Gilmore Girls Series Re-Watch Recap: Season 1

Posted November 30, 2016 by Cristina (Girl in the Pages) in Features, TV / 9 Comments

gilmore-girls21Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about the Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life revival that came to Netflix this past Black Friday. When I heard about it a few months ago, I was equal parts excited and anxious. Excited because I adored the show in middle school/high school (my mom went through a phase when she bought all of the seasons on DVD so I watched them a bit behind schedule) but also anxious because it had literally been probably 10 years since I had last seen an episode and I was afraid if I watched the revival I wouldn’t remember a lot of plot points (I’m sure we all know this pain when we pick up the final installment in a book series about 5+ years after we read the first book). So in October I decided to start on a Gilmore Girls re-watch through all 7 seasons before I watched the revival. I knew that there was no way I was going to finish in time for the revival to air, but I am determined to finish all 7 seasons before I watch it (especially because I have a sneaking suspicion I may not have watched season 6 and 7, considering that I found all of my seasons on DVD when I moved last year and those two seasons are still wrapped in plastic).

Max, being the awesome boyfriend that he is, has joined me on this re-watch (for the most part, he doesn’t mind missing the odd episode here and there if the mood to watch strikes me when he’s not around) and we’ve decided to compile our thoughts after each season, especially since many of our opinions seem to fall on the ~unpopular~ side and we’re looking to see if there’s like-minded viewers out there!

*Please note: This post will contain spoilers for seasons 1 & 2. Please don’t share any spoilers for the revival, as I have not watched it yet!

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Season 1

“I just take a book with me everywhere. It’s just habit.”

Plot: Lorelei and Rory are mother and daughter and best friends living in Stars Hollow and navigating life with an eccentric cast of characters that make up the strange and quirky residences of the town. They also have to navigate the upper-crust society and world that Lorelei fled from as a teenager as Rory begins to attend an expensive private school that her wealthy grandparents are helping to finance.

Characters: I found Lorelei to be highly annoying in this season, way more so than I remember. She is like the conductor on the bad decision train, and she leverages Rory a LOT as an excuse. I’m sort of indifferent to Rory at this point, she reminds me of Bambi, sort of perpetually deer-in-the-headlights about most things, especially social situations (although, as we all know, Rory is the person more likely to be HIT by a deer than to be one). I find the fact that her character loves to read really endearing, although she’s definitely not reading the YA I like to indulge in. I also find that I like Emily a LOT more than I remember. She’s easily Max and I’s favorite character (and has quite a few zingers in her dialogue). I think my perspective on the characters and how much I like them has really shifted a ton now that I’m watching it in my mid-twenties, and I’m empathizing a lot more with the responsible adult characters rather than the teens.

Settings: As everyone knows, Gilmore Girls is set in Stars Hollow, a fictional story-book-eqsue town in Connecticut, and occasionally Hartford, where Rory goes to school and her Grandparent’s live. As Max often likes to point out, everyone in my family has sort of an obsession with charming, quaint little towns, and for me that especially extends to cute little New England towns (not that I’ve ever been to New England but I’m so enthralled by the real SEASONS they experience). My favorite settings for episodes have to be the dinner table season at Richard and Emily’s house…too funny.

Romance: So I remember that when I was a teen I used to be a Rory and Dean shipper. While I still think their romance is sweet, I do recognize the problematic elements with it (I think many of these are due to the fact that they’re both 16 and oh dear god thinking about 16 year old dating now makes me want to bang my head against a wall). However I still like them together overall and find their courtship to be pretty hilarious, as well as Dean and Tristan’s encounters (I can’t fight you, it’d be like fighting an accountant.”) At the same time, I find the romance in this season to be pretty taxing in regarding to Lorelei and Max. I think their relationship is so inappropriate and selfish considering he’s a teacher at Rory’s school (they could have at least waited until Rory wasn’t his student anymore) and it’s filled with more drama than the teenage relationships in the show. I was 100% happy when it disintegrated, even though the end of it was sort of rushed and unclear (Lorelei just snaps and the next thing you know her and Rory are at that crazy B&B).

Loves:

  • Sookie! It’s absolutely hilarious to see Melissa McCarthy in this role as the sweet, forgetful Sooki after seeing her in movies like Identity Thief.
  • The absurdness of Stars Hollow and their town meetings. Remember the battle of the Town Troubadours?
  • Michel. He is everyone’s spirit animal deep down on some days.
  • Seeing all of the delicious food being made at the inn.
  • Lane’s insane mother. Terrifying but so hilarious.
  • Everything about Luke and the crazy chemistry between him and Lorelei.
  • The smelling of snow.
  • Lorelei the First aka “Trix”…now we see where all of the sass comes from.
  • Kirk.

Loathes:

  • Rune the troll.
  • The bullying Rory endures at Chilton.
  • Rory’s insane need to give everyone the benefit of the doubt.
  • Taylor.
  • Lorelei + Max.
  • The Chilton Headmaster.

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Lightening Round!

Favorite Character: Emily

Favorite Couple: Rory + Dean

Favorite Villain: Paris

Favorite Secondary Character: Ms. Patty

Favorite Episode: “Rory’s Birthday Parties” and/or “Cinnamon’s Wake”

Are you a Gilmore Girls Fan? Are you re-watching before the revival?

*No spoilers for the revival please!!!

 

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9 responses to “Gilmore Girls Series Re-Watch Recap: Season 1

  1. PLEASE COME TO NEW ENGLAND, I WILL SHOW YOU MY QUAINT TOWN. I live in oneeee (and am surrounded by them lol). We even have a white gazebo in the center!!! (but seriously if you have a desire to come to CT you have a place to stay and hang out)

    So I started watching for the first time and still haven’t made progress since the last time I left a similar comment on your blog lol. I just… can’t get going with it. I completely agree with your feelings on Lorelai and ESPECIALLY what you said about deer-in-the-headlights Rory. I just can’t connect with them and honestly don’t like them much at the moment haha. I’ve heard if you push through to season three-ish it becomes great (maybe you remember? haha). I do plan on watching sometime but I have zero motivation to do it now.

    • STOP YOU DO NOT ACTUALLY HAVE A WHITE GAZEBO IN THE CENTER. I DIE. *flails* New England is DEFINITELY on my list of places to visit (the farthest East I’ve been is D.C.!) I will definitely let you know if/when I make it out there!

      I’m actually in the middle of season 3 right now and Lorelei has REALLY grown on me. Rory, however, I despise more than ever. I feel like I watch it more for the side characters and the quirky small town elements rather than the Lorelei-Rory relationship. I find watching it to be a very comforting experience.

  2. Omg I totally forgot about Rune, that dude was so annoying! I’ve loved Kirk from the beginning, he never fails to make me laugh. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the later seasons, specifically because I want to see what you have to say about Jess 🙂

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