Catching up with ‘Gilmore girls’
Suddenly, I’m thinking about coffee all the time.
Is it because I’m binge watching “Gilmore girls?”
I was always intrigued with the show, a loving relationship between a young mother and her teenage daughter who live in a charming little town in Connecticut and drink lots and lots of coffee.
The mother, daughter and people who live in Stars Hollow (Isn’t that a beautiful name?) all seemed to have good hearts along with their idiosyncrasies – a diner owner who’s a curmudgeon, next-door neighbors who love cats and gnomes, and Kirk, a serious young man who seems to have every odd job in town.
As our own daughters were young and involved in school and activities, I didn’t have much time for regular television when the show was in production (2000-07). I would most likely catch re-runs and hear story lines – often from my own daughters who tried to keep up.
I knew Lorelei was 16 when she had Rory and moved away from her parents’ home as a teenager to raise her daughter. Lorelei didn’t have much contact with her parents until she needed funds to pay for Rory to attend Chilton, a prep school they felt she needed in order to gain admission to Harvard, Rory’s dream college. As part of the deal, Lorelei and Rory are having regular Friday night dinners with Lorelei’s parents.
Back then, these were my thoughts about other story lines:
On Lorelei’s boyfriends: When was she going to settle down with Luke?
On Rory’s boyfriends: I liked Dean, was wary of Jess and rarely saw – don’t think I even knew – Logan’s name.
On Richard and Emily Gilmore: I knew they didn’t have a good relationship with their daughter because she rejected their lifestyle. But I knew they were played by fantastic actors: Edward Herrmann, who worked in every medium and won both a Tony and an Emmy; and Kelly Bishop, who also won a Tony for starring in the original “A Chorus Line” on Broadway – notice how Lorelei is always talking up her mother’s legs.
When we started streaming Netflix, I was intrigued about watching “Gilmore girls,” but had somehow put it off for other shows.
Things changed earlier this year when it was announced Netflix would add four new episodes to continue the story almost 10 years after the show ended.
My eldest daughter, Rebecca, made a push for us all to watch the entire series so we would be ready for the new shows. She made a point of it and was ready and waiting for the new episodes the day after Thanksgiving.
The rest of us? We’re still catching up. I’m on season two – not sure about the rest of the family. But I am intrigued.
At first, I cringed every time the show focused on Chilton, where everyone is so competitive and quick to judge others. I don’t quite understand why it was important to Lorelei since she rejected so much of the status life that her parents enjoyed. “But that’s where Rory wanted to go,” my daughter tells me and by the end of the first season, these people were started to develop back stories that made them more understandable.
I love Stars Hollow where some very intriguing people live: Sookie – Melissa McCarthy with a very sunny personality and fabulous cooking skills; Miss Patty – who formerly danced professionally and now runs her own studio; and Lane – Rory’s best friend who keeps a secret rock-and-roll lifestyle hidden from her strict parents. All of them look out for each other and any gossip seems to be aimed at wanting what’s best for their neighbors.
I love Lorelei’s parents. Yes, they are demanding and don’t want their daughter to make mistakes. They are hurt by Lorelei’s choices and don’t want to back down from their own values. As a parent, I can understand where they are coming from but as I grow older, I become more understanding – I hope. My big problem with Richard and Emily is they never say they are sorry or “I love you.” I’m hoping they become more tolerant and understanding as the series progresses.
That’s also true for Lorelei when dealing with her parents and I guess that’s the life lesson. You reap what you sow. What’s that old poem: “Children learn what they live.” It’s a lesson for us all.
So I’m only on season two but making headway. I’m even forsaking time with my favorite Hallmark Channel Christmas movies to catch episodes of “Gilmore girls.” People are surprised that I sometimes skip Hallmark but when I say “Gilmore girls,” they understand.
In fact, it seems that everyone is either watching or talking about “Gilmore girls” and it’s fun to be caught up in a countrywide craze that’s somehow not so crazy.
Rebecca says to hurry up so we can talk about the new episodes. I’m trying to avoid all the articles being published about them. If you know what’s going to happen, please don’t tell me.
So tonight I’m going to turn on the television, put my feet up and brew another pot of coffee. I’m making time for “Gilmore girls.”