After months of endless suggestions from my high school best friends, I began 'Gilmore Girls.' Immediately, I hit it off with Rory and Lorelai, as I consider myself to be a bookworm and a caffeine addict. I continued watching the series and, after six and a half seasons of binge watching in preparation for the revival, I'm ready for Lorelai to take her final bow.
"Do you think Amy Schumer would like me?" Lorelai asks at the beginning of the revival trailer. Immediately, I'm reminded of Lorelai's incessant babbling. While she's always ready to offer advice to Rory and Lane, the wisdom is usually bookended by unsubstantial and irrelevant chatter about Paul Anka or Lorelai's desire for yet another cup of coffee. The babbling made it really difficult for me to take Lorelai seriously, even if her advice is occasionally really good.
Lorelai comments on feminism early in the series, and it is pointed out that Rory shares her name because "...men name boys after themselves all the time, so why couldn't women?" Lorelai is a strong woman and a wonderful mother to Rory. She's constantly encouraging Rory to lead at Chilton and at Yale, and Lorelai serves as a role model as she becomes an owner of the Dragonfly Inn. I love the feminist attitude of the show, but I felt that Lorelai's characterization was heavily influenced by her romantic relationships. For instance, in season six when Lorelai and Luke are together, Lorelai becomes less willing to stand up for herself and the things that she wants. She gives up easily for fear of complicating things, which seems very different from Lorelai's empowerment and feminism that are seen in the earlier seasons and in her earlier relationships.
One of my least favorite qualities about Lorelai is the fact that she's regularly making jokes about killing herself. There are so many other, more constructive ways to voice frustration, boredom, or anger without taking such a serious matter lightly. Other characters will make these jokes also, but I noticed that Lorelai seems to make these comments the most. Suicide and mental health awareness have become more accessible conversations since the show's original run, so maybe the characters will have more awareness in the revival.
Privilege is another one of Lorelai's qualities that I'm sure we'll see in the revival. As proven through the snarky remarks that Lorelai handed out at Friday night dinners, she has no regrets about leaving Richard and Emily's lavish world for humble Stars Hollow. Although Richard and Emily may not have been pleased with this decision, they continued to support their daughter, Lorelai, and their granddaughter, Rory. They put Rory through Chilton, offered to pay for her tuition at Yale, and supported Lorelai after the inn caught fire. Even with all of this assistance, Lorelai still wrote her parents off and belittled their lifestyle again and again.
Lorelai harbors a lot of negative emotions and, besides taking it out on her parents, she also takes it out on the members of Stars Hollow. Sure, Kirk can be eccentric and confusing, especially when he's holding a different job around town every week, but what did he ever do to Lorelai to deserve the verbal beating that he receives for all seven seasons? Michel can be high maintenance and uptight, but I think it would be worth a shot for Lorelai to use the "Kill 'Em With Kindness" approach.
All of that being said, I'm very excited to see how the characters and their stories have evolved when the revival hits Netflix on November 25th, even if that means there will be more of the authentic, unapologetic Lorelai Gilmore. She's strong, confident, and proud, and I'm sure she'll have a lot to say when we see her again in November.
