Portal:The Show
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"Gilmore Girls" is an American tv series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband Daniel Palladino, starring Lauren Graham (Lorelai) and Alexis Bledel (Rory) as a mother and a daughter who are more friends than mother and daughter and who both dream of pursuing satisfaction in their love relationships and their careers. The show mixes the drama and comedy genres and presents a wide range of emotions, characters and situations. Although apparently the target audience seems the female genre, the series explores the male universe as well with the important characters of Luke (Scott Patterson), Jess (Milo Ventimiglia), Logan (Matt Czuchry), Christopher Hayden (David Sutcliffe), thus it has been appreciated also by male audiences.
The last episode of Gilmore Girls aired in the US on the 15th of May, 2007.
The series counts 7 produced seasons and a total of 153 aired episodes. Plus one unaired pilot where the characters of Sookie St. James and Dean Forester were played by different actors (Alex Borstein, who later played the harp player Drella and the Gilmores fashion consultant Celine, and Nathan Wetherington).
Other main cast members are Kelly Bishop (Emily Gilmore), Edward Herrmann (Richard Gilmore), Keiko Agena (Lane), Liza Weil (Paris), Melissa McCarthy (Sookie), Yanic Truesdale (Michel), Jared Padalecki (Dean), Emily Kuroda (Mrs. Kim), Sean Gunn (Kirk), Sally Struthers (Babette), Liz Torres (Miss Patty), Michael Winters (Taylor Doose), Todd Lowe (Zach), Adam Brody (Dave Rygalski) and Sebastian Bach (Gil).
From season 1 to season 4 the show was shot and presented in the traditional TV format, while season 5, 6 and 7 were shot and aired in a Widescreen format. Except the pilot episode and a few other episodes in season 1, which were partly shot on location in Canada, the whole series was shot in Hollywood on set. The hills that can be seen in the background from time to time are nothing but those of Mount Hollywood.
The show used an overall homogeneous, real world, naturalistic visual style, although the later seasons have gotten darker and more theatrical - more rich also in set elements and decorations, especially in the Gilmore Mansion, to go with the larger scale format -, in season 6 and 7, the slightly different color palettes and the lighting mirrored the change of the series tones: Lorelai's house got redecorated and expanded, thus it showed a different kind of lighting, accompanied by brighter and more feminine tints. The overall look and feel though was definitely not so bright, as Lorelai and Rory's lives... This was stressed by emotional, dramatic scenes characterized by darker and gloomier lights and colors. Following creator Amy Sherman-Palladino's directives for the DVD release of the series, "Gilmore Girls" was published in the traditional 4:3 TV format - the 1.33: 1 aspect ratio - completely from season 1 to 7, also cutting on the use of the modern 5.1 surround audio format.
Pop and cultural rereferences to go with a speedy exchange of witty, sometimes incomprehensible dialogues between every character, are what makes the style of "Gilmore Girls" unique though. Another feature that characterizes the style of the series is a specific taste for the old and retro in general: from Tv shows, movies to music, from costumes and set decorations, there is a choice in things that don't exactly look like the world of today and the world the other comedy TV series usually depict.
We know that the Palladinos made an homage, with the quick dialogues everyone have, to the whole classic movie genre made of black and white pictures where actors engaged in super-speedy conversations (a direct homage is depicted in the episode 5.14 Say something, but also visual gags recalling screwball comedies back from the 30s or even before (for instance, we unexpectedly learn that Rory has a thing for the old movies of the Marx Brothers; she organizes a Marx marathon with her friend Marty in a season 5 episode).
We know that Lorelai likes the 80s movies (she shows some new millennium kids an old John Hughes movie with Molly Ringwald, "Pretty in Pink", in the episode 6.20 Super Cool Party People and references many times the cult "Breakfast Club", by the same director) as much as those dreamy musicals from the 50s-60s (as in 7.04 'S Wonderful, 'S Marvelous where "Funny Face", starring Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire, is the movie Christopher screens privately for Lorelai on a farm's wall their first date together since High school).
The emblematic Luke-Lorelai-Chris triangle of the series is also subtly mirrored in the final scene of episode 7.08 Introducing Lorelai Planetarium with the introduction of a sequence from the movie "The Philadelphia Story" which Luke watches on the hospital TV soon after he discovered Lorelai's instant marriage with Christopher, an event that contrasts his original plans, made at the 7th season's beginnings, to marry Lorelai while taking a flight to Maryland - which is a situation depicted similarly also in the above mentioned George Cukor film, also starring Katherine Hepburn, an actress Lauren Graham has often been compared to by critics and fans.
In contradiction to that old-vibe, from season 4 till the end, the distance between Lorelai and Rory caused by Rory's life in college and at her boyfriend's apartment has determined also a very modern style depicted through mobile and non-mobile phone-dialogue scenes between mother and daughter that have kept the bizarre and witty style they had when they still lived together and talked live. An over-the-top use of phones was shown in episodes where the characters kept driving their cars or other vehicles (like a bycicle in episode 7.19 It's Just Like Riding a Bike) while calling each other, or when more than two (sometimes also four) characters entertained a conversation on the phone, with obvious comical results.
The seventh season's production was taken by David S. Rosenthal, who had already worked on "Gilmore Girls" the previous season with the original creators, the Palladinos, who left the production officially for differences with the CW network at the end of season six over issues about wether renewing their contracts or not. Off the record, it was said that the relationship between the Palladinos and Rosenthal was optimal on the sets. Rosenthal was also a writer previously in the series and he definitely was the best person who could replace the Palladinos. Although the production didn't mention anything about continuing the work on the series while the last episodes were being produced because it was almost sure they would have come back after the summer for a new season, the narrative arcs of the series during its last season were fully explored and the more the final episode was coming near, the more the writers and producers, including Lauren Graham who portrayed the character of Lorelai, felt the need to give the series a sense of closure no matter what.
The actual reasons behind the failure in the negotiations between the Warner Bros. production company, the CW network, the series producers and the series star names to produce an eighth further season of "Gilmore Girls" are many - the main was a money and salary issue -, all of them kind of surrounded by an aura of mystery. Thus, up until shortly before the produced series finale, it was unclear to many if the show would get another season. This fact had a great impact mainly on the fans but also the cast, who were kind of taken aback when they learned that they weren't gonna go back to working in the series by the end of the summer. Many fans, who were enraged by the unannounced cancellation, saw this finale as unsatisfying and - in worst cases - incomplete. Actually, all of this is the result of a particular feature that characterizes the episode final scenes and, for that matter, the whole series: the imaginativeness. Most people were left puzzled by it because the way the whole final sequence of season seven was written and directed leaves a major detail - Lorelai and Luke's future wedding plans - up to the audience's ability of interpretation (read the "Lorelai Gilmore's character profile" to have an insight on this matter).
[edit] Plot Outline
Lorelai Gilmore, 32, has such a close relationship with her daughter Rory that they are often mistaken for sisters. Between Lorelai's relationship with her parents, Rory's new prep school, and both of their romantic entanglements, there's plenty of drama to go around.
[edit] Seasons
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Summary: Welcome to the idyllic New England town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, with a population of 9,973. And the home of Lorelai, 32, and her daughter Rory, 16. Lauren Graham portrays Lorelai, the innkeeper for the historic Independence Inn, mother of Rory, as well as Rory's chief confidant and mentor, who wants to help her avoid the errors she made when she was a rebellious adolescent. An ensemble cast portray the quirky residents of Stars Hollow and Lorelai's wealthy parents. Just as Lorelai believes she is free from her parents, however, they return to her life, bringing her back to deal with the problems that separated them in the first place. Rory gains acceptance to a new prep school, Chilton, at the same time she attracts the interest of the new guy in town, Dean Forester (Jared Padalecki). The re-introduction of the Gilmore Parents, Richard and Emily, into Lorelai's world causes problems for her, as does her tumultuous relationship with Max Medina, Rory's English teacher. | ||
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Summary: After Rory reunited with Dean and Lorelai accepted Max's proposal, season two gets off to a flying start. Rory and Dean's relationship is put to the test by Luke's nephew, Jess Mariano (Milo Ventimiglia) who is sent from New York to Stars Hollow to get his life back on track. There is an obvious connection between Rory and Jess, but what about Dean? Meanwhile, Rory's father, Christopher, reappears in the girls life to cause trouble and heartache | ||
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Summary: Rory's senior year at Chilton starts with an election as Student Body Vice President and ends with a Valecdictorian speech. The middle is filled with break-ups and new loves, as well as the pressures of applying and getting into the college of her dreams: Harvard University. But what will her Grandparents, both alumni of Yale, have to say about this decision? Lorelai and Sookie make a move on their dream, owning their own Inn, sped along by a fire at their current work place, the Independence Inn. Lorelai has romantic entanglements with two of her ex's, while the everpresent Luke, marries. | ||
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Summary: Rory and Lorelai return from Europe and find out that Rory wrote down the date for her Yale freshmen orientation wrong thus getting rid of her and Lorelai's well planned out last week of summer. Lorelai and a now pregnant Sookie plan out the remodelling of the Dragonfly and Rory finds out that Paris has also decided to enter Yale and they become roommates much to Rory's distress. As the season progresses Lane is kicked out by Mrs. Kim after she sneaks out to play in New York with her band and she ends up renting an apartment with Zack and Brian, Dean finally marries Lindsey and Luke gets a divorce with Nicole. Unfortunately things don't go as planned for Rory and Lorelai. Rory is asked to drop a class in Yale and from the stress of school work and not being able to talk to Lorelai for weeks she has a break down and is comforted by Dean. On the same night Lorelai also has a breakdown because she no longer has the funds to keep the construction on the Dragonfly and tearfully asks Luke for a loan which he gives the following day. Emily and Richard also have problems or their own as Richard starts his new business with Jason Stiles, a man that Emily hates and who ends up having a secret relationship with Lorelai. Though this relationship fails when under pressure from Jason's father, Richard is forced to return to his old office and leave Jason the business minus the clients causing Jason to retaliate by suing Richard. By the end of the season, it seems that Dean and Rory are rekindling their romance, Emily and Richard's marriage are in tatters and Lorelai finally opens the inn and sees Luke as more than just a friend for the first time. Also Paris has a relationship with her professor Ashe Flemming and they both leave for Oxford in the summer. | |
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Summary: Rory and Lorelai get into a huge fight when Lorelai finds Rory and Dean in bed together, the following day Emily tells the girls that she and Richard are separating and offers to take Rory to Paris which Lorelai agrees to. Lorelai and Rory don't talke for most of the summer and Luke is off to help TJ and Liz in the Renaissance fair after they got into an accident. Eventually Luke and Lorelai start dating and Rory and her mom patch things up. Lindsey and Dean break up after Lindsey finds out about Rory and Rory gets back together with Dean much to the distress of Emily who tries to pair Rory off with one of the sons of the Yale alumni with Richard's help. Chris makes a sudden appearance when he calls Lorelai out of the blue because Gigi is driving him crazy and Sherri has left him to go to Paris. This is the start of the strain between Rory and Chris because Rory thinks that Chris is not good for Lorelai. In Yale, Rory meets Logan Huntzberger who is extremely rich, charming and attractive. Despite his playboy ways and lack of maturity, Rory finds herself attracted to him, especially after he cheers her up when Deans dumps her again. At about this time, Emily and Richard reconcile and have a vow renewal. Among the invited are Christopher who Emily hopes will break Lorelai and Luke apart. At the ceremony, Rory confront Logan about his intentions towards her and when he tells her that he's not good with commitment Rory insists that she can do the casual dating thing. At about this time, Paris also starts sleeping with their editor Doyle a few months after Asher dies. Unfortunately Rory finds out that she can't deal with Logan being with different girls and tells him that after she gets wasted and spends the night on the bathroom floor. This talk ends up in Logan agreeing to try out the commitment thing. Lorelai is against Logan and his family because of the way they treat Rory but Emily and Richard are thrilled with Rory's new boyfriend and encourage the relationship. In the end, it turns out that Logan's family drives Rory to the edge and Luke and Lorelai start getting serious. | |
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Summary:Because of Rory's decision to reside with her grandparents instead of returning to Yale, Lorelai refuses to talk to her daughter. Meanwhile, Luke and Lorelai are engaged when Luke finds out that he has a daughter of his own named April Nardini (daughter of Anna Nardini, Lukes girlfriend from a long time ago). Lorelai tells Luke that she doesn't want to get married until she and Rory are getting along again. This is fine with Luke but he upsets Lorelai when he decides that she shouldn't establish a relationship with April. Finally Rory and Lorelai make nice after Rory gets into a fight with her Grandparents (and Logan). But Luke postpones the wedding even more because he says he needs more time to get to know his daughter. | |
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Summary:Lorelai and Luke break up and Christopher regains his foothold in her life. Rory and Logan try maintaining a long-distance relationship. Lane and Zack deal with impending parenthood. |
