#and oh yeah Richard Rory popped back up in this issue

[theodore-sallis]

“A Quiet Night in the Swamp,” Daredevil (Vol. 1/1964), #114.

Writer: Steve Gerber; Penciler: William Robert Brown; Inker: Vince Colletta; Colorist: Stan Goldberg; Letterer: Charlotte Jetter

[barbiepenandink-blog1]

Why you should absolutely watch Gilmore Girls in your early 20's

Let’s face it. Not only is Gilmore Girls one of the most successful tv series of the Noughties (can never quite decide whether that term is clever or uncomfortable). It’s also the best series. That’s why it’s always the first one I see when I log in to Netflix… (or I’m bingeing all 7 for the fourth time).

It’s rare to find a show which is actually both believable and addictive, which explains its millions of fans. However, it’s a particularly helpful show to take up watching at 20 years old. Here’s why:

(pssst, may contain spoilers towards the end)

It’s set in the late nineties: Anyone born from ‘95 onward arrived on this lovely earth around the same time as Gilmore Girls was introduced to us by the TV gods. This means you’ll have at least a vague recollection of the clothes, technology and pop culture which Rory and Lorelai make plenty of references to from episode one.

Star’s Hollow is a small town: Shows set in the big city often can sometimes get a little unrealistic, but the Gilmores live in Stars Hollow, a small town near Connecticut in the US. There are plenty of diverse and quirky characters, which seem to be specific to small town life rather than city life. You wouldn’t meet a Taylor Dozey in NY, and he somehow seems familiar.

Rory’s Age grows with the show: Rory begins as a fifteen year old high school kid, but throughout the series we see her go on to college and make tough life choices about her future schooling after graduation. Many of us watching as 19/20/21 year olds can relate to her immense confusion and frustration with finding a career path as she gets to know herself. With employment rejection, course choices and decisions that affect her future- it’s a pretty shitty time, but Rory’s character makes it feel like everyone’s in the same boat. You are not alone!

Lorelai is your actual Mother: I can’t tell you how often throughout this show Rory’s mum tries to teach her about various life lessons, and it’s like my own mum talking to me. Real mother-daughter problems laid out; closeness, arguments and misunderstandings solved by communication and experience. Oh, and plenty of junk food.

You’ve probably dated each of Rory’s Boyfriends: From the intense and sometimes naive first love at 16 with Dean that ended in a dramatic break up full of jealousy and forbidden take-backs, we have all either done it ourselves or watched someone we know make the same moves. The brooding, passionate Jess at 18 who made Rory question herself and her aims. This is the guy who treats you kinda like shit but you kinda love it… then you don’t love it so much and you grow a big enough set of balls that you tell him to grow up and get over himself (changing him forever, probz.) Lastly… Logan. Yes he may be a primped up trust fund with hair like something from a Tressemé ad, but he enters Rory’s life just as she needs him to. Isn’t that how they say it happens? When you’re not looking for it?

The Gilmore Grandparents are an indulgence by themselves: Yeah, okay, our granny’s and grandpas may not be millionaires and they probably won’t build an astronomy centre in our name. But Emily and Richard Gilmore bicker about mundane topics like anyone else’s grandparents. Amongst their copious events and lunch dates with the high fliers of society, you can find them arguing about what classifies as a “fishy- fish”. Even throughout their separation, the Gilmores represent a slow burning love and deep rooted regard for one another which we all hope to have someday in the future.

The point is, the Gilmore family offer a lot of easy to relate to issues and morals for us mere mortals to learn from, and twenty is the perfect age to broaden your mind with the mother and daughter duo, teaching us how to communicate as best friends rather than ancestor and offspring. In fact it’s so good, any age is perfect to watch it.

So.. Go. Right now. Binge.

The best part is, they’ve just released a four part seasonal finale on Netflix! Yay!