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

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

I don't watch Gilmore Girls, but I think there was a problem when they reached a certain season where the writers knew they were going to lose Jared Padalecki to Supernatural, so they did something odd with Rory and Dean.

And I also thought the show changed creative control at some point? I forget.

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

I've done some Wikipedia research. The original producers left the show after the fourth season? Or the fifth season? something like that. And it does show in the direction the characters took. I mean, I'm sorry, but I have a real problem with girls/women who decide to sleep with married men, and married men who go ahead and get married even though they really don't want to marry their wives. Although they had Lorelei verbalize how upset she was to hear about it, and yes, I know there are plenty of young women who make that mistake...I dunno. It left it a bad taste in my mouth.

Argh, there's a series that took place in Alaska that was a lot like Gilmore Girls, only it centered on a New York doctor being drafted into being the small town doctor...Northern Exposure. I loved that show, until Joel left, or just before. Then it went all weird. Just like Gilmore Girls.

[ndmzero.livejournal.com]

I don't really watch the show either - although I did borrow the first season DVDs from the library and watched a few eps to see the Baby Padalecki - but I'm glad your daughter is enjoying the show.
In fairness to the daughter-actress, and without checking IMDB myself - I believe she found a spot on ER towards the end. They had an extended shot of her sitting in the hallway wearing scrubs in the final ep (the only episode I had watched in years.)

[superbadgirl]

I liked the first year or two - when the conflict between Lorelai and her parents was really at the core of the show, but then they started doing weird things like Jess (Milo V) and it became apparent that Lorelai's main function was to find a man (despite being successful at her job and single-motherhood). And then it became Rory's main function to find and keep a man and meh, there were other things, too, but that really struck me hard.

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

Unfortnately I haven't watched it in complete order, although it's staying pretty much that way in syndication. Yeah, that does seem to be a drawback. All the characters are into "getting a man"-like Lane, she ended up having a relationship with a guy in her band. He trashed their chances to get a contract over some stupid little reason. Paris also now has a boyfriend.

I mean, okay. I GET that women and girls do have relationships with men. And women. Let's not forget that. There aren't any gay characters in there that I can pinpoint, except maybe Michele, but he seems more asexual than gay. And when you're in your in young 20s, well, guys ARE a big part of your life if you've been brought up that way.

But this show seemed to be about much more than sex/relationship with guys drama when it started out. It seemed to be much more about a family dysfunction and how mothers and daughters relate.

But at least Rory didn't get pregnant, nor Loralei.

[khek.livejournal.com]

I only found GG after it was over (or maybe in the 7th season?) when there was some marathon on the ABC Family channel or something--I think it was second or third season. I went back and watched it from the beginning.

I loved the first three (or four?) seasons, but as soon as Rory graduated from high school, it got kind of weird. A lot of the early college episodes were good, as long as the focus was on Rory's experiences at college, or the long-distance family relationships. But as soon as the focus turned on any boyfriend/girlfriend thing, nothing made sense.

They had these two smart, savvy, bright characters who turned into drooling, immature idiots every time there was a potential boyfriend around. I hated Jesse (couldn't understand what ANYone would see in him) and Loralai's waffling between Christopher and Luke was just stupid. It felt like the level of the show dropped from a witty game of scrabble to spin the bottle.

I did like Loralai's relationship with Luke, and Rory's with Dean...I think that was the creator's pairings. It seemed like the stupid relationships happened when characters were forced into the show because of the network demands.

The best part of the final episodes really were between the long-term Stars Hollow characters, Rory's relationship with her grandparents, and Lane and the band. Jesse, Luke's daughter, Christopher, the new baby...all those things should never have happened.

[aizjanika.livejournal.com]

I was not in The Gilmore Girls fandom, but I do recall the little reading that I did, that a lot of people disliked Rory and Lorelei by the end of the show. Rory was a bit entitled and Lorelei never grew up and continued treating her parents like shit right up until the end of the show. At a certain point, you have to grow up, and she just never did, so that bugged--that and her "gotta have a man" thing, too. hehe

Otherwise, I loved the show even through the end.

I never really had a problem with Rory's actress's acting, but the only other thing I've seen her in is The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants or something like that, and her storyline was the least interesting. I wouldn't say it was because of her, but it was a boring story.

Anyway, my favorite character on The Gilmore Girls was Emily (the grandmother). I don't mean she was my favorite person or my favorite type of person, but I thought her character was so complex and interesting and fun to watch. She reminded me lots of people I knew in real life, especially back home in New England.

I also loved Luke. He was my second favorite, but he was such an idiot during that storyline with his daughter and all of that, that he lost points with me. :-)

The only character on that show that I really disliked always was Kirk. I just can't stand that kind of one-dimensional, comic relief character. Too cartoonish for me.

[superbadgirl]

But this show seemed to be about much more than sex/relationship with guys drama when it started out. It seemed to be much more about a family dysfunction and how mothers and daughters relate.

Yes! I remember watching it the first year and practically bawling, that family dysfunction was so poignantly played.

But at least Rory didn't get pregnant, nor Loralei.

No, they left the baby-makin' to Sookie and Lane (who, I believe, ended up pregnant with twins after having sex ONCE on the honeymoon). For the record, I adored Lane and Sookie. (Melissa McCarthy is amazing whatever she does, even that old WaMu commercial.)

[aostara.livejournal.com]

Sookie and the Thanksgiving show when they deep-fried the turkey and Sookie was loaded by the time Lorelai and Rory got there... CLASSIC comedy! Sookie was always my fav, actually. I adored Luke, until he got too stupid for words re: L. And I loved hating Mom Gilmore, of course.

[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*

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to remember if I saw that one! I think I did. Do you know what season it is?

Shoot, I may have to start gathering the DVDs together.

I love having a show that Mermaid and I can watch and enjoy together (unlike Digrassi, which I think is kind of skanky these days). Well, okay, I admit I like iCarly, too.