Rather than talk about the specifics of that final episode, since IIRC the one or two of you who also watch the series are in other countries and a year or so behind, I thought I'd pay a little tribute.
These are, so to speak, a few of my favorite things: A somewhat-random, and certainly far from complete, listing of my favorite GG moments. They are in order of occurence, not preference.
Links in the episode titles are to capsule summaries; others are to quotes (to keep this post from being bigger than it is already)
(Dirty.)
The episode: Dead Uncles And Vegetables
The moment: A folky rendition of "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go." My favorite (ironic) musical GG moment.
The episode: One's Got Class and the Other One Dyes
The moment(s): Lorelei is bombarded with questions by high school junior asking her to justify her choice to have Rory at their age. And Lane shops for hair dye.
The episode: Those are Strings, Pinocchio
The moment(s) Rory (and Paris "Eustace" Gellar) graduate from Chilton. Possibly the best graduation scene ever on television, frustratingly full of too many good moments to quote.
The episode: The Fundamental Things Apply
The moment: Lorelei's rules for watching a movie.
The episode: Ted Koppel's Big Night Out
The moment(s): Lorelei learns a little something about football. A lot of these moments come from the fourth season, which I continue to see as underrated. I liked a couple of characters and storylines that may not have gone over big with everybody (Jason, Paris dating an older professor).
The episode: Luke Can See Her Face
The moment(s): Lorelei gets a feline visitor. And one of Liza Weil's best acting moments, which is saying something considering what an amazing actress I think she is. She's the girl who would play Annabel, if I had my druthers.
The episode: Last Week Fights, This Week Tights
The moment(s): Well, besides a brief guest star part by Teddy Dunn, the future Duncan Kane of Veronica Mars and a combination '80s/Renaissance themed wedding, there's Luke and Lorelei's first dance, to my favorite (non ironic) GG musical moment: Reflecting Light by Sam Phillips.
(Click on that to see an enlarged series of pictures w/excerpt from the lyrics)
The episode: Raincoats and Recipies.
The moment(s): Every reason you need to watch the first six seasons sandwiched between two great pop culture references:
RORY: What's your damage, Heather?
LORELAI: I think I'm dating Luke.
RORY: What?
LORELAI: I'm not sure. It's just a possibility. I could be wrong.
RORY: But how? When?
LORELAI: I went with him to his sister's wedding, and it was really nice. We had a really good time. We laughed a lot, and we ate, and then we danced.
RORY: Danced? How?
LORELAI: We pop-locked.
RORY: Was it a fast dance, slow dance, group dance?
LORELAI: It was a slow dance. What is "group dance?"
RORY: The hustle, the hora.
LORELAI: No hustle, no hora. It was a slow dance -- a waltz. Luke can waltz.
RORY: Luke can waltz?!
LORELAI: Luke can waltz.
RORY: Look how you just said, "Luke can waltz."
LORELAI: What, I'm just saying, I'm surprised that Luke can waltz.
RORY: That sounded more like, "I'm surprised I still have my clothes on."
LORELAI: Oh, stop.
RORY: What else happened?
LORELAI: Nothing. We spent the evening together. We danced, he walked me home, then he asked me to a movie. All of these things individually do not add up to dating, but together, I don't know. And there was this moment, when he walked me home, where I thought -- I don't know.
RORY: Did you say yes?
LORELAI: When?
RORY: To the movie. Did you say yes?
LORELAI: Yes.
RORY: That sounds like dating to me.
LORELAI: But maybe he didn't mean it as a date thing. Maybe he just needed to get out of the house, and since I'm currently one of the women sitting home, thinking, "If I could only find a man like Aragorn," he picked me.
Also: Lorelei runs into possibly the only door in the world with comedy timing (you have to see it).
And:
LUKE: You know the last time I bought flowers for someone? Never! That's when! Very easy stat to remember!
LORELAI: I loved the flowers!
LUKE: And then when I walked you home after the wedding, there was a moment. I thought there was a moment.
LORELAI: There was! There was a moment. [Luke gazes at Lorelai, then moves closer.]
LORELAI: What are you doing?
LUKE: Will you just stand still?
[He gathers her in his arms and they kiss.
And Lorelei "ruins" Rory's first time.
What have we learned from all this? Well, I've learned that I like Daniel Palladino's writing even more than I thought I did-he's the credited writer or co-writer on five of the listed episodes. Amy Sherman-Palladino is "only" credited on three.
We've also learned that besides loving Paris in the springtime and the fall, and just generally being an old softy, I love me some Lorelei ranting, and I am all about the Luke-and-Lorelei love.
Which may be a clue to why I was so disappointed with last night's season ending (you see how it all comes back in a loop?).
5 comments:
You ARE an old softie. :) Takes one to know one, I guess.
I refused to watch the finale (well, actually, I was working late and I missed it...but Jody taped it, and I won't watch that) because I, too, am all about the Luke and Lorelei love. (Wasn't it obvious from the first episode that these two had to wind up together?) I've been seriously annoyed by Season 6--I think the artificial conflict they've created between Luke and Lorelei just to create drama is quintessential crap TV writing. Which is so disappointing, because they used to be so good.
I liked Season 4 as well, by the way.
I was actually okay with the conflict-the writing was walking a line, I felt, but until a couple of episodes ago had not fallen into the crap.
I think if the Palladinos were coming back I'd be more likely to give next season a chance, even with how much I disliked the end of this season.
Without them, and with the serious crossing-of-the-line that Lorelei has just committed, well, I'm sorry. Sometimes it's just two strikes and you're out.
I absolutely LOVE the gilmore girls... and the title of this blog.. the song at the end. Ugh... *sigh* kills me.
I refuse to pay for cable, so I haven't even seen season 7 yet... though I am reading the cheaters online... but oh man. It's my favorite show.
I love the way you wrote about it, you seem to pick up on all the things I love about it as well!
Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for the read, it was great!
Very kind of you. I've managed to keep one eye on the show, but without any emotional investment in it.
It's like thinking about a girl I dated when I was 17-I might still remember what I liked about her, but she's not the same person and I don't feel it any more.
I hope you'll try some of the other writings on the blog, too.
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