it, Gigi.
- "Graphic Novel" (Season 2, Episode 6): Max and Justin trap Gigi inside a comic book. It’s a great example of the brothers actually standing up for Alex in their own weird way.
Seeing these episodes again as an adult hits different. You realize how much of the humor was built on the social hierarchy of New York City public schools—or at least the Disney version of them.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Creators
If you’re a fan of the show or a writer looking to understand why this character worked, here’s the breakdown:
- Conflict drives character: Alex Russo needed a mortal foil to keep her grounded. Without Gigi, Alex’s struggles would have been 100% magical, which is harder for an audience to relate to.
- The "Secret Identity" trope: Gigi’s hunt for Alex’s secret added a layer of tension. It wasn't just about being mean; it was about the threat of exposure.
- Embrace the archetype: Sometimes, you don't need a complex redemption arc. Gigi was a great villain because she stayed true to her character—she was a spoiled, popular girl until the very end of her run.
- Check out the spin-offs: If you’re missing the Russo energy, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place (the 2024/2025 revival) brings back that mix of mortal drama and magical mishaps, though it’s definitely a new generation's story.
Go back and watch the "Pinky Toes" episode tonight. It’s a reminder that no matter how much power you have, there’s always going to be a "Gigi" trying to ruin your vibe—and that’s okay. You just have to handle it better than Alex did (ideally without the accidental transfigurations).