I cried, like a bitch. At a fictional TV show. I’m 21.
Every night for the past 4 months I have been living in Stars Hollow, visiting Lukes Diner and drinking my body weight in coffee with Lorelai and Rory Gilmore. I’m sure we have all experienced the moment when you realise you are way too emotionally invested in (unfortunately) fictional characters, tied up in a web of (unfortunately) fictional storylines and you’re forced to go through the process of detaching yourself before the show comes to an end and you’re left alone, in the dark, staring at your Netflix recommended page. Currently, that is me. I have a Gilmore Girls shaped hole left in my heart.
Initially airing on the US network The WB in 2000, Gilmore Girls ran for 8 seasons until 2008, before its long-awaited, much anticipated four-part Netflix reboot ‘a Year in the Life’ aired in 2016. Being the ripe age of 1 when the show began, I am late to the party but better late than never. I have to admit that the first episode or two didn’t quite grab me. As someone with an attention span of a fish, it takes a lot for a series/film to keep me watching. Fastforward a couple of months later when I’d finished watching This is Us on Prime and had spent countless (yet never too many) hours with the Dunphy family, I decided to try Gilmore Girls again and kudos to me, it was the best decision I have made in my 21 years so far. Life = Changed.
The show follows, surprise surprise, the Gilmore Girls; single mum Lorelai and daughter Rory in their small town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. Along the way, we’re introduced to an ensemble of weird and wonderful characters as we’re swept up in the milestones, the laughter and the heartbreak of the Stars Hollow gang. From Lorelai’s never-ending spat with her wealthy parents, to Rory's first (of many, but we will get into that another time, #Team Jess) boyfriends, it genuinely is a rollercoaster of emotions. To be honest, Lorelai and Rory are just the seed of an ever-growing flower that is the cast of Gilmore Girls. Beyond them, we have Lorelai’s ditsy, fun best-friend and co-worker Sookie, played by the iconic Melissa Mccarthey; Luke, the owner of the local diner who truly is a one-of-a-kind man; Emily and Richard Gilmore who, when they’re not quarrelling with Lorelai, use their capital to aid their granddaughter's prestigious education, and I think it is fair to say we all deserve a bestie like Lane Kim. Each character is unique, carrying their own narrative and elements of relatability which adds to the sentimentality of the show.
Character development and growth is key – the show will definitely stay with me for a long time, yet I imagine that if I was watching as a youth in 2000, I would grow alongside Rory, as she transitions through various life stages; from Dean to Jess, from Chilton to Yale, with numerous hurdles along the way. For a young girl who struggled to find her way in a world that is full of high expectations and academic validation, Gilmore Girls would’ve had an influential impact. For women who blame themselves for an inability to sustain long-term relationships, Gilmore Girls would have an influential impact. Subjectively, Rory's character arch took a turn for the worst after becoming a student at Yale; I don’t know what was in the water at Chilton to keep her so humble and pure, but Yale was definitely lacking. Or was it love interest number 3, Logan Huntzberger that led to her downfall? Or maybe it was just the fact that she was infact no longer a pre-teen as we should allow her this space for development and growth, as we should any teenage girl. Whatever it was, she was no longer the Rory who got her first kiss in the cornstarch aisle.
Needless to say, Gilmore Girls depicts the realities of family, relationships, and growth. Whilst the mother-daughter bond between Lorelai and Rory fills your heart with happiness, issues of finances and relationships threaten familial bonds, friendships and academia. But that is life. Yet, that life in Stars Hollow allows for a 45-minute escape from life as we know it.
Escapism: the tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, especially by seeking entertainment or engaging in fantasy.
That is exactly what Gilmore Girls provided me with; a means of escapism. Having struggled with an eating disorder, seeing fictional characters have such a nonchalant relationship with food brought me a sense of comfort and safety. Not only that, but it is the absolute epitome of autumn vibes. Get in your jarmies, a hot chocolate on tap and the Gilmore Girls experience will be elevated. I finished all 8 seasons, as well as the Netflix 2016 ‘a Year in the Life’ spin-off, and I cried like I’d lost a limb. So, this is my ode to Gilmore Girls. A thank-you for making me laugh, making me cry, and making me feel safe when sometimes, that is exactly what reality failed to offer.