Bob beat me
to the punch with the news that Amy
Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino are going to leave Gilmore Girls at the end of the year, so I didn't
get to post my reaction to the story. Well, I've read Mike Ausiello's story, digested the comments, and
slept on it. After all that -- and I'm sure you're all on the edge of your seats -- here is what I think of the
move:Eh.
I do agree with the notion that the show's not going to be the same without AS-P's guiding hand. Her -- and to a lesser extent, her husband's -- writing is what gave the show its signature sound and cadence, with everyone talking a mile a minute and bringing up more pop culture references than seems humanly possible. I don't care how much Dave Rosenthal, the new show-runner, has been involved with the Girls in the past, it's just not going to be the same without the Palladinos.
Lauren Graham told Ausiello as much a couple of years ago: "You can feel when someone else is trying to write Gilmore Girls-ish dialogue, you can just feel that it's... I know some people think that we talk too much, or the tone is not for everybody. Sometimes I just want to take a breath or have a reaction shot. I get it. But this is the person who is telling the story. So someone would be stepping in trying to replicate that, and I just think it's a bad idea."
But things have not been going well in the world of Gilmore this year. Both of the major storylines -- Rory's separation from Lorelai and Yale, and the throwing of the April-shaped monkey wrench in Luke and Lorelai's engagement -- have taken away from the snappiness and lightness that previous seasons had. And, yes, both Lor and Rory went through relationship pains before, but never a) with this much doom and gloom, and b) with this "I'll just make a sad face and not tell the people I love exactly how I feel" demeanor about them. It's completely out of character and makes the show more soap opera and less comedy, which is completely opposite the formula that made people fall in love with the show six years ago.
The previous episode illustrated the contrast in microcosm: the first 45 minutes were fun, with jokes and banter and funny scenes that had little to nothing to do with Luke and Lorelai or Rory and Logan; all we saw was the mania surrounding a Stars Hollow-centric event, which was Lane's wedding. Then the show turned back to pathetic depression when Lorelai learned that Rory had met April (that's the scene depicted in the picture above. To paraphrase Bart Simpson, you can almost see the moment when Lorelai's heart ripped in half).
Even though Lorelai's drunken toast/lament was a good way to illustrate how she truly felt about the situation, the moment was a letdown because a) it should have happened five episodes ago at least, and b) she should have been saying this to Luke. That's what the old feisty Loreali would have done, not the simpering one we had this season. First she couldn't talk to the daughter she'd been thisclose to her whole life, then she couldn't talk to the man she'd been best friends with for over a decade. I'm not sure what AS-P was thinking in writing this season's storylines, but what she's done is damaged the dynamic that made the show such a cult hit in the first place.
(By the way, the April thing looks like it'll be paritally resolved in the next episode, which, ironically enough, is written by Dave Rosenthal. Now, of course, this doesn't jibe with the year-end cliffhanger I've been hearing about, but you never know how the Palladinos will get from Point A to Point B.)
Maybe a new show-runner will take Gilmore Girls in a more lighthearted direction, with AS-P's guidance, for what is believed to be the final season. Maybe it'll become a Sorkin-less West Wing and get even more depressing. I don't know for sure. But what I do know is that something has to be fixed. And maybe some fresh eyes will help that out. As long as they get the dialogue right, I'll be a happy camper.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-21-2006 @ 11:31AM
Lee Morrow said...
I agree completely about the new version of the Gilmore Girls. I stopped watching in February because after faithfully watching for more than five years, I realized that I actually began to dread watching it rather than look forward to it. I haven't bought one single storyline this year. The Rory and Lorelai rift was simply absurd in length given the characters we had known for so long, same is true of the destruction of the Luke and Lorelai relationship. All the sweetness and romance was killed off and for what? What I can't quite figure out is what the Palladinos are thinking about with this new take on the show and characters. Frankly, it seems to me that they simply got bored and don't care about the characters they so lovingly developed over the years. And, if they don't care, why should I? I would love to return to the show in the Fall but that will only happen if I read that things have taken a turn towards a more creative and believable direction. Time will tell. I do pity the poor new fellow - to have been left with such a despicable mess. The Palladinos should have wrapped this show up last year before they became so bitter and angry.
Reply
4-21-2006 @ 12:25PM
Richard Preston said...
The Feud was discouraging. Why April? Why add struggles and unhappiness?
The heart of the show is the writing which has Lauren delivering snapy lines, picking on Luke and doing that thing with the town characters - and the wonderful characterization of Michel.
Sometimes one's first thought is not the best solution. If they get into a poor storyline, just drop it and work on another.
For some time, I have dreading the direction of the show. I fear what will be the death knell of the show. The same finale which killed Murphy Brown and Moonlighting - throw a baby into the mix. Marry Lorelai and Luke and have a baby. They they could play with Sookie's babies and we could all get sick.
It's losing its snappy dialogue and great humor. Writers come and go. The energy of a show like Cheers and Seinfeld show this. They just have to follow the path...
Reply
4-21-2006 @ 12:28PM
Shannyn said...
I couldn't agree more. This show has become painful to watch and the characters are unrecognizable to me. Maybe some fresh blood is just the ticket to getting this show back on track. I honestly don't know that things could get any worse than they are right now. The show has hit some low points in the past but never quite this bad. When I find myself questioning whether or not I should continue watching, it's not a good sign.
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4-21-2006 @ 12:45PM
Stirl said...
The faithful follower bubble finally has burst for me also. The past few episodes are SOAP OPERA-ISH! In this world of doom and gloom (war, genocides and skyrocketing gas prices), I found respite in a once beautiful, uplifting, comedic, gattling-gun, witty repartee as well as romantic weekly hour where I got lost and felt good and entertained for just a bit. Now it has turned to be another depressive, bleak, and gloomy show which might as well be the daily evening news. Well, Dave R has a very big challenge this coming season. This may be uncalled for but a part of me thinks that the Palladinos may be sabotaging the rest of their season since it is their last. Forgive me but this could not have happened just this season since they seemed to have demonstrated boundless gifted talent and ideas during the last five. Just hoping for the best.
Reply
4-21-2006 @ 2:24PM
Anne said...
I am extremely upset about the whole outcome of the show. I have been a dedicated fan since the first season, and all the seasons have been delightful except this one. For starters, i am so sick of Rory going back to Logan everytime he says hes sorry; and when she told jess that she loves logan. oh my god, i almost fell out of my seat. how the hell could they make her say that, everyone knows she doesn't forgive him, and its not her character. I think the writing is starting to go off the deep end. it seems as though they are dragging this show out as far as they can, and in doing so they are losing a lot of viewers because the show is getting boring and has no point. All we have been waiting for is the marriage of Luke and Lorelai and Rory not to be with Logan. happy ending, simple, to the point, no crap. I agree with the above comment, this show is becoming way to soap opera-ish, and it is quite annoying. I love seeing the family relationship, cute, homely, funny... and now i dread tuning in because i am afraid there will be another dissapointing event. The writers have changed every character into something they are not and something we, as the faithful viewers, do not want to see. I am very upset and i hope the new writers will be able to fix the mess it has become.
Reply
4-21-2006 @ 3:58PM
daverrr said...
"GG is doooomed! I say it's DOOOOMED"
Did I read right, AS-P and Huby had the last 15 min. of GG written on day one?
Reply
4-23-2006 @ 8:37PM
Kristen said...
I think this whole year has been just a complete mess. I think they should have left April out and made Luke have more courage in stead of becoming a coward. The AS-P team leaving will cause the show to change but who knows if it will be for better or worse. I'm just afraid all that smart witty dialogue will all go down the drain and all we'll have left is a sappy mess.
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