Gilmore Girls: The Walking Dead

Maybe I’m being a bit to gloom and doom. I could have changed the title to Gilmore Girls: Sleepwalking, but I think both descriptions are accurate.

With yesterday’s announcement that the show creators, Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband, producer Dan Paladino are leaving, things have become quite murky. Coverage from BWE, TV Squad [2] and EW.

First, more and more people are letting fly with their true feelings about the quality of the show this year. Most don’t like the Rory/Lorelai fight or the timbre of the April revelation and Lorelai’s reactions. I’ll agree to a point.

First, let me say that Jenn and I have been fans nearly since the beginning. We picked up the show mid-way through the first season just after the holiday. Brilliant stuff.

Sharp. Witty. Mile-a-minute banter about minutiae that only a mother and daughter could love. Plus, I think the entire show is the second coming of Northern Exposure, so we were hooked.

Last season was one of my favorite seasons ever. The writers had figured out a better way to bridge the gap between Stars Hollow and Yale, we had interesting dynamics with Rory & Dean and Rory & Logan, even (potentially) Rory & Marty. Plus, we finally got the beginnings of the Luke & Lorelai relationship. Whew!

But this year has been plodding. Not so much bad as it has been bored with the minutiae instead of revelling in the details.

And yes, I think we’ve seen some disappearance of the assertive, spunky Lorelai. Maybe she’s unsure about the wedding, or uncertain about Luke’s uncertainty. Whatever the case, and I think it’s natural to explore some of these ideas, we’ve lost the old Lorelai and that’s sad.

That being said, I think the creators really care about these characters. They’ve been as true as they possibly could be, while telling an honest story about the loves and losses of these two Gilmore Women. It hasn’t made for the most compelling Gilmore Girls experience, but I’m hopeful for the future.

It was just over a year ago that Entertainment Weekly ran a big story about how Gilmore Girls was back and doing so well in it’s fifth season. Pity the sixth has swung so far the other way.

I’m cautiously optimistic that the veteran staff that remains on the show and whatever new blood they bring on will make the seventh season on the CW (the last?) the best. Heck, even with all of the fan complaints, EW still rated Gilmore Girls one of TV’s top 10 dramas this year.

Amy Sherman-Palladino had a vision for this show and we were all along for the ride. My greatest hope is that her vision is seen to completion (she reportedly always knew how she wanted things to end) even without her at the helm.

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