The Goodbye 'Girls'

It's hard to believe that after 7 years, those irresistible Gilmore women are not going to be a part of our lives anymore. No more clever, quick banter, no more Paris obsessions (like labels telling the world to leave her orange juice alone on both sides of the container), no more Luke and Lorelei, no more zany Stars Hollow-ians, and most of all no more of the best mother-daughter relationship to ever grace the small screen. Yes, I'm going to miss those Gilmore Girls. I'm relatively new to the show, so I still have the joy of older episodes to discover and yet, I couldn't help but feel a sadness when the show flashed those closing credits for the final time. Maybe it was the realization that we won't be following anymore the adventures of Lorelei and Rory or the thought of these two being separated by something as permanent as Rory's first real job, but something had me feeling that familiar emptiness in the pit of my stomach that seems to rear its ugly head around this time every year.

As finales go, this one was pretty good, especially since it was designed to work as either a series or season finale (not sure how they had planned to carry out the Rory story line next season if they're had been one). I was happy that Rory and Logan didn't end up together, and she was embarking on a career venture that promised to bring good things for her in the future. Lorelei and Luke seem to be on the right path to mend romantic fences, but there was also a clear sense that she was going to be OK if things didn't work out. In a way, the show came full circle, and that's the way things needed to be left. There was no drawn out sad goodbye at the airport, just an early final breakfast at Luke's familiar diner shared between the mother and daughter who made this show so charming. And in that final scene, a sense of ease in that classic Gilmore style coexisting with a harbinger of change. A fitting ending for a series that loved to balance contridictions.

Shows come and go. But it's a real tribute to everyone involved when the characters left behind leave a big enough impact to make you miss them when they're gone. I'm going to miss Lorelei and Rory. TV hasn't met anyone like them, and I'm pretty sure it never will again.

Thank you to the cast and crew of Gilmore Girls for 7 wonderful seasons!!