Gilmore Girls is a show that I have always had a special place in my heart for. I loved their fast talking, coffee loving, and their silly anecdotes. But most of all- the love stories.

Dean? Jess? Logan?

The ever begging question.

I have a love for each guy, but #TEAMJESS forever and always.

And then there’s the constant on and off of the Luke and Lorelai saga.

Will they? Won’t they? Will Christopher come between them?

Damn I did love Christopher though.

The circular story never ends. Or does it?

So you can only imagine that from the minute Netflix announced the Gilmore Girls Revival, I was losing my mind thinking about the epic viewing party I wanted to throw for all my Gilmore loving girls.

Needless to say time and life gets away from us a bit and I found myself searching for a free time to host just that.

I couldn’t let too much time pass without watching, because well…#Internet #Spoilers

So I was in the process of planning a bit and I actually ended  up having an impromptu viewing. I scrambled a bit, but I think I did pretty good.

Let me know what you think, my fellow Gilmore fans…

We all know Lorelai has a special relationship with snow, so I paired our beloved Stars Hollow welcome sign (that I found online and printed out) with some sparkly blue and silver snowflakes and hung them on my door.

“I smell snow.”

The focal point of every kitchen is the table and here is where the party is at. I made these two little banners, that spell out the first few lines of the theme song. A theme song that I have grown to love so much. Every time I hear it I have to sing along and it brings me such joy. Accompanying those banners are a few of my favorite Gilmore girl quotes.

All of these are from one of my very favorite food centric episodes, the thanksgiving episode- A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving.

 

On the table are some things that just remind us of the fond memories, we’ve shared with our Gilmores.

We all know how much our girls love food, and how they would have the most epic movie nights with sweet treats and pizza or Chinese food, or both.

So I pulled some inspiration-candy, pop tarts, popcorn & pizza.

I put the candy and popcorn into little  Chinese food containers and found an Al’s pancake world logo online. Al’s was a staple for the girls, they would order their Chinese food from there all the time. #WeirdIKnow

In one corner of the table, I set up a little ode to Lane’s band- Hep Alien. Lane was such a great friend to Rory and she was such a funky, interesting part of the show…and she loved music just like I do! So I pulled some images together to create a band flyer and set some of my favorite CDs out next to it-calling it- Lane Kim’s Kickass Music Collection.

I also found the Yale Daily News logo online and taped that to a local newspaper and set that on the edge of the table to represent Rory’s college years.

 I also printed out the school flag and a Richard Gilmore memorial. I added the words “Pillar of Strength” because that’s how Rory describes her grandparents in her speech as Valedictorian at her Chilton graduation, she calls them her Twin Pillars.

Next up we have some movies that we’ve heard the girls speak fondly about- Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Casablanca.

While behind them you see an ode to one of my most favorite characters-Sookie the chef of the beloved Dragon Fly Inn.

In the center is a map of Stars Hollow that I found online, I loved it because it shows all the quirky places we’ve grown to love in this small town. Like Doose’s Market, and Gypsy’s.

Now moving away from the table…I couldn’t host a Gilmore Girls Viewing without a coffee station at Luke’s Diner…could I? I just gathered some mugs and made some coffee, and posted some coffee inspired Lorelai quotes and a Luke’s sign…and Viola! It’s a Gilmore Girls Party! Shhh don’t tell them it was decaf. 😉

And last but not least….

We had to.

And Flannels for Luke.

So there you have it…my Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life- Viewing Party

Gilmore Girls is such a special show. So full of heart and friendly memories. I knew I couldn’t watch it without my best friends.

Ok and now OPINION TIME-SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did you really think I wasn’t going to comment on what I thought… 😉

I freaked out a bit. It was like living in an alternate universe. I was so excited to see them on my screen again. Our favorite girls. Talking in perfectly crafted circles.

It was weird. Everyone being older and slightly out of character at first, but I enjoyed it so much. I was hooked, I had to keep watching. Yes, I binged. I had little control. I loved how the town came back to life. I loved how we saw EVERYONE-each of Rory’s exes, Gypsy, Kirk, Christopher, Lane, Hemp Alien, Mrs. Kim, Babette, Taylor, Miss Patty, Sookie, Jackson, Michele, Paris, Doyle, Francine, Head Master Charleston,  “Tristan” (Um where’s Chad Michael Murray these days?) Colin, Finn, Steve, Luke’s daughter April- the list is endless.

I loved the 4 mini movie, set in each season. That was such a beautiful concept. I loved that Rory and Lorelai are still close. I loved that Luke and Lorelai are still going strong. I loved how they handled Richard’s death. Emily was a force to be reckoned with, a powerhouse. I loved that she got drunk and told off those DAR snobs. #BULLSHIT

Thank you Netflix, for allowing Emily Gilmore to say the word Bullshit several times.

I loved that Lorelai still wore the funkiest clothing and that Luke and Lorelai finally got married.

I loved every single Jess moment. I love that he always happens to be the only guy who really knows where Rory’s heart lies. I love how he is the one to tell her to write a book-about her relationship with her mom. I love that he’s still pining for her….you saw that look….did you see that longing stare???? So damn good.

I love Rory’s good bye moment with Dean. I truly love what she said. Because he deserves so much. He really does. He was so good to her. Always. And although I have always been a Jess supporter I really can say something nice about any of the three guys. Rory got lucky.

Logan is sexy as hell in this revival. I always thought he was charming, in that rich guy riding on a big white horse kinda way. You can see how much he really does love her, he’s always there to save her. And he’s always there to be her shoulder and her friend. And he stills calls her Ace…..I died.

Needless to say…still Team Jess.

What I found slightly odd was Rory’s nomadic existence. No permanent housing address. Sleeping and sneaking around with Logan even though he’s engaged to another woman. Didn’t he ask you to marry him and you said…oh that’s right you said no! Keeping things from her mom. Bouncing around from job to job. She seems lost and she’s already in her 30’s.

On the one hand I thought that she was kind of unlikeable. I didn’t get it. I was very confused. I felt like it was severely out of character for someone like Rory. She had seemed like she had become this horrible person, who didn’t care about people. And Rory Gilmore always cared about people.

So imagine my surprise. And the whole time, I just kept saying this girl is pregnant. Although….I didn’t think they’d actually go there.

Lorelai seemed a little lost too. Her relationship with Luke seemed stagnant and the Dragon Fly was kind of at it’s peek-Sookie had left, and now Michele was next. She lost her dad and her mother was losing herself. So many uncertainties. Then she decided to see if Luke would like to start over and have a baby. Holy Jeez! Her/His sibling would be 32! Like what? It becomes so much that Lorelai decides to go on a hiking trip. That’s right she tries to rough it. Our Lorelai on a HIKING TRIP. Oh man shit got real.

So many weird things happened in the revival that made me question whether or not it was going to satisfy my expectations. Gilmore Girls has such a legacy. Was this the show I always knew and loved?

But after I thought about it, I realized all of this…everything makes sense. Rory and Lorelai have always been spiritually linked. So as Rory hits a point in her life of uncertainty so does her mom. Age doesn’t matter here. It’s life. We all struggle, we all question our next move, we all feel the burden. Lorelai had always been a free quirky spirit so it makes sense. Rory had been trying to be perfect for so long that it was bound to catch up with her. And if you remember correctly there was that whole rebel Rory phase-Quitting Yale, Sleeping with Dean while he was separated/not separated from his wife. So yea, she’s had this inner vixen in her. I don’t think we should hate on her that much. Because in the end….the real Rory Gilmore eventually does stand up.

Now lets talk about those last four words….oh my damn…..

“Mom?”

“Yea?”

“I’m pregnant.”

Rory confessions to her mother just before the credits pop up and the screen goes black and Netflix suggests a new show for me to watch. #StrangerThings #HeyHowAreYa

Holy crap. Did they really just go there.

Sure it was expected. Sure I called it within the first few minutes. But somehow I was still so shocked.

Who’s baby is it?

Logan’s. It has to be Logan’s right? Or is it One Night Stand Wookie’s?

Or in some miraculous way she and Jess had a few go’s and it’s his? #ThatLongingStare

In my opinion it looks like Logan’s. It makes sense. It’s full circle. Just like Lorelai says to Emily during one of their massive fights.

Lorelai and Rory are kindred spirits.

No matter how different they may appear at times, and how reserved you may think Rory is, she is Lorelai’s daughter and she has spunk.

Lorelai had her Christopher and her Luke.

Rory now has her Logan and her Jess.

Logan is Rory’s Christopher, the wealthy guy that can breeze in at a moment’s notice and take her on adventures and save her financially. He knows her, and is there for her always.

Jess in Rory’s Luke, the hometown vagabond that was thought of as not good enough and who has been pining over her for years. He knows her in a way no one else really does, and he loves her so much. Not to mention he’s Luke’s nephew and he’s already part of the family. #NoItsNotIncest

Some people may argue this whole theory but that’s how I see it.

And as Amy Sherman Palladio has said in interviews, this is how she always envisioned the series ending. With Rory telling her mother she was pregnant.

There could be a fight made saying that we don’t need to see what’s going to happen, because we’ve already seen it play out with Luke and Lorelai. Rory will be pregnant with Logan’s baby, but will end up with Jess who will eventually help raise her child-who I can’t help seeing not being a girl. It has to be a girl.

However, I’m sorry I don’t buy that shit, the way that revival went down, the crazy twists and turns, that baby could be anyone’s. In fact there is a crazy theory that Rory is acting as Lorelai’s surrogate, so that she can have a baby with Luke. HOW CRAZY WOULD THAT BE!!!! Needless to say I am not down with this being the ending for good.

I think I need to see more. There has to be more. The story is not over. No matter how parallel Rory and Lorelai’s experiences may be, I still think they are individuals and they handle things differently. That “History repeats itself” crap can keep moving right along, because there’s more story there. If Rory has Logan’s baby but ends up with Jess, I want to see that. I want to see it all. So can we get a Season 2. Because I think we need one. There’s far too much to still tell. And maybe next time….bring back my theme song….I missed it!

If you haven’t watched Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. It’s first season is streaming now on Netflix…

 

-All photos are my own.-

-<3-