by There’s something exciting about curling up in the tattered emotional support blanket you’ve been carrying around since high school to watch two women go wild in your fantasy town.
The multi-award winning 2000s TV series gilmore girls it may seem like an odd choice for a guilty pleasure. But it’s not the dynamic plot, the compelling love stories, or the nearly 80-page episode scripts that have cemented its place in my heart. I’m in love with the series as a perfectly unhurried portrayal of Elysian life.
Filler episodes have long been the bane of many TV binge watchers’ existence, taking time and space away from the show’s main plot and dulling the progress of longer story arcs. As a result, many shows have dropped filler episodes in favor of giving fans their wish: season 8 to 10 episodes. This wicked episodic style has taken over the industry, leaving no room for filler. (RIP to default seasons of 22 episodes).
The bad reputation of filler episodes is mostly due to viewers’ belief that if the story has nothing to do with the main conflict, then what’s the point? gilmore girls it combats this notion with its filler episodes, using its slow pacing to deeply establish characters with distinct dynamism, backstory, emotions, motives, and attitudes far beyond overused tropes like “the dumb blonde” or intentionally unpleasant wrongdoers.
‘Gilmore Girls’ will forever be a pop culture masterclass
Each episode of the situational drama is an escape from my daily routine; a trip to a place where everyone is unrealistically cheerful and frivolous spending is never in question. The show was always a light-hearted mother-daughter drama that had just enough angst to get us through the week. In 2022, we must also recognize that gilmore girls is actually a slow-paced utopian universe set in a walkable city full of slow burns, undemanding enemies-to-lovers tropes, too many brooding Byronic heroes to count and, of course, the central duo of lovable country-house wannabes, Lorelai. and Rory Gilmore, to unite the city.
For me, the best parts are the little moments, like when Lorelai sends Rory to pick up sixteen candles while ordering Chinese takeout for dinner, because the only edible things occupying your cabinets are Pop-Tarts and donuts.
When your life feels like a perpetual race, gilmore girls it is a perfect reminder of beauty in leisure. If you’re binge-watching the show to speed up the drama and weather elements, you’re watching it all wrong. The plot points or that The final kiss you’ve been waiting for forever wouldn’t be so sweet with a rushed development or sloppily constructed romance!
“When your life feels like a perpetual hustle, Gilmore Girls is a perfect reminder of the beauty of idleness.”
the beauty in gilmore girls filler episodes is that while they may seem like 40 minutes of their famous “La-la” score, all that building up to the more memorable plot points makes these underrated journeys wildly exciting. Instead of just watching the characters make their decision and goading into action, we learn why they commit to certain causes, giving us insight into when they ultimately decide to turn down the marriage proposal from the hot guy you were rooting for or choose the unlikely acceptance letter. of the University. his dream school.
In season 1 filler episode 12, “Double Date,” not much of the main plot is established beyond the budding romance between Lorelai’s best friend Sookie and her hotel producer Jackson. Instead, viewers get a comedic introduction to Lorelai’s unfortunate dating streak when she goes on a blind double date with lovebirds Sookie and Jackson, and a cranky man who’d rather be anywhere but. After the date, Lorelai and restaurant owner (and eventual love interest of hers) Luke Danes exchange pleasantries and cute looks. This moment serves as a small appetizer to fuel one of television’s biggest simmering romances.
The episode offers an additional glimpse into the famous friendship between Rory and his equal, Lane. As their own double date-turned-disaster unfolds, the two lie to their mothers about her whereabouts, as Lane’s mother forbids her from dating. Both Rory and Lorelai go all out for their best friends in the episode, cementing the duo as the ultimate “girl” couple for the rest of the series. Even as the teen girls’ lies surface, Rory and Lorelai are quick to reestablish their unique and almost fantastical mother-daughter dynamic that reigns throughout the show’s life. (We also have very interesting jokes about Claudine Longet, the inspiration behind the Rolling Stones’ “Claudine.”)
My unhealthy attachment to gilmore girls it is linked to our current network season order model. We used to have dynamic arcs and characters that work to win you over! You might be asking, “But why? any Would you rather watch pointless filler episodes?” You may not realize how much we’ve lost as viewers more than we’ve gained from the death of episodes where “not much happens.” endings, the combustion romances slow would have no place to feed within the series, and you can forget the frequent deep film and musical references, from Life imprisonment to Yoko Ono, who provide those charming “Hey! Do you know that too?” moments
There aren’t many shows that can rip your heart out with heart-wrenching season-ending twists and then transition into the image of the town minstrel performing a rendition of “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.” gilmore girls only has one je ne sais quoi that just can’t be replicated in an era of 10-episode series, when the action leaves the room as soon as it walks in. From Carole King “Where you lead, I will follow” gilmore girls The theme song to the brilliant cast that can brighten up any gloomy day Stars Hollow can offer, the utopia that is the 2000s sitcom will remain my solace until the cute filler episodes make a difficult comeback.
