There’s a sentiment that may be recognizable to some. A phrase, when it is bestowed upon us, can simultaneously produce a cringe and swell of pride in the heart. Although some may try to great avail to hide from the prophetic nature of this utterance, the gutters are littered with the metaphorical corpses of those attempting to traverse the mirage-like road to escaping the magnetic truth of this one simple sentence. What is this weighted phrase, you might ask the overly verbose author? From dreaded to beloved, at one time or another there are many of us who’ve been anointed with the phrase, “You are your mother’s daughter.”
Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life is unleashed upon the starving masses Friday November 25th only on Netflix. The level of fandom for the original Gilmore Girls — which ran from 2000-2007 on the WB (now the CW) — is literally tangible with an actual replica of the iconic Luke’s Diner opening in Toronto earlier this year in anticipation of the series release. A Year In The Life is a four part series, each section divided by the four seasons, and gives it’s dedicated fans some tongue and cheek references, and some very notable appearances. Above all, we are finally delivered the near mythological four words series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino so publicly had a tantrum about not having been uttered in the 2007 series finale “Bon Voyage.” These four words I shall not spoil for you here.
I did not grow up watching the aforementioned girls of the house of Gilmore, but with this upcoming series, I attended a crash course in the verbosity, drama, tragedy, and comedy of Stars Hollow. For what it’s worth, I can see the luster of the show, for teenaged daughters and mothers alike. Watching Lane (Keiko Agena) try to express her individuality under the strict thumb of Mrs. Kim (Emily Kuroda) is a totally relatable struggle for a girl like me who also wasn’t allowed to dye her hair and was not permitted to speak to boys on the phone for what seemed like forever. Lorelai’s (Lauren Graham) many attempts to ensure Rory (Alexis Bledel) never make the same mistakes she did and have a better life is a pervasive theme in many of the women’s lives I know. Emily Gilmore (Kelly Bishop) may be a little more difficult to relate to because of her uber-wealth, but she is the judgmental mother/grandmother we all know and love and love to hate and hate to love.
It’s been said of Seinfeld that it is a show about nothing. I can say relatively the same thing about Gilmore Girls. Seemingly ordinary folks living in a sleepy Connecticut town seem to have nothing really to wring their hands about for seven seasons. But is there ever a lot of hand wringing! The conflict of the show is rooted in the matriarchal relations, and for all their quick talking and snappy wit when there are fights in this show, shit gets real and screaming matches are not a rare occurrence. And for that reason, I can see, being a mother’s daughter myself, why so many find catharsis in the series.
That being said, my binge watching admittedly out of the “moment” when I would have been the same age as Rory when the show premiered, my qualms with the show lie on the overwrought emphasis on the boys of the show. I get slightly perturbed that these incredibly intelligent and beautiful women get their lives entangled with men and boys who detract and derail. Although, I look back on my own life, and consider the times romantic inclinations have churned my relatively pragmatic brain into idiotic butter. So is it the Gilmore women I am angry with for dedicating so much time to love triangles and doe-eyed fascinations? Or am I really angry with myself? There lies the allure of the show. These women are like me — a better version for sure. They are better looking, have much much faster metabolism, are quicker witted, and have men lusting at them at all times, but at the core of it, we have many of the same care-free issues my privileged middle class behind has been so woefully plagued with.
The show might be about mums and daughters, but that’s not to say the show is simply for women who’ve been born and have birthed female offspring. The show is snappy and fun, Sookie (Melissa McCarthy) is always a delight and Miss Patty (Liz Torres) is the ballet teacher I so longingly desired, but yet never had.
Although A Year in the Life doesn’t answer all of my questions, like what was up with Michel’s hair (Yanic Truesdale) in season four? The series won’t disappoint dedicated fans. Watching with mom is highly recommended.
