(May 2006) Spotlight: Gilmore Girls

Tara McEwan
Dose

Tuesday Global 10 p.m. ET/PT, 8 p.m. MT

Players: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Scott Patterson, Kelly Bishop

The Pitch: Season 6 comes to a close amid a graduation party for Logan, an ambush at Friday night dinner and an onslaught of appearances by notable musicians including Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo and Sparks in Stars Hollow.

The Prognosis: For six years, Gilmore Girls has built a strong following by exploring the beautifully complex mother-daughter relationships between Lorelai (Graham) and Emily (Bishop), and Lorelai and Rory (Bledel). The first half of the season, which saw Rory snub her mother and move in with the grandparents, proved to be a brilliant, months-long tug of war between Lorelai and Emily over Rory’s future.

But then Lorelai and Rory made up, rendering Emily invisible and the love lives of our two heroines took centre stage. The show’s dramatic tension promptly took a nosedive. The introduction of Luke’s long-lost daughter, a wedding postponement and Logan’s continued childish behaviour put Lorelai and Rory into a position neither character had assumed before: the submissive female. Um, Max? Dean? Jess? These ladies have never picked a relationship over happiness.

With the departure of Amy Sherman-Palladino (head writer and show’s creator), it’s anyone’s guess where the characters end up in Season 7. And if the latter-half of Season 6 is any indication, the season finale is the last chance to see the Lorelai and Rory we’ve loved for six years.