One is the Loneliest Number: Unpopular GG Opinions

[dustylil]

MaiSoCalled, I entirely agree about the potting shed being a dubious choice for a place of residence. However, Lorelai needed both a place to stay and a job in order to  leave home and support herself and Rory. I am not sure staying in Hartford until she could find an apartment she could afford  would have solved her problems. She still had to earn a living. The Independence Inn arrangement did provide both.

In my rare moments of charity towards ASP I attribute "the potting shed"  as a charming if naïve idea of  someone born and raised in Southern California. I know from in-law family lore that living in unconverted garages was not uncommon in California, particularly during times of housing shortages.

I think it is pretty much agreed that Lorelai was fortunate in arriving in  Stars Hollow and finding work at the Inn. That said,  am I alone in believing that had Mia not offered her a job, she would have continued to look for employment elsewhere and not returned to Hartford? Perhaps not as a maid but in an entry level position where willingness to work was more important than an extensive skill set. A waitress in a diner comes to mind - like Alice :)

[nolieblue]

Here's another unpopular opinion. I hated Friday Night's Alright for Fightin'. I thought it was self-indulgent and obnoxious and made me like each and every Gilmore a whole lot less.

And while Shira may well have been a gold-digger,  the Gilmores were total snobs in denigrating her particularly since it was the grandfather and Mitchum who were responsible for hurting Rory the most.

For someone so concerned with appearances and doing the proper thing, Emily more often than not behaved atrociously towards people she didn't like or didn't consider her equal.

[dustylil]

NolieBlue I had no idea that disliking that episode was unpopular. I agree with all your points. And if Shira was a golddigger,for marrying "up", then Emily might consider looking in a mirror herself. Other than qualifying to belong to the DAR - as did Shira - what attributes of breeding and wealth did Emily bring to her marriage? Anger management issues and a great uncle who founded a local hospital. No wonder Trix was so fond of her ;)

[XtremeOne1]

Though we never met her family, everything we know of Emily(and the few things we were told of her past) suggests that she was also from a very wealth and "well breed "family."

[dustylil]

Respectfully, did we know that? There was nothing in any of the comments about the Gilmore wealth that suggested Emily in any way contributed to it - that there was a merger as well as a marriage between Richard and Emily.

We know Emily had a strict upbringing, attended the prestigious Smith College (which may or may not mean she was from a  well-to-do family), had a sister who lived in France, and a great-uncle who founded a Hartford hospital. But other than those facts and Trix's on-going dislike of her, I don't recall learning much about her background (which in retrospect was rather surprising given how prominent a character Emily  was).

[txhorns79]

Respectfully, did we know that?

 

Obviously, there is no way to know for sure.  However, given we never saw anything to indicate Emily came from a modest background, I'd have trouble believing we were supposed to think otherwise. 

[nolieblue]

I'm forcing myself to watch a little bit of each of S6 that's airing now on ABC Family -- torture yes, but I'm curious to see if those episodes are as bad as I remember and so far they are!

 

Anyway, my UO is that although I agree that Luke was very wrong not to tell Lorelai immediately about April, I think she was wrong to be so upset with him for wanting to delay the wedding until he got to know April better. Luke was supportive of Lorelai when she didn't want to set the date until things were right with Rory but as soon as Lorelai had her life on track she just wanted to go ahead. I understand that but Luke was going through something that was arguably more stressful and disruptive. I thought she should have gotten over herself and been more enthusiastic about Luke getting to know April.  Luke was an idiot  but so was Lorelai. Actually when I think about the second half of S6, I tend to attribute everyone's actions to writer manipulation and not to how I believe any of them would have behaved based on past behavior. argh!

[mstaken]

I don't disagree, nolie! The problem for me is that the writing and acting combined to come across to me as if Luke and Lorelai were both just looking for excuses to postpone the wedding date, as legitimate as those excuses may objectively have been. At times they seemed to view June 3rd with all the enthusiasm of death row inmates trying to wriggle out of their scheduled date of execution :)

 

And I've already expressed this one, but I think the titular Gilmore girls not talking for a freaking third of the season---and then not learning or changing anyway as a result of said rift---was every bit as detrimental to the show as the issues between Luke and Lorelai, if not more so. I'd rant more about what a grim mess S6 was, but I suspect that opinion isn't very unpopular! 

[nolieblue]

I agree -- it made no sense to me what Lorelai thought Rory was supposed to learn or figure out about herself during her hiatus from Yale. The only thing I saw is that Rory became a little more obnoxious -- stalking the editor of that paper and being an absolute brat to her grandparents. Ugh. 

[mstaken]

Well, she DID learn how to balance her required nightly 'partying' with snotty, vapid brats with her few hours of community service (where she, of course, immediately became the respected leader of the group....riiiight) and her part-time 'job' sucking up to members of the DAR, nolie. And she managed to do all this while having to 'rough it' in a luxury, newly decorated bungalow equipped with maid service and three meals a day provided to her by professional cooks...give her some credit! ;) 

 

I snark on Rory because I really do adore her, by the way. I love and relate to early Seasons Rory even more than I love and relate to Lorelai (a UO in and of itself!), which is why I was so disappointed by where they took the character in later seasons. 

[txhorns79]

stalking the editor of that paper

 

I did hate that.  I think it was supposed to show Rory had some kind of cute moxie, but it came off as creepy and weird. 

Edited August 28, 2014 by txhorns79

[Anela]

I didn't really like Rory in later seasons. I thought that Chilton Rory wouldn't have had a breakdown over what Mitchum said to her - she would have set out to prove him wrong. She seemed stronger and more down-to-earth. I liked that it was Jess who asked her what the hell she was doing, when he was in Hartford to see her. I didn't like him when he lived in town, but I did later on.

 

[XtremeOne1]

I'm forcing myself to watch a little bit of each of S6 that's airing now on ABC Family -- torture yes, but I'm curious to see if those episodes are as bad as I remember and so far they are!

 

Anyway, my UO is that although I agree that Luke was very wrong not to tell Lorelai immediately about April, I think she was wrong to be so upset with him for wanting to delay the wedding until he got to know April better. Luke was supportive of Lorelai when she didn't want to set the date until things were right with Rory but as soon as Lorelai had her life on track she just wanted to go ahead. I understand that but Luke was going through something that was arguably more stressful and disruptive. I thought she should have gotten over herself and been more enthusiastic about Luke getting to know April.  Luke was an idiot  but so was Lorelai. Actually when I think about the second half of S6, I tend to attribute everyone's actions to writer manipulation and not to how I believe any of them would have behaved based on past behavior. argh!

 

I think Luke was just a jerk though. He was so so so so so so cold to Lorelei He could have been more open with her, but instead he shut her out. If he at least involved Lorelei in April's life that might have been different. I don't buy the bull that, "Yu guys aren't married so my daughter can;t get to know you"...Umm, that isn't how it should work. A kid should get to know their parent's signifigant other if they're engaged. The fact that Lorelei was cut off this major part of Luke's life made her feel unwanted and unsure of where they stood. How could she give him time if he didn't give her anything. Lorelei was at least moving their life forward during the seperation with Rory...Yes, she stoppped the wedding but that was because  her best friend wouldn't be there.

 

Luke was just being stubborn, saying that his life and her life had to separate until he decided other wise. What kind of fiance does that?

[txhorns79]

I don't buy the bull that, "Yu guys aren't married so my daughter can;t get to know you"...Umm, that isn't how it should work. A kid should get to know their parent's significant other if they're engaged.

 

I would disagree, only in that I think a parent has a lot of leeway in determining who her kid gets to be around.  I am not saying Anna handled things well, but I think Luke screwed that situation up too.  It was a big mistake to have Lorelai as part of April's birthday party sleepover without making sure Anna was okay with it.  From Anna's perspective, she doesn't know Lorelai very well and certainly not enough to let April spend the night in her care.  So I kind of get why Anna overreacted in the way she did. 

 

Though  I totally agree that Luke really messed up the situation with Lorelai when it came to she and April. 

[dustylil]

My naturally suspicious nature has long thought that the prime reason that Anna agreed to have Luke host April's birthday party in the first place  was her belief that he would royally screw things up. The debacle would upset April and embarrass her in front of her friends, leading the girl to want to spend less time with her father. A circumstance that would have greatly pleased Anna.

 

Also, am I the only one who was puzzled by the choice of June 3 as the day for the wedding of Luke and Lorelai? (Besides telegraphing to viewers that it was unlikely to happen as planned, I mean).Would a mother thrilled to be once again reunited with her daughter really schedule the occasion on the anniversary of the date Rory became a felon?

Edited September 4, 2014 by dustylil

[nolieblue]

dusty, I tend to think that the choice of June 3 was ASP's way of sticking the shiv in a little bit more, telling us that the wedding was never going to happen.

[jjj]

Lorelai was so detached from Rory's court appearance that I don't think the date had the

same sigificance that it does to us who hear the date cycle through every so often. I even wonder how she found out about the outcome! Not from Rory.

And the original wedding date was just the availability of the venue and associated items.

About Anna -- I think she was just fishing fir a reason to cut out Lorelai, AKA future step-mom. And who knows, maybe she was a little jealous?

Edited September 4, 2014 by jjj

[txhorns79]

I even wonder how she found out about the outcome! Not from Rory.

 

Didn't she happen to drive by Rory's chain gang and stopped to speak with her? 

[jjj]

Yes, she drove by Cool Hand Rory, but already knew about the community service. Now I'm thinking Rory told Luke? (and Luke told Lorelai?)

[dustylil]

Actually, Lorelai did know of the significance of June 3 for Rory. She was aware of the trial date and had refused to attend the proceedings. It was her first major act of the Great Schism ;)

As to learning of Rory's sentence, many towns publish the results of court cases in the local newspapers. She might have read about it.

 

Nolie, I entirely agree with you about ASP sticking a shiv into viewers about the wedding. I guess I had expected a tiny bit more subtlety from her on the subject.

 

Back to April's birthday party, did Anna even know about  Luke having a fiancée at the time? Other than his mumbled reference about her when he introduced Rory and April had the topic ever come up before the party? Certainly neither Luke nor April herself mentioned Lorelai's status when she came to save the day.

[txhorns79]

Actually, Lorelai did know of the significance of June 3 for Rory. She was aware of the trial date and had refused to attend the proceedings.

 

I don't know if there was ever any indication that Lorelai attached any special significance to the wedding date with regards to Rory's conviction, or that it was ever mentioned to Lorelai about the coincidence.   

 

 

As to learning of Rory's sentence, many towns publish the results of court cases in the local newspapers. She might have read about it.

 

JJJ has it right.  In Fight Face, Rory tells Luke about her community service requirement.  Presumably, Luke would have told Lorelai.    

[FozzyBear]

I think Mitch Huntsburger was right, or at least had a legitimate point, that Rory wasn't at all suited for the type of investigative journalism she wanted to pursue. She's easily intimated and flustered, doesn't take critism well, has a tendency to fold under pressure, isn't actually a particularly creative or independent thinking. Basically she's just not a ballsy, never say die, outside of the box type. Hell, Paris was better suited to being dropped in a war zone to report on it. At that point Rory was better suited to an editorial or research job. I kind of hated that it got spun as an evil plan of the Huntsburger because at that point I was so over Rory as a cross between a manic pixi dream girl and Jesus. I really wanted the writers to acknowledge that Rory had some significant faults. It would have made her more likeable for me.

Oh and I love Logan and never found Matt C any more smirky than any other actor on the show.

[JayInChicago]

do people like the friday night's alright for fighting 'fight scene'?  

I...I don't know. It definitely is entertaining, but with them returning to the "you get pregnant, you get married" elder Gilmore's shtick, it's like...why does Lorelai not just finally say "ffffffffffff you both, see you never".  I realize that kinda ...underpins the entire series but like, at that point I feel any shred of credibility for exactly why she keeps going back to her parents is lost. 

This time watching it I also felt it was a little too pat. Reviews (contemporary or now) of the episode tend to say "the Gilmores finally get it all out of their systems!" but they don't, really. They just continue to have the fights they always have, with some added newer strain between Rory and Emily. And Emily is kind of a treacherous snake.

[Taryn74]

I'm not crazy about FNAFF, Jay.  Like you said, it's all just the same ol' same ol' for the most part.

 

It does make me laugh to see Lorelai and Rory standing out in the front entryway looking like they just lost a fight with a bear, though.

[nolieblue]

I rewatched it recently on ABC Family and I hadn't realized how short the actual scene at dinner was -- it was really only less than 10 minutes. I thought it was at least half the episode!

[solotrek]

do people like the friday night's alright for fighting 'fight scene'?

 

I like how they went from fighting, to laughing over something as a group, to going off and doing their individual fights while the people not involved with that fight would look tired or bored. It was amusing but in the end accomplished nothing. From a technical standpoint, the first part of the fight was done in one shot. Pretty impressive especially with how wordy and fast the show is.

[txhorns79]

It was amusing but in the end accomplished nothing.

 

I think that sums it up best.  I liked how they cycled through all the Gilmore fights (complete with a break for desert!), but it didn't really resolve anything. 

[JayInChicago]

GiGi is jujust awful.

[Guest]

GiGi is jujust awful.

I don't want to live in a world where this is an unpopular opinion.

[junienmomo]

I like the fighting scene for both its structure (they didn't wring the emotion out of through every painful moment) and the pace of the dialog. This kind of fight doesn't permanently change a family's behavior, but does clear the air, which is sorely needed in many GG relationships.

[purplemouth]

I don't know how unpopular this is, but man, I haaaaaaaate the way Lorelei acted in Teach Me Tonight. First of all, I get it. It's scary to hear your kid was in an accident, but for fuck's sake, even after she saw Rory was fine besides the wrist, she still way overreacted. And screaming at Luke that she and Rory are more important than Jess? Ugh. It's Lorelei at her worst.

 

And then, after screaming at him in the middle of the street and blaming him for everything and telling him to go to hell, she thinks she can just waltz into the diner, be "adorable", and he'll forgive her?! Have I said "ugh" yet?

 

ETA: more ranting.

Edited October 8, 2014 by purplemouth

[Kohola3]

Ugh. It's Lorelei at her worst.

 

ITA it was such an over the top reaction to a relatively minor injury.  It would be different if Rory had been in a coma or something but puh-leeze.

[txhorns79]

I'm right there with you.  It's a terrible scare, but in no way was Lorelai's behavior justified. 

[blueray]

I just watched that episode and also was annoyed on how much she over reacted. Rory was fine minus her wrist. And it honestly annoyed me that no body believed Rory that it wasn't his fault, not even her own mother. Also she didn't need to yell at Luke, it would have made more sense if she yelled at Jess (assuming she could find him). Also the scene in the hospital bothered me too. Because I'm pretty sure no emergency room would send someone back in for tests when they already know it's just her wrist. And they would have billed Lorieli if they did. And I image at that point, Rory would have just wanted to get the cast on and go home.

[junienmomo]

Keep in mind that Lorelai was still convinced that Jess was trouble. That belief makes it easy for many people to overreact, because there's a subtext there. In this case it was "I told you so, Luke! Now look at what happened!"

 

Ironically, Luke did the same to Lorelai in a much less fraught situation.

Remember after the Emily breakup? Even though Lorelai was still mad and sad about the breakup, Luke had already turned toward finding a path back to Lorelai. That's why he agreed to work on the sets for Fiddler. Then, when Lorelai never showed up, he went to her house on a pretext and threw his hissy fit.

"LUKE: My problem is that I’m spending the day teaching a bunch of kids to use tools which won’t properly fit in their
hands for another eight to ten years, because you signed me up to do it, and then you’re not even there when you’re
supposed to be!"

[Taryn74]

So totally hear you on Lorelai overreacting in TMT.

 

And then, after screaming at him in the middle of the street and blaming him for everything and telling him to go to hell, she thinks she can just waltz into the diner, be "adorable", and he'll forgive her?!

 

 

Honestly, I think that's the part that bothers me the most.  I can understand her losing her sh!t in the middle of the street when she's still running on fear and adrenaline (not agree with, mind you, but understand), but she should have been walking to that diner the next day ready to eat crow and apologize.  Instead we get "He'll be crabby, I'll be adorable, he'll forget everything...."  Ugh.  It was nauseating.

[Guest]

TMT is one of the worst episodes in the series for all the reasons already mentioned.  The way Lorelai flips out, talks to Luke, talks to the doctor, etc.  Even sleeping in Rory's room after they get home from the hospital.  I can see checking on her during the night in an "I could have lost my kid" way, but not in a "she needs constant care" way.  It was a wrist, not a closed head injury.  

 

Also, Jess did nothing wrong to cause the accident. It was just that - an accident.  He hadn't been drinking. He wasn't high. He was trying to avoid killing innocent animals.  Teenage drivers have accidents. They make bad split second driving decisions.  

 

I hate Lorelai that episode. Not in a "oh, it adds to her characterization" way, but in a "shut up and get off my screen" way.

[FozzyBear]

You all forgot to mention that when Lorelai goes off on Luke (you had an obligation to the town. WTF?) JESS WAS MISSING! After a car accident Luke didn't know if Jess was dead or alive and Miss Center of the Universe is screaming at him. So much hate.

[dustylil]

I always thought Lorelai was never more the offspring of Richard and Emily Gilmore than she was both during that tirade and in her expectation that such conduct would have no consequences in her relationship with Luke.

[racked]

I actually loved Lorelai's tirade because I hated Jess SO much and everything she said I agreed with. I just wanted that character gone completely and I blamed Luke for bringing him to town. Irrational I know.  It's strange because when Jess showed up in S6 (I think?) and owned that bookstore, I loved him. 

This may not be an UO, I've only made it back 4 pages, but I don't find the way the GG's eat to be cute or fun. If they were morbidly obese eating like that, people would do nothing but mock them. I know this is a cliche that's used over and over again, but I find it really annoying on rewatch. It didn't bug me that much until my latest rewatch actually. They also never actually enjoy the copious amounts of food they buy. They never even ingest it!

[amensisterfriend]

ITA with everyone who hates Lorelai's wildly over-the-top reaction in Teach Me Tonight. I'll take it a step further and say that the entire freaking town was ridiculous---completely demonizing Jess as if he'd deliberately set fire to an orphanage instead of accidentally getting into a car crash like many, many people of all ages do. There's a lot to justifiably dislike Jess for, but THAT?! It was just absurd to me.  

 

I actually hate Luke and Lorelai's fights overall. I get that many people think they reveal the characters' passion and all that, but for me their fights tended to make both of them annoyingly unlikable (Lorelai's rant at Luke in TMT, Luke's awful low blow to Lorelai in Nick and Nora, the fact that Luke always freezes her out for so very long before finally accepting her apologies, Luke storming out of Emily and Richard's wedding without making sure Lorelai had a ride or cab fare, Lorelai suddenly getting childishly jealous over Nicole when she knew she had no right to be, etc.) These two bicker constantly anyway; I could happily do without most of their major blowouts :) 

[Betweenyouandme]

This is small but I hated how Lorelai made such a huge point in Season 1 to correct everyone that she RAN the inn. Then, when Emily visited the inn with Rory and was praising Lorelai, she rudely says, "I just work here." It just pointed out to me how she always has to be so argumentative. Irl, I wouldn't like Lorelai at all. Tiring.

[amensisterfriend]

Irl, I wouldn't like Lorelai at all. Tiring.

 

Me neither, and I really appreciate her a lot as a fictional character despite the ways in which she annoys me. I could barely tolerate Luke, Lorelai, Emily, Michel or even my beloved Paris and Jess in real life. And, oh my god, don't even get me started on my real life reaction to TJ, Liz and Colin! ;) On a stylized and often comedic show like GG, most of the characters are exaggerated to the point where their flaws would be just too much for me to take if I knew them personally. My really unpopular opinion here is that Luke may be the character I could tolerate least aside from Emily---it's a personal preference thing based on experience, but I just CAN'T with bitter, angry, temperamental men who can't communicate. 

 

I'm not sure I'd especially like or connect with any GG character other than Early Seasons Rory...and perhaps Digger, as his neurotic oddness is scarily similar to my own :) 

Edited October 9, 2014 by amensisterfriend

[Betweenyouandme]

The biggest caricature to me was painting so many people of Stars Hollows as super fans of Lorelai. I loved that she and Rory were loved.

However, the obsession people had with Lorelai when we never saw them interact, was way over the top. Like, when they were running after her and panting at the diner window when they wanted to see Luke's reaction to being told Lorelai was getting married to Max. Or, the outrage of *everyone* that they couldn't go to Rory's graduation. It would make more sense if they had more groups of people they hung out with for dinner or drinks. Or, if they volunteered and made close relationships with people at a community center or retirement home. Instead, they ate at the diner, Lorelai worked in town, they went to town meetings and events, and shopped normally.

I understand them being well liked, but they were treated like celebrities by the rest of the town rather than actually part of the town (by those other than the main supporting characters). It just rang so false to me that it made me further dislike Lorelai always having to be right and when she acted conceited. It's like she bought into her own hype too much. And, what I don't get is why there was any hype to begin with. It felt like she was a star of a reality show, and the townspeople wanted to make sure they were caught in the edge of the camera frame.

I really love this show, but what I enjoyed were all the scenes away from out and about in public at Stars Hollow. Whether it was just in their home alone or in the grandparents' home or out of town.

(The one big exception I saw today when Lorelai decides not to marry Max and they go to the Cheshire Cat BnB. They acted so annoyed by the other guests wanting to "chitchat." Lol, that's what they put up with all the time and wallow in back in Stars Hollow). Plus, the glaringly obvious point that they could have just said no, but, you know, can't disappoint new fans they'll never even see again).

As loud-mouthed and disruptive as Lorelai was, it's hard to believe there wouldn't be more people who at the very least weren't indifferent to her. Or, if the town was truly that invested, we should have seen them equally as into everyone else's business. But, I'm probably a terrible judge of this. I very much keep to myself mostly because of my sour disposition. A successful day in my world is not getting into a tiff with a waiter/tress or cashier or Heaven forbid they try to make a joke. I love events and shows, but my idea of torture is a town with all eyes on me.

Edited October 9, 2014 by Betweenyouandme

[junienmomo]

BIG Luke fan over here. I've frequently wondered why I can't tolerate Lorelai's indecision. Grr, am just watching 7.21, Unto the Breach, and I can't believe that after the karaoke, she can still stand there and say "But I don't know if it was a new, now feeling or the residue of an old feeling that came up because of the
drinks and the lyrics and the hat." That makes me crazy, she's how old by this time, 38?

As far as we see from the shows, she only ever told the therapist that she loved Luke. Granted, both L&L were reminding each other that they loved each other, so it must have happened off-screen often enough.

But I also reminded myself that screwups this big are generally the fault of both sides, so I began exploring my Luke bias. He, a little older, also couldn't just go to her and say what he needed to say.

Without putting you all to sleep with my obsessive analysis of the situation, I give Luke the edge here, because he was capable of identifying the women he felt comfortable with, and was frequently capable of communicating with them, Rachel comes to mind as an example, and don't forget Luke even asked Lorelai out early in 1.12, Double Date. He used the exact same soft-pedal technique that Sookie did when she asked Jackson out, but Luke never followed through.

All the while Lorelai is prancing around like an 8 year old "I don't know. I have to know what he thinks first" and that kind of pre-teen crap.

Ticks me off to see her behave like that when Christopher's favorite memory of Lorelai as a child was when she was so bold as to go over and kiss him. Somewhere along the line, adult Lorelai lost that mojo. Too bad.

 

In closing, I found Luke's BBQ words wonderful: "I just like to see you happy." He says it in a way that convinced me that's how far he'd come. For all the moments in the previous weeks that didn't jive with each other, he was finally centered enough to tell her what he needed to say for himself, regardless of the outcome. And he had hope enough to bring the necklace with him to the barbeque. Coudn't the writers have given Lorelai something equivalent? Her look left me still wondering.

 

Off my soapbox, going to gather pretty screenshots of Luke now. I am not obsessed. I am not obsessed. I am not obsessed. :)

[moonb]

I think Lorelai and Rory's men work well for me as deliberately unsuccessful relationships - not sure if ASP intended it that way, though. Lorelai and Christopher, while fun to watch, were the couple permanently stuck at 17, even mirror images of each other in needing things their own way and in their self-involvement without regard to their child together. As for Lorelai's other boyfriends, well, who  doesn't enjoy being admired and knowing deep down that admiration and sexual attraction isn't love (Max)? Or having similar backgrounds and rebelling together without that being enough for a romantic relationship (Jason)? The fact that Lorelai is arguably a little old to be going through that is, I guess, part of her character - she doesn't get the other "important life events," education, then marriage, then pregnancy, timed right, so why shouldn't she be behind in romantic relationships? Plus, this is a woman who didn't even date seriously (as far as integrating her family life with her sexual/romantic relationships) until her 30s, so she's learning like a younger person would.  I'd have been happy whether Lorelai ended the series single or with Luke, because I can make the case either way.

And I loved Rory's 3 boyfriends in their wrongness as far as being together forever - Dean for the dull and obsessive high school boyfriend, Jess for the bad boy that would irritate a more mature girlfriend, and Logan for the serious college boyfriend you think is your forever guy and then...isn't.  If I'd married the guy I really loved at 22, we'd be divorced by now because of some serious incompatibilities I didn't get at the time. Some college couples last, others don't, and I liked that Rory got to be single and starting her professional life. 

 

My unpopular opinion: I like the first half of season 6 and the Lorelai/Rory rift, and rewatch those episodes a lot. I like all of Rory's bad moments - it seems in character for her not to stumble until college or later, given her upbringing and her easy skate through life thus far and that attendant selfishness. Lots of people are much more insufferable and obnoxious at age 20 or even later than at 16. I thought it was good for Rory, even if her storylines got resolved too easily.

I also liked that Emily and Richard's relationship with Lorelai was always "two steps back" - it seems true to life for family dynamics. My mother, a less snobby and lower rent Emily Gilmore, who has to have things done her way, hasn't gotten over my sister's choosing to go to a college that didn't suit her (in my mom's opinion). She still talks about it as a rebellion - and this happened 30 years ago and my sister is 50 now. So the depiction of Emily/Richard/Lorelai as all similar in their drama queen tendencies totally works for me...even with the senior Gilmores' descent into cartoon villainery. 

Edited October 10, 2014 by moonb

[JayInChicago]

One thing I liked about the "Rory moves into the Pool House" arc is she finally sees how impossibly difficult Emily Gilmore can be as a more adversarial associate versus as a loving grandma.

[dustylil]

We were often told how active both Lorelai and Rory were in charitable and community events in Stars Hollow over the years, even if we did not view them involved in a large number of them. I mean if you have seen one rummage sale, you have seen them all :) So I could understand how they might be regarded fondly by the townspeople.

 

In the sixth season, It was more than a little astonishing to me how little Rory apparently knew of her grandparents' views on premarital sex and more importantly, how little she cared. She seemed to think she owed them  nothing - not even respect - and was quite willing to cut them out of her life. Not even thanks for luxury  free room and board by them and the  rather cushy part-time job.

 

By then, I confess,  my eyes were often glazing over in scenes involving Rory. Did she ever apologize to them for leaving without a word and express her thanks for their kindness to her in the months after she left Yale?

[JayInChicago]

at the oddest times I've wanted to say 'RORY GILMORE SEX HOUSE'.  just thought I would drop that here.

 

naw, she's never shown as grateful, because she wasn't. She is extremely entitled and unlike Lorelai, has no problem at all coasting on the Gilmore fortune. 

That said, Emily Gilmore only respects total obedience out of her progeny and grand progeny --- soooo...how grateful would Rory have to be to satisfy Emily?

Edited October 12, 2014 by JayInChicago

[txhorns79]

It was more than a little astonishing to me how little Rory apparently knew of her grandparents' views on premarital sex and more importantly, how little she cared.

 

Well, unless she lacked a head for most of the series, I'm sure she realized that her grandparents weren't supportive of premarital sex.  After all, she saw what it did to her mother's relationship with her parents.  She may have just been surprised at how openly Emily and Richard were going to insert themselves into her sex life.  I would agree that in their house, Rory should have been respectful of their views, but otherwise, it's not really their business.  

Edited October 11, 2014 by txhorns79