Originally aired: March 1, 2001 – May 10, 2001.
Let’s finish off the inaugural season of Gilmore Girls. This is really the third act of a three act play. Everything comes full circle, almost, and personal relationships really take center stage as the show begins to gain traction on the pace and angle it will take the rest of the series.
The mirroring of storylines between Lorelai and Rory is terrific. The love triangles, the interactions with Emily, the whole she-bang. It’s really great from a writing perspective as well as a thematic one. These last seven episodes show how in sync the Girls are and how alike their lives are – save for the fact that Rory didn’t get knocked up at 16.
Previously all was going well for Lorelai and Luke. Flirting was happening, across the room glaces occured. It was cute. Then Christopher shows up and has sex with Lorelai. Then Rachel moves back and Luke is all of a sudden unavailable. As if that wasn’t enough to keep these two potential lovers apart, then Mr. Max Medina himself re-enters the picture and he and Lorelai begin “talking.”
It’s enough to drive a grown man crazy over a decade after the show originally aired (no shame).
This is followed by Lorelai starting to date Max again until it quickly escalates to him proposing mid-fight. She says no, but then he woos her again and she says yes! Can you say cliffhanger? Meanwhile Luke and Rachel end things and he may or may not have feelings for Lorelai. (He does.) Can you say cliffhanger-ier.
On the flip side Rory is having problems of her own. Dean tells her he loves her on their three month anniversary (don’t get me started on month-iversaries…) yet Rory can’t bring herself to say it. Instead she says she loves the car that Dean is restoring for her.
They break up.
Moping ensues.
Of course first heartbreak needed to be tackled this season, but I felt this was too forced. And out of character for Dean. He’s head over heals for Rory and a bit of a Stage-5 Clinger. Shouldn’t he have expected Rory to be a little freaked out that he loves her. That’s a big step for any 16 year old. Add it to the fact that he calls her five times a day, hangs out in the bushes and bought a junk car to rebuild for her. I’d be freaked out, too.
This brings back Tristan, who is a nightmare. He does add some spice to Rory and Paris’ relationship causing a rift between them near the very end of the season. We couldn’t have them be too friendly going into the second season because there’d need to be a new antagonist right off of the bat instead of having one form organically.
A few stray thoughts I wanted to jot down:
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I’m with Emily now: what is with Dean honking his horn when he picks up Rory? Have some class, man. Have some class.
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The moment where Richard lets Lorelai sneak out!
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I don’t believe for one second that Stars Hallow is big enough for Lorelai to forget about the abandoned inn and would need someone to remind her how to get there…
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How did Rory never meet Dean’s little sister?
ADAM VITCAVAGE 