Not that we’re biased or anything, but a Hypable poll closes Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET. The winner of this round goes against ‘Ross and Rachel’, who themselves beat out ‘Lois and Clark’. At the time of writing, Luke and Lorelai were just shy of the 250 vote lead required for a ‘win’.
http://www.hypable.com/2013/02/22/hypables-battleships-classic-tv-gilmore-girls-vs-lost/
I never got past episode two of Lost but would like to see a Lorelai’s best boyfriend poll.
In the Gilmore world, how do you get from being interested to actually dating?
Pop Quiz: Who’s this, asking Lorelai out?
?: We’ve known each other for a good amount of time and our paths have crossed, professionally and socially a number of times all with relatively pleasant results and, well, I was just wondering if you would like to have dinner with me.
Lorelai: Oh.
?: In two weeks.
Lorelai: Two weeks?
?: I heard you have a cold, I think two weeks is enough to ensure the virus is out of your system.
Answer at the end.
So, there’s this potential guy or girl, you’ve watched her from afar, say, sitting under trees reading books or in band practice and you really want to touch his hair (do NOT touch his hair). What next?
Well friends, it’s Part 2 of the (really just an excuse to re-live some of the warm and fuzzies) Gilmore Guide to Dating.
II: The Pre-Date
What’s a pre-date? I’ll hand over to the expert, Rory’s high school teacher Mr. Max Medina. He’d only met Lorelai a couple of times and the second time was to tell her that Rory couldn’t sit the test that they’d revised for all week until they overslept at the kitchen table. So now it’s the Chilton school bake sale and he pulls Lorelai aside and asks if they could meet up some time.
Max: Ok, ok, um how about coffee? Do you like coffee?
Lorelai: Only with my oxygen.
Max: Can we drink some together? (Lorelai sighs) A sort of a pre-date – very casual, no strings, no obligations. We’ll just see if it’s even worth going down the road of including food in the deal (she shrugs, makes mischievous eyes) Just coffee? (sucks her breath through a smile) Decaf? Oh, there’s nothing safer than decaf (defeated huff).
Lorelai: I’m gonna be in town tomorrow because I take a class at Hartford State and there’s a coffee shop across the street that I sometimes – almost all the time – go to around 4:00, usually exactly 4:12. I could not stop a person from entering said establishment at around that time, nor would I avoid them if I knew them, if… they did.
s01e05 Cinnamon’s Wake
So Max had an uphill struggle ahead of him, not only having to support his apparent shunning of Rory’s efforts, but then finessing a date out of Lorelai. He laid the groundwork by leaving an answerphone message that let Lorelai know he was thinking of her and looked forward to their next meeting. Max has a few things on his side: he’s charming and confident and not unhandsome – although I have trouble figuring out what girls find attractive… I always thought Dawson was more handsome than Pacey, mostly because he had more chin but apparently not?
Mostly it’s Max’s confidence that gets him through the conversation, breaking down her arguments because he knows that really she’d like to spend time with him and vice versa. He’s got a good feel for the situation and isn’t afraid of being rejected. What’s the worst that could happen? He’s said he likes her and is just asking if she might like him back. And is she sure?
Max: If there’s something in your gut that you know you feel is right, you’ve gotta go after it, no matter what. What do you say?
It’s a smooth sleight of hand on his part, both physical and verbal and Lorelai’s responses are worth a thousand words, but what we’re really looking at here is The Chase. The period that begins with realising you like someone and that they might like you and ending with one of you asking the other one out. This could go on for years (Luke) or a few days (Alex) and it can be nerve-wracking or sometimes more fun than the eventual relationship.
I’m looking at a few of Lorelai’s beaus here: Max, Alex, Jason and Luke – I don’t think we ever saw the girls having to do the chasing but correct me if I’m wrong… possibly Lorelai’s karaoke?
I think every argument we see between Sookie and Jackson is pre-dating. Maybe even counts as foreplay.
Alex, the coffee shop guy calls Lorelai at home after his friend accidentally asks her friend (Sookie) on a date. Under the guise of asking for some company with his testing different coffee shops for research on his own coffee shop…
Alex: So I was wondering what you were doing this Saturday.
Lorelai: You know, it’s funny you should ask me this, because I just happen to be one of the world’s foremost coffee experts.
Alex: Really?
Lorelai: Oh, yeah, it’s basically just me and this guy named Chuckles in Brazil.
Alex: Sounds like fate. So, what do you say?
Lorelai: Sure.
Alex: Great. Just to be on the safe side, you do know this is a date, right?
Lorelai: Oh, yeah, I got that.
s03e11 I Solemnly Swear
It’s a dazzling first date plan. It’s safe, because there’s something to do, something to talk about, in venues that they’ll actually be able to talk in and hear what the other person is saying. Not like the cinema where you a) have to sit side by side; b) not look at each other; and c) not talk to each other. Coffee crawl – great plan, Alex. Fishing as a second date, not so much.
Of course in Stars Hollow once a year you can always buy a date, by being highest bidder on someone’s picnic basket. With it being Stars Hollow, the dafter the rule, the more strictly it’s followed. It’s the perfect solution for Jess, the master of non-conversation, to spend time with Rory without it seeming like prostitution, which is basically what it is.
Jason ‘Digger’ Stiles is the master of The Chase. In their first meeting (which we recounted last week) Lorelai is only there to attack him for pulling the rug out from under her and her mother – and he still nearly wins a date out of it.
He returns a few episodes later and first talks himself into dinner, masterfully manipulating Emily’s social graces by threatening to go for a cheeseburger. Then under the cover of asking Emily for restaurant recommendations, he asks about cuisines and romantic places, all the while quite openly gauging Lorelai’s tastes. She’s impressed by his tenacity and interest and he’s in her head. He leaves answerphone messages and sends flowers, she finally calls back, refusing his date on the grounds that he’s in business with Richard her father and he’s from that world she has always tried to keep away from.
Jason: How’s the new inn?
Lorelai: Coming along, we’re gonna have horses
Jason: Talking horses?
Lorelai: No, just the regular ones.
s04e08 Die, Jerk
But he says he’ll keep his Saturday reservation at the sought after China Garden open, in case she changes her mind. At the annual Harvard / Yale football game, Richard’s annual lunches with Pennilyn Lott surface and Emily unreasonably blames Lorelai. Frustrated, hurt and knowing how mad it will make Emily, Lorelai calls Jason and finally takes him up on his offer.
With Luke, the pre-dating starts properly after the self-help tape where Luke Can See Her Face:
Self-help audio tape: Whose phone calls or visits are never unwanted or too long? Can you see her face? Who would you most like to have in your life, to ward off moments of loneliness? Do you see her face? When you travel, who would make your travels more enjoyable? Do you see her face? When you’re in pain, who would you most like to comfort you? Do you see her face? When something wonderful happens in your life – a promotion at work, a successful refinancing – who do you want to share the news with? Do you see her face? Whose face appears to you my friend? Whose face?
Luke: Whoa.
s04e20 Luke Can See Her Face
They slow dance at Liz and TJ’s renaissance wedding, to Sam Phillips’ lilting Reflecting Light and their pre-dating session comes to a close after eight years of banter, coffee and friendship culminating in this, on the porch of the newly renovated Dragonfly Inn:
Luke: Aw, I don’t want to calm down! I did everything right! I did exactly what the book said!
Lorelai: The book?!
Luke: I thought we were on track, and now you’re standing there looking at me like I’m crazy.
Lorelai: I’m not looking at you like you’re crazy!
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. [A beat. He leans into her.]
Lorelai: What are you doing?
Luke: Will you just stand still?
[He pulls her close, they kiss, then separate. Breathtaken, Lorelai moves toward him.]
Luke: What are you doing?
Lorelai: Will you just stand still?
[She takes his face in her hands and kisses him back. Another beat.]
Kirk: AAAaagGHHH! AAaaghHH! AAAaargGHHH!
s04e22 Raincoats and Recipes
Finally.
The teaser quote was Kirk, who demonstrates as well as any of the other guys, that in the words of Thomas Jefferson, ‘”If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done.” Also, like Max and Jason (but not Luke), when he gets rebuffed, he gently questions it, but then accepts politely.
At the end of that episode, Lorelai also demonstrates a gracious way to let someone down:
Kirk: You don’t need any other information?
Lorelai: No I don’t.
Kirk: Because I could have my mother call you.
Lorelai: Totally unneccessary.
Kirk: OK well then go ahead.
Lorelai: I just got out of a really weird relationship and I know that sounds like a line but it isn’t. I’m just not fully over the shock of it yet and I never want to hurt you because you’re my friend and I like you. So I have to say no. I’m sorry.
Kirk: Was the tuna inquiry too personal?
Lorelai: Oh no I thought it was very thoughtful.
Kirk: You’re sure you won’t feel like it any time soon?
Lorelai: Yeah, I’m sure.
Kirk: Well at least I asked. Good night Lorelai.
s03e02 Haunted Leg
Who was your favourite? Am I really the only person in the world who liked Jason best?
Pics c/o the WB
Wouldn’t meeting Homer Simpson in real life be weird? With his giant three-fingered hands, googly eyes and penchant for attracting mayhem, he’d be fun to watch but you might not invite him round for Thanksgiving if you wanted your house to stay standing. But what about Lorelai Gilmore? Would she work in real life?
Lorelai has a broad emotional spectrum. She can be awfully grown up and in control; but equally as childish and petulant. Witness her wrath dragging underage Madeline and Louise from a college-age party or dressing down one of Rory’s boyfriends (take your pick) – but the very same lady has no trouble expressing her inner child:
Lorelai: I want a barbie and a pony and roller skates and roller skates for the barbie and for the pony.
Emily (on borrowing a pair of Lorelai’s shoes): Alright, but I won’t wear anything with rhinestones or zebra stripes or anything that has batteries or that sings or make animal noises or moves on its own.
In fact, Lorelai expresses all three personalities – a child, adult and parent – both the fun side and the serious.
Lorelai: You got me [marzipan] bunnies?
Emily: They’re for whomever now.
Lorelai: Well, no, I’ll try a bunny.
Emily: Don’t force yourself.
Lorelai: I’m not. I want a bunny. Give me a bunny.
She’s very funny and can defuse an explosive situation at ten paces:
Lorelai: I have to know where you are at all times, especially when you have my shoes on.
However, she’s opinionated and sometimes a snob…
Lorelai: What is it about cucumber water that makes it so much more refreshing than non-cucumber water?
… but also a slob:
Rory: Were you brushing dirt under the sink?
Lorelai: No, I am brushing crumbs under the sink.
(She was totally brushing pizza crusts under the sink).
Her proud independence, especially when it comes to independence is a defining feature, as is her superhuman metabolism and coffee addiction. She’s also pretty damn gorgeous. And smart. And altruistic, putting others ahead of herself when it comes to her own happiness.
Lorelai: Listen, I have to walk down the aisle in a minute and be really happy for Sookie and right now I’m having a little trouble standing, so maybe it would be better if you would just go.
It might not be as outlandish as meeting Homer Simpson, but would you really want Lorelai as a pal in real life? Would her overactive chatter give you a headache? Would her figure, in spite of her diet, make you want to poke her eyes out? Or would she be better?
Dinner c/o the WB
Teen pregnancy and an absentee father are odd starting places for a family network television show, but that’s where the Gilmore Girls story really starts. Lorelai’s accidental pregnancy at 16 was only openly criticized a couple of times – as asides by Mrs Kim and in that incident with the Stars Hollow’s Stepford moms.
Stepford Mom 1: So, you’re preaching to our daughters that it’s okay to get pregnant at sixteen, am I getting that right?
Lorelai: No, not at all, I was just answering their questions.
…
Stepford Mom 1: Sounds like you just flaunted your mistakes.
Lorelai: Now, hold on. You have no right to judge me. All I said was that for my particular circumstances things worked out okay. I advocated nothing to them. You’re all acting like I walked into that room tossing condoms in the air.
Stepford Mom 2: You might as well have.
Lorelai: Fine, next time I will. I’ll bring a banana and we’ll have a little show and tell. How ‘bout that?
Stepford Mom 1: What kind of mother are you?
Lorelai: The kind that doesn’t gloss over things just because they’re a little uncomfortable.
And while it was criticised then, it was never, ever regretted. Rory was unconditionally loved.
Student 1: Well, are you sorry you got pregnant?
Lorelai: No, it brought me Rory, but timing is everything. I mean, I could’ve. . .sixteen, you guys are sixteen, right . . .and hey, is that clock right?
Student 2: What do you mean by timing?
Student 1: Yeah, if you had waited and had a baby with another man at a different time. . .
Student 3: It wouldn’t have been Rory, right?
Lorelai: Hey, you know what’s fun to talk about? Late checkout.
In the same way Mrs Doubtfire (rest in peace Robin Williams, you loveable maniac) cemented the notion of non-traditional yet fully functional families into social consciousness, Gilmore Girls continues to lessen the stigma around non-nuclear families – and it does this somewhat counterintuitively… by barely referencing it.
Instead, they focus on the present. We see foxy mom Lorelai bringing up the perfect daughter with standards, rocket-powered wit and bootcut jeans. She has created her own home and built her own life around her own dreams. I heard someone discussing Stevie Nicks on the radio, saying she’d coccooned herself with like-minded people, creating a safe environment where she could be herself and create, without fear. I think Stars Hollow was that safe nest for Lorelai, to be able to create her life and the life she wanted for Rory. How they got there didn’t matter.
Mass media and popular culture seem to be nudging kids to grow up earlier, becoming sexualised and sex-aware earlier. Like the internet and progress, you can’t put this stuff back in a box. It just is – or maybe it’s always been like this. Either way, it doesn’t mean a mother can’t still try to pass on life lessons…
Lorelai: Does he have a motorcycle? ‘Cause if you’re gonna throw your life away, he better have a motorcycle!
… but whether a daughter is actually going to listen or not, well… that’s a whole other can of beans.
How do you feel Gilmore Girls handled the subject of teen pregnancy?
Given the range of media already out there – from Miley Cyrus to Judy Blume – do you think there’s a ‘right’ age for girls to be introduced to Lorelai’s world?
Do you think Lorelai and Rory’s relationships with guys were good or bad examples of real-world options and behaviour?
Pics c/o TheWB
The Time magazine website (which for me has been a legitimate news source ever since they put Taylor Swift on the cover – what took you so long?) has an interview with Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore), looking forward to the imminent last episode of Parenthood on January 29 and reflecting back on Gilmore Girls.
A good chunk of the interview is about Gilmore Girls and all of that is satisfyingly positive. This bodes well for the ATX reunion in June as well as upbeat commentaries on the 10-year anniversary Blu-Ray boxed set. The boxed set is a recurring dream of mine. It tap-dances on my shelf, magically launches discs through the air into the player and dazzles me with new content and a secret hidden season eight.
Some choice tit-bits from the article:
TIME: Do you look back on Gilmore Girls as something that defined you as an actress?
Lauren: Yeah and happily so. I didn’t realize then how perfect a fit that was for me in terms of material and sensibility. As much as I have loved this job and this character [on Parenthood], I feel like Gilmore Girls was just a special match. It’s hard to find a writer with that specific of a voice. I’m super thankful to have had it.TIME: How much are you like Lorelei as a person? (sic)
Lauren: No one talks that much or that long, but it’s that thing where you read something and it just clicks. It’s like music. I could hear what [creator] Amy [Sherman-Palladino] intended and it made complete sense to me. I remember an interview with Christopher Reeve where he said, “I choose my jobs based on the feeling that I can’t stand the thought of anyone else doing it.” And that’s how I felt with that. It’s a rare chemistry.
They also ask her which boyfriend Rory should have ended up with – and she gives an answer! (of sorts).
Read the TIME article here: http://time.com/3660359/lauren-graham-parenthood-series-finale/
Will anyone give me odds on a 10-year anniversary boxed set with commentaries on selected episodes, interviews with the cast today, a retrospective on our dear departed Edward Herrmann and suchlike?
Is anyone planning to see Lauren and the gang at the ATX Festival?
What are you hoping to see from the end of Parenthood?
Pic c/o TheWB, God bless ya.
One of my favourite Lorelai-isms is her use of the word ‘Dirty’. It pops up (dirty!) throughout the seven seasons and in one word, captures both her fun-loving childish side as well as her grown-up-ness-ness.
From humble beginnings…
Luke: By the way, you do tell people that you’re the one that named my toolbox, right?
Lorelai: Toolbox, dirty.
Luke: Oh geez.
Bonus point for the first person to tell me the name of Luke’s toolbox. On to one of my personal favourites, conjuring naughtiness out of thin air:
Luke: Go one day without coffee.
Lorelai: That’s not giving up.
Luke: I’ll put a toy in your cereal.
Lorelai: Dirty!
And a stunning one-two, in a town meeting no less:
Taylor: You really have to work on your punctuality, Lorelai. I banged the meeting in a half an hour ago.
Lorelai: Uh, dirty!
Taylor: All right now, the last order of business is a matter relating personally to me, therefore I’m going to give Miss Patty my gavel.
Lorelai: Again, dirty!
Taylor: Stop that.
By season 3, other people are doing it without her (ooh dirty):
Rory: We like tacos.
Lorelai: Yes, we do. [reads] “You haven’t had a taco until you’ve spent some time at Hector’s, crisp and meaty – ”
Rory: … dirty.
Lorelai: Thank you.
And a couple to finish from Luke:
Luke: Well, if you have a big one you don’t need a small one. [Lorelai opens her mouth] Don’t say ‘dirty’, it’s too easy.
Luke: No, I’ve filled my whacking quota for the week. Dirty?
Lorelai: Extremely.
Do you use ‘Dirty’ like Lorelai? In honour of Lorelai, I challenge you to use it appropriately this week. I want a dirty epidemic, people.
Pic c/o TheWB
Pop quiz, hotshot. Does Lorelai wear glasses?
Answer: Yes, but we don’t see them often. She wears a thin-framed pair twice in season 2, then upgrades to a bolder frame in seasons 4 and 5. Did you notice that when Lorelai wears glasses, dogs are more likely than not to come up in conversation?
In season 2, Lorelai is not-so-secretly listening in on Rory’s phone conversation with Max – while he lists a choice of wedding rings. Max recognises Lorelai’s panting, yelping dog noises because he’s, like, a professor and everything:
Max: Mm hmm. Put Cujo on the phone please.
Rory: One sec… [handing the phone to Lorelai] Here boy.
s02e01 Sadie, Sadie
Cujo was a crazy scary rabid dog in a Stephen King book and an 80’s horror movie … and re-appears in season 4 when Lorelai again has her glasses, in Luke’s Diner during one of his particularly prickly moods:
Lorelai: Days. You’ve been stomping around, barking at people for days.
Luke: I have not.
Lorelai: Yes, Cujo, you have.
Luke: I always talk to people like that.
Lorelai: No, Benji, you don’t.
Luke: I’ll be fine tomorrow.
Lorelai: Really, Lassie? Why is that?
s04e05 The Fundamental Things Apply
Cujo:2, every other movie dog: 1
For the sake of completeness, behold the other two spectacular outings: From season 2’s Secrets and Loans (Luke gives Lorelai a loan, Lane forgets her pom) and season 5’s We Got Us a Pippi Virgin! (Lorelai discovers the explanation behind Richard’s spangly waistcoat, Emily acquires a panic room). Relatedly, Lane briefly appears WITHOUT glasses in the Pippi episode as she, Zack and Brian shave and brush their teeth around the kitchen sink. Co-incidence? No such thing as co-incidence, my friend.
Second pop quiz! Does Lorelai wear contact lenses?
This one’s a trick question. In the pilot episode, Lorelai appears to wear contacts:
Sookie: I can’t afford a new stove! Those things are expensive.
Lorelai: Sookie, please, I am begging you, please, pull yourself together, OK? I got no sleep last night and I think I put my contacts in backwards.
But 18 episodes later, she appears to forget:
Rachel: Do you wear contacts?
Lorelai: Me? No.
Rachel: God, you’ve got amazing eyes. (to Luke) Doesn’t she?
Luke: Oh, yeah. Sure, I guess… I mean, they’re, you know, placed good… symmetrical. I’m gonna get some more coffee.
Rachel: Yeah.
What do you think, conspiracy theorists? Was Lorelai abducted by aliens and switched out mid-season for a clone with perfect vision? Was she temporarily befuddled by Rachel blatantly coming on to her (‘You’ve got amazing eyes’ – COME ON)? Was her ‘backwards contacts’ comment just a flippant statement for comedic value? Rumour has it, there is precedent for this.
Did she get LASIK but continue to wear glasses because they – somehow – make her even sexier? On second thoughts, she can’t have had LASIK or we’d have had this play out in reverse…
Theories welcomed below. Also, which were your favourite pair of glasses and do you think she looked better, worse or just different? What about Lane and her glasses: Better with… or without? That’s with… or without? And did you see what I did with ‘spectacular’ back there?
Pics c/o TheWB
It’s about 60 bucks for Lauren Graham’s autograph on eBay. Would you get one?
BBC’s Newsbeat has an article on the popularity of autographs in the age of the selfie and includes some choice words from Sean Gunn (Kirk Gleason) at Comic-Con:
Sean: I try to look at it from their [the fan’s] point of view… For each fan that comes up to me, that’s what they’re going to remember of me. So long as I look at everybody as individuals, it helps me not feel it’s monotonous in any way… I certainly owe them whatever honesty I can give them.
Stand-up guy, right? Just like Luke. Heh…
Lorelai: And you know what phrase I keep using? ‘Stand-up.’ ‘Luke Danes is a stand-up guy. He’s an upstanding member of Stars Hollow, a real stand-up citizen.’ People are gonna think he’s turned into a comedian.
Can you name two other things from Lorelai’s ensuing ‘monkey monkey underpants’ monologue? Which, incidentally, oughta sit right alongside Hamlet’s soliloquy in any budding actor’s audition portfolio.
Whose autograph would you pay good money for? I think part of the attraction of autographs is that the actor (hopefully) touched it with their own hands and unlike selfies, it’s less about showing others that you were there with them. Less showy, more respectable. Maybe I’m just old-fashioned that way.
I am also loving how Sean comes off as chivalrous as Kirk in the scene pictured above, looking after Lorelai. He’s related to a 12th Century knight y’know.
Pic c/o TheWB
He was there causing friction when Max turned up to date Lorelai. He was there to make the chuppah and he was there when Lorelai first said ‘Dirty’. He was even there right at the end, making that enormous tarp to keep Stars Hollow dry for Rory’s farewell party.
Luke: By the way, you do tell people that you’re the one that named my toolbox, right?
Lorelai: Toolbox, dirty.
Of course, it’s Bert: Luke’s Toolbox. Christened by Lorelai in season one when Luke forgot him at Lorelai’s after fixing something:
Lorelai: Oh yeah. It’s right over here. Rory and I couldn’t lift it or we would’ve brought it to you and then we got used to having it here, so we named it Bert and we’d say Goodnight Bert and it’d say Goodnight girls and we spend too much time home alone.
Favourite Bert moments? There are no less than sixteen scenes from all seven seasons to choose from and the folks over at the appropriately named crazy-internet-people.com have identified them all including that time Luke and Lorelai went to ‘fix’ the church bells, when Bert had that big-red stand-in. Religious objections perhaps?
Lorelai: God, these things are heavy. Don’t you have a smaller toolbox?
Luke: No, why would I have two toolboxes?
Lorelai: ‘Cause then you’d have a big one and a small one.
Luke: Well, if you have a big one you don’t need a small one. Don’t say ‘dirty’, it’s too easy.
See all sixteen scenes humorously collected here, including the time Lorelai sat on him (swoon!), that time he was on the Lorelai’s kitchen counter and that other time he watched Luke fixing a toaster.
Of course the big question is will Bert feature in the new shows? Time for some psychic bingo, folks. Channel your inner Doggy Swami and predict in the comments below who or what you think will make a re-appearance in the new show. It’s just a bit of fun but bonus points for obscure choices that actually end up on-screen!
Pic c/o Bert & TheWB
In an interview with USA Today, Lauren Graham talked about her three big TV moms: Sarah Braverman on Parenthood, Jules in Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (coming soon, read all about it here) and Lorelai Gilmore on Gilmore Girls.
When asked who was best, she joked:
If I ever say anything besides Lorelai, there’s a contract out on my life.
Or at least I think she was joking. Here’s her new Middle School family:
That’s Alexa Nisensen on the left, Griffin Gluck to the right. Lauren goes on to say:
I’m at this point as an actor where there’s a meld of what people think of me for, so there’s kind of a sisterhood of all these moms who are struggling to do a good job and try to have a sense of humor along the way.
Now I’m wondering what Lauren would be like playing against type – even more so than her role in Bad Santa – Would you buy (or watch) her playing a terrible mother? And are we Gilmore Girls fans really so ardent that we would disown our precious Lauren for saying something negative about Lorelai?
Catch the full USA Today interview here.
P.S. Can anyone else smell… snow?
Pic c/o Frank Masi
Gilmore Girls was given a lengthy feature in this month’s edition of Entertainment Weekly, set to hit newsstands on Friday. We’ve given you a first look at the images, and have discussed some of the implications of the on-set photos of Rory at Chilton and the Stars Hollow Musical. Now, the real spoiler of the bunch: about Luke & Lorelai.
Now, despite Amy Sherman-Palladino writing specifically in the article that she dislikes spoilers, particularly those that have come out completely uncontrolled (like this and this), a big spoiler has been released.
Amy was quoted as saying “It’s a pain in the ass and a real bummer. We want it to be special for fans, but it’s a nosy world we live in.”
Yet the article opens up a major spoiler for the series: Luke & Lorelai are NOT married. This has been confirmed by those who have read the article already. Although Luke and Lorelai ARE together, they have yet to move from “engaged” to “married.”
Perhaps this spoiler is for them, not for Rory? What do you think?! AAAAH
As alluded to in my previous post sharing the great news of Alexis Bledel becoming a mom, Scott Patterson recently gave an interview with Glamour talks about the current “complex” state of Lorelai and Luke, his thoughts on the last four words, and much more.
As we have heard from others, the Gilmore Girls revival, Gilmore Girls: Seasons is trying to stay true to the original vision and personality of the show, and Scott shares the same can be seen of Luke. Additionally, because he’s Luke, we may notice even fewer changes:
“He’s not a guy who changes terribly much. I guess he’s a little more content and a little more mellow, but not a lot has changed with him. I’m the one that changed more than he did. It was a little daunting putting those clothes back on and putting that skin back on, but therein lies the challenge, right?”
Hello, old friend. #Luke'sHat #GilmoreGirls #backinthesaddleagain pic.twitter.com/lnKEcBndzT
— Scott G. Patterson (@ScottGPatterson) February 19, 2016
And, not just clothes, but THE HAT:
“I don’t think the hat was there at the wardrobe fitting, but it was waiting for me in the trailer on day one. I do distinctly remember putting it on and hearing the music of the angels descending from above. It was like turning on a switch. That hat is the key to the character, so it really helped. I felt a little lost in table reads because I didn’t have the hat on. As soon as I put the hat on and walked on set, things got very familiar. It’s strange how that is.”
Of course, Luke is not just Luke anymore. He’s part of “Luke & Lorelai,” and the article wonders how their relationship is now:
“We picked up where we left off. The chemistry has always been very, very natural and very easy with her and not surprisingly, it remains that way… It was as effortless and as fun as it’s always been.”
Just now both of them wear reading glasses, as he quips in the article. Scott continues that Luke & Lorelai continue to be a complex pair:
“It’s as complex and entertaining as it’s always been—if not more so, actually. In these four mini movies, the relationship is really ramped up and the stakes are much higher … It’s fun playing it, and it’s different. There’s some really juicy stuff in there. I think the fans are going to be wowed by it. It’s a little different from the show because they were hour shows. These are hour and a half movies, so the scripts are longer—considerably longer…”
Scott then talks about Luke’s relationship with Rory, which has always been fatherly, and how he retracts being “Team Dean” and is now team “none of them were good enough for her,” a stance I know many of you also take. Scott then also talks about the evolution of Luke’s relationship with April, and even his fandom for Melissa McCarthy, whose sense of humour he credits with her amazing success.
“She’s a very dedicated actress who is also incredibly funny. She was always very natural with her humor; it was never forced. She was just that person. She was the most likable and funny person and so talented.”
Lauren Graham previously shared her own thoughts on the last 4 words, saying they are “not as resolved” as she expected, and “actually not an ending,” with Alexis Bledel saying the ending would “throw you,” so what does Scott have to say?
“They actually moved me. I was very moved to hear them. It may be because I was thinking along the same lines, and it sort of matched or lined up with how I felt it should end.”
Read the rest of the interview here, including Scott’s thoughts on missing Edward Herrmann on set.
Image: Saeed Adyani for Netflix
The Warner Bros. Costume Department just released a spotlight video interview with Brenda Maben, who was costume designer on Gilmore Girls and who brought us some great behind-the-scenes photos from the filming of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, including our first look at Melissa McCarthy as Sookie. In the new interview, Brenda reveals a few spoilers about where the characters were before their return to the new Netflix series.
In the interview, Brenda talks about what it was like to return to work on Gilmore Girls again, saying she “couldn’t believe” it would return. Given the time gap between when Gilmore Girls ended its seventh season, and the start of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, the costumes needed to reflect the change in time, while still being true to the characters as we knew them. Brenda explains how Rory’s character, played by Alexis Bledel, evolved:
“We picked up where, basically kind of where we left off. Even though the characters are a lot older… Rory is not out of college, she ended graduating from college… she’s been in the workplace and travelled. So, her look was a lot more sophisticated than it was, when she was in Stars Hollow. She had been in London. Been all over the world, so she picked up little pieces from each place that she visited and worked.”
Brenda then gives us insight into the character of Lorelai, played by Lauren Graham:
“Lauren is a lot more sophisticated also… because she’s older, she’s evolved. Her establishment was doing really well, the Dragonfly Inn, and she was making a little more money so she’s got a little more to spend on clothes.
Brenda then talks about the differences between Rory & Lorelai, and how we’ll see Lauren Graham back in the amazing Diane von Furstenberg wrap dresses she is known for. Next up, she talks about creating the distinct styles for Rory’s main love interests, Jess (Milo Ventimiglia), Dean (Jared Padalecki) and Logan (Matt Czuchry).
“Option number 1, whose name will not be mentioned, he pretty much stayed the same, only a lot more sophisticated because he’s 10 years older now and he’s been in the workforce. Option number 2, basically I kept him the same because of his personality in the show. He wouldn’t have changed very much. He always work dark colours. His palette was greys and blacks and not colourful, so we had a nice long time; I wanted to keep him like that and so did he. He’s a lot more mature now, but he’s still the same person inside. Option number 3, I took away his turtleneck sweaters. He’s making a lot of money. He’s the creator of his own style. He doesn’t have to answer to anyone so he can do whatever he wants now, as far as his style is concerned. We’ve kept it very high style. Plus, he lives in London, so he had that London-European influence.”
Well, I’d say it’s pretty obvious who each option is! And very interesting about Mr. #3 there!
What is Brenda most looking forward to actually seeing on screen in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life?
“Without telling you, I have to say that when Melissa (Sookie) enters, that’s a really good moment.”
The wardrobe of the cast has always played a pivotal role in the series. In the initial season, Lorelai and Rory really were the everyday mom and daughter. They looked like us, they dressed like us. They weren’t “too” glamorous, although they did become perhaps a little (in my opinion) too fancy as the series progressed. Still, I’m very pleased with the thought and insight that Brenda and the whole casting department have put into the revival!
Scott Patterson has been in New York this week giving a series of interviews and attending events, and later next week will holding his own concert in New Jersey with new band Gordon. The concert, along with a Scott Patterson meet & greet, will be held in Ocean City, NJ on August 13th with tickets available here.
In one new interview, Scott dispels some of the worries around Luke & Lorelai. First, there was a hint that perhaps all was not well with Luke & Lorelai in a recent interview with Lauren Graham. And then, the apple had many speculating about a possible pregnancy. In the new interview with EW, Scott confirms that Luke & Lorelai are still together:
“I can tell you that we are together. We are together and we’re sort of figuring out our next step.”
On the topic of pregnancy, Scott was a bit more evasive, so that is an interesting insight.
Scott also shared some insight on how Gilmore Girls is paying homage to the loss of Edward Herrmann (Richard Gilmore)
“On the first day on the Gilmore house set, there were some things there that nobody had seen before that we saw that were so moving, that we all kind of had to sit down … Fans are going to be very touched by how Amy has shown her respect and paid her homage to him.”
Here are some photos of Scott at the 7th annual LifeRide for amfAR at Kiehl’s on August 3, 2016 in New York City.
If you thought the preview of the first page of the Winter script for Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life was exciting, just wait! The online Entertainment Weekly preview only included the one little teaser, while the magazine itself was just full of surprises!
Thanks to some friendly scanners, I can share with you a new photo that appears to be of Lorelai, Emily and Rory at the cemetery, presumably for Richard’s funeral. Given that the Winter episode opens up 3 months after the death of Richard Gilmore (following the untimely passing of Edward Herrmann), it’s quite a delayed funeral – perhaps that’s as soon as Rory could be there? I’m curious how they address that.
Also in the scan is a fantastic interview, including:
Kellogg’s recently wished Happy Birthday to Gilmore Girls, reminding us of Lorelai Gilmore’s deep love for Pop-Tarts. And the response from the Gilmore Girls account on Twitter was spot on.
@PopTarts411 Hello, lover. pic.twitter.com/ht0v8ddbu2
— Gilmore Girls (@GilmoreGirls) October 5, 2016
@GilmoreGirls pic.twitter.com/723QuF2lrA
— Kellogg's Pop-Tarts (@PopTarts411) October 5, 2016
Not only are the breakfast treats featured in multiple episodes, becoming so ubiquitous that they seemed one of Lorelai and Rory’s main food groups, but Lorelai expressed a deeper meaning behind her love of Pop-Tarts.
“The Pop-Tart tasted like freedom, and rebellion, and independence.” — Lorelai Gilmore, Season 7, Episode 3.
Indeed, the Pop-Tart is so quintessentially Gilmore Girls that it was referenced in the funny snapchat video that Alexis Bledel created with Michelle Obama, referencing the “gift” as being from her mother, since the whole video was a spoof of Alexis as Rory:
Personally, I’m waiting for a gluten-free pop-tart so that I too can eat like a Gilmore.
This post was brought to you by guest author David S.
On EW.com, Scott Patterson and Lauren Graham commented on the fact that Luke and Lorelai complement one another despite the fact that they are very different. According to Lauren:
There’s a chemistry there. Over time they really connect. They need each other as balance; she lightens him up and he roots her a little bit, but it took a while to get there.
Although frustrating, Scott understood why the writers took their time getting the couple together:
If you have something that combustible, that incendiary, milk it, just drag it out as long as you can because that’s the soul of drama.
A decade later, will the writers finally allow them to get married? Daniel Cabrera of Bustle takes an image of Luke in a tuxedo, shown in a new Gilmore Girls teaser, as a sign that the time has come. The clip in question is very short, with a tuxedoed Luke looking on and smiling while Alexis yelps in excitement at Jess, although it’s not clear why. Daniel thinks Jess has shown up for his uncle’s wedding. He also thinks that each episode of the Revival being set in different seasons gives us another clue:
The metaphors here are just too strong. Since the series begins with the winter episode and ends with the fall episode, I feel like the fall season represents something ‘final’ in the revival (much, and a fall wedding fits perfectly in the Gilmore Girls aesthetic. What could be more final for Luke and Lorelai after all these years?
Many of the actors have described the Revival as providing closure. Does that mean closure on Luke and Lorelai’s relationship? We’ll have to wait and see.
In an interview with Women and Hollywood, Lauren Graham & Alexis Bledel were asked to describe their relationship in real life:
AB: [We’re colleagues] — [Lauren] is someone [I’ve] worked with for a long time and [we] have a mutual understanding.
LG: We’ve never been like mother-daughter. It has always been a partnership. We always worked well together and we have tremendous respect for each other. When Alexis started on the show at age 19, she had a lot of composure. As work colleagues, it’s nicer to be on the same page and we always have been.
I think what Lauren Graham has to say is actually a reflection on Gilmore Girls as well. One of the appealing factors of the show was always the unique relationship dynamic between Lorelai and Rory. That the two were friends, and equals, with Rory sometimes more the “parent” in some ways (Lauren admits that her character had a period of ‘arrested development,’ that she was “still a teenager” in some ways) and Lorelai more the “parent” in other ways. The fact that, in real life, the relationship started on this footing is perhaps what has always made this on-screen dynamic feel natural.
In another interview, Alexis hypothesizes that being so different is part of the key to the Lorelai & Rory chemistry
They’re so different, like The Odd Couple. They have opposite personalities and preferences, but there are enough overlaps in their habits that make them able to hang out as friends. They really compliment one another and are each really distinctly drawn characters in their own right, so you care about both of them as well as what they mean to each other.
What do you think?
Although unrelated to this lovely thought, the interview also highlights that Sutton Foster will “provide a turning point for Lorelai” to send her along on her journey. This is quite a new revelation about the character that Sutton will be playing!
From what I understand, Season 7 of Gilmore Girls was judged as less than, as compared to the previous six seasons–maybe even a travesty. Something was missing.
That something was creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino. Beyond being showrunners, they were auteurs, creating a complete living-and-breathing fictional world. Along with writing and directing episodes, they supervised every plotline, word and image . The show had their distinct voice, especially evident in the dialogue and characterizations of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore. This took a lot of work and after six seasons, the Palladinos rightfully asked for extra staff to help ease the grind. Despite excellent ratings for the network, Warner Bros. turned them down and did not renew their contract (they took away their parking spaces suddenly, like a slap in the face). Fans were and are still angry about this, feeling that although the show continued and came to somewhat of a conclusion (Rory graduating and getting a journalism job, Lorelai and Luke reuniting), the show felt unfinished.
The team that Warner hired to replace the Palladinos were certainly talented and “kept the lights on”, but the show wasn’t the same. And ironically, they had to hire extra writers anyhow to make up for the vacuum left.
Ratings sagged and the show was cancelled. The cast and crew didn’t find out until after the season’s wrap party, robbing them of a proper goodbye.
As Gilmore Girls fandom has grown over the years, with the series binge-watched and debated (i.e. the Gilmore Guys podcast and more), Season 7 has been generally derided.
However, when asked about Season 7, Amy Sherman-Palladino said she did not watch it at the time, but has caught up with it on re-runs. She didn’t diss it–seemingly more interested in seeing where the storylines had gone. She obviously wanted to note this information in case she had a chance to finish the show as she had intended, last four words and all. And now she has her chance.
For me, Season 7 is a mixed bag, good with the bad. It’s a testament to the world and characters the Palladinos built so well, giving the new team a clear template to work from.
The biggest problem for me is the handling of Lorelai and Rory, and since they are the center of the show, it is big hole, but not quite a sink hole.
Here’s the good and bad, at least to me:
The Bad
Chatterbox Lorelai barely speaks in the first two episodes. After grieving the end of her relationship with Luke, Lorelai does start speaking once again and generally the dialogue is good, sometimes sparkling although the signature pop-culture references are muted. Character-wise, she seems to go with the flow and doesn’t drive the action. She falls into marriage to Christopher, then out, then spends time tending to Emily and Rory. However, I did like the way they repaired her relationship with Luke slowly and in an unforced way (Luke calls Lorelai when April is sick, Luke shows his new neice to Lorelai, Luke comes to help with Richard is in the hospital, Luke stitches together the tent for Rory’s goodbye party).
Rory was a biggest letdown for me. We got to know her as a super-bright, super-ambitious girl who dreamed from an early age about attending Harvard and then becoming Christiane Amampour. She pursues these dreams with great persistence despite the many bumps and detours along the way. Relationships are important to her but what we truly admire is her ambition and talent (yea Team Rory!). In Season 7, she becomes a simpering girlfriend type, mooning over Logan, seemingly helpless without him. His ups and downs domiante her life. She’s not the Rory who faces down Paris, talks back to Emily, or takes charge of the Yale Daily News. Also, her passivity over handling her future–fearing a void after graduation, worrying she’ll never get a job as a journalist. Maybe it’s realistic–I had no clue when I graduated. But Rory was always self-driven, better and smarter than us mere mortals.
Paul Anka turned into a fairly regular and rarely seen pooch. Disappointing.
The Good:
Generally, I found there were some terrific moments in Season 7–actually some of my favorite. Plus in general, the supporting characters and eccentric Stars Hollow happenings were handled much as before.
Here are some of the moments I loved the best:
In general, I liked how Emily was handled, feeling she stayed in character–as controlling and clueless as ever.
I especially loved Lane’s pregnancy–which apparently Keiko was not thrilled about–because it brought her in direct conflict with her mother. But through this, Lane began to understand her mother’s motivations a bit more, while also hating how much his mother and Zach bonded over the pregnancy.
Paris was as Paris as ever, whether typically crazy detailed plans on her pre-graduation plans or breaking up with Doyle to not influence her choice of graduate school and career direction. I’m always happy whenever there’s a scene with Paris.
And finally, I think they got Luke right. In the absence of Lorelai, they filled the vacuum his family and the other supporting characters–April and the custody battle, his sister Liz and her husband T.J. having a baby, plus Kirk and Zach at the diner. Throughout, Luke showed what an upstanding guy he was and why we got to love him so much.
All in all, whatever the merits or demerits of Season 7, things did feel unfinished leading now to Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. More Gilmore Girls, finally! So for that, I judge Season 7 to be a success. Huzzah!
There are more!! Following up to the pre-release ‘Gilmore Guide’ series, we now have The Gilmore Guide to Firing Your Chef! This is kind of like a sequel to Emily’s Gilmore Guide to Firing Your Maid, you know, if they had made such a guide!
Well there is one thing Lorelai picked up from Emily. Sorry, @RidingShotgunLA! pic.twitter.com/PFHlLwOppS
— Gilmore Girls (@GilmoreGirls) November 28, 2016
We’re coming full circle here. Emily didn’t fire anyone, but Lorelai sure made up for it! Over and over and over again!
Check out the full series of Gilmore Guides: The Gilmore Guide to Stars Hollow, The Gilmore Guide to Produce, The Gilmore Guide to Reading Like Rory, The Gilmore Guide to Friday Night Dinner Don’ts, The Gilmore Guide to Friendship, The Gilmore Guide to Movie Night, The Dirty Gilmore Guide, and The Gilmore Guide to Paris Geller.
