Returning to Stars Hollow: "Gilmore Girls - A Year in the Life"

It's not often that after almost a decade of being off the air, one of your all time favourite television shows comes back for a four part mini-series. Looking back at some of my old blogposts then, I'm sure you could imagine my excitement when Netflix announced that it was official - a Gilmore Girls revival was in the works, and set to hit our screens in 2016. Anticipation has been building online for the past few months, with trailers and teaser clips and cast interviews flooding my timeline on a daily basis, and I've been loving it. It seems that lately, more people than ever have welcomed this show into their homes, and despite having finished the original run way back in 2007, the show is proving now to be more popular than ever. As a fan from way back when, this is something I am immensely pleased to see!

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Today is Sunday 27th November, and I have pretty much spent my whole weekend in Stars Hollow. I avoided social media as much as possible at work on Friday, hid my phone while I was out for dinner with friends, and then came home to watch the first episode. Saturday was spent watching the other three, and today was spent thinking about, reading about and talking about my thoughts on Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. Having been putting up with an ongoing cold for three weeks now, it was perfectly timed - my ultimate comfort tv returning exactly when I needed it. For weeks and months I have been excited about this, counting down the days this past week until it arrived, but never once stopping to think "am I emotionally prepared for this?". Turns out, I was not.

Some shows come in to your life for a short time. They serve a purpose, whether that is easy entertainment after a long day at work, or thrilling, suspenseful "water cooler" conversation fodder, jumping on the bandwagon of whatever series everyone and their aunt seems to be raving about at the time. But some shows are different - they get under your skin and work their way into your life in a way that means that you'll always come back to them. They bring comfort at stressful times, laughter during boredom, and the characters you meet become more than simply works of fiction, or vehicles for a writer to discuss a particular issue. You feel like you really know them, like you understand them, and like they will always be there waiting for you when you need them. Gilmore Girls is one of those shows. And no matter how much time passes, or how long I leave it between revisiting old episodes, the moment those characters appear on my screen it's like they never left. This deep rooted connection that I, and so many other fans of the show, have had to Stars Hollow and it's inhabitants for years now, is what made me so excited about this revival, and the involvement of creators Amy and Dan, and so many members of the cast, made me confident that this was something that was going to work. Revisiting old shows years after they end can be dangerous - sometimes that old spark is just gone, and it doesn't feel the same. This trip back to Stars Hollow, however, was (at least to me), pretty perfect. I cried a lot of tears, some from nostalgia, some from the plot, laughed out loud, and once again got lost in the cosy bubble that is Lorelai and Rory's world.

Were there a few small issues? Sure. But no original TV series never mind a revival is ever going to be perfect. Those (in)famous last four words, which, from what we understand is exactly how Amy always intended to end the show, have left us in a bit of a spin, and with a lot of questions (and a desperate desire for more episodes). There were also a couple of moments when I questioned Lorelai's reaction (or lack thereof) to some of Rory's choices. But overall, it all worked brilliantly. They all slipped so effortlessly back into those iconic roles - Lauren and Alexis were Lorelai and Rory again from the first scene. Liza Weil as a thirty something year old Paris was perfect, Kelly Bishop's portrayal of a grieving Emily was so moving; every one of them picked up where they left off as if it was ten days never mind ten years since they last played these characters. We had a couple of town meetings, another short film from Kirk, scenes with Rory and every one of her exes (more on that later), and a return to Chilton. The loss of Ed Herrmann was felt throughout, with Richard remaining a strong presence in every episode. Melissa McCarthy could only make one scene but Lorelai and Sookie's reunion was heartwarming, Michel's dry one liners were as funny as ever, and we witnessed new squabbles between Luke and Taylor over trivial town matters. Lorelai and Luke finally tied the knot in one of the most visually beautiful scenes Gilmore Girls has ever given us. We even saw Lane's dad, if only for a second! It was a total nostaglia-fest, with every episode giving fans more to reminisce about, while exploring these characters at a different stage in all of their lives.

I've been reading a lot of reviews of the series today, and most have approached this either in an all in one type of manner, discussing all four episodes in one post, or in an episode by episode style over four posts. Because so much happened, however, I think I'm going to go with a blog post per character approach, with a post for Lorelai, a post for Rory, one for Emily, and then a fourth exploring some of my other favourites (Paris, Lane, Luke, Kirk and Michel - maybe more!). I feel like that will let me summarise my feelings on the arc for each character in a more focused way.

So keep your eyes peeled this week for those reviews. It has been so long since I have properly blogged, so I'll sign off here in the cheesiest way I can possibly think of, by quoting the first episode to reflect how I felt writing this post...

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Thanks so much for reading! Let me know in the comments down below how you felt about the series! :)

5 Reasons To Watch Gilmore Girls!

Hello you lovely lot, and welcome back to another in my "5 Reasons To Watch" series! Today I'm talking about one of my all time favourite television shows, Gilmore Girls!

I have to admit, it was hard to choose just five reasons for watching this amazing show, but I narrowed it down in the end! This is one of my absolute "go-to"s, if I'm feeling a bit rubbish - it never fails to cheer me up! So, without further ado, here are the five reasons I think you should give this fabulous show a shot!

It's the ultimate comfort food television

My favourite way to describe Gilmore Girls is as comfort food TV - you know when you have one of those days where all you want to do is curl up with a big mug of hot chocolate or tea, and eat something really comforting (don't know about you, but cake usually works for me!)? Gilmore Girls is the televisual equivalent of that tea and cake. It's warm and comforting and funny and familiar, and all you want to do is teleport yourself into the TV and hang out with Lorelai and Rory all day!

The strong, independent women

You know me, I love a well written female character, and this show is packed full of them. From the three generations of Gilmore women, Emily, Lorelai and Rory, to characters like Sookie St James (Lorelai's best friend, played by the wonderful Melissa McCarthy), Paris Geller, Lane Kim, and Miss Patty, the show is filled with strong, feisty, intelligent and funny women. These are women who aren't afraid to be themselves, but who are real and flawed, who make mistakes and are far from perfect. The fact that we see both the vulnerable and the powerful sides to their personalities makes us fall even more in love with them.

I love all of these characters, but I feel like Lorelai needs an individual mention. I adore her. Lauren Graham is one of my favourite humans, and I just love her character to pieces. She is independent, an amazing parent and someone I would seriously like to have as a friend in real life. Sure, she drinks too much coffee, can be a little too proud sometimes, and doesn't always have the best luck when it comes to relationships, but do you know what? That just makes her all the more relatable!

The Dialogue

Even if you've never watched Gilmore Girls before, I'm sure you'll have read at some point or another that one of the defining features of the show is the dialogue. It's fast paced, filled with pop culture references, from films to books to telvision shows and music, and can, for a beginner, be a lot to keep up with. But persevere, even if your first instinct is "these women talk far too quickly, I won't be able keep up" - you will! Give it a couple of episodes and you be a pro in Gilmore-isms! The more you watch, the more you love the writing style - it's so full of wit and charm, and it forever makes you want to read more books, watch more shows, and get lost in their world!

Stars Hollow is the best town

One of my favourite things about the show is the town in which it's set. Stars Hollow, the fictional Connecticut town is a character in and of itself, and is one of those towns where everyone knows everyone (which, as it turns out, can be a blessing and a curse). The quirky characters, the town meetings, the cute houses and town festivals and events will capture your heart, and you'll find yourself wondering if it's possible to move there.

The Story

Finally, this one sounds a little on the vague side, but the story of Gilmore Girls is one that I think everyone could afford to hear. Yeah, it's a mother-daughter tale at heart, but really, the show is about two women, one in her teens to early twenties, and the other in her thirties, and the people closest to them, going through the motions of real life. We experience love and heartbreak with them, we go through education with them, for Rory we experience high school and college, while with Lorelai we experience working for someone else, and eventually working for herself. We go through family dramas, friendship highs and lows, times when they aren't sure where their lives are going, and times when they couldn't be more confident. This isn't high stakes drama like House of Cards or 24, it's just ordinary, every day life (with a healthy dose of wit). And that can be even more fascinating to watch unfold than the craziest, action packed drama.

So if you've never watched Gilmore Girls before, I hope this post has inspired you to give it a shot - I promise, you will not regret it! You have seven whole wonderful seasons to devour, so go forth, release your inner Gilmore and enjoy :)

Have a great day, and thanks for reading!

My Top 5 TV Friendships

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A couple of weeks ago I put together my top 5 21st century rom coms and I enjoyed it so much I decided to make another list! This time, it's my top 5 favourite TV friendships! I realise that friendships from two of my very favourite shows of all time (Lost and 24) are missing - there clearly weren't any BFFs in there that I really fell for! Anyway, hope you enjoy this little list and let me know what some of your favourite friendships in TV are!

Veronica and Wallace/VeronicaMars

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I think Veronica and Wallace may be my ULTIMATE favourite TV friendship because I really think it's the only completely platonic boy/girl friendship I've ever seen in a ''teen'' style tv show. Instantly bonding when she saves him from humiliation at the hands of a motorcycle gang on his first day at Neptune High, Veronica and Wallace form a bond that can't be broken, and support each other through the highs and lows of life from then on. They have a no questions asked kind of friendship - Wallace might not be entirely comfortable with some of the favours he ends up doing her, but the moment Veronica asks for his help he's there.

Jess, Nick, Winston and Schmidt/NewGirl

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I love the little family Jess, Nick, Winston and Schmidt have together in the apartment. They each have their little roles, and although they drive each other completely insane, when one is gone (see the season 1 finale!) it completely upsets the balance. And yes, okay, Jess and Nick have some of the most amazing on screen chemistry ever, but aside from that attraction, they are really good friends. They all give each other some terrible advice sometimes but they're guaranteed to be there to take care of each other, no matter what the situation is.

Lorelai and Rory/GilmoreGirls

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A television mother daughter friendship that will never be replaced for me, we have Rory and Lorelai Gilmore. I have a friend who completely disagreed with me on this, saying a parent and child should be that first and foremost, friends second, but I love the relationship between these two. I love that Lorelai is so completely focused on her daughter, above anything else, which is so rare to see in tv these days - particularly in teen tv shows the parents are usually the source of trauma in the teens lives (the topic of my university dissertation no less!). The moments when they fight are so unbearable because the bond is so strong, and we love to see their in jokes and pop culture references and imagine that we too live in Stars Hollow... or maybe that's just me!

Joey and Chandler/Friends

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Could we really have a top five without a Friends friendship thrown in there?! Probably not! I love Chandler and Joey's friendship, some of my all time favourite lines in the show are between the two of them. From their man hugs to the ridiculous fall out over Kathy that leads to Chandler spending Thanksgiving in a box, there is never a dull moment with them.

Dan and Blair/GossipGirl

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Now this may be a controversial one (it probably is) but I was a huge Dan and Blair fan. I loved the chemistry between them in seasons four and five, and the way their friendship really blossomed over time. There's a proper spark between them, which is what ended up causing the demise of the entire Gossip Girl storyline because the writers split their fanbase straight down the middle with the ''Dair'' vs ''Chair'' saga, but putting romance aside, I loved the relationship they had. Their friendship comes from not only a vey intellectual place, which makes for a lot of good banter, but as we see as time goes on, he will literally do anything for her. So let's, for a moment, put aside the fact that he is in love with her, and focus on the friendship itself. If you do that, I'm sure you'll see what I mean. It wouldn't be hard to beat ANY of the other ludicrous GG friendships - I think Blair and Serena are probably the worst example of a female friendship I've ever seen, but feel free to disagree!

Thanks for reading :)

Jumping on the 'Top 5' Bandwagon!

I have been watching and reading a lot of 'top 5' or 'top 10' posts recently and it put me in the mood to do a little mini series of my own! I still hadn't got around to it though when I read the lovely Gillian's Top 5 Books post the other day and decided this was the push I needed to film this video!

As I've mentioned about a million times before, I'm a little bit obsessed with TV, particularly of the American variety (although not exclusively!). With my dvd boxset collection continuing to expand, I thought I'd do a top 5 of X genre series, inspired by this video here from Michelle from SweetBookReviews on youtube - I found her top 10 characters in X genre video really interesting!

So, here is the first instalment - my Top 5 Teen/Post Teen TV Dramas! Sorry it's a bit lengthy - this is a subject I love to ramble on about!! What are some of your favourite shows from the teen tv genre, or some of your favourite teen films? I'd love to know, recommendations are always welcome round about here :) The next video will either be my Top 5 TV Comedies or Top 5 TV Dramas (not of the teen variety!).

For now I'm off to hit the shops to get a card and present for one of my oldest and best friends who got engaged at the end of January (eeeeek, proper grown up stuff happening people!) and is moving to Russia for a year with her fiance - she and I are both jetting off on our adventures just three days apart! Hope you are all having a great Friday and looking forward to the weekend and hope to see some of you Scottish Bloggers at tomorrow night's SBValentines Party in Edinburgh, I can't wait!!


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The Ultimate Pick Me Ups :)

So, this weekend I have come down with the worst cold I can remember having in a long time. My throat is sore and voice is croaky, I'm struggling to breathe through my nose and I'm generally feeling a bit sorry for myself! So I thought I'd share with you guys my ultimate pick me ups, guaranteed to make me feel better! They might be a little on the obvious side, but they work for me :)

1. Shu Uemura Depsea Hydrability Moisturiser - I only have a little sample pot of this moisturiser because it's way too expensive for me to actually buy the full size product, but it really is beautiful. So if I'm having a bit of a rubbish day, or feeling a bit ill, using this little luxury product is always guaranteed to make me feel a bit brighter, and make my skin feel really lovely - a huge plus when you're feeling awful! (Shu Uemura, 50ml, £40.00).

2. Gilmore Girls - I am an absolute TV drama addict (as you will see in an upcoming post about my dvd collection!), but any time I'm feeling in need of something comforting Gilmore Girls does the trick. I know it's a bit of a love it or hate it kind of a show, but I absolutely adore it, and it's my ultimate comfort food TV! It's easy going and gentle and nothing hugely dramatic or crazy ever happens, so it's just something nice and funny to get you through one of those days! (Amazon, Gilmore Girls Complete Season 1-7, £42.50)

3. Comfy clothes - It sounds like an obvious one, but comfy clothes and pyjamas are a must on a day when you're feeling under the weather! Since I got home from work I have been cuddled up in my onesie from Next (the one pictured above!) which I got for Christmas. Fluffy socks, slippers and pjs are always good to make you feel that little bit more comfortable! (Next, Supersoft Animal Print All-In-One, £28)

4. Hot drinks - I am a total tea jenny at the best of times, but when I'm not feeling well my intake of tea and hot chocolate definitely increases! I picked up this exciting little item from the chocolate isle in Tesco this morning - it's a rocky road block attached to a plastic spoon, so that when you leave it in your already poured hot chocolate, the chocolate melts, thickening your drink and the marshmallows float to the surface. I am far too excited to try this tonight. (Tesco Chokablok Big Dipper Rocky Road 30G, £1.00)

5. A Nice Mug - In conjunction with the hot drinks idea, drinking from a really big, and pretty mug is a small way to lift your mood. I absolutely love mugs, and really love this one I found on Kaleidoscope from Katie Alice. (Kaleidoscope, Katie Alice Scarlet Posey Set of 6 Mugs, £22.00)

So there you have it, the simple little things that brighten up my day when I'm feeling rubbish with a cold! What are some of your tips? Share them in the comments below :)

Thanks for reading guys :) I'm off to laze on the couch with my hot chocolate, another episode of Gilmore Girls and my cosy duvet - hopefully I'll be bright eyed and ready to film a video by Monday!

Lynsey xxx