Gilmore Girls Redux
Have you ever had one of those TV shows that's different each time you watch it? That depending on what you're going through in your life, you can see the characters and the plot in a whole new light? I think that's Gilmore Girls for me. Through its seven seasons of ups and downs, love and heartbreak, family and friends that might as well be your family, the life lessons never end.
When I was younger, I used to relate to Rory really well. I was the same hard working, perfectionist, school and learning obsessed type. I had so many dreams of going to the world's best universities and everything I did was to reach that goal. But now, having just re-watched the entire show again, I relate more to Yale Rory. I can feel dauntingness of adulthood responsibilities and an unknown future. Like Rory, I had spent my entire life planning for school that I never really knew what was going to follow. There's something that tugs at your heartstrings, seeing a character you grew up with go through the same things that you did. And I'm sure as my life changes and I grow older, my perspective of the show will continue to shift and change, until one day I find myself relating more to Lorelai than to Rory.
But it's not just my ability to see myself in one of the characters that makes this show amazing. It's my ability to see a little bit of myself in all of them. Unlike many shows, Gilmore Girls has no true villain. No fundamental antagonist. Every character does what is best for themselves and what they think is best for those closest to them. It's just like real life. Nothing is truly black and white. The relationships that this show has built are more akin to anything you would see in the world today than almost anything else I've watched. There's no contrived drama. No national emergency. No medical malady. No courtroom case. No supernatural beings or superheroes. Just ordinary people living out their ordinary lives dealing with ordinary problems. And watching them figure out their lives has helped me figure out mine. This show is chalked full of wisdom and life lessons. It teaches you about the importance of family and friends. That sometimes people act in certain ways only to protect themselves or because that's all they know. That it's not fair to pass judgement without knowing the whole story. That setbacks in life are just an opportunity to try a new path. It teaches you that you really can be whatever you want when you grow up. And that at the end of the day, hard work, respect, and love will prevail above all else.
It may sound idealistic or too good to be true, but really Gilmore Girls is just the story of the lives of a mother and daughter. There are happy moments and sad moments. Friends drift a part and come back together. Relationships blossom, relationships end. It's just the cycle of life. That's all this show really is, a reflection of life itself. In some ways though, it's so much more. It's a tribute to pop culture. A case study of witty dialogue. A sample of clever writing and extraordinary acting. This show is one of a kind. And although there were some production disputes, I have to say the finale didn't disappoint. I wasn't always a huge fan of the way things turned out (that nine episode long Lorelai and Rory separation really tested my patience both times through), but life never really works out the way you expect it to. And I couldn't have imagined a better way to end the story than where it began: Lorelai and Rory, together, in Luke's diner, with Luke in the background. That's how it was. That's how it is. That's how it will always be.
I'm not a super sentimental person. Some people would even say I'm not very emotional. But a story like Gilmore Girls can bring tears to my eyes. In sad moments but also happy ones too. And especially in bittersweet moments like the final scene of the series. Like any true fan, I wouldn't mind knowing more about their lives. I wouldn't mind Netflix's reboot to see where our favorite Stars Hollow residents find themselves today. But at the same time, I'm ok ending it here too. I'm ok leaving them at this moment and imaging what their lives might be like without seeing it explicitly laid out. Because no matter what the future holds, I will never forget those years I spent with Lorelai and Rory. Never forget the things they taught me, never forget the adventures we had. This show will always stay with me forever as one of the best I've ever watched. And maybe one day I'll be able to share this with my daughter, hoping that when that time comes, I can be an amazing mother just like Lorelai.
In this modern day and age, there's so much content and media out there. So many new shows and concepts on so many different platforms. But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what kind of fancy CGI is used or what kind of tactics they think of next to keep us all enthralled. A TV show at its purest boils down to its characters and plot. Without that, you've got nothing. And Gilmore Girls, at the heart of it all, had both. They just don't make TV like this anymore.
The truth is, I think I could re-watch this show over and over again. I could start right at the beginning again and it would be just as amazing as this most recent run through. But I'm not going to. It's time to say goodbye to Lorelai and Rory for the time being and take a chance at my own great unknown. Live life a little. Grow. Mature. Change. Just like they did throughout the seven seasons. Then, when it's time, I'll be able to go back to Stars Hollow with a fresh set of eyes and a new take on my world and theirs. Gilmore Girls is timeless and it always will be. But what I need now is to strike out on my own and see what the future has in store for me. I have to break out of my shell and the comfort and familiarity of Stars Hollow into an awaiting world. As Rory says to Lorelai before she heads off to follow Barack Obama's campaign trail, I now say to you Gilmore Girls. You've given me everything I need.
When I was younger, I used to relate to Rory really well. I was the same hard working, perfectionist, school and learning obsessed type. I had so many dreams of going to the world's best universities and everything I did was to reach that goal. But now, having just re-watched the entire show again, I relate more to Yale Rory. I can feel dauntingness of adulthood responsibilities and an unknown future. Like Rory, I had spent my entire life planning for school that I never really knew what was going to follow. There's something that tugs at your heartstrings, seeing a character you grew up with go through the same things that you did. And I'm sure as my life changes and I grow older, my perspective of the show will continue to shift and change, until one day I find myself relating more to Lorelai than to Rory.
But it's not just my ability to see myself in one of the characters that makes this show amazing. It's my ability to see a little bit of myself in all of them. Unlike many shows, Gilmore Girls has no true villain. No fundamental antagonist. Every character does what is best for themselves and what they think is best for those closest to them. It's just like real life. Nothing is truly black and white. The relationships that this show has built are more akin to anything you would see in the world today than almost anything else I've watched. There's no contrived drama. No national emergency. No medical malady. No courtroom case. No supernatural beings or superheroes. Just ordinary people living out their ordinary lives dealing with ordinary problems. And watching them figure out their lives has helped me figure out mine. This show is chalked full of wisdom and life lessons. It teaches you about the importance of family and friends. That sometimes people act in certain ways only to protect themselves or because that's all they know. That it's not fair to pass judgement without knowing the whole story. That setbacks in life are just an opportunity to try a new path. It teaches you that you really can be whatever you want when you grow up. And that at the end of the day, hard work, respect, and love will prevail above all else.
It may sound idealistic or too good to be true, but really Gilmore Girls is just the story of the lives of a mother and daughter. There are happy moments and sad moments. Friends drift a part and come back together. Relationships blossom, relationships end. It's just the cycle of life. That's all this show really is, a reflection of life itself. In some ways though, it's so much more. It's a tribute to pop culture. A case study of witty dialogue. A sample of clever writing and extraordinary acting. This show is one of a kind. And although there were some production disputes, I have to say the finale didn't disappoint. I wasn't always a huge fan of the way things turned out (that nine episode long Lorelai and Rory separation really tested my patience both times through), but life never really works out the way you expect it to. And I couldn't have imagined a better way to end the story than where it began: Lorelai and Rory, together, in Luke's diner, with Luke in the background. That's how it was. That's how it is. That's how it will always be.
I'm not a super sentimental person. Some people would even say I'm not very emotional. But a story like Gilmore Girls can bring tears to my eyes. In sad moments but also happy ones too. And especially in bittersweet moments like the final scene of the series. Like any true fan, I wouldn't mind knowing more about their lives. I wouldn't mind Netflix's reboot to see where our favorite Stars Hollow residents find themselves today. But at the same time, I'm ok ending it here too. I'm ok leaving them at this moment and imaging what their lives might be like without seeing it explicitly laid out. Because no matter what the future holds, I will never forget those years I spent with Lorelai and Rory. Never forget the things they taught me, never forget the adventures we had. This show will always stay with me forever as one of the best I've ever watched. And maybe one day I'll be able to share this with my daughter, hoping that when that time comes, I can be an amazing mother just like Lorelai.
In this modern day and age, there's so much content and media out there. So many new shows and concepts on so many different platforms. But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what kind of fancy CGI is used or what kind of tactics they think of next to keep us all enthralled. A TV show at its purest boils down to its characters and plot. Without that, you've got nothing. And Gilmore Girls, at the heart of it all, had both. They just don't make TV like this anymore.
The truth is, I think I could re-watch this show over and over again. I could start right at the beginning again and it would be just as amazing as this most recent run through. But I'm not going to. It's time to say goodbye to Lorelai and Rory for the time being and take a chance at my own great unknown. Live life a little. Grow. Mature. Change. Just like they did throughout the seven seasons. Then, when it's time, I'll be able to go back to Stars Hollow with a fresh set of eyes and a new take on my world and theirs. Gilmore Girls is timeless and it always will be. But what I need now is to strike out on my own and see what the future has in store for me. I have to break out of my shell and the comfort and familiarity of Stars Hollow into an awaiting world. As Rory says to Lorelai before she heads off to follow Barack Obama's campaign trail, I now say to you Gilmore Girls. You've given me everything I need.
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