Nobody puts baillee in the corner

(I wrote something kind of similiar to this for a website last year, but my love of Gilmore Girls runs so deep, that I’ve decided to make writing about my observations an annual tradition. L’chaim.) 

This year’s Gilmore Girls viewing is unique because I am now exactly between Lorelai and Rory’s ages (aka I’m doing an impression of Jamie Lee Curtis doing an impression of Lindsey Lohan pretending to be Jamie Lee Curtis saying she’s the Crypt Keeper.) I feel like this gives me an interesting vantage point for both of our beloved Gilmore girls. (Sorry Emily, but I’m not old enough to relate to you on a spiritual level quite yet, except for your killer cardigans.) Thus, for your reading pleasure, I give you the top five things (in no particular order and in a smorgasbord-type fashion) I either appreciate more, understand more, or hate more during my 2016 Gilmore Girls viewing. 

1) Lorelai and Christopher: I truly get why Lorelai runs to Christopher when she and Luke get into a fight. Do I think it’s fair to any of the parties involved? Absolutely not. But, I understand it. As someone who has a hard time letting people go, I have been known to do similiar things. It’s a prime example of “showing someone” by doing a spiteful thing they’ll either never find out about and only hurts everyone, or as is more applicable in this case, doing the one thing that cuts them at their very core. I’ve done it a couple of times, and I’m not proud of it. It isn’t right or fair, but we’ve all done things to hurt the ones we love out of human nature. It’s so easy to get caught up in pettiness, and Lorelai let it get the best of her. It was wrong, but honestly, it’s one of the most relatable moments for me. 

Keeping with Lorelai and Christopher for a moment, I want to talk about THE moment. Yes, I’m talking about the moment Lorelai’s seemingly endless pining for Christopher finally comes to a screetching hault. I’ve been in this exact position before, and a lot of ties had to be cut because I finally listened to the countless signs from the universe telling me it wasn’t meant to be. Both of these situations (how do I put this delicately?) suck, and I love how Gilmore Girls doesn’t glorify either.

2) Emily and Richard letting Rory quit Yale: When I was an angsty and bratty teen, I used to think Lorelai was being unfair to Rory because she should, like, totally let Rory follow her own path and everything because she’s, like, supposed to be a cool mom. Now, I can express how angry it makes me that Richard and Emily crossed Lorelai and agreed to Rory’s terms instead. Sure, I think part of it definitely stems from pure concern for their granddaughter, and Rory’s breakdown (even with her weird, robot emotions) tugs at the ol’ heartstrings, but I think most of it comes from Emily’s desire to best Lorelai. I think Richard and Emily view it as an opportunity to get the one thing she’s always wanted from the beginning: Rory. I’ve been in a very similiar situation before, and trust me when I say Moms know best. 

3) Digger: In the past, I have shouted my hatred of Digger from the perverbial rooftops, but I’ve actually learned to appreciate him. (Stop lighting the torches and sharpening the pitchforks for a sec and bear with me). I definitely don’t think he should have been Lorelai’s endgame, I think his quirks sometimes lean a little bit to the Patrick Bateman side, and he’s too emotionally disconnected for Lorelai, but I do think he’s exactly who Lorelai needed to finally realize her true feelings for Luke. Without Digger, we may have had another grueling season of will they/won’t they (which technically happens anyway when they break up twice, but that isn’t the point.) 

4) Rory, in general: Okay, I’m going to say something that may get me banned from all of the online GG chat rooms, but Rory is the absolute worst character on the show. Trust me, I get being an angsty teen/young adult and having to learn things the hard way, but c’mon girl. She puts Lorelai through Hell, carelessly stomps all over everyone’s feelings, and has the emotional range of The Terminator. I think she’s definitely a great representation of all of the terrible parts of growing up, making kind of the worst. (Sorry to all the Rory lovers out there.)

5) Jess and Luke: I’ve only been converted to Team Jess over the past four years, but I’ll still defend him over any of Rory’s other beaus (except Marty, except for that whole lying to Kristen Ritter thing because I love her too much to see her hurt). Sure, Jess wasn’t emotionally ready for Rory until they got older, but he challenged her. He played a huge part in her going back to Yale. I’m definitely not excusing his behavior, but he definitely tries to communicate with Rory in the only ways he knows how so give Teen Jess a chance. (Plus, I’m a sucker for a dark and handsome, brooding, dreamy, 90s boyfriend.) #sayyestothejess

Now, let’s get to Stars Hollow’s finest. It’s no secret he’s the best suitor bowing at the feet of our favorite fast-talking, coffee obsessed Queen Lorelai, but being another year older and wiser, I’ve truly hit the pinnacle of my Luke admiration. He’s fantastic with Rory (who fortunately never mistakes him for Sarah Connor). He may endlessly lecture Lorelai on her sleeping, eating, and caffeine guzzling habits, but at the end of the day, he accepts her for who she is. Plus, the guy waits around a decade before FINALLY taking the plunge to the other side of the counter. Sure, he may not handle the April news well, but he tries so hard, and I can get on board with Luke punching him in the face not once but twice. Plus, the karaoke episode ALWAYS gets me. 

So here we are, almost ten years later, waiting on new episodes of one of my all-time favorite shows. (I’m not the only one who refreshed their Netflix app in hopes they would release it early, right?) I’m okay with whatever happens on A Year in the Life, as long as Kirk gets ample screen time. 

Copper boom.