Gilmore Girls – S1E1 – Pilot
Wow. Reviewing Gilmore Girls. This means critically looking at a show which I have been in love with for almost 10 years. It was the ultimate bonding piece for my cousin and I during our teen years. Every rewatch is a reminder of all the weekends spent at each others houses, watching the DVDs for hours, laughing at Lorelai’s antics, and discussing which of the many cute guys on the show we liked best. Due to how much sentimental value is attached to this show, and these characters, it may be difficult for me to find fault in this wonderful world that is Stars Hollow. However, I will do my best to be objective, and to write thoughtful and entertaining reviews of each episode.
So, I guess the most important thing to discuss is the establishment of Lorelai and Rory’s unique relationship. Obviously, the concept of parent and child as best friends, particularly when it is a mother and daughter, is not a typical dynamic portrayed on television. In the case of Gilmore Girls, it’s one of the show's best features. While being best friends breaks the typical parent/child mold, it does not make their relationship any less valid. What I like about this first episode is the way in which they make it a point that Lorelai and Rory having this super close relationship doesn’t stand in the way of Lorelai being a good parent. When necessary, she still makes decisions which are in Rory’s best interest, even if it means upsetting the balance between them. The mom card, while not played often, is always there. Even when Lorelai and Rory do have a difference of opinion, the bond they share goes deeper than any one little argument, and balance will be restored to their relationship in time. I think the scene where they both turn on the Macy Gray CD after their argument about school is a great way of reaffirming that fact. Rory knows that Lorelai is just looking out for her and trying to keep her from making the same mistakes she did as a teenager. After overhearing Lorelai talk about borrowing money to pay for Chilton, it’s a reminder to Rory of just how much Lorelai is willing to sacrifice to ensure that Rory has the best life possible.
Lorelai and Rory’s close relationship is presented in stark contrast with the tense relationship between Lorelai and her parents, particularly her mother, Emily. Prior to this episode, we learn that the only time Lorelai ever visits her parents is during holidays. When they go to their first Friday night dinner, it really becomes quite obvious why Lorelai has kept her distance. Emily is so blatantly rude and confrontational with Lorelai. Yes, I realize that there is a not so pleasant history between the two of them, but for Emily to force Lorelai to come to these dinners, and then treat her the way she does, is just really petty, and makes her super unlikable. Her behavior is obviously used to strike up the argument about Christopher and officially work in the story that Lorelai was 16 when she got pregnant with Rory. Still. It’s definitely not a dinner I’d want to be present at. Lorelai’s father, Richard, doesn’t get too much characterization in this episode, but he is presented as a this kind of stoic but proud businessman. The scene where he falls asleep at the dinner table while Lorelai and Emily are arguing in the kitchen is kind of hilarious. You feel a little bad for poor Rory, who just awkwardly sits there by herself, but it was a nice break in the tension, and clearly established that this was an argument Richard has heard time and time again, and has no desire to comment further on.
Moving away from Hartford and back to Stars Hollow, let’s talk Lorelai and Luke. The dynamic set up in this episode is gold from the start. The playful coffee banter, and really everything about their interactions is just so great to watch on screen. Interviews with creator Amy Sherman-Palladino have stated that the character of Luke was, 1. Initially supposed to be a woman, and 2. Meant to be a minor role. I sometimes wonder what the show would have been like if either, or both, of these things had come to pass. The chemistry between Scott Patterson and Lauren Graham is crazy and wonderful, and it would have been so sad to not have Luke be the Luke I know and love. It would have been so great to have seen Scott Patterson’s audition for the role, and watch the light bulbs that must have lit up in the heads of every writer who saw the potential for a relationship arc between Lorelai and Luke. He’s gold I tell you. Gold.
Lorelai isn’t the only one who gets some fun, cute guy interactions in this pilot. Rory meets new kid, Dean. Tall, handsome, confident, smart, and therefore I’m not at all surprised that Rory likes him. Rory’s a good student, and proud of it, and the fact that Dean seems to admire that quality in her, makes him likable right of the bat. I’ve heard people say that his speech about watching her read comes off as being a tad creepy. For me, personally, having watched this episode more times than I can count, I’ve never felt like that was the case. Even rewatching it with that idea in mind, I still don’t interpret it as such. Perhaps it is because he prefaces the whole conversation by telling her he wasn’t intending to be creepy, or maybe I just love Jared Padelecki and therefore automatically give him the benefit of the doubt. Either way, I get why Rory likes him, and it doesn’t feel like an uncomfortable conversation. Dean comes off as a sweet guy.
Another location which we see in this pilot is the Independence Inn, where Lorelai works. With it we meet a few more of Stars Hollow’s residents. We’ll start with Michel. He and Lorelai have such a great dynamic. Their scenes are fun to watch, and they play off of one another so well. Despite his slightly grumpy demeanor, Michel is endearing in his own weird way. Of course, his demeanor is a perfect match for Drella, the inn’s harp player. I’d like to see the two of them in a boxing ring, duking it out over who hates people more. That’d be a sight. Lastly, we have Sookie. Sweet, bubbly, eccentric, slightly accident prone – that’s Sookie. Aside from being an amazing chef, she’s also Lorelai’s best friend (besides Rory, of course). I like that we have the juxtaposition of the scenes at the inn, and the scene at Lorelai’s house to sort of show the dynamic of their relationship. They aren’t afraid to tell it like it is around one another, with Lorelai asking Sookie to be more careful, and Sookie pointing out that Lorelai might just have to buck up and talk to her parents. It's really sweet to see the way Sookie genuinely cares about the issues in Lorelai’s life. The latter scene also shows that, even with her bubbly, eccentric nature, when it comes to the serious issues, Sookie has a good logical head on her shoulders.
There are two other characters of note this episode. The first is Miss Patty, the local dance teacher. She knows all, and sees all, and has no qualms about offering her opinion on the lives of her fellow townies. Her scenes with the ballet kids, and telling Rory about getting her “male friend” a job were fun little additions to the episode. The other character is Rory's best friend Lane, who's very traditional parents send her off on a hayride with a future doctor. Lane's mother doesn't seem to approve of Rory, mostly because she doesn't approve of Lorelai being an unmarried mother. Lane also loves music. Can we just take a moment to point out the music in this show? I love it. Dated as some of the songs are, they’re fantastic. I also love the guitar interludes. They fit in so well with the overall tone of the show.
Wow. I’m pretty sure this is one of the longest reviews I’ve written. Can you tell that I love this show? I have always enjoyed the way this pilot sets up the world of Stars Hollow, its characters, and the relationships between the characters. It does a great job with the necessary introduction type stuff, but also manages to make you genuinely believe in its fictional world. It features great performances from all of its cast, and is just generally fun to watch. I’m looking forward to continuing this rewatch/review journey, and offering my thoughts on this wonderful show that is Gilmore Girls. Till next time, farewell.
Best Moments:
-Sookie knocks out one of her chefs with the frying pan.
-Lorelai and Luke’s opening coffee banter.
-Lorelai finds out Rory got into Chilton.
-All of Michel’s scenes.
-Rory explaining how she got her name.
Best Quotes:
Luke:How many cups have you had today?
Lorelai: None.
Luke: Plus?
Lorelai: Five. But yours is better.
Lane: She doesn’t trust unmarried woman.
Rory: You’re unmarried.
Lane: I’m hayriding tonight with a future proctologist. I have potential.
Lorelai: You look like you were swallowed by a kilt.
Lorelai: Does he have a motorcycle? If you’re gonna throw your life away, he better have a motorcycle.
Sookie: You feel like duck?
Lorelai: If it’s made with chicken, absolutely.
Rory: So, Grandpa, how’s the insurance biz?
Richard: People die, we pay. People crash cars, we pay. People lose a foot, we pay.
Lorelai: Well at least you have your new slogan.
Luke: Rory, put the cup of coffee down. You do not want to grow up to be like your mom.
Rory: Sorry, too late.
Gilmorisms:
I’m going to start a list of all of the many references made in this show, and tally just how many there are throughout the run of the show. This is gonna be a long list.
-Jack Kerouac
-RuPaul
-Officer Krupke
-Huckleberry Finn
-Ruth Gordon/Rosemary’s Baby
-Madam Bovary
-Moby Dick
-Britney Spears
-Stephen King
-Zsa Zsa Gabor
-Flo Jo
-Mommie Dearest
-The Little Match Girl
-Pull a Menendez
-Nick at Nite
For a grand total of: 15
Wow. Reviewing Gilmore Girls. This means critically looking at a show which I have been in love with for almost 10 years. It was the ultimate bonding piece for my cousin and I during our teen years. Every rewatch is a reminder of all the weekends spent at each others houses, watching the DVDs for hours, laughing at Lorelai’s antics, and discussing which of the many cute guys on the show we liked best. Due to how much sentimental value is attached to this show, and these characters, it may be difficult for me to find fault in this wonderful world that is Stars Hollow. However, I will do my best to be objective, and to write thoughtful and entertaining reviews of each episode.
So, I guess the most important thing to discuss is the establishment of Lorelai and Rory’s unique relationship. Obviously, the concept of parent and child as best friends, particularly when it is a mother and daughter, is not a typical dynamic portrayed on television. In the case of Gilmore Girls, it’s one of the show's best features. While being best friends breaks the typical parent/child mold, it does not make their relationship any less valid. What I like about this first episode is the way in which they make it a point that Lorelai and Rory having this super close relationship doesn’t stand in the way of Lorelai being a good parent. When necessary, she still makes decisions which are in Rory’s best interest, even if it means upsetting the balance between them. The mom card, while not played often, is always there. Even when Lorelai and Rory do have a difference of opinion, the bond they share goes deeper than any one little argument, and balance will be restored to their relationship in time. I think the scene where they both turn on the Macy Gray CD after their argument about school is a great way of reaffirming that fact. Rory knows that Lorelai is just looking out for her and trying to keep her from making the same mistakes she did as a teenager. After overhearing Lorelai talk about borrowing money to pay for Chilton, it’s a reminder to Rory of just how much Lorelai is willing to sacrifice to ensure that Rory has the best life possible.
Lorelai and Rory’s close relationship is presented in stark contrast with the tense relationship between Lorelai and her parents, particularly her mother, Emily. Prior to this episode, we learn that the only time Lorelai ever visits her parents is during holidays. When they go to their first Friday night dinner, it really becomes quite obvious why Lorelai has kept her distance. Emily is so blatantly rude and confrontational with Lorelai. Yes, I realize that there is a not so pleasant history between the two of them, but for Emily to force Lorelai to come to these dinners, and then treat her the way she does, is just really petty, and makes her super unlikable. Her behavior is obviously used to strike up the argument about Christopher and officially work in the story that Lorelai was 16 when she got pregnant with Rory. Still. It’s definitely not a dinner I’d want to be present at. Lorelai’s father, Richard, doesn’t get too much characterization in this episode, but he is presented as a this kind of stoic but proud businessman. The scene where he falls asleep at the dinner table while Lorelai and Emily are arguing in the kitchen is kind of hilarious. You feel a little bad for poor Rory, who just awkwardly sits there by herself, but it was a nice break in the tension, and clearly established that this was an argument Richard has heard time and time again, and has no desire to comment further on.
Moving away from Hartford and back to Stars Hollow, let’s talk Lorelai and Luke. The dynamic set up in this episode is gold from the start. The playful coffee banter, and really everything about their interactions is just so great to watch on screen. Interviews with creator Amy Sherman-Palladino have stated that the character of Luke was, 1. Initially supposed to be a woman, and 2. Meant to be a minor role. I sometimes wonder what the show would have been like if either, or both, of these things had come to pass. The chemistry between Scott Patterson and Lauren Graham is crazy and wonderful, and it would have been so sad to not have Luke be the Luke I know and love. It would have been so great to have seen Scott Patterson’s audition for the role, and watch the light bulbs that must have lit up in the heads of every writer who saw the potential for a relationship arc between Lorelai and Luke. He’s gold I tell you. Gold.
Lorelai isn’t the only one who gets some fun, cute guy interactions in this pilot. Rory meets new kid, Dean. Tall, handsome, confident, smart, and therefore I’m not at all surprised that Rory likes him. Rory’s a good student, and proud of it, and the fact that Dean seems to admire that quality in her, makes him likable right of the bat. I’ve heard people say that his speech about watching her read comes off as being a tad creepy. For me, personally, having watched this episode more times than I can count, I’ve never felt like that was the case. Even rewatching it with that idea in mind, I still don’t interpret it as such. Perhaps it is because he prefaces the whole conversation by telling her he wasn’t intending to be creepy, or maybe I just love Jared Padelecki and therefore automatically give him the benefit of the doubt. Either way, I get why Rory likes him, and it doesn’t feel like an uncomfortable conversation. Dean comes off as a sweet guy.
Another location which we see in this pilot is the Independence Inn, where Lorelai works. With it we meet a few more of Stars Hollow’s residents. We’ll start with Michel. He and Lorelai have such a great dynamic. Their scenes are fun to watch, and they play off of one another so well. Despite his slightly grumpy demeanor, Michel is endearing in his own weird way. Of course, his demeanor is a perfect match for Drella, the inn’s harp player. I’d like to see the two of them in a boxing ring, duking it out over who hates people more. That’d be a sight. Lastly, we have Sookie. Sweet, bubbly, eccentric, slightly accident prone – that’s Sookie. Aside from being an amazing chef, she’s also Lorelai’s best friend (besides Rory, of course). I like that we have the juxtaposition of the scenes at the inn, and the scene at Lorelai’s house to sort of show the dynamic of their relationship. They aren’t afraid to tell it like it is around one another, with Lorelai asking Sookie to be more careful, and Sookie pointing out that Lorelai might just have to buck up and talk to her parents. It's really sweet to see the way Sookie genuinely cares about the issues in Lorelai’s life. The latter scene also shows that, even with her bubbly, eccentric nature, when it comes to the serious issues, Sookie has a good logical head on her shoulders.
There are two other characters of note this episode. The first is Miss Patty, the local dance teacher. She knows all, and sees all, and has no qualms about offering her opinion on the lives of her fellow townies. Her scenes with the ballet kids, and telling Rory about getting her “male friend” a job were fun little additions to the episode. The other character is Rory's best friend Lane, who's very traditional parents send her off on a hayride with a future doctor. Lane's mother doesn't seem to approve of Rory, mostly because she doesn't approve of Lorelai being an unmarried mother. Lane also loves music. Can we just take a moment to point out the music in this show? I love it. Dated as some of the songs are, they’re fantastic. I also love the guitar interludes. They fit in so well with the overall tone of the show.
Wow. I’m pretty sure this is one of the longest reviews I’ve written. Can you tell that I love this show? I have always enjoyed the way this pilot sets up the world of Stars Hollow, its characters, and the relationships between the characters. It does a great job with the necessary introduction type stuff, but also manages to make you genuinely believe in its fictional world. It features great performances from all of its cast, and is just generally fun to watch. I’m looking forward to continuing this rewatch/review journey, and offering my thoughts on this wonderful show that is Gilmore Girls. Till next time, farewell.
Best Moments:
-Sookie knocks out one of her chefs with the frying pan.
-Lorelai and Luke’s opening coffee banter.
-Lorelai finds out Rory got into Chilton.
-All of Michel’s scenes.
-Rory explaining how she got her name.
Best Quotes:
Luke:How many cups have you had today?
Lorelai: None.
Luke: Plus?
Lorelai: Five. But yours is better.
Lane: She doesn’t trust unmarried woman.
Rory: You’re unmarried.
Lane: I’m hayriding tonight with a future proctologist. I have potential.
Lorelai: You look like you were swallowed by a kilt.
Lorelai: Does he have a motorcycle? If you’re gonna throw your life away, he better have a motorcycle.
Sookie: You feel like duck?
Lorelai: If it’s made with chicken, absolutely.
Rory: So, Grandpa, how’s the insurance biz?
Richard: People die, we pay. People crash cars, we pay. People lose a foot, we pay.
Lorelai: Well at least you have your new slogan.
Luke: Rory, put the cup of coffee down. You do not want to grow up to be like your mom.
Rory: Sorry, too late.
Gilmorisms:
I’m going to start a list of all of the many references made in this show, and tally just how many there are throughout the run of the show. This is gonna be a long list.
-Jack Kerouac
-RuPaul
-Officer Krupke
-Huckleberry Finn
-Ruth Gordon/Rosemary’s Baby
-Madam Bovary
-Moby Dick
-Britney Spears
-Stephen King
-Zsa Zsa Gabor
-Flo Jo
-Mommie Dearest
-The Little Match Girl
-Pull a Menendez
-Nick at Nite
For a grand total of: 15