Okay.

That was a fairly depressing season / series finale.

The only excuse I can figure is that the series was canceled after the episode was filmed, leaving the writers the thankless task of writing both a season finale that set the stage for another season, and a possible series ending. That’s a tall order. But it was much more successful at the former, leading me to believe the stories that nobody thought this series was going to be canceled until recently.

My main gripe is that it was sloppy. Certain plot threads were tied up too neatly without any consideration, while others were totally left hanging. And in terms of an emotional conclusion to the series, there was little offered.

What I liked:

• Rory and Lane chatting.
• Everyone hiding while they prepared Rory’s party.
• The last scene with Rory and Lorelai in Luke’s — reminiscent of season one.

Issues:

• Logan is gone. Paris is gone. Christopher is gone.
• Emily and Richard are suddenly smiling, approving grandparents.
• Rory gets a job too conveniently. No hinted at soul-searching after she got those rejections.
• Luke and Lorelai. Just one kiss, no words spoken.

What I would have liked to have seen:

• Some nostalgic “remember when?” conversation about events passed.
• One last Gilmore junk food movie night (Pop Tarts and pizza).
• Lane’s band playing a song.
• A reappearance of some old faces — Max, Jason, Dean, Jess, Madeline? Anybody? Hello?
• A scene at the very end showing Rory on the road with Barak Obama or Luke and Lorelai together on the boat.
• Cameo by Sam Phillips, The Bangles, The Shins, or at least, Carole King.

Anyhow, a big bummer in my mind. No more Gilmore Girls ever!

This is the second to last episode of Gilmore Girls “evar” and once again, some aspects I enjoyed while others not so much. I’m now afraid that the last episode of the season (and the series) isn’t going to satisfying enough, as it was filmed before the decision was made to cancel the show.

Logan asks Rory to marry him. I liked how it happened — a surprise proposal at her graduation party. Logan just got a job at a startup in Silicon Valley, and wants Rory to move to Palo Alto with him, saying a great place to live, even describing a cute house on University Avenue and San Francisco a straight shot up the 101 (all quite true). But… Rory turns him down. Suddenly, he says it’s “all or nothing” and just walks away. What? That seemed a bit sudden and too convenient, especially since nothing has been terribly wrong with their relationship so far, that would make him just cave just like that. So while I liked how he proposed, what happened afterward was just sloppy — almost as if the writers wanted to get him out of the way.

What about Naked Guy, Hot Teaching Assistant In The Bookstore Guy, Jess the Bohemian Poet Guy, or Dean the Married Guy? Will any of the above appear in the season finale?

Meanwhile, on the Lorelai front, she’s hoping for some sign of a bike ride from Luke but isn’t getting any. Luke seems slightly interested, but is playing hard to get. The ball is in his court. I think he needs to turn that baseball cap forwards and start swinging.

What else was good? Rather cute that Paris and Rory are right next to each other in the graduation line — “Gellar,” “Gilmore.”

The sad part is that at every moment of the show, I couldn’t help but imagine that this might be the “last time.” This will be the last time Rory’s grandparents sing badly. The last time we hear that particular Sam Phillips instrumental music. The last time Rory turns out the lights in a room — I really liked that final shot — once again, heavily symbolic of the end fast approaching.

Ah well, all things must pass. One more episode to go!

Things are coming to a head on Gilmore Girls, as the final bend is rounded towards the season (and series) finale.

This episode opened with Rory in the midst of an anxiety dream where she’s kicked out of high school and finds Paris and Doyle living in Lorelai’s house (did you catch the photograph of Paris with Bono on the fridge?). Later, at dinner with Emily and Richard, Rory sheepishly confesses that she didn’t get the New York Times internship. She puts on a brave face but Lorelai knows her disappointment. Rory later crumbles, hiding in her bed with sheets pulled over her head. It’s done with a sense of humor, but she really has no clue what she’ll do after graduation, and the stress of a final, impending deadline is palpable.

Meanwhile, Luke is planning a summer boat trip with April, but she cancels. All arrows point towards him inviting Lorelai on the trip instead. A real treat was Lorelai at karaoke night, singing I Will Always Love You as Luke walks in. I enjoyed hearing Lauren Graham’s cute singing voice.

But at episode’s end came the bombshell — Logan drops by Lorelai’s to ask her permission to propose to Rory and move with him to Silicon Valley, where he’s just gotten a job with some Palo Alto startup. Why didn’t Rory apply to Stanford?

So I enjoyed this episode, probably more so because it’s almost The End. I must reiterate my desire to see neither Gilmore getting hitched during the season finale. I hope Rory decides to something independent, like backpack across Europe. Maybe Christopher will offer to pay for it. Maybe Lorelai will agree to have Luke give her a ride on his boat. That’s it. I just can’t handle a wedding of any sort.

Only two more Gilmore Girls episode recaps to go!

Hmmm, these final episodes of Season 7 are getting better. This episode featured the reunion of Lorelai and Luke, hanging out together but not in a relationship. Meanwhile, Rory realized she’s about to graduate with not much clue as to her future. The latter plot line had a twinge of sadness that I appreciated enormously. Perhaps this show has some legs yet.

Lorelai gets up the nerve to venture into Luke’s Diner for some morning coffee, for the first time in nearly ten months. She makes some awkward small talk with Luke, after which Lorelai breathes a sigh of nervousness. On the road again, Lorelai’s Jeep dies — she’ll have to purchase a new one. In the meantime, she makes do with a bike.

Lorelai asks Luke for help in buying a new car — more awkward conversation — leading up to some nostalgic bickering regarding car choices (remember the argument regarding his boat in her garage?). No car is purchased.

Later, Luke stops by Lorelai’s house saying that he found a Jeep similar to the one that died, from which the engine could be taken out and put it into her old car, which makes no sense, but that’s what Lorelai wants. He gets points for acknowledging her irrational mind, finding a suitable solution. As he leaves, he quips, “Come by the diner and I’ll put some air in your tires.” I think we see where this is headed.

Meanwhile, Jackson falls and accidentally destroys Lorelai’s childhood doll house. Lorelai is disappointed, but doesn’t freak out. She needs to forget the past and move forward.

So what about Rory? Her friend Paris has been accepted at every graduate school she applied for: Yale, Harvard, John Hopkins, U Penn, Columbia, and Stanford. Rory tells Lorelai that every one else seems to know what they’re doing after graduation except her. Well, duh, that’s what happens when you spend months dorking around with the trust-fund boyfriend Logan.

Paris breaks up with Doyle because she doesn’t want him to influence her decision of what school to go to. Doyle eventually fights back and says he’ll follow Paris wherever she goes. They sneak off to the bedroom together, leaving Rory to open her mail. There’s a letter from the New York Times fellowship she applied for. She opens the envelope and… it’s a rejection. Cue the Sam Phillips music. Sad!

All in all, this episode was a bit heavy on the metaphors. Lorelai’s car breaking down (her former marriage to Christopher), and Luke helping her find a new one? A broken doll-house, representing the past, to be cleared away for something new? The symbolic hay-maze from last week’s episode was just the start.

But for me, the best scene was Rory’s heartbreak opening the rejection letter and not finding the confirmation she desired. Finally, the characters are reaping the consequences of their out-of-character behavior from the first half of the season. You know what? I like that.

I enjoyed this episode more than most this season. Lorelai behaved like a mother again, questioning Logan’s character (about time!). Luke and Lorelai had a chance meeting in a hay maze that opens the door for a future reconciliation.

Stars Hollow is putting on yet another quirky event: a Hay Bale Maze, a gigantic small-town labyrinth built from blocks of hay. People come from all around to see Kirk in a minotaur costume.

Rory, who has moved back in with Paris and Doyle, has a job interview with a newspaper. She’s offered the job, but later confesses to Logan that she really wants to get a fellowship or work at a larger paper. Exercising nepotism and asking Logan’s father for help seems to be out of the question now that Logan is on his own.

Rory brings Logan to Stars Hollow for the first time. Lorelai is apprehensive about her daughter’s relationship, as Logan has been rather irresponsible and frivolous, losing millions in a bad investment and gambling away thousands more. Lorelai only wants Rory to live up to her potential, and probably sees Logan as a youthful distraction. Eventually, Lorelai and Logan have a late night talk, where Logan swears he’s into hard work and being a responsible adult from now on.

Within the hay bale maze, Luke bumps into the wandering Lorelai. They make strange small talk and apologize for the way their engagement broke off. It looks like they’ll emerge from the hay labyrinth with each other’s help.

The maze is a metaphor for the different paths these characters can take on their journey through life, in order to achieve their goals or find happiness. There’s a key moment where Rory and Logan are both about to walk one way or another, and they decide to turn right, together. Is this foreshadowing a life decision they’ll soon journey on as a pair?

This was one of the better episodes of the season, despite the rather sitcom-y road trip premise. Christopher is finally out of the picture, and the focus returns to the relationship between Lorelai, Rory, and Emily — the Gilmore Girls. Plus, the writing has regained footing, including: the return of random pop culture references!

In the intro, Lorelai mentions Moon Pies, a waffle house called Winkys, and (sarcastically) how awful the coffee is in Seattle. The road trip involves the three Gilmore Girls going south on I-85 to visit godmother Mia’s wedding. Winky’s looks appropriately cheesy and retro, with cakes and lobster under glass and twenty bucks respectively. In the hotel room, the movies are Hitch or The Lake House. Rory says she wants a laugh, and Lorelai responds, “The Lake House it is.”

Mia is revealed to be an eternally positive and smiling personality, in obvious contrast to Emily, dressed in black and noticeably nervous. It’s clear she has some issues with Mia being a replacement mother figure while Lorelai and Emily weren’t talking. So the episode has kind of a downward arc, yet somehow, I felt sorry for stubborn Emily, attending an event she’d rather not, suppressing deep feelings that bubble to the surface in the form of nervously glancing at her watch. Eventually, Mia offers Lorelai with some wise words that allow her some empathy — and ties the separation between mother and daughter into the prospect of Rory leaving home after graduation.

Meanwhile, Zack and Lane invite Luke over for dinner, with a secret agenda to ask Luke to be their soon-to-be-birthed babys’ godfather. Luke’s acceptance is less than excited, as he’s still wondering when (if ever) he’ll have a baby of his own. Later, Zack reveals to luke that he’s freaked out about the dad thing, to which Luke is appropriately sympathetic. As thanks, he makes Luke a mix CD with some Wolfmother.

Rory and Logan have a fight about the way he’s been slacking off since blowing millions on an Internet investment. Separated during the road trip, Logan flies down south and surprises Rory at the wedding. Eventually, they have a chat, where Logan reveals that he quit his father’s company.

At episode’s end, back at the hotel, Emily wants to watch The Pursuit of Happyness mentioning some interest in Will Smith. Lorelai makes a bit of fun, right as Rory gets a call that Lane and Zak have had their baby. Gilmore Girls bonding has been achieved. What took so long?

Hmm, are the writers on the show picking up on one of the major complaints regarding this season? At one point, Lorelai tells Rory to not worry about her informational interview with someone from the New York Times, because her rapid fire witty banter will win them over. Is the banter back? Can Paul Anka reverse-jump the shark?

One improvement is the return of the loony Stars Hollow residents. This time, the occasion to rally ’round is Lane’s baby shower. There’s a bit of a tiff between Lane and her mom that Lorelai is called to mediate. Kirk also gets some screen time as the buyer of Luke’s boat.

Meanwhile, Logan — after coming home drunk — admits to Rory that he blew all his money including lots from various investors, on an Internet company.

So back to the Luke and Lorelai thing. Well, Mr. Flannel buys a new boat that he hopes April and him can enjoy together. Lorelai finds this a bit odd, as one contention in their relationship was Luke’s unwillingness to move his old boat that was taking up her garage. Luke says, “Well, things change.” Does this mean they have potential, after the firm, final words earlier this season and Christopher’s moronic exit? Lorelai closes the scene with a big grin on her face.

Note: It seems Gilmore Girls might be a go for an eighth season. I’m pretty ambivalent. I think I’ll sit it out if so.

I found this episode more enjoyable than past ones, since the inevitable has finally passed and we can move on to the unknown. Also, Rory seems to be headed towards a crossroads.

Right away, Lorelai tells Rory that she and Christopher have split up — check one interested party off the list. They go to dinner at Emily and Richard’s, where Richard is having a hard time adjusting to the new, post heart operation healthy diet — soup and salad. It seems both he and Emily are in denial regarding the possibility of his death.

Lorelai eventually finds a way to tell Emily about Christopher giving up on the marriage. She’s surprisingly sympathetic, and actually points out Lorelai’s independence as an asset — that she doesn’t need Christopher.

Meanwhile, Liz and TJ come to stay with Luke. They have moths at their house and decide to keep Luke company. It’s a convenient occurrence, as it makes Luke look like good husband material just standing still. When hey hear that Lorelai and Christopher have separated, Liz immediately thinks Luke should call her up. TJ on the other hand whips out some bizarre advice for Luke to keep his box locked up and soldered shut. Luke naturally has no comment, but clearly there’s an internal struggle going on.

In the final scenes, Logan’s father takes his son and Rory out to dinner. Logan’s dad is unusually friendly with Rory, congratulating her for keeping him on track and making him more responsible — domesticating him, so to speak. Once back at home, Logan gets a phone call informing him that the Internet company he bought is being sued, as the patents it’s based on don’t exist. It looks like his multi-million dollar trust fund will be toast. An interesting twist — I wonder how a certain teaching assistant fits in?

All in all, this episode had a little more wit than usual — Emily’s chef screaming that he worked in a constellation of four star restaurants, and Rory pleading with Lorelai to save the Cornish game hens. I’m strangely hopeful that these next few episodes will improve on what’s come before.

Michel has a funeral for his pet ChinChin, which in a crass way is intended to make us feel sad, so we’ll be in a truly dour mood for Christopher and Lorelai’s inevitable break up during the last fifteen minutes.

The marriage-on-the-rocks is the only reason why I watched this episode. The whole point of my tolerating this program, now, is to get Lorelai loose from her albatross past (Christopher) so she can either get back with Mr. Flannel Backwards Baseball Cap Diner guy (Luke) — or choose to remain single. As I’ve mentioned many times before, I’d prefer the latter.

So by episode’s end, we have Christopher and Lorelai on the couch (flat-panel television thankfully nowhere in sight) admitting their marriage isn’t working. It’s partly Chris’ paranoia, or Lorelai’s just-jumped-into-it feeling. She’s obviously not over Luke. But despite the fact that it was well-acted and exactly what needed to happen, since it was just so darned predictable it wasn’t all that fun for me to watch. Chris gave up far too easily. Lorelai had one heart-felt line about wanting to want Christopher, but it’s just really soap-opera stuff which I’m not into these days. I mean, the love stuff on Battlestar Galactica between Starbuck / Apollo / Dualla / Anders makes me roll my eyes — this Gilmore Girls treacle tastes like a cheese sandwich covered in maple syrup. At least break something — that flat-panel television might have been a good target.

Meanwhile, Rory gets the hots for some teaching assistant dude who’s tall, dark haired, and nerdy, quite the opposite of Logan. A flustered Rory admits this to Mr. trust-fund venture capital, who’s fine with it. However, as this show goes, certainly another character is introduced for a reason.

I write this post more out of duty than anything else, since my heart just isn’t in it. This episode (from over a week ago) took place primarily in a hospital waiting room, which is sad, but sadder still is the ham-handed way these quirky characters are led around by the plot, like puppy dogs on leashes.

I’ve read that the original show creator, Amy Sherman Palladino, has already written the absolute final scene for Gilmore Girls. She’s no longer with the show, so I get the feeling the new writers are struggling to corral all the characters into place for that one last scene, which may or may not happen this season as there’s still a chance the series will be renewed for an eighth. I suppose it’s no surprise that I’m praying for this season to be the last, evar. I just can’t take much more of this treading water.

Richard is in the hospital preparing for heart surgery following a heart attack. Emily coldly ignores the emotional implications, preferring to bark out orders over the phone and get caught up on Richard’s will and preparing their estate. Needless to say, Lorelai thinks this is totally crass and insensitive.

Meanwhile, Christopher is AWOL, still pissed at Lorelai for talking to Luke and writing the character reference he needed for his custody battle. Chris finally shows up at the hospital near the episode’s end, just in time to catch Luke talking to Lorelai. Mr. Flannel was just being helpful and running errands for Emily, but Chris naturally takes personal offense.

So this added up to being yet another below average, stop-gap episode, something to slog through to get Snore-lai detached from Piss-topher so she’s forced to choose between man A or man B. I’m still praying she comes to her senses and runs off to Thailand — alone. Well, maybe with Paul Anka.

Okay. We all know where this show is going. I was just hoping we’d get there in a manner that was somewhat true to the characters I’ve loved for many years. But it isn’t happening. I’m dejected. I just want to watch the season finale now.

The hooey before the last fifteen minutes was rather pointless. All I’m concerned with is Luke, Christopher, and Lorelai, and which of the first two is going to look like less of a moron so we can believe Lorelai would actually want to be with them. But I’m thinking the best thing would be for her to pick neither, and go off solo to a foreign country (I keep saying that, in hopes that it comes true).

This show, it was Luke’s turn to look like a saint. He wins partial custody of April, in large part due to Lorelai’s character recommendation letter, which she hid from Christopher. Of course, Christopher discovers it and gets pissed. The letter wasn’t even that mushy, it was more along the lines of “Luke’s a great guy.” But of course Christopher overreacts (because the plot dictates it) and thinks Lorelai wrote something along the lines of: let’s have children together, and smear tater tots all over your coffee-brewing flannel shirt, backwards-baseball-cap manliness. Uh, no.

Then at the end of the episode, kind Richard, who’s never done anything bad towards the writers of the program, has a heart attack in front of Rory, in the middle of a lecture.

Sadly, the show is devolving into a state where the plot is dictating how the characters behave. And to think this show began as one where the women spoke their minds and nobody could get them to stop talking.

I’m not angry or annoyed, just sad. Luckily there’s only a few more episodes until hopefully the last show of Gilmore Girls, ever.

I'm still sticking with Gilmore Girls as it's the last season, ever - meaning there are only a handful of episodes left. I might as well stick this one out as at the very least, the show finale should be decent. Luckily, that the Christmas episode that aired this week, Santa's Secret Stuff, was funnier than ones in the recent past, although nothing earth-shattering occurred.

Christopher, Lorelai, Rory, and Gigi are spending Christmas together in Stars Hollow, and obviously doing a decent job of integrating the whole family together, doing festive stuff like decorating, sewing up cranberry and popcorn garlands, and shopping at the mall.

Meanwhile, Luke is about to fight April’s mom over custody and visitation rights, so he shows up at the inn and asks Lorelai if she’d write a character recommendation letter for him. Lorelai is happy to do so, but for whatever reason she feels the need to hide this task from Christopher.

It’s a no brainier that Lorelai is feeling a bit of regret regarding the missed opportunity to have married Luke. She’s still keeping things from Christopher, and who can blame her, based on the way he flies off the handle. But it kind of goes both ways. It doesn’t seem like either Christopher or Luke really advertised their dust-up. Was it just too embarrassing for the manly-men? Anyhow, Lorelai, once again is hiding things from the ones she loves. I’m thinking the season finale ought to have her not with anybody and traipsing off to Thailand, alone.

Anyway, enough of the love stuff. I really started chuckling during the antics of the very pregnant Lane, Zack, and Mrs. Kim, now living with the expecting couple in preparation for the birth of the twins. I just found the whole situation bizarre, and the manner in which everyone was way too into the prospect of children except Lane was done in a good Gilmore fashion. Extra nod to Zack’s litany of bands where he name-drops the Decemberists (I only recently heard of them).

Another point given for some new Sam Phillips music during Lorelai’s wordless writer’s block sequence.

So this was a fine episode. It didn’t completely restore my faith that the program’s producers know what they’re doing with these quirky characters, but it was a step in the right direction.

This episode held my interest, but the buildup lead to a big “huh?” which I don’t think the writers of the show intended. If you saw the program, you might know exactly what I was confused about. Anyhow, I’ve realized I’m only sticking with the show this season out of loyalty — it’s most likely the last season.

First, let’s get Rory’s plot thread out of the way. For the past few episodes, she’s been hiding the fact that her new art friend Lucy’s boyfriend was Marty, the infamous naked guy that showed some interest in Rory (I strongly doubt he was primarily captivated by Duck Soup), but ultimately Rory chose Logan. Anyhow, in this episode, the truth comes out. Logan spills the beans while Marty, Rory, Logan, and Lucy are all having dinner together. The result: Lucy fairly thinks there’s a “thing” between Marty and Rory, and doesn’t want to talk to poor Miss Gilmore. Which is sad, because Lucy was her first genuine, new friend this season; similarities to Madeline aside.

So back to Christopher and Lorelai. The show starts with the newlyweds house hunting — not in Stars Hollow. I was taken aback at how “holly homemaker” Lorelai had suddenly become (I guess granite counter tops do that to people). Thankfully, Lorelai informs Christopher that she doesn’t want to move.

Christopher is also out and about more with Lorelai in Stars Hollow. They go grocery shopping, and while Christopher takes care of the check-out, Lorelai ventures outside and inadvertently runs into Luke, who is watching his sister’s new baby. When Christopher emerges from the grocery store, Lorelai is holding Luke’s niece and smiling. Luke and Lorelai look like a happy couple. Christopher takes this the wrong way, and immediately feels an odd sort of jealousy towards Luke, who is seeming like some kind of uber-manly-father.

Christopher decides that he and Lorelai should have a child of their own, right away. For good reason, Lorelai is surprised and kind of taken aback by this sudden desire to procreate. Christopher says never mind, but he’s obviously not happy about it.

Things come to a head during a meeting with Emily, who is trying to organize a “proper” shebang for Christopher and Lorelai, the latter of which just wants a small get-together that isn’t a big to-do. Christopher doesn’t understand why she’s being so unreasonable.

So near the end of the episode, Christopher is out drinking. Upon leaving the bar, he sees Luke across the street, in the dark. The tension is palpable as both men head towards each other… they fight. It’s kind of sweet revenge for Christopher after Luke punched him in the eye at the start of the season.

Unfortunately (and this is my big “huh?”)… neither says a word to each other. They just tackle man-style, land a few punches, crash into some Christmas decorations — and nothing really happens. Say it with me: “Huh?”

I’m reminded of the light saber duel in The Phantom Menace that had little or no tension because no words were traded. Remember A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back and Jedi — what makes the light saber battle so great between Darth Vader and Obi Wan? The back and forth conversation between two sworn enemies.

Are the writers so clueless this season that they couldn’t come up with anything? Is the new hallmark of Gilmore Girls that all pivotal moments occur in absolute silence?

Maybe I hoping for some sort of naked man fight, Borat style (just replace Pam Anderson with Lorelai)? This would definitely been out of character (but probably more entertaining).

So it’s sad that after the man-battle, Luke and Christopher just part ways and slink off into the darkness. Nothing was accomplished (we already knew they hated each other), except now it’s clear that Lorelai has pretty crappy options: either Luke or Christopher who now look even more moronic, impulsive, and tragically male than before.

The parting shot comes from Emily. She makes a late night visit and warns Lorelai of Christopher’s impulsive, and that she needs to learn the art of compromise if the marriage is to succeed. We’ll see if Lorelai gets the message.

But I’m judging by the way things are going, I wouldn’t blame her if she ran off to find Max or even that Digger guy.

This was what I’d call a “stop-gap” episode — a few arrows pointing in different directions but no major movement. After a spur-of-the-moment Paris wedding, Christopher is moving into Lorelai’s house and already fantasizing about rearranging the furniture and getting a flat-panel television. It’s clear that Lorelai will have some adjusting to do.

The first person they want to tell about their elopement is Rory, which they do over dinner. When Christopher leaves the table for a bottle of wine, Rory tells Lorelai that she’s feeling angry. Lorelai is under the impression that Rory is angry for getting married, but Rory just wanted to be there. But over the course of the episode, Rory dodges her mother’s phone calls because has a whole lot of other stuff (mostly interpersonal) to deal with. Unfortunately, Lorelai thinks Rory is angry and ignoring her. This is all resolved by episode’s end, and after it’s discovered that Christopher has been hiding Lorelai’s Police concert T-shirt for the past twenty-two years.

Meanwhile, with the Rory / Logan plot line, Logan is leaving London and moving to New York for business — Rory’s understandably excited. Of course, Rory will have to decide if she’s going to stay in his apartment. They attend a fancy party with Logan’s friends: trust fund kids, socialites, and business associates — all wealthy, young, pretty people. The mixed-drink laced conversation involves the size of diamonds, mansion renovation hassles, and personal jets. Rory spends some time chit-chatting with a web magazine guy (a Mike Arrington wannabe?), who encourages Rory to submit an article to his site.

Thinking it will be funny, Rory writes a sarcastic article about the party, talking snidely about the superficial people and their lavish, moneyed lives. Logan reads it and gets angry — he hates it. Rory sheepishly defends herself. Logan accuses her of being no better than the people she’s making fun of — a rich, privileged kid just like him and his friends. While Logan isn’t exactly my favorite character, he has a valid point and does put Rory in her place — she’s not exactly paying rent, either.

This confrontation brings up an issue the show has been dodging for quite some time: class. Rory (and now Lorelai to some degree) are obviously a bit caught between the upper-class and blue-collar worlds. I’m surprised nobody’s called her on it except Logan. I’m hoping this issue is explored further in episodes to come.

Meanwhile, Luke has some issues with April and how to be the perfect dad. April wants to attend a party that includes the dreaded — boys. Not really knowing what to do, Luke freaks out in his typical manner, becoming overly protective and inappropriately sensitive. I really didn’t like the scenes of Luke trying to be a perfect dad and arguing with April, using the awkward metaphor of “juggling” for the birds and the bees. Are we living in 1950? To cap it off, April yells “You suck as a dad!” She should probably be yelling at the episode’s writer — not Luke.

April comes down with a fever and has to go to the emergency room. In a panic, Luke calls Lorelai, who comes to the emergency room. A doctor assumes they are April’s parents, noticing Lorelai’s wedding ring, which Luke notices, too. No words are spoken but Luke gets what happened between Lorelai and Christopher in Paris.

At the hospital, Luke spends some time watching The Philadelphia Story on the room television. In the film, “rich guy” Cary Grant and “ordinary guy” James Stewart both fall in love with Katharine Hepburn’s character. I bet you can guess which role Luke identifies with. This season has been about as subtle as a brick to the head.

I enjoyed this episode more than ones past, probably because things are settling back into the quirky Stars Hollow as the focus. This time there’s a “Knitathon” and all the denizens are busily practicing for it, to the occasional annoyance of Luke. But that’s not to say I’m buying this whole Christopher and Lorelai thing, and I’m seeing some signs that it’s all going to go to heck a few shows from now just to put some drama into the final (and hopefully last) episodes.

Anyhow, the adjustment to Lorelai and Christopher’s sudden wedding continues. Lorelai’s parents Richard and Emily hope to have a party and give Lorelai a strange Kiki Smith painting. Of course, Lorelai retorts with some strange quips, like suggesting a jump-house as a fun idea.

But that’s only a warm-up. Lorelai’s more pressing worry is that her Stars Hollow friends won’t take kindly to Christopher, the newly-wealthy upper class jet-setting outsider. It has something to do with Luke, and the suddenness, but there’s a larger theme that I hope is explored further: the contrast between rich and working class. It’s one aspect of the show that hasn’t totally come to a head yet, and whenever it does it makes for some entertaining viewing (Logan’s outburst at Rory last episode is a good example).

So Lorelai asks Sookie for advice, and the resulting idea is to get Jackson involved. If they start hanging out together, the rest of Stars Hollow may warm to Christopher’s presence. This gives Lorelai something to obsess over, dressing Christopher. Jackson gives Christopher some good farming advice, although I’m not sure about drinking beer from bottles — one or the other could have used a pint glass.

At episode’s end, Christopher makes a public blunder by donating a few Gs to the Knitathon, effectively bringing it to a premature halt. I thought this was a smart way to demonstrate how his best intentions can easily go wrong, a sure sign of thinking money solves everything when it clearly doesn’t.

Meanwhile, Rory makes a good move: moving back in with Paris. Paris has been solely underused this season and even just for laughs (her and Doyle dancing in the other room) it’ll be a welcome change. Rory is also a bit forward with her art pal Lucy’s boyfriend, Marty.

April’s mom informs Luke that she’s moving with April to New Mexico. This sucks for Luke. I think the writers aren’t exactly sure how to proceed with the April plot-line and are looking for an easy way out, if need be. I would actually welcome this to some degree because seeing Luke’s desire to be a “good dad” in the last episode was excruciatingly bad. Of course, it’s a way to have Luke, with no daughter to dote on, to be worked back into Lorelai’s story.

Lastly, Luke’s sister and TJ have their baby. Luke gets a chance to see the new addition, and certainly he’s thinking about his prospects for having a child of his own, inspiring a late night visit.

There’s no doubt we’ll be shown more evidence of Luke’s awesomeness and Christopher’s inadequacy in future shows, setting up a showdown between the two men. I hope it starts with fists (Christopher never got to hit Luke back after being punched in the face), and moves on to Chris tackily using his money as a weapon (a hostile takeover of Luke’s diner comes to mind). Ah, the final gasps of a show looking for a conclusion.

Paris does strange things to people, and I wish I were talking about Paris Geller. No, Lorelai and Christopher went to Paris. Of course, it was utterly romantic: they overslept, missed their dinner reservations, and wandered the streets aimlessly looking for a cheeseburger, and ended up…

Meanwhile, Lane and Zack find out they are expecting twins. Her mother, excited by the news, asks them to move in with her. When Lane and Zack resist, the tables are turned and Lane’s mom moves in with them instead. Funny stuff. I’m glad to see the Kim family getting some screen time.

Rory hung out with her two new-found art pals (Olivia and Lucy, who still remind me of Madeline and Louise 2.0) in Stars Hollow. They dyed their hair and ate Rice Krispie treats (the best pop culture tug-of-war for this episode was the discussion about the hairstyles of Snap, Crackle, and Pop). Rory finally had a needed freak-out about graduating from college and having no clue about what’s to come.

…but the truth is, although funny, all that stuff was icing on the real meat of the story, which was Christopher and Lorelai got married, and what should have been a happy event had some deliciously foreboding aspects. First, we didn’t actually see the wedding on screen (which just isn’t standard Gilmore procedure), and second, Lorelai once again lapsed into her brooding, pouty look, for a brief moment at the end of the episode. Something isn’t sitting well and I don’t mean the French food.

So to sum up, the show redeemed itself — somewhat — after last week’s so-so one. I’m definitely looking forward to some hilarious, macho posturing when Luke finds out about this Paris thing.

I put off seeing the Borat movie for the latest Gilmore Girls, which may have been a mistake. The show is still passable and gets a few smiles from me, but is going in a direction I’m not too keen on. Stars Hollow is starting to feel — hollow.

Luke looks to be totally over Lorelai, preferring to hang with the daughter-he-never-knew April, and her swim teacher. Yes, Luke goes out on a date, but she turns out to be a psycho-vegan-relationship-hopper. Not a good match for Luke, who rushes home to a cheese pizza. Funny, yes, but also sad in that Luke doesn’t even hesitate at the chance to eat a soy steak with a new, pretty face.

I think we’re meant to compare Luke’s overbearing parenting style to Christopher’s, who has decided parenting means flashing money and offering ski trips to Rory’s friends. The nouveau riche and their creme brulee.

Meanwhile, Sookie is tempted by another man’s vegetables. I’m not really digging this plot development either. And Kirk contemplates breaking up with Lulu. Has spring arrived early?

But what about Christopher and Lorelai? They go to a Yale parent’s day together, go to an astronomy lecture together, and are going to Paris together. Going steady, indeed. Not to spoil the creme brulee, but you can see what’s coming next even from this side of the Atlantic: Christopher and Lorelai tie the knot in Paris. Luke flips out and decides to win Lorelai back, or just turns sulkly and moves to Montana.

Season finale, I want you already. I miss the Lorelai of old (the Lore of Yore) and Rory’s getting boring. All those words rhyme — this is not a good thing.

TV Shows: Gilmore Girls

I’m writing this post more out of duty, and don’t have too much to say, because I felt this episode was basically filler. We got a little bit of doubt instilled in both Rory and Lorelai’s relationships, but nothing major. Rory finds out Logan has a beautiful co-worker, instilling a bit of jealousy. Lorelai and Christopher have a disagreement about Christopher’s daughter GiGi. It’s all a set-up for a trip to Paris in a future episode (spoiler ahead). Now if we could get Paris Gellar in Paris, that would have possibilities.

Meanwhile, Stars Hollow is sinusly-polluted by a pickle spill, which leads to this episode’s only amusing scene to me, Lorelai, Christopher, and Rory in a car covering their noses.

The fourth episode of the season had a welcome dash of romance as Lorelai reacquaints herself with the thought of her and Christopher as a couple. For all his faults, it seems like this time Chris is serious about getting back together. He comes up with a truly romantic idea of a personal drive-in movie, projecting Funny Face (Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn) on the side of a barn, complete with movie snacks for them to munch on.

The diversion of Lorelai’s mother Emily going to jail wasn’t all that funny or interesting, and I chalk this up to the new team not really knowing what to do with her strong character, just making her look bitchy and not too bright. Wouldn’t she at least have played the DAR card?

Meanwhile, Rory is sent to report on an art show and runs into two strange art chicks, who seem like lesser versions of Madeline and Louise. Whatever happened to those two, anyhow?

So although this was a pleasant enough episode, I still feel that the show I loved is slowly shifting to something unwelcome. But I’m still interested enough in what happens to Luke, Lorelai, and Christopher to keep watching.

Next Episode: The Great Stink
Previous Episode: Lorelai’s First Cotillion

Hmm, this week’s episode of Gilmore Girls was pretty lukewarm (or should I say luke-cold). Lorelai’s parents Richard and Emily make an appearance (first time this season) and it’s the same-old same-old with them, lost in their high-brow world, planning a cotillion for a young girl named Charlotte.

Between here and there, it feels like things are treading water. Luke only shows up briefly for one scene in his reconstructed diner and looks to be over the whole breakup with Lorelai. Paris is shown berating people which she can do in her sleep. We spend some time with Zack and the newly-expecting Lane for the episode’s only laugh, something about a cord and an afterbirth. And I think the only somewhat obscure pop culture reference was of Rory reading Henry Miller’s Sexus to get phone-sex ideas.

It’s just a subtle thing, but this season’s Lorelai obsesses over whether or not she likes Pop Tarts while the Lorelai of yore might have contemplated something a bit more bizarre, like candy corn (Lorelai: “They’re not really corn but not really candy. Say, if I put them in the microwave, would I get Screaming Yellow Zonkers?”). C’mon people, it’s not that hard.

The show’s end was not too shocking, just bittersweet. Lorelai always looks so pouty and dejected these days. It’s a big set-up for some huge emotional choice between Luke and Christopher. I just hope we don’t have to sit through more mediocre episodes like this to get there.

Next Episode: ‘S Wonderful, ‘S Marvelous
Previous Episode: That’s What You Get, Folks, For Making Whoopee

Episode 2 of the seventh season, That’s What You Get, Folks, For Makin’ Whoopee, was pretty good, although the new production staff seems to be still finding their footing in the absence of the Palladinos. The episode opens with Luke’s typical angry reaction to bad news, driving over to Christopher’s apartment and punching him in the face for sleeping with Lorelai.

After the necessary focus on Rory / Logan / Luke / Lorelai for the season premiere, this episode re-introduces the supporting cast: more time with Kirk, Sookie, Lane, Zack, and Luke’s moron brother in law, TJ. We get to see Liz and TJ’s great house, covered with kitchy dolls and Renaissance Faire memorabilia. Cute!

Although Lorelai’s gaudy Asian movie party for Rory with junk food candy sushi was fairly funny, I was a bit concerned that a Yale student didn’t realize the political incorrectness in the air. The pop culture references were a bit obvious; I’m still waiting for the Gilmore-trademark rapid fire stew of dialogue that only Google (and the as-of-yet unwritten Gilmore-pedia Reference Manual) can shed light on. Still, one point for the mention of Mr. Yunioshi, the Mickey Rooney character in Breakfast in Tiffany’s, and another for the Gwyneth Paltrow digs. However, if you’re going to mention an unseen Paltrow movie, how about “the one where she sings a song with Huey Lewis”?

But back to Luke and Lorelai. An unusual long shot with both of them crossing the street in profile leads to sassy fur flying and blunt words from Luke. Later on, the two bump into each other in a grocery store, and Luke claims he’s already moved on. Lorelai’s pursed lips and unusually weepy silence during the final minutes of the show were very sad.

Note: I noticed the Sam Phillips background music during the episode’s final minutes featured a solo violin; something new. If you’re not familiar with Sam, she’s worth checking out. Probably best known for her album Martinis and Bikinis, she’s had two sparse, minimalist albums since then, Fan Dance and A Boot and a Shoe. Music from both has been featured on Gilmore Girls.

Next Episode: Lorelai’s First Cotillion
Previous Episode: The Long Morrow

I have a few guilty pleasures, and one is Gilmore Girls, the television equivalent of a funny chick flick, populated with quirky characters, whip-smart pop culture references, and a keen soundtrack.

The last season ended in a rather predictable way for regular viewers, Lorelai and Luke had broken up, due to Lorelai’s demanding impatience to get married and Luke’s typically male foot-dragging. Lorelei stupidly ended up sleeping with Christopher, Rory’s father. Rory’s boyfriend Logan was whisked off to London to work at some company at his father’s request. Rory is going to start up again at Yale after a year semester off.

A larger development occurred off screen; the show’s creator Amy Sherman Palladino left the project. This may possibly deal a fatal blow to Gilmore Girls, and this season is rumored to be the last. This may be a fitting time to conclude things, because at this point, certain character arcs are firmly developed and in place for a satisfying ending to the series.

It’s a given there will be some monkey wrenches thrown in, most likely in the form of a newly-wealthy Christopher (Rory’s father) or the return of some old flame for Rory (Jess or Dean).

So the first episode of season 7, The Long Morrow can be seen as a second part to last season’s finale. I laughed pretty hard at certain moments: Kirk running the red light and Lorelai hitting herself in the eye with a racquetball. The rebuilding of Luke’s diner may prove to be a long term project as when the Dragonfly Independence Inn burned down.

But the show’s best moment came at the end with a surprise, totally unexpected confession by Lorelei. Luke’s reactions were predictable this episode as the man with his back against the wall.

So far, so good. I’m hopeful we’re in good hands with the new production team.

Next Episode: That’s What You Get Folks, For Making Whoopee