The Gilmores deserve more attention (Gilmore Girls)

Member Name: Wezzo

Product:	Gilmore Girls
Date:	25/07/07 (114 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Sharp, shining scripts; brilliant ensemble cast; gripping storylines

Disadvantages: Plots not always original

The "Gilmore Girls" never really got a chance in the UK. Originally picked up by Nickelodeon (who were apparently under the gross misapprehension that it was a kids' programme) and later shown on Hallmark in the ungodly timeslots of 7 and 8am, it's hardly been a runaway ratings success. It has, however, managed to grab the attention of a dedicated cult fanbase, with good reason - it's one of the best shows the US has had to offer in recent years, offering a stellar blend of comedy and drama. It lasted for seven seasons before its network in the USA, The CW, called time on it earlier this year (2007).

"Gilmore Girls" follows the day-to-day lives of the residents of the fictional, idyllic small town "Stars Hollow" in Conneticut, the kind of place where everyone knows everyone else. Our lead characters - the titular Gilmore Girls - are single mother and inn manager Lorelai Gilmore, aged 32 at the start of the series; and her daughter "Rory" Gilmore, aged 16 (Rory's actual first name is Lorelai, we learn, but she is nicknamed Rory to avoid the obvious potential confusion). The relatively small generational gap means these two "Girls" get along far better than most mother-daughter pairings - they both share a love of coffee and junk food (not that their characters ever gain weight, mind you); a quirky, pop-culture referencing sense of humour; and a bright, intelligent, sharp and optimistic outlook on life that is remarkably endearing. Played by the superbly talented Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel, the twosome are among the finest characters on television today.

Lorelai's parents Emily and Richard Gilmore (Kelly Bishop and Edward Herrmann) play a key role in the series, too. The series begins Lorelai having practically disowned her parents and their dislike of her raising a child alone, but when Rory is offered a place at the prestigious Chilton school she realises the wealth of her parents must come into play and reluctantly goes to them for help. They agree to pay for the tuition - under the agreement tht the Girls must have dinner with them every Friday night. It is here that one of the series' long-running conflicts is established, and it is from here that many of the series' plot developments play out.

The cast of characters ranges beyond the Gilmore family, of course. Luke Danes (played by Scott Patterson), owner of the local diner and something of a gruff cynic with a heart of gold, is perhaps my favourite character on the show; he is played to perfection by Patterson and the witty repartee between Lorelai and he almost literally sparkles. Lorelai's inn plays host to Sookie St. James (Melissa McCarthy), head chef, and a quirky, ditzy but immensely likeable character; as well as Michel Gerard (Yanic Truesdale), hot-headed, style-conscious concierge and French native. Other recurring characters include Lane Kim (Keiko Agena), music-mad Korean friend of Rory whose mother is traditional and oppressive; Kirk Gleason (Sean Gunn), a quirky, shy young man; and Paris Geller (Liza Weil), snobby peer of Lorelai's at the Chilton school. We are also introduced early on to Dean Forester (Jared Padalecki), who is the first of several love interests of Rory's.

To divulge further information on these characters would ruin many of the show's storylines - rather like a soap (though far more effectively), storylines develop over time; even minor characters are given plots to work with in the long-term. Additional characters join and depart from the show throughout the seven seasons; but, again, to be too specific would really spoil the surprises the show has in store. Suffice to say, things never get stale.

Don't let the name, premise and overtly saccharine title sequence (it's set to a rejigged version of Carole King's "Where You Lead") fool you, though. "Gilmore Girls" is by no means just for girls. The show may focus on two females; their romantic lives may well play a significant part in the series; but dismiss this as a frothy rom-com at your peril.

The writing is perhaps the show's greatest asset. Sharp as a tack and routinely running at hundreds of words a minute, the show is infinitely funnier than most "sitcoms" out there thanks to the pop-culture-reference laden dialogue of our two leads.* Witty and delivered with almost disconcerting ease, it is a fine example of both actors and writers shining simultaneously.

The characters are portrayed wonderfully; after just a few episodes you really get to know and love these people. The characters deal with the problems and complications that befall them very realistically; even the background characters are drawn brilliantly. The plots are, to be fair, not always all that original - typically involving conflict at home, work or school, but they are executed faultlessly, with style and grace, and without too much melodrama, which is all you can ask really. There is definitely the occasional surprise, too - my jaw has dropped at several points throughout the run.

To conclude, then, "Gilmore Girls" is a masterpiece of a TV show. The cast work superbly as an ensemble and the chemistry is remarkable from the start. The scripts are a masterclass in dialogue-based television and are routinely laugh-out-loud funny while the plots are engaging and guaranteed to have you gripped. To overlook the "Gilmore Girls" is to miss out on one of the USA's finest TV exports.

If you want to catch an episode after reading this review, however, your choices are rather limited. Hallmark still occasionally show it in those horrendous timeslots, but your best bet is the DVDs. Seasons 1 to 3 are available on UK R2 release (although I doubt any subsequent seasons will be released here given that it's now been well over a year since the S3 release and the first three seasons were only a month or so apart). Thankfully you can buy all of Seasons 1 to 6 on US R1 and Australian R4 DVD, with the final season coming soon in both of those territories. You can of course import these releases from the likes of Amazon.com and CD-WOW.


* (It's hard to give an example, as the effect is really cumulative, but here are two lines that stuck in my mind:

"I really like him, Rory. I can't help it. And it's been a really long time since I've felt like this. You can't always control who you're attracted to, you know. I think the whole Angelina Jolie/Billy Bob Thronton thing really proves that."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... slow down.. you lost me at 'carrots'. Which I believe was the first draft of 'You had me at hello'".)

Summary: One of the best TV shows of recent years