Warning: major Gilmore Girls spoilers ahead. Proceed with caution.
As a huge Gilmore Girls fan, I was thrilled when Netflix announced they were going to bring us back to a little town in Connecticut called Stars Hollow. I had so many questions…is Taylor still the mayor? Are Luke and Lorelai still together? And who does Rory really end up with? After binge-watching all four episodes, a few of my questions were answered – yes, Taylor is still the mayor, and after stressing and holding my breath, I found out that Luke and Lorelai finally get married. However, upon completion of the fourth episode, I was left confused and wanting more, because, ya know…
I didn’t move from my position on the couch as I tried to absorb what was going on. To truly understand the craziness, I needed to eat some of Rory and Lorelai’s favorite foods. I went through 4 different stages, and obviously, coffee was present during each one.
Stage 1: Pop Tarts
It’s only fitting to start with Rory and Lorelai’s breakfast food of choice. Pop tarts were always close by in the Gilmore household, mostly eaten in the morning, but also acceptable at midnight or for different peace offerings. Pop tarts are at the top of the snack hierarchy, and should be recognized as such. They started their days with this, so the stages of acceptance should start with pop tarts too. All right, stage 2, I’m comin’ for ya.
Stage 2: A Burger From Luke’s Diner
Luke’s burgers are the best, we all know that just from watching the show. Since I was not physically in Connecticut, I had to settle for a different burger (without lettuce of course, to truly get into Lorelai’s mindset). Since these burgers were consumed at all hours of the day in Stars Hollow, I figured this was a good pop tart follow-up. I was slowly understanding what had occurred, with Emily buying the house in Nantucket after quitting the D.A.R and why Lorelai had to do Wild to realize Luke was the best thing to ever happen to her (obviously). The burger was pretty helpful, so that meant it was time for stage 3.
Stage 3: Ice Cream (not to be confused with fro yo)
I thought ice cream would be a nice way to clean my palate from the burger, and since there was always an open ice cream carton at the Gilmore residence, I knew I needed to dig in. I mulled over the boys who made an appearance, everyone from Dean to Jess to Doyle to Paul to Luke.
I had a difficult time accepting Rory and Logan’s “what happens here, stays here” attitude, especially when our boy Jess showed up. I loved that Michel was back in action, thought Paul was completely unnecessary, and got a kick out of Doyle (as usual). After the ice cream, I understood that Rory needed Logan to realize there is so much more than Paul, needed Jess to realize she had the most perfect story to write right in front of her, and needed Christopher to tell her what to do with the baby. It was time to move to stage 4.
Stage 4: Take-Out Chinese Food
How else to get into the meat of the revival with a variety of Chinese food served from the local pancake house? It led me to think about how little we see of Lane and Mrs. Kim in the Gilmore Girls revival (I know, I know, they’re Korean, not Chinese), but still major characters nonetheless. I came to the conclusion that this might’ve been to emphasize how Lane got herself together, with the help of Zach, Steve, and Kwan. But Rory, who everyone thought would be the number one New York Times journalist at this point, hadn’t figured life out yet. Interesting. Onto stage 5 we go.
Stage 5: Dessert Sushi
The only appropriate way to finish this list is with dessert sushi, a classic Gilmore dessert. It helped me come to terms with the recent happenings of Stars Hollow. All in all, it was a fun trip back down memory lane in a little town in Connecticut. Things have changed and people have grown, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I’m still thinking about those last four words. But of course, I’ll never forget about the episode that started it all…