Why We Still Love GG

[mstaken]

This was one of my favorite mood-boosting threads over at TWoP, so I wanted to start one here as well! This is the place for talking about how you fell in love with the show and why you still love it today. 

 

I happened to catch But Not as Cute as Pushkin when it first aired on the WB (yes, this was back when there was still a WB!) I've never fallen so deeply in love with a show at first sight---or, given the insane amount of dialogue on this show, first listen. By the first commercial break, I'd already ordered all the previous seasons on DVD. I was totally and completely enamored with the show's tone and feel---and, despite my myriad snarky complaints, still am :) I'm convinced the TV Gods were smiling on me that day; had I happened to catch most other episodes from S5, my first reaction to the show would have been one of 'THIS is what people rave about?!' indifference or, if I had the misfortune to see one of those final 4-5 S5 episodes as my very first, outright dislike. Instead, I was lucky enough to see Pushkin, which I still adore---it will always have a special place in my TV-obsessed heart! 

 

There's so much I still love just as much now as I did back then! In no particular order:

 

1) The insanely sharp, witty, eminently quotable dialogue 

 

2) The sadly rare message that reading, learning and an unashamed geeky passion for whatever you happen to be into (music, food, snarking on pop culture, etc.) is 'cool.' 

 

3) The show's unique blend of razor wit, cozy warmth, quirky charm and surprisingly effective poignancy---and the post-episode mood boost I still get while watching it :) 

 

4) The fact that my intense obsession---er, totally healthy fondness---for this show has led me to a cyber-community comprised of some of the most intelligent, warm and witty friends I could have ever hoped to have. I've never met most of you in person, but our GG-related games, gushing, snark and even intelligent disagreement has been a hugely rewarding part of my life! 

 

5) Even when the characters drive me crazy, most of them are so fabulously memorable, vivid, well-defined people who, despite the show's fondness for excessive quirk and comedic exaGGeration, ended up feeling 'real' to me and who I still look forward to visiting all too frequently on DVD. And on a TV landscape where far too many characters are dully flat, all too common 'types',  I can still very honestly claim I've never encountered other characters in fiction quite like Lorelai, Paris, etc.! 

 

6) This show provided the perfect opportunity for me to bond with my mother at a time when we really needed that.  

 

7) I still discover clever, new (to me!) references every time I rewatch any given episode and then get to pretend I'm smart enough to weave them naturally into conversation with my 'real life' friends. ;) 

 

8) While this show is justifiably renowned for its dialogue, the silent moments are often among the most beautifully effective and memorable I've ever seen on TV. 

 

9) I know a 16-year-old who told me that she's devoured several books she would otherwise never have heard of after seeing Rory read or even just mention them on the show. She's also taken it upon herself to hook her friends on the series, so those of us who are older can rest assured GG love will live on in future generations. How awesome is that?! 

 

 

[Taryn74]

I don't remember why I love this show because MY DAUGHTER WON'T BRING ME THE DVDs SO I CAN REWATCH IT.

 

*ahem*

 

Love your #4, and right back atcha!  I love our little community of GG friends.

 

Your #2 and #3 I think are my strongest reasons for loving this show.  I especially love that my 15 year old daughter can relate to Rory and Lane both and not feel like she and her geeky friends are just weird and outcasts of society for being passionate about their favorite books and movies.

[mstaken]

I don't remember why I love this show because MY DAUGHTER WON'T BRING ME THE DVDs SO I CAN REWATCH IT.

*ahem*

 

I love that you converted Dana to the cult of GG...you have successfully completed  your most essential motherly duty! 

 

Love your #4, and right back atcha!  I love our little community of GG friends.

 

Try exclaiming a random Gilmore-ism like "Oy with the poodles!" to non-GG fans and behold their lack of comprehension and their fear for your sanity. It makes you appreciate fellow fans all the more ;)

 

I especially love that my 15 year old daughter can relate to Rory and Lane both and not feel like she and her geeky friends are just weird and outcasts of society for being passionate about their favorite books and movies.

 

I really wish this show had been around while I was in high school! 

 

I forgot to mention another reason I love GG: Lorelai's infectious enthusiasm for snow has somehow diminished my own lifelong dislike of it :) 

[Taryn74]

I love that you converted Dana to the cult of GG...you have successfully completed  your most essential motherly duty!

 

 

I know!  I'm so proud.  She finally finished S7 the other day.  She hated it, LOL, but she slogged her way through.  And then she told me I needed to buy her some ice cream as a reward.  Little goof ball.

[mstaken]

...because I still love this show so much that it's the only one which still inspires me to read (and even, when and if I ever actually finish it, write!) fanfic.

 

...because it reaffirmed my hope for the younger generation when a 17-year-old girl  casually said to me the other day, "My friends and I always bring at least a few different books with us since we never know what we'll be in the mood to read...that's so Rory Gilmore, right?!" She then added, "I already told my mom that I'm looking to date a 'Luke'..."

 

 ...because 'hanging out' with our wonderful online community of GG fans is often way more fun than having to socialize with the people I know in real life :) 

[Minneapple]

I actually haven't watched Gilmore Girls in a while. I just don't have time to dust off my DVDs, I barely have time to watch TV anymore. But I saw the news that GG is coming to Netflix and all the corresponding articles/tweets that came with it, and I had a wave of nostalgia. So I pulled out my season three DVDs and chose ONE EPISODE -- Dear Emily and Richard -- and while the kids were sleeping, managed to watch from start to finish. And I remembered why I loved this show and why nothing on TV these days seems to compare. It was just so good. Amy may have fucked up a lot, but when she was on, she was on. Everything was so beautifully written and acted. Lorelai was at her best, rushing to Rory's side when she needed her despite the horribly AWKWARD situation. Bringing the DVD player over to Emily's and trying to communicate better with her mother. My heart broke for her when Christopher rushed to Sherry's side and was going on about how amazing Gigi's birth was, because you could see her remembering Rory's birth and how Chris wasn't there but she wasn't going to say anything because it was neither the time nor the place for it. But none of it was over the top or overdone. That was the really nice thing about this show, is that ASP could really move over an idea without having to hit you over the head with it. That despite ALL THE DIALOGUE and the really long scripts.

 

And I still haven't found another show that hits me in quite the same spot.

 

Little things I liked all over again:

 

-The scene in the diner when Nicole answers her cell and Lorelai's flipping out

-The final scene, with Lorelai dancing up the stairs and Emily following

-The Jess/Dean scene in the diner

-The scene with Jess telling Luke that he's going out for an hour and Luke's not getting it.

-Flashback Lorelai's note: "Dear Mom and Dad, I'm in labor. See you later, Lorelai" LOL.

[Taryn74]

-The scene with Jess telling Luke that he's going out for an hour and Luke's not getting it.

 

 

HA!  I love when Luke takes him outside and knocks him upside the head.

[junienmomo]

Some of my favorite reasons I love GG:

• When I'm blue, I play the waltz, and I'm smiling before I know it
• It's fascinating in the same way Pride and Prejudice 1995 was for me, but has SO MUCH MORE to love
• dialog, dialog, dialog
• that pretty much all of the main characters really move along their character arcs, growing or devolving along the way

[Taryn74]

Something I was thinking about earlier is that one of the things I truly absolutely love about GG is that it actually feels like you're watching a real family interact (moreso than some of the "reality TV" families I've seen....lol....).

[amensisterfriend]

Something I was thinking about earlier is that one of the things I truly absolutely love about GG is that it actually feels like you're watching a real family interact (moreso than some of the "reality TV" families I've seen....lol....).

 

Absolutely! That's the thing about GG---it's kind of stylized, consciously quirky and exaGGerated in many ways, yet there's so much relatable, poignant truth at its core. 

 

It's fascinating in the same way Pride and Prejudice 1995 was for me, but has SO MUCH MORE to love

 

Heh---it's funny, because elements of GG and some of its characters remind me more of my beloved Emma than P&P, though I'm always thrilled to see a Jane Austen comparison! 

 

 dialog, dialog, dialog

 

Amen, sister friend! 

 

And, because it can't be said enough, this show celebrates a love for language, books, movies, and learning like no other work of fiction I've ever been lucky enough to stumble across. Without devolving into preachy, treacly sap, it's so often a show about following one's passions with unashamed enthusiasm and reveling in life's seemingly small, easily overlooked pleasures. 

 

...And now you guys have inspired me to rewatch some favorites yet again :) 

[Taryn74]

HA, did it hurt when we twisted your arm like that?  >.<

 

Hey where are we at in our rewatch?

[amensisterfriend]

I've been too swamped to rewatch, but I'll try to figure it out! 

[jjj]

Bummer.  The TWoP recaps will not display beyond the first page of any recap (I checked several shows), and I love going to read the recaps after seeing any episode.  I have low hopes that TPTB are interested in maintaining the links on that site. 

[junienmomo]

I don't know anything about the TWOP site, but I love crazy internet people for both show summaries and transcripts.

 

http://www.crazy-internet-people.com/site/gilmoregirls/pages/s1/s1epg.html 

[Eeksquire]

@jjj: I have been having that problem myself, but! If you copy the link from the first page and use the Wayback Machine, you can still see all of the recaps in their entirety.  

 

… Not that I have been rereading all the recaps in preparation for the show to finally hit Netflix.  Nope, not me.

[jjj]

Oh, thank you so much, Eeksquire!  I will give it a try!  No, I am also not counting the days to OCTOBER 1!

[amensisterfriend]

...Because this show and its uncommonly bright, witty, passionately engaged fans still inspire me after all these years. I even love discussions in which there's a fair amount of disagreement because, as corny as this sounds, I learn so much and sometimes even rethink my own perspectives on the show and its characters. 

 

...Because I expend more energy watching, discussing, writing about and pondering this show than I do on my 'real' job...and, sadly, am completely and totally okay with that :) 

 

...Because this show and its celebration of life's little pleasures makes me appreciate the little joys that I might otherwise overlook. 

 

...Because this show makes my own addiction to caffeine and junk food seem totally normal and acceptable :) 

[JayInChicago]

...Because this show makes my own addiction to caffeine...

 

I cannot watch this show without a cup of coffee. It triggers some sort of pavlovian response--even if i know what's in the mugs was often nothing or Coke :p  This show should come *with* coffee somehow.

[amensisterfriend]

...Because Rory and Logan's conversation about The Office (UK) in Come Home helped inspire me to finally try and fall in love with that gem of a show! 

[amensisterfriend]

Because the mere mention that our show's finale aired exactly eight years ago compels me to post a flurry of screencaps on pretty much every social media site ever invented and share a bunch of GG-related thoughts that most of my cyber-friends probably have no interest in reading...in between daydreaming about which episodes I plan to watch this weekend, of course. And which Lorelai-approved junk food I should munch on during my marathon :)  

[Anela]

I'm watching Lane's baby shower, right now. I needed something light to watch. It's like comfort food. When I was having a bad night a few months ago, I made a grilled cheese sandwich, and cued up GG on Netflix. 

 

I bonded with mum over this show. I ordered in the dvds through the library, and asked her if she wanted to watch with me. She used to remind me a bit of Lorelai. 

 

I've almost said, "Oy with the poodles, already!" and had to stop myself. "Amen, sister friend" is another. 

 

Although they have serious relationships, I like that it's a show about mothers and daughters, fathers and daughters, and friends - good, strong female friendships. I also liked Luke and Jess' relationship, and Lorelai's parents. Luke was there for Lorelai, too - I love those times when they were just friends, but they were still there to support each other. 

Edited May 18, 2015 by Anela

[whateverhappened]

I love that we have a positivity thread here! I thought it might be an interesting to challenge to have to name at least one thing we like about our least favorite characters. 

Logan - I'm noticing that he's actually a very good communicator, especially as compared to most characters on this show. When he didn't think he could commit to Rory, he told her so. When they have issues, he's generally the one to confront them directly and to more clearly state how he feels. 

Liz - I think she did try to grow and become a better person and that she does really love Luke and Jess 

TJ - I think he does truly love his wife. And when he's given a task, he really does try. 

Kirk - He's his own person. He's aware that he's weird and often perceived as a joke yet keeps trying to be part of things anyway and stays true to who he is 

Colin ... He probably cares about his friends deep down? This is the hardest one yet! 

[Guest]

Rory - usually has nice hair

TJ - does seem to care about people

Paris - she is very driven.  I think she pushes Rory to be better than she would be.

Liz - um...... she's not an axe murderer? (As far as we know)

[Melancholy]

My least favorite characters are Liz, Anna, and Chris. I agree with whatever happened that Liz did become better and I agree that she loved Luke in her own small selfish user-way. I'm actually not sure that she loved Jess. Maybe she did. It counts for something that they have a friendly relationship in the Revival and Jess crashes at her house. That's longevity in a parent-child relationship that Rory doesn't have with Chris or I doubt Paris has with her parents. However, the few Jess/Liz scenes really paint for me that Liz didn't love Jess so much as wanted him as an accessory in her New Better Life. I can't help but heavily weigh how she was all MY TWO FAVORITE GUYS about Luke and TJ and hurriedly amended to include Jess when he came in. To compensate, I think Liz had a raw deal as a child to lose both of her parents very young and her mother as a little girl. And then, when she left to make a new life, she was abandoned by Jimmy Mariano. It also sounds like she was abused and used by lots of guys. She comes by her selfishness partly because she was serially hurt from childhood on up. It's also something that she didn't stop being sunny and cheerful after all of that junk. 

I love April and April is a big credit to Anna. Anna will mainly be known for her colossal childrearing mistake of lying to Luke about his offspring but she must have done something right in childrearing to result in April. She did work at being a mother and treasured her mother.

Chris's main virtue is he's *very* interesting. I can't take that away from him as character. His role in the series is important and while the L/C marriage was incredibly annoying and unnecessary, as a rule, he deserves all of his screentime. I think most people would cite his undying love for Lorelai as his biggest virtue- and I agree. More particularly, there's a dynamic where Chris knows that Lorelai has the moral upper hand over him, every second that he spends with Lorelai and Rory is a reminder of his mistakes, and he'll have to bend to Lorelai's will because Lorelai will always the better half of their duo BY A LOT.....but Chris STILL seeks out Lorelai to live life under those embarrassing, unhappy terms. With his looks and money, he could easily get a fresh start with a stunning woman and just show his best self to her. And he tries that with Sherri. However still after Sherri leaves him, he goes back to the difficulties with Lorelai. It's an admirable case of true love humbling a person so their heart means more than their pride.

Edited February 9, 2017 by Melancholy

[Bumblebee Tights]

Chris- is funny, is smart, can be very sweet, and truly is pretty endearing much of the time. I think Emily's assessment of him as a 'weak but charming boy' is pretty spot on. I don't think any of the harm he ever did came from a place of malice. I really enjoy most of his scenes. I don't like him much, but I enjoy watching him.

Nicole- I have just the opposite views on Nicole (or is it Nichole?), I just have such a hard time WATCHING her. I think she's a strong person, though. Have to admire a woman with the smarts and drive to become a partner in what appears to be a male dominated law firm...and she's definitely perceptive..no matter how I felt about her reactions to Lorelai, she definitely had her number pretty quickly.

Francie- Her hair is a beautiful color. That's really all I've got.

Edited March 16, 2017 by Bumblebee Tights

[moonb]

The emotional atmosphere of a lot of the revival scenes was terrific - e.g the sleazy feel of several of Rory and Logan's scenes, especially at the restaurant and their last scene together discussing the house. Or the stifled, close feel of Lorelai's kitchen: she's lived in that house for ~20 years and is going through a midlife thing, so her house is going to feel like it's closing in on her in some scenes, especially with Luke. Or the Gilmore mansion and the chaos of Emily moving everything around, and Richard's huge portrait, all to reflect that her house is "wrong" now that Richard's gone. 

[JayInChicago]

Not to be dramatic but I'm not sure I still do love this show. I've definitely stopped endlessly rewatching it.

which is ok. There's other amazing tv out there.

[Kohola3]

9 hours ago, JayInChicago said:

Not to be dramatic but I'm not sure I still do love this show.

I admit it's lost its charm for me as well.  While I DVR it daily, I look at what episode it is and lately have deleted most of them.  Partly it was that horrible revival but mainly I don't think the stories hold up well anymore.

[junienmomo]

14 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

I admit it's lost its charm for me as well.  While I DVR it daily, I look at what episode it is and lately have deleted most of them.  Partly it was that horrible revival but mainly I don't think the stories hold up well anymore.

I find now that when people ask me why I love it, it comes down to fun dialog, pretty cinematography in the years they had good lighting, the Brigadoon nature of Stars Hollow, and my adoration of the loyalty and unrequited love side of the Luke character. Season six and seven are deleted seasons for me, but I do rewatch Fall and Winter of AYITL occasionally. 

[FictionLover]

21 hours ago, junienmomo said:

I find now that when people ask me why I love it, it comes down to fun dialog, pretty cinematography in the years they had good lighting, the Brigadoon nature of Stars Hollow, and my adoration of the loyalty and unrequited love side of the Luke character. Season six and seven are deleted seasons for me, but I do rewatch Fall and Winter of AYITL occasionally. 

Me too. However, there are scenes from the beginning of season 6 that are some of my favorites before ASP dropped a giant anvil on our heads. And I did enjoy watching them find their way back to each other at the end of season 7. So glad I watched it first on Netflix, it must have been awful for LL shippers during it's original run. Wish I liked the revival.

[junienmomo]

6 hours ago, FictionLover said:

Me too. However, there are scenes from the beginning of season 6 that are some of my favorites before ASP dropped a giant anvil on our heads. And I did enjoy watching them find their way back to each other at the end of season 7. So glad I watched it first on Netflix, it must have been awful for LL shippers during it's original run. Wish I liked the revival.

In a flash of redundancy, I'll "me, too" your "me, too."

The first half of S6 has some fabulous LL banter and tender moments. Unfortunately it's combined with OOC Lorelai (I can't envision any S1-S5 Lorelai throwing Rory out of the house) and TJ. 

I can't help but wonder what LG thought about that season, presuming she was an active participant in her character's continuity. Lorelai took the most important thing in her life, Rory, and gave her to Emily. After two decades of independence from Emily, it's inconceivable to me. Then she takes Luke, the second most important thing in her life and swings between being mildly passive-aggressive and a doormat. 

And ASP has the nerve to claim Lorelai's feminism and independence after writing a season of the opposite. 

[lostandfound]

I've thought about this question a lot, especially since seeing the revival and wondering whether it deviated from what I loved about the series or just held up a mirror to the major problems that were right there all along just waiting for me to finally acnowledge them. 

Funnily enough, playing hangman these past couple of days has reminded me what I love: Gilmore Girls is filled with these brief but resonant moments of wit, insight and even brilliance, with individual micro moments so special to me that they overshadow the overall macro problems with the series. Even episodes and entire seasons that I dislike as a whole have flashes of GGenius (forgive the lamer than lame pun!), scenes so funny, clever, sweet or full of emotional truth that they just fill me with love for this show and lift my spirits. My life has been like that, to be honest---a lot of hard times and major mistakes but with just enough hope, humor and happiness to keep hanging in there. And, to belabor the comparison, my life has also included the consumption of way too much coffee and pizza :-) 

[junienmomo]

14 hours ago, lostandfound said:

Funnily enough, playing hangman these past couple of days has reminded me what I love: Gilmore Girls is filled with these brief but resonant moments of wit, insight and even brilliance, with individual micro moments so special to me that they overshadow the overall macro problems with the series.

For me, the wit is secondary to the gaping flaws in character arc and continuity problems. The wit engaged me at first, but now I simply wish that the iron fist had been in the hands of a good story editor/producer who would have given that wit a better place to shine.

[lostandfound]

Never mind!

Edited April 13, 2017 by lostandfound

[Anela]

I have favourite episodes, and it's just like comfort food to me. I fall asleep to it, if I can't sleep - I'll watch or listen, until I finally drift off. 

Even though I didn't like earlier Jess, some of my favourite episodes feature him. The one where he comes over with food, and ends up staying. (Although I don't like Lorelai being rude to her mother for *gasp* wanting to spend time with her, and talking too much.) The one where Rory goes to NYC. The opening of the inn. The first season. 

[Irish Lass]

I didn't start watching the Gilmore Girls until the series was long over as I was only born in 1999, but it has become my all time favorite show and still is. I just identify with Rory so much. She is a go getter and is also very witty like myself in many ways. She also has a love for the Classic Movies and although the relationship between her and her Mom isn't exactly like myself and my Mom there are many similarities.

[openwindow]

I still love it because it continues to capture my interest and imagination even after all these years. Even when we complain about it, I like to think it's partly because we care enough to do so, a sign that this show has wormed its way in permanently into our hearts and minds!

Because this show has become such a cultural touchstone that just mentioning it has helped me connect with other people - my own mom, friends, the barista who gives me an extra extra extra large iced latte that Lorelai would approve of, and now people here on this site. 

Because I still think the dialogue is the best I've ever come across and has actually had a slight effect on the way that I speak and write.  

Because no matter how cynical I will sometimes think I've become about the show or life in general, there are still so many GG scenes that can melt my heart and fill me with happiness and a sense that life is worth celebrating.      

[Anela]

I told my sister the other day, that it seems like Gilmore Girls quotes always come to mind, whenever something happens. Or just with little things that trigger a memory. 

[Winter Rose]

I can admit that, despite my... reservations about ASP, it's hard for shows to maintain the same level of quality after years and years. So while I'd rather pretend the show ends with "The Prodigal Daughter Returns" (and maybe the last 4 episodes of S7, if I'm being generous), I'll always appreciate the early seasons of GG. I don't think anything could kill my love for S1 and 2.

[junienmomo]

15 hours ago, Winter Rose said:

I can admit that, despite my... reservations about ASP, it's hard for shows to maintain the same level of quality after years and years. So while I'd rather pretend the show ends with "The Prodigal Daughter Returns" (and maybe the last 4 episodes of S7, if I'm being generous), I'll always appreciate the early seasons of GG. I don't think anything could kill my love for S1 and 2.

I read somewhere that most tv scenarios have four to five seasons worth of good stories. After that the writers recycle ideas too often or jump the shark. Definitely was true for GG.

[Kohola3]

5 hours ago, junienmomo said:

I read somewhere that most tv scenarios have four to five seasons worth of good stories. After that the writers recycle ideas too often or jump the shark. Definitely was true for GG.

I have to agree in most cases with a few notable exceptions like MASH.  I know that fans would like a good series to go on forever but I always think it's best to go out on a high rather than just die a painful (and often pitiful) death.  

Even "reality" shows have an expiration date;  case in point - Say Yes to the Dress which had their jump the shark episode last week with a sleazy bride whose nipples were on display at the wedding.  Done with that one.

[kieyra]

I'm one of the weirdos (apparently) who loved the revival and thought it was a consistent extension of the characters' arcs.

We just finished re-watching the revival, and one thing I really love is Emily's arc. They might have opted to have her grow colder, bitter and more rigid after Richard's death, but they did the opposite, and it is lovely to behold. I have a lot of favorite parts of the arc, but my favorite-est may be Emily throwing off the "artifice and bullshit" of the DAR and waking away, while acknowledging that her life as a professional wife is over.

That she is done torturing her staff and is actually warm to them instead, treating them as a replacement quasi-family, is a wonderful grace note. Every time we see the scene with her offering to heat up soup for Berta while Berta mutters about Emily's ability to operate a stove, we giggle.

I love that she has no time for Ray Wise's excuses and bullshit, and combined with her fiery speech about whales, we see that even though she has let some things go, she's still Emily. And while she's far more graceful about Lorelai's latest need for cash than in the past, she doesn't hesitate to use it to get her way--to spend time with her family--again.

Really well done.

[Anela]

My only problem with the revival, was the musical. It was too long. I need to watch it again (fast-forwarding through the musical), because I was distracted last year. I was supposed to watch it with my mum, and she died (last Summer). Still having trouble saying that. Emily reminded me of mum, when she said that she saw no point in paying someone to disagree with her. I watched that episode with my dad and sister, and we all cracked up. Emily was mum's favourite character. 

[whateverhappened]

I still love GG and always will! The characters, the dialogue, the way so much of the show is a more charming and cozy yet comically exaggerated version of my reality, how it can be so whisical and comically absurd yet also so perceptive, touching and real all in the same scene. And like other people said at the beginning of this thread, I will always cherish how this show celebrates life's little joys and unexpected pleasures, reminding us that the little things are actually big things and worth apprecaiting.  

GG gives us female characters with a lot of passions, interests and talents. It holds up intelligence in all its many forms and reading as "cool" (or whatever word the kids are using instead of cool these days, lol). It sends the message that it's okay to be different and to be your true self even if you're generally viewed as weird. It constantly reminds us that we are all very flawed but ultimately worth loving anyway. And like someone else pointed out, ths show makes me feel better about my own addiction to caffeine, pizza and french fries, reminding me that I'm not alone. I saved the most important reason for last, lol. 

[itgetseasier]

These are all beautiful tributes!

Gilmore Girls makes me feel. Even when some of what I'm feeling is annoyance, there's no show more emotionally evocative to me than this one. It makes me laugh and cry and fills me with this warmth and comfort and sense of contentment.  It has me contemplating love of all types (romantic, familial, platonic) from a different perspective. It's witty, insightful, alternately sweet and snarky. It's smart, clever, passionate and complicated and gives us a few female characters who meet that same description. Like someone else alluded to, it's enough like our real world to relate to but quirky and surreal enough to provide a welcome escape.  I have spent many happy hours visiting Luke's Diner and bonding with the crazy townies when I've needed a reprieve from reality. 

Quote

 

The characters, the dialogue, the way so much of the show is a more charming and cozy yet comically exaggerated version of my reality, how it can be so whisical and comically absurd yet also so perceptive, touching and real all in the same scene. And like other people said at the beginning of this thread, I will always cherish how this show celebrates life's little joys and unexpected pleasures, reminding us that the little things are actually big things and worth apprecaiting.  

GG gives us female characters with a lot of passions, interests and talents. It holds up intelligence in all its many forms and reading as "cool" (or whatever word the kids are using instead of cool these days, lol). It sends the message that it's okay to be different and to be your true self even if you're generally viewed as weird. It constantly reminds us that we are all very flawed but ultimately worth loving anyway. And like someone else pointed out, ths show makes me feel better about my own addiction to caffeine, pizza and french fries, reminding me that I'm not alone. I saved the most important reason for last, lol. 

 

Quote

 

I still love it because it continues to capture my interest and imagination even after all these years. Even when we complain about it, I like to think it's partly because we care enough to do so, a sign that this show has wormed its way in permanently into our hearts and minds!

Because this show has become such a cultural touchstone that just mentioning it has helped me connect with other people - my own mom, friends, the barista who gives me an extra extra extra large iced latte that Lorelai would approve of, and now people here on this site. 

Because I still think the dialogue is the best I've ever come across and has actually had a slight effect on the way that I speak and write.  

Because no matter how cynical I will sometimes think I've become about the show or life in general, there are still so many GG scenes that can melt my heart and fill me with happiness and a sense that life is worth celebrating.

 

  

I heartily agree with all of this! Openwindow, that is a beautiful picture of Luke and Lorelai. 

Edited July 3, 2017 by itgetseasier

[itgetseasier]

I forgot to mention that I also love this show for introducing me to Sam Phillips, who's now one of my favorite singers. The fact that listening to her now reminds me of my favorite show makes me love her all the more. I still get teary when Reflecting Light comes on. Luke can waltz... 

[Kohola3]

3 hours ago, itgetseasier said:

I still get teary when Reflecting Light comes on. Luke can waltz... 

Love it!

[andromeda331]

I love the mother-daughter relationships. The closeness of Lorelai and Rory, the difficult ones Lorelai and Emily, Lane and Mrs. Kim. I love how Lane and Mrs. Kim changes ends up becoming a really good one. I loved Rory in the beginning she was a girl who loved to read usually on TV those girls are usually depicted as uncool. I loved watching Lorelai encouraging and helping Rory in her first relationship and branching out to try new things. Helping Rory decide what to wear when Dean was coming over and going to the dance. Being the go between for Lane and Mrs. Kim's fight, trying to reach out to Emily like when she goes to try to "hang" out when Emily and Richard were having problems and telling her mother if she wanted to talk she was there, buying the DVD player and coming over to set it up how excited Emily was when looking at one of the DVDs Lorelai bought her about how she loved that one. I did find Emily harsh at times but I liked when they showed another side to her or her fear that Lorelai might leave again and not come back like when Trix offers to give money from Rory's trust fund to pay for Chilton or when she learns from Sookie that Lorelai's engaged she goes to tell Richard to apologize to Rory about his earlier behavior. I loved Rory and Richard's relationship. I wish we had more scenes of Lorelai and Richard. I loved both of them bored when Emily was trying to set up Lorelai and later letting her escape out her window, Lorelai helping to set up Richard's office, and playing along with Lorelai and Rory in the hospital when their talking about how fast he was vs other patients in the hospital.

[Anela]

11 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

I love the mother-daughter relationships. The closeness of Lorelai and Rory, the difficult ones Lorelai and Emily, Lane and Mrs. Kim. I love how Lane and Mrs. Kim changes ends up becoming a really good one. I loved Rory in the beginning she was a girl who loved to read usually on TV those girls are usually depicted as uncool. I loved watching Lorelai encouraging and helping Rory in her first relationship and branching out to try new things. Helping Rory decide what to wear when Dean was coming over and going to the dance. Being the go between for Lane and Mrs. Kim's fight, trying to reach out to Emily like when she goes to try to "hang" out when Emily and Richard were having problems and telling her mother if she wanted to talk she was there, buying the DVD player and coming over to set it up how excited Emily was when looking at one of the DVDs Lorelai bought her about how she loved that one. I did find Emily harsh at times but I liked when they showed another side to her or her fear that Lorelai might leave again and not come back like when Trix offers to give money from Rory's trust fund to pay for Chilton or when she learns from Sookie that Lorelai's engaged she goes to tell Richard to apologize to Rory about his earlier behavior. I loved Rory and Richard's relationship. I wish we had more scenes of Lorelai and Richard. I loved both of them bored when Emily was trying to set up Lorelai and later letting her escape out her window, Lorelai helping to set up Richard's office, and playing along with Lorelai and Rory in the hospital when their talking about how fast he was vs other patients in the hospital.

I liked all of this, too. The other day, I was listening to the episode where Lane has moved back home. I've always loved the way Mrs Kim responds to her pissed off daughter here, but it was only listening the other day, that I heard her excitement/happiness over the dinner she'd made. She was happy to have her daughter back. :) I like her relationship with Zach, too - from threatening him if he touched her daughter, to them being friends. 

One of my favourite moments is when Richard says to Rory, that he applauds her timing, because it got him out of attending something. 

[andromeda331]

9 hours ago, Anela said:

I liked all of this, too. The other day, I was listening to the episode where Lane has moved back home. I've always loved the way Mrs Kim responds to her pissed off daughter here, but it was only listening the other day, that I heard her excitement/happiness over the dinner she'd made. She was happy to have her daughter back. :) I like her relationship with Zach, too - from threatening him if he touched her daughter, to them being friends. 

One of my favourite moments is when Richard says to Rory, that he applauds her timing, because it got him out of attending something. 

I love that episode. I love how Mrs. Kim handles a pissed off Lane after the band broke up. She was so supportive and gave Lane time to grieve over her band then at the end they shared a small drink of alcohol when Mrs. Kim gently told her it was time to move on.  Also when Lane goes to her when it looks like the band was splitting off this time into jobs. You expected Mrs. Kim to be happy to learn it was all over but instead told her she didn't raise her to give up. Then comes up with the church tour. After Lane's second wedding, telling Lane she was going to go home and put in the really good earplugs, so she wouldn't hear anything that was going on outside. It was really sweet. Lane later saying she was going to do everything for her kids just like her mom did for her. They really ended up with a great relationship.