The Gilmore Girls

[gategrrl]

Mermaid has gotten really into The Gilmore Girls recently. She likes the fast dialogue, the smartness, and the characters. That it stars two women, and has a grandmother character in there, and a fair number of other female characters in it, certainly helps a lot. There are many female characters in it, and they're all very different, most of them, although controlling mothers is a thick theme. Lorelei seems to be the only mother who is NOT a controlling witch-hag to her daughter. Otherwise, I like this series a lot.

But I'm finding that somewhere around the fifth season of this show that the two lead characters, Lorelei and Rory Gilmore, really set my teeth on edge. By this time Lorelei is in her late thirties and still acts like a woman arrested in her teens, and her daughter Rory goes on to screw around with A) an old married boyfriend who still holds a torch for her and B) makes the mistake of going off the rails and doing something completely out of character--stealing a large yacht? What the hell was that all about? And Luke, the main male character and Lorelei's long-time torch-holder, is becoming more and unlikable as well. After reaming Lorelei out about being contacted by Rori's father, he fails to tell her about having a daughter he only just found out about?

Yeah, at this point in the series, I'm enjoying the very talented secondary cast--in fact, I'd say that the actor who plays Sookie, and the one who plays Lane, and the grandparent Gilmores, and...well, okay, just about EVERYONE else is fantastic in their roles, while Rori's acting leaves a LOT to be desired. (if you look up her IMDB, she has only been in low-budget trashy horror flicks since this series, and it's no mystery why; she needs more acting lessons)

 

Comments

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

Ah, Emily. She could be such a bitch, but you *knew* she loved her daughter and granddaughter, no matter how that love came across. And she could be sympathetic. Mermaid and I actually cheered her when she and her husband finally figured out how rotten Logan's family had treated her, and she went over, and brought Logan's mother down about hundred pegs.

That said, I wasn't thrilled with what ammunition she used to DO it: attacking the other woman's fat cycle due to her husband's philandering; her lower class upbringing (which doesn't have anything to do with how "classy" one actually is or is not)etcetc.

Like Aizjanika said, I think Emily is the most *interesting* character on the show-trapped in her role, formed by it, but sometimes willing to overcome it for a few minutes at a time--she probably one of the best not-nice women characters I've ever seen in my TV viewing history (and no, I never watched Dynasty!).

I love Sookie, too. I love her actress. Michele cracks me up totally every time he's on the screen.

Lane is mixed up, but compared to Rory, she's got it together and handled freedom better. And LANE'S MOTHER! Now, even compared to Emily Gilmore, wow. You are set up to hate how she represses everything that's life-loving about Lane, but you almost always know where she's coming from. And you know that, unlike Emily, she's making a truly sincere effort, as much as she can, to understand Lane within her very rigid religious and personal framework. And even though Lane is younger than Lorelei, I think in many ways she's more grown-up and has a better a relationship with her mother, estrangement notwithstanding.

Ah, there's a LOT to talk about with this show, isn't there? *blushes*