Gilmore GirlsPilot
DVD Season 1
Faye O, TwoCents Reviewer
faye@thetwocentscorp.com
If I’m going to be reviewing my favorite episodes of Gilmore Girls, it only makes sense to start from the beginning, the first episode, and the episode that started it all - The Pilot. No season is complete without it’s foundation, and Gilmore Girls had a pretty solid foundation for the rest of the series. From when Gilmore Girls aired in October of 2000, to when it ended of May of 2007, the girls were closer than ever (with a few plot-line bumps in the road). The relationship with the Gilmore parents was always rocky. The town was filled with colorful characters. Coffee was a way of life. And the final bit of consistency was love. No matter where it was coming from, there always seemed to be love in the show.
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Gilmore Girls
ReplyDeletePilot
DVD Season 1
Faye O, TwoCents Reviewer
faye@thetwocentscorp.com
If I’m going to be reviewing my favorite episodes of Gilmore Girls, it only makes sense to start from the beginning, the first episode, and the episode that started it all - The Pilot. No season is complete without it’s foundation, and Gilmore Girls had a pretty solid foundation for the rest of the series. From when Gilmore Girls aired in October of 2000, to when it ended of May of 2007, the girls were closer than ever (with a few plot-line bumps in the road). The relationship with the Gilmore parents was always rocky. The town was filled with colorful characters. Coffee was a way of life. And the final bit of consistency was love. No matter where it was coming from, there always seemed to be love in the show.
I remember the first time I watched this episode. I was at my friend’s house and we had nothing to do. She owned the first season on DVD so I said, “let’s watch Gilmore Girls” and at first, she didn’t believe me. I finally convinced her that I was being honest, and we put the first disc in. After the opening credits, I was hooked. I was so amazed by how witty the writer was even within those first two minutes, and I knew that I would end up loving the show.
Unlike other shows on the air, we get a pretty good sense of what to expect from these characters in the pilot episode. We can tell that Lorelai is going to be very independent. She is the “cool mom” on the block, and that stems out from her relationship with her parents as she was growing up. There is marvelous chemistry between her and the other characters in this first episode.
Rory seems to be a smaller version of Lorelai. She has a quirky personality, but not quite as quirky as Lorelai’s. And in the first episode, we find out how smart she truly is. In this episode, it’s apparent that she doesn’t quite know her grandparents the way she should, considering she’s only a 30 minute drive away, but we can already tell that the bond between her and them is going to get very strong. We also get to meet her best friend, Lane. It’s already established that she comes from a very strict household, but like Lorelai in many ways, is very independent. Viewers also get to witness the beginning of a relationship between Dean and Rory. Dean is the new kid, tall, and handsome. I’m sure anyone would love to have a boyfriend like him.
The grandparents, Richard and Emily Gilmore, are upper-class citizens and make it a very strong point to live that way. I’m not sure if any of you own the DVDs yourself, or if you have watched the special features, but during a segment on “The Making of Gilmore Girls” or something like that, they mention that when the cameras are in Hartford house, they are very still. They don’t move around. It makes for a very stiff environment, whereas in the town of Stars Hollow, the cameras are constantly flowing to make a fun and carefree environment. The next time you’re watching an episode, check that out!
But back to the show…Stars Hollow is also filled with many fun characters, and in the pilot, we get a chance to meet a few that viewers will come to love in the future. The main character that NEEDS to be mentioned is Luke Danes. Luke owns the local diner, and has the best coffee in town. Right from the start, I noticed chemistry between Luke and Lorelai and was rooting for them. I’m also not afraid to admit that I’m hopelessly in love with Luke Danes and each time he’s on screen, my heart pounds a little bit harder.
But enough about the love of my life, let’s talk about Sookie and Michel. Sookie is Lorelai’s best friend. She’s the chef at the Independence Inn where her and Lorelai work. She’s accident-prone. One of my all-time favorite Sookie moments is in this Pilot episode where she’s in the kitchen, and all her staff need to be one step ahead of her making sure she stays safe. The way they did that was so wonderful and amazes me to no end. Michel is the desk clerk at the Independence Inn. He’s your typical angry French man. His attitude adds major color to Stars Hollow (as if it needed more). I love his smart remarks and knew from the beginning that he would make me laugh all the time.
I would love to introduce everyone to the rest of the cast of Gilmore Girls that we got to meet in the Pilot episode, but I cannot do that and keep this a readable length. From this point on, I’m going to give you a VERY brief rundown of the Pilot episode.
· Rory gets into a Preparatory School, Chilton, which Lorelai can’t afford.
· Lorelai needs to ask her parents for money.
· Richard and Emily agree to pay, but only if they can be part of the girls’ life again by having dinner every Friday night.
· Rory meets Dean and has doubts about going to Chilton.
· The first Friday Night Dinner takes place where the first of many fights between Lorelai and her mother break out.
· Rory decides that staying behind for a boy isn’t a smart thing to do, and decides to go to Chilton.
Whew, that was fun! Please join me next week when I review “Christopher Returns.” It’s in the first season, 15th episode. I would also love your feedback on which episode you want me to review, because I have some favorites, but I would love to review your favorites as well. E-mail me anytime at Faye@thetwocentscorp.com. Let me know what you think. Put your TwoCents in the comments! Have a wonderful beginning of the summer.