To say I was excited when I heard Gilmore Girls was coming back is a gross disgusting horrific understatement.  Before I even finished reading the headline of the article announcing its return my tear ducts opened, my heart warmed, and thoughts went racing through my head of the endless possibilities.  Who’s returning? Are Luke and Lorelai together now? Who is Rory going to end up with? Please say Dean.  No, Jess.  No, MARTY.  How are they going to deal with Edward Herman’s passing?  Is Amy Sherman-Palladino writing every episode? How many episodes?  Oh my god are we finally going to get those final four words?!   These are the thoughts I had reading just the headline.  I scrolled through the article written by the leader of the Gilmore Girls fandom, Michael Ausiello, smiling from ear to ear and trying to not drown in the endless tears of joy streaming down my face.  I can’t even put into words the excitement and sheer happiness I felt, continue to and will forever that one of my all time favorite shows is returning.

Four 90 minute “movie-lets” (aka 360 minutes of HEAVEN) is what they are saying the revival will be comprised of. Each episode will span a single season (Winter, Spring, etc) beginning eight years after the series’ original run ended.  Rory graduated from Yale, was set to leave on a long campaign tour for (then Senator) Barack Obama and had cut ties with would-be fiancee, Logan.  Lorelai was still working at the Dragonfly and in the finale rekindled her romance with Luke after finding out he orchestrated the grand going away party for Rory.  So what happened all those years in between? I am DYING to know.  So many questions, so many hopes, so much coffee and fast talking to look forward to!  Netflix says the show will be released in 2016 and production starts in two days (February 2nd) so thankfully we won’t have to wait too long for our return to Stars Hollow.  I’ve made up a list of things I want to see in the revival, so pour yourself a sidecar a “Rory” a Gin Martini with an olive and follow where I lead…

1. Luke & Lorelai: Best Friends

This might be a highly controversial statement but I don’t need Luke and Lorelai to live happily ever after together.   They are not my GG OTP, sorry.  However this doesn’t mean I wouldn’t absolutely love and accept it if they do in fact end up together.  That would be great…but I’m a sucker for a good “will they or won’t they.”  What I love is the relationship, the friendship, between two people before they engage in romantic activity.  Bottom line, I really dig unresolved sexual tension (see: my obsession with Mulder & Scully).  What I would love to see is more of that relationship we saw in seasons 1-4 when they were truly best friends, showing their love through witty banter, careful consideration and mutual respect for one another and genuine enjoyment of each other’s company.

On top of all that I love single Lorelai.  She is a strong woman whom I have always admired.  When she isn’t swept up in a Max/Jason/Chris/Luke current she is a fearless(!) independent(!) modern woman that I aspire to be like someday.  She knows what she wants, what she believes in, she works hard to reach her full potential (going to college and opening the Dragonfly?) all the while supporting the ones she loves – how could a girl not want to be Lorelai freaking Gilmore?!

 

2.  Dean, Jess, and Logan

I just need to see them.  All of them.  But honestly, give me them all or give me none of them. If we only see Jess I’m going to be intensely angry about not getting a Dean Forester update.  If we only get Dean, I will desperately long for Logan.  Oh who am I kidding, WHO DO I HAVE TO CALL TO GET JARED AND MILO TO WARNER BROTHERS???  Jeremy Carver, expect a letter and check in the mail soon because I will pay for you to give Jared a day off to shoot at least a single line.  Milo – I don’t know what you’re doing but clear your schedule for god sakes please.  Sorry Matt Czuchry, if you can’t take a leave of absence from Lockhart/Gardner & Canning I will be able to accept it and move on.  Milo and Jared on the other hand…

a. Dean Forester

Listen, I’m a proud member of #TeamDean.  I will scream it from top of Doose’s Market, waving my Forester Flag high.  I love that kid.  Okay, I love Jared Padalecki.  But I can be objective.  Truthfully I have taken the time to analyze my thoughts to figure out if 6’4” 18 year old innocent puppy-eyed sweetie Jared was the sole reason for loving Dean or if the actual character had any part in it.  The character definitely does.  I’d say my love for Dean Forester is 70% character and 30% Padalecki, hand to god.  Percentages aside I just want Dean to show up in Stars Hollow one more time – please, Amy, please!  I hate the way we left Dean, it really broke my heart.  Of the three Gilmore Guys he was the only one to not have a proper send off from Rory and an idea of where the character will be once they say their goodbyes.  Jess grew as a person, writing a book, having a steady fulfilling job.  And while the final sendoff of Logan was rough it was just that, final.  We understood that he had a bright future ahead of him, doing…um…Huntzberger stuff…I don’t know making money somehow.  But Dean, Dean just kind of faded away, slowing walking into the light (and into an Impala).  And I know scheduling could be an issue BUT if my calculations are correct Supernatural wraps filming early May AND Gilmore Girls is set to shoot til June SO I better be seeing a “Special Guest Star Jared Padalecki” in that GG font, Netflix/Amy!

b. Jess Mariano

Okay I think I ranted a bit with Dean so I’ll keep Jess simple.  Jess Mariano grew so much as a person over the course of the show.  When we first met him he was, well, an asshole.  He was so rude to Lorelai I wanted to get in my car, drive to the WB lot and slap Milo Ventimiglia’s handsome little face.  But as he fell for Rory he sweetened up and revealed his inner Romeo.  The two shared their ups and down – thanks to Dean and that failed spinoff.  They even shared “I love yous” but sadly never fell into a rhythm as a couple which only led to an unhappy ending.  When Jess returned in season 6 I couldn’t believe just how happy I was.  I wasn’t really into Logan at all yet *cough* douchebag *cough* so having Jess back was a welcomed return to form.  He returned a new man, Jess 2.0 if you will.  He had all the qualities that Rory fell for – his intelligence, charm, and loyalty – and dropped the teen angst and cynicism.  He became the perfect guy for Rory.   I am going to restate that I am proudly #TeamDean just so my fellow members don’t think I’m jumping ship but for this revival I want Jess to be endgame.

c. Logan Huntzberger

So I’m a basically #TeamIdRatherSheEndedUpWithKirkThanLogan so, yeah.  But I still would love to see Matt Czuchry show up in Stars Hollow again.  He was adorable in 2007, but 2016?  Wowza.   Cary Agos, am I right?  But honestly I do have a feeling she’s going to end up with Logan.  They were partners in crime, you cannot deny this and the way they left things I could absolutely see them reconnecting after she finished the campaign.

3.  Rory’s Success

I have been watching Gilmore Girls since I was about 11 (I’m 20) so one would think that I would see myself in the young teenage character on the show, Rory.  But alas I never did.  It was a combination of her being a well read genius, her confidence and conviction and also her boyfriends.  These were qualities I never had nor did I ever have a Dean or Jess (excuse me while I weep).  But I did want these qualities and boy did I dream of having my very own Dean Forester.

I looked up to Rory, but I always saw myself as more of a Lorelai.  Over the course of 7 seasons we watched as Rory achieved so much, never loosing momentum or ambition (okay she left Yale for a hot minute but I chalk that up to ALL LOGANS FAULT).  She graduated valedictorian from high school, got into every Ivy League school, was the highly esteemed editor of the Yale Daily News, graduated college and pursued her passion with a once in a lifetime job.  Rory Gilmore is destined for great things – no INCREDIBLE things.  I hope to see Rory has continued on this path to success, possibly the Senior Editor of the New York Times or The Wall Street Journal? Maybe the head of major book publishing company (with Jess, hopefully)?  So many options but I just want to see this girl that I’ve looked at for the past 9 years as an indestructible force to have reached the success she worked so hard for and deserves.

4.  Friday Night’s Alright For Fighting

While outsiders think of the Gilmore Girls as only Lorelai and Rory, true Stars Hollow enthusiasts know that there is a third who completes the Holy Trinity.  Yes, Emily Gilmore, the matriarchal sass-master from Hartford played by Dame Kelly Bishop (Oh she hasn’t been knighted? Excuse me while I write the Queen a strongly worded letter).  When the three generations come together they create instant classic moments.  Episodes that heavily featured Friday Night Dinners are some of my favorites.  They showcase the brilliance of Amy Sherman-Palladino’s writing as the Gilmore’s converse seamlessly and ever so rapidly over Martinis and Pot Roast.

Each dinner features Richard, Emily, Lorelai and Rory’s characters perfectly.  Richard always remains slightly distant, never engaging in the women’s nonsensical ranting or bickering.  Rory for the most part remains quiet, acting as an unbiased comentator.  Lorelai turns up it up to 11 with her long winded ADD monologues that push every one of her mother’s buttons.  And finally Emily who desperately wants a civilized and proper dinner but her daughter’s zaniness and incessant antics make it nearly impossible to execute.  Friday Night Dinners are a staple of the show and I don’t doubt they will be featured in the revival.  What is painfully sad though is the thought that there will be an empty chair at the head of the table.  While Richard tended to keep his eyes on his dinner, he was an integral part of this segment of the show and I fear it will not achieve the same brilliance that it once did.  Nevertheless I still love the Holy Gilmore Trinity of women and look forward to that inevitable fight to break out in Hartford.

5.  A Long Walk&Talk Through Stars Hollow

Simple.  I just want Lorelai and Rory to have a conversation beginning to end from their home, pass the book store, pass Al’s Pancake World, Miss Paty’s dance studio, Gypsy’s Auto Body Shop, across the town square, passing by Dooses Market and finally ending at Luke’s.  (that route might be slightly zig-zaggy, but you get my point)

6.  Melissa McCarthy

That’s it.  I just want her to be in it.  Even if only for a single scene.  Without Sookie, can we really even call this a revival? Especially if something important or life changing happens to Lorelai!  Do you really expect me to believe her BFF, her ride or die bitch won’t be by her side if she say GOT MARRIED???  Don’t get me started on Lucas Scott not attending Hayley’s mom’s funeral.  Don’t.  Get. Me.  Started.  I mean really wtf Chad honestly

7.  Christopher

This may cause some people to gasp or look  at me in disgust but I.  Love. Christopher.  Hayden.  Yes, I am Team Chris.  Fight me.  Wait don’t fight me, just listen.  I know Chris has his flaws, he didn’t stick around to raise Rory, I know.  But let’s be honest here people, did the Gilmore Girls really suffer from his absence? Hell no! They thrived! They found Stars Hollow! Rory turned out to be a genius!  Lorelai became a kick-ass single mom!

Chris may have not been there during Rory’s childhood but that doesn’t mean he didn’t love her and Lorelai.  He loved those two more than anyone else, you cannot deny this.  He and Lorelai have history, complicated history.  They’ve known each other since they were 12 and have loved each other deeply, whether they were together or not, ever since.  Remember that flashback episode when we saw their early romance and struggle with the pregnancy?  How cute were they? Not only that, how cute is David Sutcliffe?  Hate the character all you want but tell me you didn’t get a little weak in the knees back in season 1 and 2 when he wore that leather jacket…

I just want more Christopher.

8.  Lane, Paris and Michel(aneous) Characters

One thing that makes GG so special, so wholesome and warm is the community of Stars Hollow.  Everybody knows everybody, everybody cares for everybody (Taylor totally loved Luke like a son, lets be honest).  The town that seems to be stuck in Autumn (even if it snows) is also stuck in a kind of utopian state where nothing truly horrible ever happens.  The worst thing to happen to Stars Hollow is a nasty rumor, or wild dispute at a town meeting, or a Gilmore dating an “outsider.”  Nothing too intense.  On top of this is the people – the individually unique characters who we grew to love so easily because they preserved this small town utopia, never changing, always remaining ever so quirky and warm hearted.  And I just want more of this.

Gilmore Girls is my go to show to watch when I need to feel better, to lift my spirits.  Without fail this show accomplishes that, if not exceeds my expectations and gives me strength.  When I watch I am transcended (I know that’s a word people only use when talking about sci-fi or to just be pompous but I mean it, so back off).  The anxious world around me blurs as I sit back and happily watch a normal day in Stars Hollow.  Side note: the La La La’s alone have the magical ability to lower my blood pressure and steady my breathing, it’s some Pavlovian mind trick – I hear the background music and I just feel so calm.  Anyways,  I want Lane and the rest of Hep Alien, Kirk, Babette, Miss Patty, Gypsy, Jackson, Liz, TJ, Taylor, Paris, Doyle and the irreplaceable Michel.  Shouldn’t be too hard to get them all back, right? Right?

        

And One thing I Want AND Will Receive: The Final Four Words

The elusive final four words! The all holy creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino has said ever since she passed the reigns to David Rosenthal that the original run of the show ended the way they wanted it to end, not the way it was destined to end.  The way Amy had planned for it to end, all leading to four final words.  WHAT ARE THEY? I want to know the answer more than I want to guest star as Dean’s new wife.  For years we thought it was a single line said by Rory or Lorelai BUT after the Q&A released this week by King Ausiello with Lauren Graham it was revealed that the final four words aren’t in fact a single line but rather an exchange between two people.  So here is my (revised) prediction of what the words are…

Background: Rory is pregnant.  She has an envelope with a sonogram inside (she doesn’t know the sex yet).  She opens it — looks at it, happily surprised.

Rory: A boy.

Lorelai:  A boy.

Extra: Things I DON’T want to see

1. Luke’s daughter

List complete.