[5.8/10] I feel bad giving this one such a low grade. It’s plenty watchable. But something about it just felt off. The characters didn’t seem to be acting like themselves. The situations were broader than normal. The whole deal felt like a funhouse mirror version of the series we know and love.
But maybe that’s by design? After all, the central dynamic of the show has been altered and there’s bound to be some readjustment. Still, it’s hard to put my finger on, but something about this episode made Gilmore Girls feel not like itself beyond just the Lorelai/Rory separation.
One thing that didn’t help was T.J. The guy started out alright, even enjoyable, for the way he pushed back at Luke a little bit and he seemed to genuinely care for Liz. But now they’ve turned him into an obnoxious buffoon who I wish would fall off a cliff every time he’s on screen. From him overzealously hammering a hole in Lorelai’s wall to trying to hand out business cards at Luke’s diner, to his just annoying presence, he was a lesser-making quality throughout.
But Luke and Lorelai were off too. It’s weird that Lorelai bought a dog without consulting Luke. (Though again, it’s also weird that Luke bought a house without consulting Lorelai, though there’s at least some wiggle room and extenuating circumstances there.) Their back-and-forth felt off, from the self-aware jousting over the dog purchase, to the argument over not telling Rory about the engagement. Their little frisbee exchange at the end was sweet, but this didn’t feel like the preternaturally adorable and mostly considerate couple we’ve known and loved.
I do appreciate the awkward position of Luke in confessing the engagement to Rory. He’s right that he’s caught in the middle, and didn’t want to lie by omission to Rory. And hell, Rory circuitously checking up on her mom is the sweetest thing in the episode.
Rory’s storyline is otherwise kind of odd. I like the premise of the perfect, angelic girl having to cross swords (or garbage-skewers) with the community service crowd, but other than Emily’s hilarious tips for dealing with prisoners, the episode doesn’t get much mileage out of it. I did get a kick out of Richard and Emily working so hard to get Rory a job because they’re aghast that she’s bored enough to converse in Spanish with the maid -- the horror!
Overall, something in this one just felt miscalibrated. Even the final exchange between Lorelai and Rory, which should be a charged moment full of pain, fell flat for reasons beyond me. I appreciate what the show’s trying to do, and I like the change in the status quo, but some magic ingredient is missing and as a result the whole thing is full of off flavors.
Actually really enjoying the start of this series, great to see Luke & Lorelai moving forward as a couple and to have a new dynamic in the mother, daughter relationship
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2018-01-04T03:19:40Z
[5.8/10] I feel bad giving this one such a low grade. It’s plenty watchable. But something about it just felt off. The characters didn’t seem to be acting like themselves. The situations were broader than normal. The whole deal felt like a funhouse mirror version of the series we know and love.
But maybe that’s by design? After all, the central dynamic of the show has been altered and there’s bound to be some readjustment. Still, it’s hard to put my finger on, but something about this episode made Gilmore Girls feel not like itself beyond just the Lorelai/Rory separation.
One thing that didn’t help was T.J. The guy started out alright, even enjoyable, for the way he pushed back at Luke a little bit and he seemed to genuinely care for Liz. But now they’ve turned him into an obnoxious buffoon who I wish would fall off a cliff every time he’s on screen. From him overzealously hammering a hole in Lorelai’s wall to trying to hand out business cards at Luke’s diner, to his just annoying presence, he was a lesser-making quality throughout.
But Luke and Lorelai were off too. It’s weird that Lorelai bought a dog without consulting Luke. (Though again, it’s also weird that Luke bought a house without consulting Lorelai, though there’s at least some wiggle room and extenuating circumstances there.) Their back-and-forth felt off, from the self-aware jousting over the dog purchase, to the argument over not telling Rory about the engagement. Their little frisbee exchange at the end was sweet, but this didn’t feel like the preternaturally adorable and mostly considerate couple we’ve known and loved.
I do appreciate the awkward position of Luke in confessing the engagement to Rory. He’s right that he’s caught in the middle, and didn’t want to lie by omission to Rory. And hell, Rory circuitously checking up on her mom is the sweetest thing in the episode.
Rory’s storyline is otherwise kind of odd. I like the premise of the perfect, angelic girl having to cross swords (or garbage-skewers) with the community service crowd, but other than Emily’s hilarious tips for dealing with prisoners, the episode doesn’t get much mileage out of it. I did get a kick out of Richard and Emily working so hard to get Rory a job because they’re aghast that she’s bored enough to converse in Spanish with the maid -- the horror!
Overall, something in this one just felt miscalibrated. Even the final exchange between Lorelai and Rory, which should be a charged moment full of pain, fell flat for reasons beyond me. I appreciate what the show’s trying to do, and I like the change in the status quo, but some magic ingredient is missing and as a result the whole thing is full of off flavors.