It's not like it's been heavily advertised since the summer or anything, but Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life has been impossible to ignore. From what I gather, the show is almost like a lifestyle and it means a lot to its fans. I fully appreciate this, as I am an avid fan of many things. I'll admit that I never chose to not be a fan of Gilmore Girls, in fact I did make it to the end of its second season when I took it for a spin on Netflix this past year. Yet, it never stuck with me, and I am disappointed that it just didn't work out. Almost all of my friends are extremely passionate about Luke's Diner, Rory and Jess, share a hatred for Dean, and can sing the theme song on demand. Now that the revival is finally on Netflix, I am finding it even more challenging to ignore the buzz, and it is not without it's affect on me.
1. You start to wonder why coffee is so significant.
Apparently, fans have this deep and soulful connection to a cup of coffee. You wonder why it holds such a deep meaning for the mother and daughter, and why it is included in nearly every advertisement for the revival. Do the girls only drink hot coffee? Or do they like iced? Have they ever only had coffee from that diner? I don't know what the function of the drink is in relation to character development or serious plot, but it must be very important.
2. You become curious about who is really right for Rory.
There's so many guys to keep track of, and you constantly ask your very opinionated friends which one is which. You know that there's the blonde one - Logan, then there's the bad boy who everyone seems to root for, and there's that guy from Supernatural who is abnormally tall. You never really get a straight answer from anyone to the question of who Rory belongs with. Instead, you either get someone freaking out about who was their favorite, or you get someone giving you each and every detail about how every relationship had its pros and cons.
3. You consider just watching the revival.
You don't know how it would hurt you, honestly. I mean, you would be able to understand all the new stuff that everyone is talking about. Plus, you would get to hear those "final four words" that everyone has been making an insane deal about since the summer. It's right there in front of you, a four part (I think) event at the push of a button. But something deep inside you tells you that it's morally wrong, and you put the impulse aside.
4. You can't believe that Melissa McCarthy was somebody to so many people before she was somebody to you.
Who knew that the toilet scene in Bridesmaids probably meant much more to the fans of this show, because it was the person who portrayed one of their beloved characters? I guess everyone has to start somewhere, but you feel left out that you didn't know about Melissa McCarthy in the early 2000s. There's almost a generational divide between the people who knew her as that lady who bakes stuff or something, and the people who know her from Hollywood's comedies.
5. You feel like you know Jess, even though you really don't.
Suddenly all you see on the Internet are pictures of this bad boy Jess who is the same guy from NBC's This Is Us (without the 70s mustache). You decide that he and Rory must have had a very complex and dynamic relationship given their apparent different personalities, and you feel an appreciation to his character. He's pretty darn cute, and you decide that if you ever come around to watching the show - he's going to be your favorite.
6. You try to figure out the Luke and Lorelai relationship.
It seems like something definitely went on between them, but you can't really tell if it worked out - and you don't want to know. It's obvious that they are close, and you've seen some interesting GIFs and photosets of their relationship. Luke seems like a lovable guy, and they go to his coffee place a lot, right? You choose to believe what you want about these two, until you are told otherwise.
7. You put the show back on your queue.
All this wondering has got you asking yourself why you don't go and find out the answers? So, you add this show back to your queue. You look at the season length, letting out a long sigh, worrying at the possibility of defeat. You try to put the history you had with the show aside, telling yourself that everything and everyone deserves a second chance (except Dean, I guess).
8. You secretly lock yourself away and watch it.
So you decide it's time to jump back in, but you don't want the influence of any of your obsessed friends to ruin the experience. You'll keep your opinions secret, chuckle at the cheesy jokes in the privacy of your room, snuggle up with a cup of tea, and quietly ship who you please. This is your business now, and you need to take it seriously.
9. You try to avoid spoilers - everywhere.
You might need to block some tags on Tumblr, because everyone you follow is absolutely raving about the revival - which is years ahead of you. It's a tough feat for anyone, and you wish everyone would just calm down instead of showing you tidbits from the episodes that you haven't seen. You consider moving to live under a rock where you can be safe from the spoilers for a while.
10. You try to act natural.
Maybe you're a fan now, maybe you understand the significance of Luke's Diner and a cup of coffee. Maybe you have chosen who is right for Rory, and you appreciate Melissa McCarthy more than you ever did before. Regardless, you're going to try to stay as calm as possible to avoid giving into the hype that your friends have tried to rope you into numerous times. And if you're singing the theme song, you're singing it lightly under your breath.
To all of those diehard fans out there, I wish you a lovely trip to Stars Hollow!