Today is the day, folks.
Gilmore Girls is officially on Netflix. I repeat. The show that has influenced me more than any other television show– ever–is now on Netflix. All seven seasons are at my beck and call; I can watch Rory enter Chilton and blow everyone out of the water, see Lorelei bloom into a savvy business owner, relive the glorious Luke and Lorelei relationship, and cringe when I revisit the season where Rory’s unfocused and drifting. I can eat and take part in witty banter at Luke’s alongside the Gilmore girls, have Friday night dinners with the whole intimidating Gilmore clan, and watch as Rory enters Yale and succeeds through her trademark determination and diligence.
Best of all, I can remember the mother-daughter relationship that defined an uncertain period of my life–the divorce between my mom and dad.
When the divorce was final the summer before seventh grade, my mom bought the entire first season on DVD; she had heard it was about a single mother and her daughter, and the thought appealed to her. We watched the entire season in a matter of a few days. We were hooked, obsessed with idyllic Stars Hollow and the way Lorelei and Rory were making it and thriving, their relationship the core of their whole existence. I personally identified so much with Rory: awkward and a book worm, yet so sure of who she was and what she wanted to be.
We watched all the seasons that very summer, and have re-watched the series several times. We could practically be residents of Stars Hollow ourselves.
Gilmore Girls is so very special to me; It gave me confidence that we didn’t need a father-figure to be happy, successful, independent women. It was us against the world, and we liked it that way. My mom, my sister, and myself grew closer and closer; we were our own version of the Gilmore girls. The show not only provided a little “girl power” attitude to my life, but opened a whole new world to me: a world littered with pop culture and coffee and literature and intellect. The Gilmore girls were smart. I wanted to be just like them.
Gilmore Girls has only gotten better with age. Rory’s freshman year of Yale was a guide to all things college when I was a newbie. As I near my graduation in a couple semesters, Rory’s uncertainty with her future reminds me of my own. Just like her, however, I’ve recognized an exciting period of my life–I’m young, I’m capable, I can do anything.
I want to wish everyone a happy “Gilmore Day.” If you’re a fan of the series, have fun reliving the wit, the charm, the smarts, the drama. Settle down with some junk food, a mug of coffee, and press play. If you’ve never watched my beloved Gilmores: STOP. Go to your Netflix account. Watch. Become obsessed.
“Oy with the poodles, already!”
By Kaila 