Hello all! Autumn's coming around again & I think on this rewatch, I'm gonna pretend I'm Team Logan just to see how the other half live... This video was sadly demonetized (there goes my millions) - if you're interested in supporting the channel, please consider becoming a Patreon member! It's a brand new launch, you might call it friends & family night at the Dragonfly, but more will be coming soon. Either way, thanks so much for watching! patreon.com/jrrtalkinpatreon
I am happy you are doing more content I like, like House of The Dragon, because this is my favorite analysis videos of Gilmore Girls. I rewatch it for comfort both like Gilmore Girls and Jenny Nicholson videos.
gutted for you that it was demonetized, its the best gg video ive watched. on my next rewatch look at logan from a more critical perspective, always team luke though of all the guys :) of the 3 for rory ive been team logan
I started watching Gilmore girls when I was 16, finishes rewatching when I was 32…it’s such a different show when you’re Lorelei’s age versus Rory’s age
I was so on team Rory. I moved away from home, paid bills, moved out of the country and then rewatched the show in my 30s. My perspective of Rory changed sooooo much. I saw some of her spoiled decisions. I also saw a lot of the things Lorelai did to make her the way she became. The show is constantly calls her perfect, worthy, deserving…. She worked for a Hilton and Yale… but didn’t quite understand the value of working for other things. And Lorelai didn’t help with a lack of boundaries. I love this show but as an adult I begin to see all the things that made Rory a bit of a brat as she aged. It’s crazy!
When you are a teen: omg Jess stole Rory’s bracelet what a bad boy When you’re an adult: a teen boy I hired to do yard work broke into my teen daughter’s room multiple times? Restraining order!
Yes, same here. Also 32. Grew up watching this in middle school being a little bookworm eager for college. So interesting seeing things from Lor’s perspective
I use GG as an analogy a lot in therapy, and this video made me understand even more why I do it. The repetition, the spotlight on the daily, mundane actions, the town being a family and a community for someone that doesn’t have a family, that’s all things I want for my life.
I think its Neutrality is its strength, because it never gets preachy, it never tells you how to feel about anything and that gives the viewer freedom to interpret each situation and character as you wish. Some people think Lorelai is wonderful, others think she's awful, and the same goes for everyone. I much prefer it that way, each time I rewatch I find myself changing my mind on certain situations. I think good writing, and art in general, shouldn't tell you how to feel or think about anything (at least not directly).
I agree! Especially, since I always feel it really portrays life itself in a way. People make dumb decisions, then learn, then make two steps backwards. Yeah, Emily for example has learning moments, but as in real life, there are setbacks. Does character development have to be a straight road all the time? It makes the characters all seem so much more human in my opinion. I, too, have f...ed up a lot in life, and that these seemingly perfect girls/women do that makes them more relatable. I love that and wouldn't want it changed. I am always here for a good f'ck up moment 😂People out there being all judgy about fictional characters always leaves a bad taste in my mouth and tells much more about them then about the show
Both of them had horrible things happen to them after having sex too… this show is very weird about that. Honestly the more I think about it the more I don’t like Gilmore Girls. Lorelai and Rory bully other women too much and the show has such a weird attitude about them being “cool” for doing that and about sex and even about eating.
@@so_obsessed_loss of virginity in particular is always framed poorly. Lane’s is awful and she’s immediately pregnant, Paris gets ignored and then doesn’t get into college (and Lorelei gloats privately that Rory is the “good” kid for not being sexually active), and Rory’s is with Dean cheating on his wife.
this is such a fascinating breakdown of the show’s repetition and how it aids in the feeling of comfort! i’ve watched the first three seasons of gilmore girls countless times and couldn’t ever really articulate why the show felt so dear to me other than that I liked how it made me feel. the regularity and familiarity of the world that the palladinos focused on building was such a crucial part of that comfort!
First three seasons!!! Same! I wonder what it is about those three seasons specifically. They're the ones I rewatch the most. side note Season seven doesn't exist.
Season 2 is Peak. And the clip you showed to underline that, with Rory, Paris, and Jess eating diner food and debating literature (while Lorelai and Emily are at a spa) is from probably my favorite episode of all. I also hate Logan, though I probably would have minded him less if there had been a cohesive stance on whether his influence is ultimately bad or okay. Yeah, the show took a stance on Rory dropping out, but it ultimately - especially in the Palladino-headed seasons - his influence is portrayed as Fine. Honestly, season 7 had the strongest stance on him, and it was also the only season where he was allowed to grow and change.
I love that scene and it's my favourite episode. One thing I really wish the show had done was develop a friendship between Paris and Jess. For that snippet, they had such good chemistry onscreen and I think it's a real shame they never put them together again.
I agree with the point you make (40:00) about neutrality and character development, but i think the fact that our favorite characters fail us (when Paris becomes a dictator at the Yale daily news, or when Luke goes back to his old bad habits when April appears in the show), even after improving, and that no one does or says anything about it, makes the show really realistic No one is fully a good or a bad person in the show, everyone is complex and can fail even after a lot of improvement
I agree with the casting being excellent and Lauren Graham being the break-out star. So much so that she somehow managed to sell at least some of the mess that were the revival episodes AND made season 7 occasionally okay, too.
26:00 oh my god the acting at lorelei's graduation is phenomenol. i often rewind just to look again at the absolute look of pride in richard's eyes and emily being overwhelmed w emotion. so glad u included that little clip. such a standout moment. and then also lorelei's own look upon noticing her parents' reactions :')))) ahhhhhhhhhhh LOVE
This is a remarkably well done analysis -- so often GG videos are just "it's soo annoying that they're privileged" "have you considered Rory Gilmore is akin to the devil" "Emily was completely flawless and Lorelei is an ungrateful brat that has no reason for the ways she acts" but you did something just *mwuah!*
@@bartho5212lol i see far too many ppl defending emily for her stuck up elitist views online. honestly i think one of the reasons i’ll always defend lorelei is the amount of times she had to apologize for a problem emily started.
To your point of them seemingly going backwards on Emily's apparent path for development that was opened up in S1, it is even more baffling considering I feel like they do a decent job executing that premise with Mrs. Kim. She is obviously super strict and overbearing at the start, as shown by like everything Lane has to do to remotely live a normal life in early seasons, but by the end Mrs. Kim has really changed a lot and seemed to realize that sometimes her daughter and their relationship was more important than how she felt things should be done. Shame they weren't able to find a similar but obviously more true to character path for Emily. Great video! I really enjoyed watching it and it was quite well done:)
This has got to be the best analysis video I've ever seen of the show! Amazing work!! You made me realize a lot of things about the show and why I love it that I hadn't thought of before. That repetition you mention is absolutely a huge part of the comfort factor. And it hadn't clicked for me how much this show is like.. almost a fantasy story, with just HOW much suspension of disbelief it requires from the audience haha. I also have a very strong opinion on the neutrality of the show, which I have always thought is its biggest strength to be honest. SO many shows, movies and books nowadays seem to not be able to exist without "having a message" and audiences seem unable to consume them if the show doesn't tell them what aspects of the story or the characters are morally right or wrong. GG doesn't follow that, and the plot and the characters remain true to themselves because they're not limited by "setting a good example". Much like real people, there's not one character who is always morally right or wrong, and we see this a ton in the relationship with Lorelai and Emily, like you mentioned, where their dynamic tends to bounce between Was Emily being irrational? Yes. Did Lorelai communicate that in an insensitive way and hurt Emily? Also yes. Who's in the wrong? Both, actually. And personally, I DEEPLY enjoy that about the show, because it's not a simplistic story where one person is evil and the other is the hero we root for. The writing of the show benefits MASSIVELY from that, because they don't limit their characters by thinking "our good characters can't do that, it's morally wrong in the real world, it would set a bad example". They're not there to be an example, they're there to live their stories with all the good and bad and all the mistakes that come with simply living life in their world. This is one of the reasons I actually LOVE Rory as a character. She gets SO much criticism for who she is, and I think most people fail to see that that's the POINT of her character. To show that she is the result of her upbringing, her environment and her choices, SAME as someone in the real world. She's not there to be perfect, she NEVER was, people are just mad because they only clocked in on that upon rewatching. They remembered her being perfect and then she wasn't. And I think it actually makes a TON of sense in the narrative. As you mentioned, there's always a parallel between Rory and Lorelai, and her overall arc is no exception. When we meet Lorelai, she's actually kind of a mess at the beginning of the show. She has a ton of unsolved issues, she's immature in many ways, and as the show goes along, she learns and grows. Rory is simply following in her footsteps because she was raised by Lorelai when she didn't have it all figured out and it shows. Rory's story ends (countig Year in the Life) where Lorelai's began, and she's bound to repeat it, and probably learn from her mistakes and past, same as Lorelai did and continues to do. Which speaking of, I know people hate Lane's ending, but I actually think it's brilliant. A huge theme of the show is "Oh.. I made a mistake my mother actually warned me about. Maybe she does know a thing or two" which is something a ton of us learn the hard way. And Lane definitely learned it like that. It isn't perfect, it's not the ending she deserved but it's the one she got, through her choices, much like tons of people in the real world. I bet so many of us know wonderfully talented people whose ambitions were cut short and ended up in the same situation, and it's not good or wrong. It just IS. I think to sum it up, I love this show because it just IS.
Great video! I've seen a lot of video essays lately that are critical of gg, which of course have their own merit, but very few on why it is such a compelling show to begin with. I first watched it when it came to steaming 10 years ago when I was 20, and now I'm 30 and still finding new reasons to appreciate it. The show is a bit of a long con in the sense that you probably won't "get it" after an episode or 2, but I think you wonderfully illustrated what it is that keeps people coming back to it. I think it's such a clever show that very rarely gets its dues, especially because I think the current trend is to dunk on it a bit. Which, again, the show is not infallible, and I'm not suggesting we ignore its less savoury parts, but there is so much that it gets right in terms of storytelling, setting, dialogue, atmosphere, comedy, etc. Anyway. All this to say I really appreciated this video and your analysis 😊
Thanks for taking the time to make this video and pointing out so many reasons that we love watching it + consider it cozy. I like that the show doesn't make its characters perfect - they all make mistakes, backslide, and learn from (or don't learn from) the mistakes they make. A lot of people like to hate on Rory, but her trajectory is true to life - there are a lot of people who seemed to have things together when they were young who grow up to not know who they are and what they really want to do with their lives (learning what happened to people you graduated with mirrors a lot of what happened to Rory actually).
I first watched Gilmore Girls with my mom, who is remarkably like Emily. I was a young mom, so when my daughter got older, we started watching it together. It became our show because it was so relatable on so many levels. The thing that always makes me laugh is that they always say that they tell each other everything, but they actually never tell each other anything.
I'mma keep commenting on little things to boost your algorith, you do good work, let's go. Fun Fact: The most consistently reocccurring town event is the winter carnival. They squeeze it into like every single later season somehow. It might be one of the most underwhelming ones. No other even comes back unless you count the two second basket auction in the additional 4 episodes.
this is such an incredible video, filled with incredible takes. ive never been able to fully articulate why gilmore girls is so comforting but i also hate it at the same time, this video perfectly sums it up, absolutely fantastic work i was so shocked to see that this video wasn't nearly as popular as i thought it was! your analysis deserves so much more recognition
I'm binging gilmore girls deep dives atm. Your breakdown has been the most enjoyable and insightful for me! Your thoughtful descriptions, digestible video layout, and meaningful commentary on thematic parallelism/ other topics that support your point really had me hooked the entire time. I never once found a point farfetched, and was actually inspired to reconsider parts of the show I had overlooked. I'm a casual media consumer, and yet your commentary introduces complex themes/storytelling elements with ease to laymen like me. Thank you! This is why I love youtube
As a fan of Gilmore Girls since I was 12 years old, which was almost 10 years ago now, this show has become one of the touching stone points of my life that I hold close to my heart while also looking at it from a critical/analytical point of view. I am only 5 minutes into this video and just have to praise the way you articulate exactly what the point of Gilmore Girls is while not leaving any of the good or bad to the imagination based on your thorough, educated vocabulary. Looking forward to the rest of the video!
This is hands down the best breakdown of Gilmore Girls on RUclips and I've watched a lot!!! It's crazy to me that you don't have 100,000 subscribers with this kind of quality content!
By far, this is one of the best analyses of Gilmore Girls I’ve ever heard. Thank you for not calling Emily Gilmore toxic and blaming her for all of Lorelei’s problems. 🙏
The decline of the show can honestly be measured pretty well by how Paris is treated at the moment. The further the seasons go on, the more she becomes basically Rory's ersatz Stars Hollow; only on screen for wacky hijinks in the background. Speaking of which, the wacky hijinks in the background in Stars Hollow also went from being thematically relevant to something to just being... There for the sake of it. (Paris also got hit with the horrible husband stick. God, Doyle was bad.)
Thank you. This is the only video I have seen where the series is fully understood and appreciated. Beautifully done. My favourite side character turned out to be Paris. Hated her at first but you slowly are led through dislike to understanding and eventually affection. At it’s best it’s a show that treats us as adults and dared to portray multifaceted characters that were actually far more realistic than in more serious shows. I am only watching it for the first time and on the last two episodes of season 6. Not looking forward to the decline (and I hate that Luke is such a jerk at the moment). It will stick it out for those precious character moments.
Found your channel because of your video on The Bear, and loved your writing and analysis so I thought I'd stick around. Crazy that this is your next video, because Gilmore Girls is, since childhood, probably my favourite show. I've thought a lot about the cozy effect of it, and related it a lot to other movies and shows with a similar feeling (to me, When Harry Met Sally, the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy, The Meyerowitz Stories, The Holdovers, Friends, etc...l). I even made a point about this exact affect (the routines element especially) in my research for storytelling class at school (im doing a masters in screenwriting). This absolutely knocks it out of the park. I've been unable to put my finger on the pulse of why this show works, and it's not stopped bugging me, and lo and behold, here is this video. This is pretty special, I think your work is outstanding. Please please please keep it up.
I've read a lot of comments ftom people who were labeled as "gifted" and "the smart one" as kids, the ones to whom much was given, but much was also expected, and the pressure of that. And they say that Rory's arc is very realistic.
This analysis was fantastic, (one of?) the best I've watched/read (and whenever I see GG, I click). It gave me a deeper appreciation for the show. Thanks so much for putting so much time and effort into this video for us!
You put into words why GG is one of my go to comfort shows. I know the characters are flawed and make mistakes, but the familiarity has me coming back again and again. I know Logan gets a lot of hate (rightfully so), but he is one of the few people to call out Rorys privilege. Because Rory likes to claim Lorelai struggles as her own, which is just not true. He is unique in that way. My absolute favorite relationship in the entire show (and even in the revival) is between Luke and Jess. They start out as the polar opposite of Lorelai and Rory. They don't have a friendship, they don't have a family like relationship (Luke getting angry for being called "uncle Luke"), if anything they do not like one another in the beginning at all. But throughout their time together and the few occasions they see each other later, they become close. Closer in some aspects than Rory and Lorelai. I really wish we had seen more of that. Shame that the Jess spin off didn't come to be. Jess is pretty much the only reason I watch the revival. I do not like Luke in it (he reverted back to being closed off even worse than before), I actively hate Rory and sometimes Lorelai. Emily is actually really interesting in the revival. Especially her condescending speech at the DAR meeting. Love her look there btw. Without Richard her sense of being is gone and she has to come to terms how to navigate her life without him. She has terrible moments in the revival for sure, but she is interesting! I do not care for whatever Lorelai and Rory are doing. Everybody else is more interesting than those two.
This is such a lovely and loving dive into the good and bad and neutral of the show, and as someone who has loved it for 20 years, it was an amazing journey to go through. Thank you so so much for your hard work!
While there are so many valid critiques of this show, I've never understood the "working class" one. The whole point is that Lorelai succeeded without her parents - AKA, she is not in the working class. To me, Rory and Lorelai embody the middle class of the 90s (back when that meant accessible home ownership, something that is understandably hard to imagine now). Lorelai earns a middle class salary and owns a pretty, but not huge, house in a small town in rural Connecticut -- which she purchased in the 1990s. She can absolutely afford that house. The one part that is unrealistic is the constant eating out, but even then, they're never eating in fancy places. I think these recent criticisms really demonstrate how bad the housing crisis has become -- that we can't even fathom that this was a middle class lifestyle.
This was an amazing video. Thank you for such a detailed breakdown of such a complex show that is full of heart and life. Here are some of my takes on the show, some of them might be unpopular: - I actually enjoyed season 7, I thought it was decent in comparison to season 6 which felt like a bad roller coaster ride - the Rory hate is way too much. Rory is flawed and makes horrible mistakes, but by the end of season 7 she has gotten herself back on track in terms of academics and life goals. She is very nice and supportive. She will still make mistakes because she is human, but she really does mean well, and it breaks my heart seeing people make her into a villain. - Logan is awful. There are so many reasons I can list but I will only just leave with one: proposing during your partner's graduation party, in front of their whole family and other guests, without discussing the details with your partner - absolutely awful and thank goodness Rory rejected him and his proposal. Thanks again for the video! Definitely subscribed for more :) I just adore GG analysis!
I have such a complicated relationship with Gilmore girls. I was such a devoted Rory and Jess fan for so many years and now i find myself still childless and unwed and of course I wonder if spending my teenage years reading fanfic about a guy who left and ghosted a woman conditioned me to accept the bad treatment I’ve accepted from men all my life. So yeah I have a very complicated relationship with this show lol. Now that I’m about Lorelei’s age in the show in real life, I’d love to rewatch it again - from Lorelai’s perspective. But is it just me or if you grew up with Rory it’s hard not to watch it as Rory? Anyhow, the show was fabulous at least the first 4 seasons. Everything else was kinda scary to me. So nostalgic. I think you made such a great point about the “la la las.” They really made the show special. I love all the clips you showed too - I feel like all of us, regardless of who were rooted for on the show, love the same episodes and the same moments. Ps- i also hate Logan 🫶🏻
This was by far the best and non biased breakdown of this show. I was entering high school when Gilmore Girls premiered (definitely showing my late 30s age) and it felt relatable because of where I was in my life. Having rewatched too many times to count at this point as an adult, I definitely agree with your deep dive.
@@RilianSharp my comment was meant to show how bad both of their communicating skills are😭if Jackson didn't want the vasectomy, he could've verbalized it to Sookie instead of letting her think she didn't have to use protection anymore. Jackson also was pressuring sookie to have 4 kids in 4 years, so obviously her asking/making Jackson to get a vasectomy would not make that possible. Ultimately they're both at fault, however I would say Jackson is a little big more at fault because he obviously knew that he was practicing unsafe $ex with sookie, while she believed that it was safe. What annoys me about their relationship is that they don't really seem to understand one another's wants that much, which also goes along with them not communicating with each other
@@cookies_n_clovers1189 the writers just meant it to be funny but as someone who was forced to use birth control by an abuser i see a more sinister interpretation :/
This is one of my favorite Gilmore Girls critiques/analyses ever. So many salient points! The storytelling choices absolutely made the show--it's a theatrical piece, one that would translate effortlessly to stage, and that vibe alone makes it timeless and re-watchable. Loved your point about how the show establishes a routine for the audience, which not only grounds us in the world but also offers satisfying "Show, don't tell" moments when something is amiss and the routine is broken. I especially appreciated how little time you spent discussing the "problematic" parts of the show, which I feel has become the primary talking point. Certainly, some aspects did not age well. But it's exactly as you say: the show invites viewers, back then and now, to come to their own conclusions about character behavior. It does not have a moralistic attitude, nor does it try to sell you on a particular way of life. It's a story about people, flawed and good as we all are, so we might better understand ourselves and have empathy for others. Thank you for your work on this video
You are brilliant, this told me multiple things about myself!!! You beautifully summed up, in words, my childhood.. I will revisit this video again. Well done!😘
I loved all of these takes and how you view the characters. They are ALL complex, they are ALL compelling. I loved this piece a lot, I'd also love it if you would cover Amy Sherman-Palladino's other shows like the Marvelous Miss Maisel and the canceled Bunheads because I really think THAT one would've been amazing if they hadn't canceled it. ❤
Wow. You're a genius. You just analyzed a huge part of my life before my eyes and I am deeply deeply impressed! Best essay on Gilmore Girls I have ever seen or heard. You should be really proud.
Ngl I rewatch at least the first few seasons whenever I move anywhere because it just immediately makes me feel more at home an safe and familiar with everything. Yes it is absolutely unrealistic but sometimes I need that when life is scary or overwhelming
grew up the only boy in a family with three sisters. i am unironically in love with the show loreli and rory genuinely helped get me through the worst break up of my life. and to this day i go back and watch random episodes
Your point about how the show completely knows what it is, especially the points on stakes and neutrality, I think really capture why the show went off the rails in seasons 5 and 6.* It's like the show felt like there was something wrong with being the small-scale story it was and decided it needed to throw in "bigger" elements, like Rory having affairs, grand theft boat, and secret daughters. At the same time, all of the conflicts started getting constructed so Lorelai was in the right (and it got more so with each passing one), while on Rory's side of the show, she becomes shielded from the realistic consequences of her actions because she's just so special - in this town where gossip is a form of currency, no one has anything to say about her affair when she was publicly confronted over it? She gets handed the editorship of the paper after her meltdown semester when she's not even eligible rather than the staff just holding a runoff vote? The special elements of the show were lost in an attempt at being a more generic teen drama. *Season 7 definitely has its own boatload of issues (largely the result of the previous two seasons' identity crisis, IMO), but I think it gets back to the basics more than seasons 5 and 6. I am also one of those fans who finds season 7 better than not only A Year in the Life, but season 6 as well. (Unrelated rant: On your point about Luke's regression when April turns up, it's doubly frustrating because it regresses Luke not only to where he was prior to his growth in opening up to Lorelai, but he's not even at the point where he was earlier in the show. Luke might not have taken kindly to Lorelai's input on how to raise Jess - and honestly, most of that input amounted to "you should have sent him straight back to New York" - but he was constantly bringing the two of them into each other's presence. But now, Lorelai's not even allowed in the diner when April's there?)
This is such a beautiful and insightful analysis, I'm currently completing a huge critical response in relation to complexities and intricacies of storytelling in modern media and this brought up some incredible points that are completely new to me- thank you for clearly spending an exorbitant amount of time and effort !!!
I put this video on at 3:30am thinking I'd doze off because as you mention, it's a very comforting show. I ended up listening to the entire thing because you did an excellent job summarizing why this show works.
Amazing analysis on a topic that isn’t often explored so in depth and so well when it comes to GG. And way better than a certain podcast that is on now about this show… So glad I stumbled on your channel! So eloquent and well thought out. Subscribed! 😻 ✅
I can't believe this video doesn't have more views. Such a beautiful analysis, I was so sad when it ended. Thank you so much for sharing!! also fuck logan!!
Great deep dive, thank you. I do think the Martha's Vineyard episode was painful, though one line about it which is was said in the Hay Bale Maze was "I think I used April to push you away", a line and a point which could have been emphasized further. After all, Lorelai openly proposed to Luke not out of love, but out of wanting to be happy, so understandably, he would have wondered whether about how real the whole thing is, how romantic it is.
Also, props for the All is Lost beat for Gilmore Girls to be Lorelai's relationship with Christopher, which I think was handled perfectly for something which always felt on the table, but could never work in reality.
I know it's just not me. But the episodes before Jess comes to Stars Hollow gives me a sense of dread. Because the show is going to change. I loved the episodes before Jess. I don't hate Jess. I actually liked how he turned out.
i find it interesting how everyone i know has differing opinions on the revival. I loved it, and I hated it. It felt like coming home, it felt like watching a friend wither away. I cried for the first time in months watching it, when Rory decided to write the first chapters of her book in her grandfather's office (I was going through something similar at the time and it just hit hard). You're right about the routines and rituals. I think that's why the revival felt comforting for me. I didn't like a lot of it (seriously Amy, I saw Across the Universe directed by Julie Taymor too, and I do not understand why you suddenly had a homage to it with characters I do not care about and whomst I do not think are good influences, but ok!!! go off!!!), especially how Rory was cheating--But it was nice to see some closure in some areas (Luke and Lorelai!!! FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and to see old friends. Anyways, EXCELLENT video, i'm upset it doesn't have more views.
When i was a young adult i liked rory. As an older adult and now a mom i related to hard to lorelai. Rory i want to smack sometimes. But ultimately i really do love the show. And will rewatch it a lot. Usually this time of year too. 😜
ASP totally crapped on her characters before she sailed out of town at the end of S6 from Luke’s OOC reaction to April to Lorelei’s OOC flight to Christopher’s bed after that fight. So I’m more forgiving of how they tried to clean up in S7.
I definitely think Lane deserved better but I think the whole show focuses on how life CAN happen to you and that there are some things that just ARE without explanation. It’s not an uncommon story for a girl with big dreams to never make them happen and be stuck in a life they never thought they’d be in. Even I know a handful of women whose fate ended up like this. It’s so realistic. It makes sense for Lane to have gotten stuck after how her upbringing was. It makes sense for Rory to turn out exactly like Lorelai because even though we’re watching a fictional world, it is based on a world that exists. It makes sense for Rory to have made the mistakes she did after Mitchum’s rejection. All of these are normal things that can happen to regular people and the characters aren’t supposed to be ABNORMAL.
GG Character writing is a bit similar to SATC character writing. The reason why the main characters are at first side so easy to identify with is that they have their flaws. They represent a dream world, all of us at first side would love to live in. Lorelai having everything kind of, she is independent but has a net of wealth protecting her and her daughter, as Carrie has. She lives in a New York dream world, where she can achieve an expensive apartment just while writing a few rhetorical questions once a week and has a net of wealth as well, represented by her understanding friends Sam, Charlotte and Miranda. But rewatching the shows show us their flaws in a way, that reminds us, that they have consequences, since we know how things will end up. Carrie loses everything in the end, so does Rory in a way. It is like a dream not ending up in a good way, and what makes us feeling bad about it, when rewatching these shows is, that we cannot forget about the endings. We cannot be catched the same way by this dream world, like we did in the first place, because the hope, that everything will end up in a good way, has been taken away from us. We know for sure, that these fantastic dreams of "having it all" never will become true and there is not "this one" fairy tale happy ending. I also think it is a way of projecting something we dislike about ourselves onto the main characters. Like we knew from the beginning, that this dream could never become true and instead of hating us for having been naive in that way, we project the disliking on those main characters Carrie and Rory.
It’s been great finding this video! GG is one of my favorite shows but definitely my opinion about the characters has changed a lot through the years. I find Lorelai and Rory not as charming as I saw them before in my teen years, now I see them as a pretty flawed mother & daughter duo that seems to involve instead of evolve every time they make mistakes. In a way is really realistic but makes a weird contrast with the sweet cozy feel of the series.
Great video! This was such an interesting and enlightening view into why this show is so beloved. Flaws and all it will always be my favorite show of all time ❤ Also has any ever told you that you sound just like Lizzy Caplan? It’s uncanny!
Beautiful analysis. To be fair, Luke sliding back into "denial and silence" mode, once April shows, is quite realistic, and rings true. People "relapse" into their bad old habits all the time. Besides, you can feel his pain, right after April's School Science Fair, once he realizes how much he missed of his newly found daughter's past life. I didn't dislike that plotline as much as most GG fans do, since I found it both thematically and drama-wise poignant.
I never continued watching Gilmore Girls but completely appreciate it and want to continue it someday (at my own pace perhaps). I really enjoyed watching/listening to this video while eating lunch, I'd love it if you could make one about Desperate Housewives (it's my all-time favorite series!).
I watched the show when I was 33. I noticed how mature Lorelei is in comparison to me. I was unemployed, insecure, in a toxic relationship with no plan or direction. This women opened her own Hotel and had a 16 year old daughter. 😅 I felt like Im must be something inbetween Rory and Lorelei since I was clearly not a mature adult like Lorelei. Anyways the show game lots and lots of comfort in very difficult time in my life❤
What a wonderful retrospective, so beautifully analysed. The one thing I guess we disagree on though is the revival X'D For me, the fact that it chose to forego the traditional whimsy in the face of a real world-changing tragedy made sense. I watched the show as a high-achieving Rory-coded teenager (minus the privilege) but by the time the revival came around, I was the older Rory, flailing and struggling, dealing with death and grief, with my previous sense of whimsy depleted, and I related to it so much. I grew up with the show and, with the revival, the show grew up with me.
I clicked on this video for a couple reasons: 1. I've just started watching Gilmore Girls 2. I LOVE your channel name!❤ Also, you have a very lovely voice. ❤
It's interesting to me that everybody hates on Logan, because I would have chosen him as a boyfriend for Rory (or myself hehe). I am always Team Logan and was mad that they broke up instead of working on their relationship at the end of season 7.
Finally someone taking shots at the Martha’s Vineyard episode. I’ve been waiting 15 years for someone to complain about that one with me. The only way they could have made Luke worse in that episode was if they did what D&D did to Jamie Lannister. No i will not elaborate this is low stakes Gilmore Girls and I want to keep it that way
Imagine turning a character that was attractive to women bc his battle to overcome emotional vulnerability into Wiley Coyote and then Wiley is strangled to death by the tennis bracelet Loag Runner bought.
I will say as someone who was born the same year as Rori, to a mother who was born the same year as Lorelai, it's different from my much younger sister's view of our mom. It's a different connection, not better or worse, just different. Also grew up in a very small town that has a lot of quirky festivals 😅 While the town was only one main street, farmers market every Thursday and Saturday, a lot of quirky people and FAR too many diners and hair places for the small space. One bed and breakfast (closest hotel is 45 minutes away). Places like Stars Hollow almost exist, they're just hidden.
I really love how the show was never really telling us how to live but was simply allowing the viewer to be apart of the characters lives. I don't really understand when persons complain about the flaws and errors made by the characters, like they were supposed to be exemplary ppl. The characters were written to be flawed and that was impart what made them relatable. None of the characters were villains (for the most part) or heros.
Possible unpopular opinion, but I'd love a modern remake with Lorelei being a mom that grew up with social media and Rory being one of those kids that confronts her with her "sharenting". Again, might be just me lol I just want more Gilmore Girls especially where there's justice to Lane ✊
Because it is comforting watching it. You feel that there is at least one place in this world where people live in peace and harmony, no social or racial unrest, no tension between different groups, nobody demonstrating against police brutality or taking to the streets with burning tires and stones, no rioting or strife. And watch those workplaces, they are Heavens compared to the real ones..! Who wouldn't want to have Lorelai or Luke as a boss...? Mitchum and Emily would present the opposing version but of course they are the baddies, they are outsiders to the general mood. No racial tensions either, Michael can belittle Lorelai and Cesar do the same with Luke and they will just laugh it off. You'd think this is Truman's village where everyone is playing a preassigned role so there is no possible conflict, at times I had the impression that is the place I was seeing. All the conflicts are personal, within families, and limited to the main protagonists while the supporting characters are there only to serve as a background noise and as a foil for the former. See how most if not all of them have no independent lives, they all are visible and important only as they relate in their interaction with the main ones, namely the Gilmores and Luke, and of course the boyfriends, Dean, Max, Jess and so on. So for ex. we come to know absolutely nothing about Taylor, Miss Patty, Babette and her hubby, Kirk (except his story with Lulu), the father, the street musician and the rest. Take for example Taylor, all he does is to serve as cheerleader for Rory and to propose improvements to the city or protest because someone littered the streets. Kirk spends his time doing odd jobs and coming up with weird things projects. All we know about Miss Patty realtes to his dance school and her past as a dancer. Michael is there mostly as comic relief and so the visit by his mother played absolutely no rol in the stoty. In fact the only people who come to know something else in town is the Kim family, Lane and her mom. And of course about Luke and Sooki but for the same reason alreay explained, because of their close relation to the Gilmores. All in all, GGs is just a fantasy, a fairy tale gone somehow sour as the plot unfolds but still the sense of irreality remains. For a lucid eye it is very difficult that any of what we see in the screen happens in real life, at least in the same way. Richard: "You need money...? Let me get my checkbook" Luke: "Need 30.000 bucks...? No problem, just lets go to the bank".
You know how A Year in The Life has the scene where Lorelei has emotional catharsis during Taylor’s play and weeps and at the end all the townies comment on how it’s a snooze fest number? Did Amy mean for that to be a reflection of the polarizing reaction to Gilmore Girls in which I’m the sobbing person?
Hello all! Autumn's coming around again & I think on this rewatch, I'm gonna pretend I'm Team Logan just to see how the other half live...
This video was sadly demonetized (there goes my millions) - if you're interested in supporting the channel, please consider becoming a Patreon member! It's a brand new launch, you might call it friends & family night at the Dragonfly, but more will be coming soon. Either way, thanks so much for watching!
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I am happy you are doing more content I like, like House of The Dragon, because this is my favorite analysis videos of Gilmore Girls. I rewatch it for comfort both like Gilmore Girls and Jenny Nicholson videos.
I will be interested to hear your perspective as Team Luke! Maybe I should give Team Jess a whirl this time around!
gutted for you that it was demonetized, its the best gg video ive watched. on my next rewatch look at logan from a more critical perspective, always team luke though of all the guys :) of the 3 for rory ive been team logan
I started watching Gilmore girls when I was 16, finishes rewatching when I was 32…it’s such a different show when you’re Lorelei’s age versus Rory’s age
I was so on team Rory. I moved away from home, paid bills, moved out of the country and then rewatched the show in my 30s.
My perspective of Rory changed sooooo much. I saw some of her spoiled decisions.
I also saw a lot of the things Lorelai did to make her the way she became.
The show is constantly calls her perfect, worthy, deserving…. She worked for a Hilton and Yale… but didn’t quite understand the value of working for other things.
And Lorelai didn’t help with a lack of boundaries.
I love this show but as an adult I begin to see all the things that made Rory a bit of a brat as she aged.
It’s crazy!
Same here!
When you are a teen: omg Jess stole Rory’s bracelet what a bad boy
When you’re an adult: a teen boy I hired to do yard work broke into my teen daughter’s room multiple times? Restraining order!
Exactly! :)
Yes, same here. Also 32. Grew up watching this in middle school being a little bookworm eager for college. So interesting seeing things from Lor’s perspective
I use GG as an analogy a lot in therapy, and this video made me understand even more why I do it. The repetition, the spotlight on the daily, mundane actions, the town being a family and a community for someone that doesn’t have a family, that’s all things I want for my life.
I think its Neutrality is its strength, because it never gets preachy, it never tells you how to feel about anything and that gives the viewer freedom to interpret each situation and character as you wish. Some people think Lorelai is wonderful, others think she's awful, and the same goes for everyone. I much prefer it that way, each time I rewatch I find myself changing my mind on certain situations. I think good writing, and art in general, shouldn't tell you how to feel or think about anything (at least not directly).
I agree! Especially, since I always feel it really portrays life itself in a way. People make dumb decisions, then learn, then make two steps backwards. Yeah, Emily for example has learning moments, but as in real life, there are setbacks. Does character development have to be a straight road all the time? It makes the characters all seem so much more human in my opinion. I, too, have f...ed up a lot in life, and that these seemingly perfect girls/women do that makes them more relatable. I love that and wouldn't want it changed. I am always here for a good f'ck up moment 😂People out there being all judgy about fictional characters always leaves a bad taste in my mouth and tells much more about them then about the show
Poor Lane, she deserved better. So did Paris imo. Come to think of it, most women in this show got really short-changed in the long run, didn't they?
Isn’t that just an allegory for life though??? #deepthoughts
100%
Both of them had horrible things happen to them after having sex too… this show is very weird about that. Honestly the more I think about it the more I don’t like Gilmore Girls. Lorelai and Rory bully other women too much and the show has such a weird attitude about them being “cool” for doing that and about sex and even about eating.
@@so_obsessed_loss of virginity in particular is always framed poorly. Lane’s is awful and she’s immediately pregnant, Paris gets ignored and then doesn’t get into college (and Lorelei gloats privately that Rory is the “good” kid for not being sexually active), and Rory’s is with Dean cheating on his wife.
@@MistyWarden Exactly! Very weird attitudes all around.
this is such a fascinating breakdown of the show’s repetition and how it aids in the feeling of comfort! i’ve watched the first three seasons of gilmore girls countless times and couldn’t ever really articulate why the show felt so dear to me other than that I liked how it made me feel. the regularity and familiarity of the world that the palladinos focused on building was such a crucial part of that comfort!
omg totally unrelated but I love your art so much! it's just fantastical and beautiful and inspirational! 💖 thank you for sharing it!! 💜
First three seasons!!! Same! I wonder what it is about those three seasons specifically. They're the ones I rewatch the most. side note Season seven doesn't exist.
Season 2 is Peak. And the clip you showed to underline that, with Rory, Paris, and Jess eating diner food and debating literature (while Lorelai and Emily are at a spa) is from probably my favorite episode of all.
I also hate Logan, though I probably would have minded him less if there had been a cohesive stance on whether his influence is ultimately bad or okay. Yeah, the show took a stance on Rory dropping out, but it ultimately - especially in the Palladino-headed seasons - his influence is portrayed as Fine. Honestly, season 7 had the strongest stance on him, and it was also the only season where he was allowed to grow and change.
It's one of my all time favorite scenes. I really wish they had them together more
@@mrdad-zl9zl if you put a gun to my head, this is my favorite ship on the show and I call it literatri.
I love that scene and it's my favourite episode. One thing I really wish the show had done was develop a friendship between Paris and Jess. For that snippet, they had such good chemistry onscreen and I think it's a real shame they never put them together again.
@@kayleighmarieedwards8965 imagine Jess and Paris tag-teaming Rory into going back to Yale. Stuff of dreams.
Thee Best Episode.
I agree with the point you make (40:00) about neutrality and character development, but i think the fact that our favorite characters fail us (when Paris becomes a dictator at the Yale daily news, or when Luke goes back to his old bad habits when April appears in the show), even after improving, and that no one does or says anything about it, makes the show really realistic
No one is fully a good or a bad person in the show, everyone is complex and can fail even after a lot of improvement
Agree!
I agree with the casting being excellent and Lauren Graham being the break-out star. So much so that she somehow managed to sell at least some of the mess that were the revival episodes AND made season 7 occasionally okay, too.
Yea she was awesome as Lorelai!
26:00 oh my god the acting at lorelei's graduation is phenomenol. i often rewind just to look again at the absolute look of pride in richard's eyes and emily being overwhelmed w emotion. so glad u included that little clip. such a standout moment. and then also lorelei's own look upon noticing her parents' reactions :')))) ahhhhhhhhhhh LOVE
This is a remarkably well done analysis -- so often GG videos are just "it's soo annoying that they're privileged" "have you considered Rory Gilmore is akin to the devil" "Emily was completely flawless and Lorelei is an ungrateful brat that has no reason for the ways she acts" but you did something just *mwuah!*
People actually think Emily is flawless? What show did they watch?
@@bartho5212lol i see far too many ppl defending emily for her stuck up elitist views online. honestly i think one of the reasons i’ll always defend lorelei is the amount of times she had to apologize for a problem emily started.
To your point of them seemingly going backwards on Emily's apparent path for development that was opened up in S1, it is even more baffling considering I feel like they do a decent job executing that premise with Mrs. Kim. She is obviously super strict and overbearing at the start, as shown by like everything Lane has to do to remotely live a normal life in early seasons, but by the end Mrs. Kim has really changed a lot and seemed to realize that sometimes her daughter and their relationship was more important than how she felt things should be done. Shame they weren't able to find a similar but obviously more true to character path for Emily. Great video! I really enjoyed watching it and it was quite well done:)
The second you said I'm ignoring A yera in the life i knew i was gonna love this video
This has got to be the best analysis video I've ever seen of the show! Amazing work!! You made me realize a lot of things about the show and why I love it that I hadn't thought of before. That repetition you mention is absolutely a huge part of the comfort factor. And it hadn't clicked for me how much this show is like.. almost a fantasy story, with just HOW much suspension of disbelief it requires from the audience haha.
I also have a very strong opinion on the neutrality of the show, which I have always thought is its biggest strength to be honest. SO many shows, movies and books nowadays seem to not be able to exist without "having a message" and audiences seem unable to consume them if the show doesn't tell them what aspects of the story or the characters are morally right or wrong. GG doesn't follow that, and the plot and the characters remain true to themselves because they're not limited by "setting a good example".
Much like real people, there's not one character who is always morally right or wrong, and we see this a ton in the relationship with Lorelai and Emily, like you mentioned, where their dynamic tends to bounce between Was Emily being irrational? Yes. Did Lorelai communicate that in an insensitive way and hurt Emily? Also yes. Who's in the wrong? Both, actually. And personally, I DEEPLY enjoy that about the show, because it's not a simplistic story where one person is evil and the other is the hero we root for. The writing of the show benefits MASSIVELY from that, because they don't limit their characters by thinking "our good characters can't do that, it's morally wrong in the real world, it would set a bad example". They're not there to be an example, they're there to live their stories with all the good and bad and all the mistakes that come with simply living life in their world.
This is one of the reasons I actually LOVE Rory as a character. She gets SO much criticism for who she is, and I think most people fail to see that that's the POINT of her character. To show that she is the result of her upbringing, her environment and her choices, SAME as someone in the real world. She's not there to be perfect, she NEVER was, people are just mad because they only clocked in on that upon rewatching. They remembered her being perfect and then she wasn't. And I think it actually makes a TON of sense in the narrative. As you mentioned, there's always a parallel between Rory and Lorelai, and her overall arc is no exception. When we meet Lorelai, she's actually kind of a mess at the beginning of the show. She has a ton of unsolved issues, she's immature in many ways, and as the show goes along, she learns and grows. Rory is simply following in her footsteps because she was raised by Lorelai when she didn't have it all figured out and it shows. Rory's story ends (countig Year in the Life) where Lorelai's began, and she's bound to repeat it, and probably learn from her mistakes and past, same as Lorelai did and continues to do.
Which speaking of, I know people hate Lane's ending, but I actually think it's brilliant. A huge theme of the show is "Oh.. I made a mistake my mother actually warned me about. Maybe she does know a thing or two" which is something a ton of us learn the hard way. And Lane definitely learned it like that. It isn't perfect, it's not the ending she deserved but it's the one she got, through her choices, much like tons of people in the real world. I bet so many of us know wonderfully talented people whose ambitions were cut short and ended up in the same situation, and it's not good or wrong. It just IS.
I think to sum it up, I love this show because it just IS.
I agree 100% especially on why I think Rory still is a great character.
Great video! I've seen a lot of video essays lately that are critical of gg, which of course have their own merit, but very few on why it is such a compelling show to begin with. I first watched it when it came to steaming 10 years ago when I was 20, and now I'm 30 and still finding new reasons to appreciate it. The show is a bit of a long con in the sense that you probably won't "get it" after an episode or 2, but I think you wonderfully illustrated what it is that keeps people coming back to it. I think it's such a clever show that very rarely gets its dues, especially because I think the current trend is to dunk on it a bit. Which, again, the show is not infallible, and I'm not suggesting we ignore its less savoury parts, but there is so much that it gets right in terms of storytelling, setting, dialogue, atmosphere, comedy, etc. Anyway. All this to say I really appreciated this video and your analysis 😊
Thanks for taking the time to make this video and pointing out so many reasons that we love watching it + consider it cozy. I like that the show doesn't make its characters perfect - they all make mistakes, backslide, and learn from (or don't learn from) the mistakes they make. A lot of people like to hate on Rory, but her trajectory is true to life - there are a lot of people who seemed to have things together when they were young who grow up to not know who they are and what they really want to do with their lives (learning what happened to people you graduated with mirrors a lot of what happened to Rory actually).
I love that this show made the active choice to keep major trauma moments off screen, it keeps is so comforting.
I first watched Gilmore Girls with my mom, who is remarkably like Emily. I was a young mom, so when my daughter got older, we started watching it together. It became our show because it was so relatable on so many levels. The thing that always makes me laugh is that they always say that they tell each other everything, but they actually never tell each other anything.
I'mma keep commenting on little things to boost your algorith, you do good work, let's go.
Fun Fact: The most consistently reocccurring town event is the winter carnival. They squeeze it into like every single later season somehow. It might be one of the most underwhelming ones. No other even comes back unless you count the two second basket auction in the additional 4 episodes.
thank you for the support!
this is such an incredible video, filled with incredible takes. ive never been able to fully articulate why gilmore girls is so comforting but i also hate it at the same time, this video perfectly sums it up, absolutely fantastic work
i was so shocked to see that this video wasn't nearly as popular as i thought it was! your analysis deserves so much more recognition
this essay is phenomenal, thank you for analysing my favourite show
I'm binging gilmore girls deep dives atm. Your breakdown has been the most enjoyable and insightful for me! Your thoughtful descriptions, digestible video layout, and meaningful commentary on thematic parallelism/ other topics that support your point really had me hooked the entire time. I never once found a point farfetched, and was actually inspired to reconsider parts of the show I had overlooked. I'm a casual media consumer, and yet your commentary introduces complex themes/storytelling elements with ease to laymen like me. Thank you! This is why I love youtube
thank you for this lovely comment!
Those "la la la"s are never gonna leave my head
As a fan of Gilmore Girls since I was 12 years old, which was almost 10 years ago now, this show has become one of the touching stone points of my life that I hold close to my heart while also looking at it from a critical/analytical point of view. I am only 5 minutes into this video and just have to praise the way you articulate exactly what the point of Gilmore Girls is while not leaving any of the good or bad to the imagination based on your thorough, educated vocabulary. Looking forward to the rest of the video!
This is hands down the best breakdown of Gilmore Girls on RUclips and I've watched a lot!!! It's crazy to me that you don't have 100,000 subscribers with this kind of quality content!
By far, this is one of the best analyses of Gilmore Girls I’ve ever heard. Thank you for not calling Emily Gilmore toxic and blaming her for all of Lorelei’s problems. 🙏
The decline of the show can honestly be measured pretty well by how Paris is treated at the moment. The further the seasons go on, the more she becomes basically Rory's ersatz Stars Hollow; only on screen for wacky hijinks in the background. Speaking of which, the wacky hijinks in the background in Stars Hollow also went from being thematically relevant to something to just being... There for the sake of it.
(Paris also got hit with the horrible husband stick. God, Doyle was bad.)
Thank you. This is the only video I have seen where the series is fully understood and appreciated. Beautifully done. My favourite side character turned out to be Paris. Hated her at first but you slowly are led through dislike to understanding and eventually affection. At it’s best it’s a show that treats us as adults and dared to portray multifaceted characters that were actually far more realistic than in more serious shows. I am only watching it for the first time and on the last two episodes of season 6. Not looking forward to the decline (and I hate that Luke is such a jerk at the moment). It will stick it out for those precious character moments.
Found your channel because of your video on The Bear, and loved your writing and analysis so I thought I'd stick around. Crazy that this is your next video, because Gilmore Girls is, since childhood, probably my favourite show. I've thought a lot about the cozy effect of it, and related it a lot to other movies and shows with a similar feeling (to me, When Harry Met Sally, the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy, The Meyerowitz Stories, The Holdovers, Friends, etc...l). I even made a point about this exact affect (the routines element especially) in my research for storytelling class at school (im doing a masters in screenwriting). This absolutely knocks it out of the park. I've been unable to put my finger on the pulse of why this show works, and it's not stopped bugging me, and lo and behold, here is this video. This is pretty special, I think your work is outstanding. Please please please keep it up.
wow thank you! sincerely glad you enjoyed it.
I've read a lot of comments ftom people who were labeled as "gifted" and "the smart one" as kids, the ones to whom much was given, but much was also expected, and the pressure of that. And they say that Rory's arc is very realistic.
This was done profoundly, such a captivating watch. Thank you
This analysis was fantastic, (one of?) the best I've watched/read (and whenever I see GG, I click). It gave me a deeper appreciation for the show. Thanks so much for putting so much time and effort into this video for us!
You put into words why GG is one of my go to comfort shows. I know the characters are flawed and make mistakes, but the familiarity has me coming back again and again.
I know Logan gets a lot of hate (rightfully so), but he is one of the few people to call out Rorys privilege. Because Rory likes to claim Lorelai struggles as her own, which is just not true. He is unique in that way.
My absolute favorite relationship in the entire show (and even in the revival) is between Luke and Jess. They start out as the polar opposite of Lorelai and Rory. They don't have a friendship, they don't have a family like relationship (Luke getting angry for being called "uncle Luke"), if anything they do not like one another in the beginning at all. But throughout their time together and the few occasions they see each other later, they become close. Closer in some aspects than Rory and Lorelai. I really wish we had seen more of that. Shame that the Jess spin off didn't come to be.
Jess is pretty much the only reason I watch the revival. I do not like Luke in it (he reverted back to being closed off even worse than before), I actively hate Rory and sometimes Lorelai. Emily is actually really interesting in the revival. Especially her condescending speech at the DAR meeting. Love her look there btw. Without Richard her sense of being is gone and she has to come to terms how to navigate her life without him. She has terrible moments in the revival for sure, but she is interesting! I do not care for whatever Lorelai and Rory are doing. Everybody else is more interesting than those two.
This is such a lovely and loving dive into the good and bad and neutral of the show, and as someone who has loved it for 20 years, it was an amazing journey to go through. Thank you so so much for your hard work!
While there are so many valid critiques of this show, I've never understood the "working class" one. The whole point is that Lorelai succeeded without her parents - AKA, she is not in the working class. To me, Rory and Lorelai embody the middle class of the 90s (back when that meant accessible home ownership, something that is understandably hard to imagine now). Lorelai earns a middle class salary and owns a pretty, but not huge, house in a small town in rural Connecticut -- which she purchased in the 1990s. She can absolutely afford that house. The one part that is unrealistic is the constant eating out, but even then, they're never eating in fancy places. I think these recent criticisms really demonstrate how bad the housing crisis has become -- that we can't even fathom that this was a middle class lifestyle.
This was an amazing video. Thank you for such a detailed breakdown of such a complex show that is full of heart and life.
Here are some of my takes on the show, some of them might be unpopular:
- I actually enjoyed season 7, I thought it was decent in comparison to season 6 which felt like a bad roller coaster ride
- the Rory hate is way too much. Rory is flawed and makes horrible mistakes, but by the end of season 7 she has gotten herself back on track in terms of academics and life goals. She is very nice and supportive. She will still make mistakes because she is human, but she really does mean well, and it breaks my heart seeing people make her into a villain.
- Logan is awful. There are so many reasons I can list but I will only just leave with one: proposing during your partner's graduation party, in front of their whole family and other guests, without discussing the details with your partner - absolutely awful and thank goodness Rory rejected him and his proposal.
Thanks again for the video! Definitely subscribed for more :) I just adore GG analysis!
This is outstanding. Thank you for coming back to do Gilmore Girls. We’ve missed you.
I have such a complicated relationship with Gilmore girls. I was such a devoted Rory and Jess fan for so many years and now i find myself still childless and unwed and of course I wonder if spending my teenage years reading fanfic about a guy who left and ghosted a woman conditioned me to accept the bad treatment I’ve accepted from men all my life. So yeah I have a very complicated relationship with this show lol.
Now that I’m about Lorelei’s age in the show in real life, I’d love to rewatch it again - from Lorelai’s perspective. But is it just me or if you grew up with Rory it’s hard not to watch it as Rory?
Anyhow, the show was fabulous at least the first 4 seasons. Everything else was kinda scary to me. So nostalgic. I think you made such a great point about the “la la las.” They really made the show special.
I love all the clips you showed too - I feel like all of us, regardless of who were rooted for on the show, love the same episodes and the same moments.
Ps- i also hate Logan 🫶🏻
This was by far the best and non biased breakdown of this show. I was entering high school when Gilmore Girls premiered (definitely showing my late 30s age) and it felt relatable because of where I was in my life. Having rewatched too many times to count at this point as an adult, I definitely agree with your deep dive.
Sookie tried to force Jackson to get a vasectomy. i hate how it's supposed to be funny that Sookie and Jackson just can't communicate with each other.
That is true. They have awful communication skills and it’s like never addressed🤷🏻♀️
and then she got pregnant bc he didn't tell her he didn't get one😭
@@cookies_n_clovers1189
because he was so scared of her
@@RilianSharp my comment was meant to show how bad both of their communicating skills are😭if Jackson didn't want the vasectomy, he could've verbalized it to Sookie instead of letting her think she didn't have to use protection anymore. Jackson also was pressuring sookie to have 4 kids in 4 years, so obviously her asking/making Jackson to get a vasectomy would not make that possible. Ultimately they're both at fault, however I would say Jackson is a little big more at fault because he obviously knew that he was practicing unsafe $ex with sookie, while she believed that it was safe. What annoys me about their relationship is that they don't really seem to understand one another's wants that much, which also goes along with them not communicating with each other
@@cookies_n_clovers1189
the writers just meant it to be funny but as someone who was forced to use birth control by an abuser i see a more sinister interpretation :/
This is one of my favorite Gilmore Girls critiques/analyses ever. So many salient points! The storytelling choices absolutely made the show--it's a theatrical piece, one that would translate effortlessly to stage, and that vibe alone makes it timeless and re-watchable. Loved your point about how the show establishes a routine for the audience, which not only grounds us in the world but also offers satisfying "Show, don't tell" moments when something is amiss and the routine is broken. I especially appreciated how little time you spent discussing the "problematic" parts of the show, which I feel has become the primary talking point. Certainly, some aspects did not age well. But it's exactly as you say: the show invites viewers, back then and now, to come to their own conclusions about character behavior. It does not have a moralistic attitude, nor does it try to sell you on a particular way of life. It's a story about people, flawed and good as we all are, so we might better understand ourselves and have empathy for others. Thank you for your work on this video
You are brilliant, this told me multiple things about myself!!! You beautifully summed up, in words, my childhood.. I will revisit this video again. Well done!😘
such a lovely comment thank you!!
I loved all of these takes and how you view the characters. They are ALL complex, they are ALL compelling. I loved this piece a lot, I'd also love it if you would cover Amy Sherman-Palladino's other shows like the Marvelous Miss Maisel and the canceled Bunheads because I really think THAT one would've been amazing if they hadn't canceled it. ❤
Wow. You're a genius. You just analyzed a huge part of my life before my eyes and I am deeply deeply impressed! Best essay on Gilmore Girls I have ever seen or heard. You should be really proud.
I never thought about the neutrality take before but you're spot on with that
Ngl I rewatch at least the first few seasons whenever I move anywhere because it just immediately makes me feel more at home an safe and familiar with everything. Yes it is absolutely unrealistic but sometimes I need that when life is scary or overwhelming
grew up the only boy in a family with three sisters. i am unironically in love with the show loreli and rory genuinely helped get me through the worst break up of my life. and to this day i go back and watch random episodes
Subscribed on the spot. Love this so much!!
Your point about how the show completely knows what it is, especially the points on stakes and neutrality, I think really capture why the show went off the rails in seasons 5 and 6.* It's like the show felt like there was something wrong with being the small-scale story it was and decided it needed to throw in "bigger" elements, like Rory having affairs, grand theft boat, and secret daughters. At the same time, all of the conflicts started getting constructed so Lorelai was in the right (and it got more so with each passing one), while on Rory's side of the show, she becomes shielded from the realistic consequences of her actions because she's just so special - in this town where gossip is a form of currency, no one has anything to say about her affair when she was publicly confronted over it? She gets handed the editorship of the paper after her meltdown semester when she's not even eligible rather than the staff just holding a runoff vote? The special elements of the show were lost in an attempt at being a more generic teen drama.
*Season 7 definitely has its own boatload of issues (largely the result of the previous two seasons' identity crisis, IMO), but I think it gets back to the basics more than seasons 5 and 6. I am also one of those fans who finds season 7 better than not only A Year in the Life, but season 6 as well.
(Unrelated rant: On your point about Luke's regression when April turns up, it's doubly frustrating because it regresses Luke not only to where he was prior to his growth in opening up to Lorelai, but he's not even at the point where he was earlier in the show. Luke might not have taken kindly to Lorelai's input on how to raise Jess - and honestly, most of that input amounted to "you should have sent him straight back to New York" - but he was constantly bringing the two of them into each other's presence. But now, Lorelai's not even allowed in the diner when April's there?)
Your analysis is spot-on, do thoughtful, and has me appreciating the show in new ways, so thank you!
I’ve been rewatching this every single day since it aired. It’s the only thing I never get sick of and always soothes me.
What a analysis. Genius ❤
This is such a beautiful and insightful analysis, I'm currently completing a huge critical response in relation to complexities and intricacies of storytelling in modern media and this brought up some incredible points that are completely new to me- thank you for clearly spending an exorbitant amount of time and effort !!!
thank you ! that project sounds excellent - pls send me an email if I can help out at all !
Love the storytelling analysis ✨
I put this video on at 3:30am thinking I'd doze off because as you mention, it's a very comforting show. I ended up listening to the entire thing because you did an excellent job summarizing why this show works.
This is so in depth and well done!
Amazing analysis on a topic that isn’t often explored so in depth and so well when it comes to GG. And way better than a certain podcast that is on now about this show… So glad I stumbled on your channel! So eloquent and well thought out. Subscribed! 😻 ✅
I can't believe this video doesn't have more views. Such a beautiful analysis, I was so sad when it ended. Thank you so much for sharing!! also fuck logan!!
you kind of knailed this one !!!!!! just gorgeous thank u :)
I'm rewatching it for the 3rd time. It is my ultimate fall/winter binge
Booooooo! You’re not a real fan. A real fan doesn’t watch it only in the fall😒
a real fan isn't mean to others like you @@SephoRah772
This show is comfort ❤
So yes
Rewatching it doesn’t get old
Great deep dive, thank you. I do think the Martha's Vineyard episode was painful, though one line about it which is was said in the Hay Bale Maze was "I think I used April to push you away", a line and a point which could have been emphasized further. After all, Lorelai openly proposed to Luke not out of love, but out of wanting to be happy, so understandably, he would have wondered whether about how real the whole thing is, how romantic it is.
Also, props for the All is Lost beat for Gilmore Girls to be Lorelai's relationship with Christopher, which I think was handled perfectly for something which always felt on the table, but could never work in reality.
I know it's just not me. But the episodes before Jess comes to Stars Hollow gives me a sense of dread. Because the show is going to change. I loved the episodes before Jess.
I don't hate Jess. I actually liked how he turned out.
i find it interesting how everyone i know has differing opinions on the revival. I loved it, and I hated it. It felt like coming home, it felt like watching a friend wither away. I cried for the first time in months watching it, when Rory decided to write the first chapters of her book in her grandfather's office (I was going through something similar at the time and it just hit hard).
You're right about the routines and rituals. I think that's why the revival felt comforting for me. I didn't like a lot of it (seriously Amy, I saw Across the Universe directed by Julie Taymor too, and I do not understand why you suddenly had a homage to it with characters I do not care about and whomst I do not think are good influences, but ok!!! go off!!!), especially how Rory was cheating--But it was nice to see some closure in some areas (Luke and Lorelai!!! FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and to see old friends.
Anyways, EXCELLENT video, i'm upset it doesn't have more views.
When i was a young adult i liked rory. As an older adult and now a mom i related to hard to lorelai.
Rory i want to smack sometimes. But ultimately i really do love the show. And will rewatch it a lot. Usually this time of year too. 😜
ASP totally crapped on her characters before she sailed out of town at the end of S6 from Luke’s OOC reaction to April to Lorelei’s OOC flight to Christopher’s bed after that fight. So I’m more forgiving of how they tried to clean up in S7.
Same…. They were painted into a corner at the end of season six.
I definitely think Lane deserved better but I think the whole show focuses on how life CAN happen to you and that there are some things that just ARE without explanation. It’s not an uncommon story for a girl with big dreams to never make them happen and be stuck in a life they never thought they’d be in. Even I know a handful of women whose fate ended up like this. It’s so realistic. It makes sense for Lane to have gotten stuck after how her upbringing was. It makes sense for Rory to turn out exactly like Lorelai because even though we’re watching a fictional world, it is based on a world that exists. It makes sense for Rory to have made the mistakes she did after Mitchum’s rejection. All of these are normal things that can happen to regular people and the characters aren’t supposed to be ABNORMAL.
Great video, I really liked your take on Gilmore Girls.
This is such a great video! If you’re up to doing them, I’d love to hear more of your opinions on the show. Your analysis is great!
Completely agree with every point you made. Thank you for what you do 🧡🧡
This is an excellent breakdown!
I’m glad that this is more than a ‘Rory Gilmore an awful person’ essay. It’s more nuanced and insightful than the average RUclipsr rant
Rewatching this in my 30s all I can think is black coffee with a poptart for breakfast is a recipe for some kind of digestive problem
GG Character writing is a bit similar to SATC character writing. The reason why the main characters are at first side so easy to identify with is that they have their flaws. They represent a dream world, all of us at first side would love to live in. Lorelai having everything kind of, she is independent but has a net of wealth protecting her and her daughter, as Carrie has. She lives in a New York dream world, where she can achieve an expensive apartment just while writing a few rhetorical questions once a week and has a net of wealth as well, represented by her understanding friends Sam, Charlotte and Miranda. But rewatching the shows show us their flaws in a way, that reminds us, that they have consequences, since we know how things will end up. Carrie loses everything in the end, so does Rory in a way. It is like a dream not ending up in a good way, and what makes us feeling bad about it, when rewatching these shows is, that we cannot forget about the endings. We cannot be catched the same way by this dream world, like we did in the first place, because the hope, that everything will end up in a good way, has been taken away from us. We know for sure, that these fantastic dreams of "having it all" never will become true and there is not "this one" fairy tale happy ending. I also think it is a way of projecting something we dislike about ourselves onto the main characters. Like we knew from the beginning, that this dream could never become true and instead of hating us for having been naive in that way, we project the disliking on those main characters Carrie and Rory.
It’s been great finding this video! GG is one of my favorite shows but definitely my opinion about the characters has changed a lot through the years. I find Lorelai and Rory not as charming as I saw them before in my teen years, now I see them as a pretty flawed mother & daughter duo that seems to involve instead of evolve every time they make mistakes. In a way is really realistic but makes a weird contrast with the sweet cozy feel of the series.
I always thought this show was the wholesome version of Twin Peaks in terms of cozy world building and suspension of disbelief
Great video! This was such an interesting and enlightening view into why this show is so beloved. Flaws and all it will always be my favorite show of all time ❤ Also has any ever told you that you sound just like Lizzy Caplan? It’s uncanny!
Beautiful analysis.
To be fair, Luke sliding back into "denial and silence" mode, once April shows, is quite realistic, and rings true. People "relapse" into their bad old habits all the time. Besides, you can feel his pain, right after April's School Science Fair, once he realizes how much he missed of his newly found daughter's past life. I didn't dislike that plotline as much as most GG fans do, since I found it both thematically and drama-wise poignant.
Pleeeeeease - and I'm sure I don't just speak for myself here - PLEEEEEEASE do a video analysing A Year in the Life! I beg you!
I never continued watching Gilmore Girls but completely appreciate it and want to continue it someday (at my own pace perhaps). I really enjoyed watching/listening to this video while eating lunch, I'd love it if you could make one about Desperate Housewives (it's my all-time favorite series!).
Logan was so spoiled and insecure every single time he saw Rory with any other guy.
I don't remember him being jealous except during that scene with Jess, and he was right
@@radhiadeedou8286 Hello, the dinner with Marthy, Rory's friend from Yale?
I watched the show when I was 33. I noticed how mature Lorelei is in comparison to me. I was unemployed, insecure, in a toxic relationship with no plan or direction.
This women opened her own Hotel and had a 16 year old daughter. 😅
I felt like Im must be something inbetween Rory and Lorelei since I was clearly not a mature adult like Lorelei.
Anyways the show game lots and lots of comfort in very difficult time in my life❤
Logans my favorite character :(
What a wonderful retrospective, so beautifully analysed.
The one thing I guess we disagree on though is the revival X'D For me, the fact that it chose to forego the traditional whimsy in the face of a real world-changing tragedy made sense. I watched the show as a high-achieving Rory-coded teenager (minus the privilege) but by the time the revival came around, I was the older Rory, flailing and struggling, dealing with death and grief, with my previous sense of whimsy depleted, and I related to it so much. I grew up with the show and, with the revival, the show grew up with me.
Perfection!!! I agree on everything you've said!!! ❤
I clicked on this video for a couple reasons:
1. I've just started watching Gilmore Girls
2. I LOVE your channel name!❤
Also, you have a very lovely voice. ❤
Really enjoyed watching this.
It's interesting to me that everybody hates on Logan, because I would have chosen him as a boyfriend for Rory (or myself hehe). I am always Team Logan and was mad that they broke up instead of working on their relationship at the end of season 7.
Finally someone taking shots at the Martha’s Vineyard episode. I’ve been waiting 15 years for someone to complain about that one with me. The only way they could have made Luke worse in that episode was if they did what D&D did to Jamie Lannister. No i will not elaborate this is low stakes Gilmore Girls and I want to keep it that way
Imagine turning a character that was attractive to women bc his battle to overcome emotional vulnerability into Wiley Coyote and then Wiley is strangled to death by the tennis bracelet Loag Runner bought.
Who tf is d&d & you should elaborate on that tbh
@@Lanaxparillaxwife (the creators of the show are nicknamed
D&d.
Really wonderful analysis.
The stars hallow community shenanigans were devised as a break for the girls because they were exhausted at first carrying the weight of the show
I will say as someone who was born the same year as Rori, to a mother who was born the same year as Lorelai, it's different from my much younger sister's view of our mom. It's a different connection, not better or worse, just different.
Also grew up in a very small town that has a lot of quirky festivals 😅 While the town was only one main street, farmers market every Thursday and Saturday, a lot of quirky people and FAR too many diners and hair places for the small space. One bed and breakfast (closest hotel is 45 minutes away).
Places like Stars Hollow almost exist, they're just hidden.
I really love how the show was never really telling us how to live but was simply allowing the viewer to be apart of the characters lives. I don't really understand when persons complain about the flaws and errors made by the characters, like they were supposed to be exemplary ppl. The characters were written to be flawed and that was impart what made them relatable. None of the characters were villains (for the most part) or heros.
Like most of the shows that run many seasons, Gilmore girls also drop in quality in later season.
Possible unpopular opinion, but I'd love a modern remake with Lorelei being a mom that grew up with social media and Rory being one of those kids that confronts her with her "sharenting". Again, might be just me lol I just want more Gilmore Girls especially where there's justice to Lane ✊
Because it is comforting watching it. You feel that there is at least one place in this world where people live in peace and harmony, no social or racial unrest, no tension between different groups, nobody demonstrating against police brutality or taking to the streets with burning tires and stones, no rioting or strife. And watch those workplaces, they are Heavens compared to the real ones..! Who wouldn't want to have Lorelai or Luke as a boss...? Mitchum and Emily would present the opposing version but of course they are the baddies, they are outsiders to the general mood. No racial tensions either, Michael can belittle Lorelai and Cesar do the same with Luke and they will just laugh it off. You'd think this is Truman's village where everyone is playing a preassigned role so there is no possible conflict, at times I had the impression that is the place I was seeing. All the conflicts are personal, within families, and limited to the main protagonists while the supporting characters are there only to serve as a background noise and as a foil for the former. See how most if not all of them have no independent lives, they all are visible and important only as they relate in their interaction with the main ones, namely the Gilmores and Luke, and of course the boyfriends, Dean, Max, Jess and so on.
So for ex. we come to know absolutely nothing about Taylor, Miss Patty, Babette and her hubby, Kirk (except his story with Lulu), the father, the street musician and the rest. Take for example Taylor, all he does is to serve as cheerleader for Rory and to propose improvements to the city or protest because someone littered the streets. Kirk spends his time doing odd jobs and coming up with weird things projects. All we know about Miss Patty realtes to his dance school and her past as a dancer. Michael is there mostly as comic relief and so the visit by his mother played absolutely no rol in the stoty. In fact the only people who come to know something else in town is the Kim family, Lane and her mom. And of course about Luke and Sooki but for the same reason alreay explained, because of their close relation to the Gilmores.
All in all, GGs is just a fantasy, a fairy tale gone somehow sour as the plot unfolds but still the sense of irreality remains. For a lucid eye it is very difficult that any of what we see in the screen happens in real life, at least in the same way. Richard: "You need money...? Let me get my checkbook" Luke: "Need 30.000 bucks...? No problem, just lets go to the bank".
45:40
emily was 100% unsympathetic in this story. i hated that lorelai gave in. lorelai falls for her parents' gaslighting
this was such an insightful vid! i agreed with everything except for the logan slander lol
You know how A Year in The Life has the scene where Lorelei has emotional catharsis during Taylor’s play and weeps and at the end all the townies comment on how it’s a snooze fest number? Did Amy mean for that to be a reflection of the polarizing reaction to Gilmore Girls in which I’m the sobbing person?
I have seen it 8 times