“Like Mother, Like Daughter” – Gilmore Girls, a Story in Review

A Brief Introduction…

When sixteen-year-old Lorelai Gilmore finds out she’s pregnant, she runs away from her well-established family home and raises her daughter all by herself.

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Through hard work and determination, she supports the two of them and gives them the most wonderful life filled with an array of fantastic opportunities and new friends. Rory grows up to be an educated, independent, and worldly woman – a journalist. Through ups and downs, family drama, and lots more the Gilmore Girls begin and end their journey as the best of friends. 

Of course, that’s not all of it, there are seven seasons to the show! But, let’s put that in the Story Spine,

Once upon a time…	There was a sixteen-year-old girl named Lorelai Gilmore.
Every day…	She was forced by her parents to fit into their rich and lavish lifestyle which she did not feel comfortable in.
But, one day…	She got pregnant!
Because of that…	She ran away from home to a small town called Stars Hollow and sought shelter at the local Inn where she worked as a maid.
Because of that…	As her daughter, Rory, grew up, she continued to work hard and support the two of them and eventually made it up the ranks to be the inn manager.
Because of that…	She and Rory learned to dream big. Rory went to private school and eventually, Yale University and Lorelai opened her own inn.
Until finally…	She needed her family’s help with school tuition for Rory.
And, ever since then…	While Lorelai and Rory had a new family in Stars Hollow, there was enough room for Lorelai’s parents in their life as well.

While there is so much more to the series than just the brief description above, ultimately, Gilmore Girls is the story of a hardworking single mother and her bookworm daughter navigating life in what has been referred to as “The Best Mother-Daughter Relationship Ever…”.

A Dollop of Familiarity and a Hint of Comfort

The story of Gilmore Girls is a universal story. It is simple, funny, and extremely relatable. Aya Tsintziras points out that “while not everyone grew up with a cool single mom who felt like a peer, many fans can still relate to much of Gilmore Girls… Whether it was the show’s smart depiction of high school life or the way that the mother/daughter duo acted in their academic/professional and personal lives, there were many Gilmore Girls storylines that made a lot of sense to viewers”. Simply put, the interwoven storylines presented real-life scenarios that resonated with its audience. There was no indication of a far-fetched reality, but rather one that is familiar to all. 

As Ashley Fell mentions in her TEDx talk, an important characteristic of a good story is a main character you can identify with. ‘Gilmore Girls’ gives its audience two main characters of different age groups (adult and teen) who are undergoing different challenges in their lives. Challenges that mirror those the audience might go through in their own respective lives. 

I saw a lot of myself in Rory. Just like Rory, I am a reader, a writer, and a girl with big dreams. Just like her, I wanted to go to University and eventually end up writing for a living. Ironic, isn’t it?

A good story also gives its audience a character to root for and appeals to their deepest emotions. Shannon Carlin points out that the series “has always made fans cry… Sometimes, these were happy tears; other times, not so much. But if there’s one thing fans already know about this show, it’s that it definitely requires you to keep the tissues handy”. The down-to-earth atmosphere of the story and characters makes it easy for the average viewer to connect with and root for the main characters. This then leads to a strong emotional response when the characters either succeed or fail at something that the audience feels like they have been a part of. 

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The Story of My Life

You may be asking yourself, “Why Gilmore Girls?”. Well, I first watched Gilmore Girls with pure curiosity. I never realized the story would be so similar to that of my own. Just like Lorelai, my mom had me at a young age (not at sixteen but she was still young) and raised me primarily on her own. When I was five years old, we had lost my father and for a while, it was just the two of us against the world. Like Lorelai, who takes on a job as a maid at an inn, my mom took on many different jobs to support the two of us and provide us with a life we could both enjoy. 

After years of seeing happy large families on TV, there was finally something that represented me. This story, while not directly related to me in any way, made me feel heard. It spoke to my own life story, upbringing, and even future goals. 

Just like Lorelai and Rory, it’s always been me and my mom!

Do you have a television series that speaks to your heart? Leave a comment below!