#lorelai had this huge horrible thing happen

[panharmonium]

Man, these past few days...so many thoughts. About my life then, my life now. What I missed. Thoughts about what I'll never have. And what I want to have.

[sulietsexual]

Hi I see you post a lot of pro Chris stuff and I don't want to push you to discuss anything but could you give me one example of when he treated Lorelai better than Luke? I mean he didn't even show up at the hospital after her dad had a heart attack and Luke did.

I’ll address the hospital point first, because it’s not as cut and dry as “Chris didn’t show up for Lorelai and Luke did.” 

In the episode in question we learn that Chris turned his phone off after his fight with Lorelai the night before and that’s why he didn’t turn up. It wasn’t because he was deliberately staying away, it’s because he literally didn’t know what was going on because his phone was switched off. Was switching off his phone and ghosting his wife for a day immature? Yes, of course. But he had no way of knowing that Richard would have a heart attack and that Lorelai would need him that day, and we do see that as soon as he turns his phone on and gets the messages he goes to the hospital. So, yeah, not a simple as “Luke was there and Chris wasn’t” but more a case of “Chris made a bad decision in turning his phone off and ending up looking like he didn’t care when in actuality he wasn’t aware of the situation”.

It’s hard to compare Luke and Chris and their relationships with Lorelai because they were so different and happened at such different times in her life. But I will always maintain that Luke treated Lorelai really badly during their relationship (and even before it), for a number of reasons.

For starters, he’s terrible at communication. He often just blows up at her instead of actually talking things through, such as when he yells at her when she buys his dad’s boat or the weekend they spend with Rory and Logan at Martha’s Vineyard where he’s snarky and complains the whole time. He doesn’t talk to her when he has a problem, he just yells and expects her to read his mind.

He cuts her out of his life time and again. At the beginning of Season 5 he tells her that he’s “all in” and then at the first sign of trouble, he bails. The whole debacle at Richard and Emily’s Wedding wasn’t even her fault (it was Emily and Chris’) and yet Luke dumps her, leaving her alone at the wedding and breaking up with her, simply because he didn’t want to deal with the fact that Emily didn’t like him and Chris got drunk and acted like a douche. Lorelai did nothing wrong in that scenario, yet he made her feel like he couldn’t deal with their relationship, made her feel like she had driven him away, and didn’t go back to her until Emily literally told him to. He went from being “all in” to bolting at the very first sign of trouble, instead of actually talking things through with Lorelai.

Then there’s April and really the entirety of Season 6. After (once again) screaming at Lorelai for something that wasn’t her fault, he tells her that the most important thing is trust, that they can’t have a relationship without being honest with one another and that he wants her to tell him everything. Then he finds out that he has a daughter and he hides it from Lorelai for two months (and probably would have continued to hide it if she hadn’t accidentally found out). After all that talk about trust and honesty, he hides something that huge from his fiance, lies to her face for two months and cuts her out of his life. If I were Lorelai, I would have been so hurt and betrayed.

Then, he postpones the wedding, right after Lorelai discovers that he’s been lying to her and keeping her out of such a huge part of his life, essentially sending the message that he doesn’t want to commit to her, that she doesn’t matter to him. He then spends the entire season blocking her from that part of his life, not letting her meet or spend time with April, not communicating with her, keeping her out of the loop and remaining blindly oblivious to how much he’s hurting her. He makes her feel small and insignificant, like she doesn’t have a place in his life, like he doesn’t want to be with her or share his life with her. Lorelai ends the season miserable because the man she wanted to spend her life with has treated her so badly for so many months. It’s horrible to watch.

Now, while Chris isn’t always the best person or the most reliable guy, he has always been clear with Lorelai. She has always known where she stands with him. At sixteen years old he was prepared to marry her, go to work with her father and commit to her and Rory but she turned him away. Over the years he has always been clear that he loves her, has always communicated and been upfront about his feelings. When he leaves in Season 2 it’s not because he wants to, it’s because he’s being the decent man and going back to Sherri to be a father, to support her and his child - something Lorelai didn’t let him do.

Then, when they’re together in Season 7, he is open and honest, he communicates with and talks to Lorelai. He lets her be a part of Gigi’s life and talks to her about changes in his life, he shows her Sherri’s letter within days of getting it, he discusses his daughter with her and actually lets Lorelai be a part of his (and Gigi’s) life. When they fight, they communicate openly afterwards, acknowledge why they were fighting, and reconcile (as opposed to Luke, who just yelled and then dictated the terms of their reconciliation). 

Chris is also, IMO, a better match for Lorelai. He is more outgoing and extroverted (like her), he kept up with her and knew how to handle her best. They had a playful and light banter, as opposed to the snarky and often mean “banter” which Luke and Lorelai had. Chris was happy for her when she was with Max and wished her genuine congratulations, as opposed to Luke who spent Lorelai’s entire engagement telling her that marriages fail and talking about how disastrous weddings were but then seemed to think that making the Hupa (sp?) made up for months of snarking.

But what of Chris’ behaviour at Emily and Richard’s wedding, you ask. Yes, let’s talk about that. Chris was a gigantic douchebag at that event. He was drunk and awful and he shouldn’t have said the things he said. He had also just suffered two extremely traumatising life events mere months before. His father had died and his wife had left him. He was emotional, grieving and vulnerable and Emily manipulated that vulnerability. While that’s not an excuse for his behaviour it is a reason and given how the rest of the time Chris is supportive of Lorelai and her relationships, this was definitely an OOC moment for him, brought on by his grief and loneliness.

So this got very long, but hopefully has cleared things up for you regarding my feelings towards both Luke and Chris and their respective relationships with Lorelai.

[gentlegranolavibes]

“Gilmore Girls;” The Sounds of Starry Hollow

“Gilmore Girls,” an iconic (and my personal favorite) feel-good television series, follows the story of mother/daughter duo Lorelei and Rory Gilmore navigating life in Starry Hollow. This blog discusses how “Gilmore Girls” uses music and sound to tell its charming story. From diegetic and non-diegetic transition music, down to the soundscape of Luke’s Diner, “Gilmore Girls” explores how sound can be effectively used in television. Today, let's look at S1, EP3 as an example.

Season one, episode three (Kill Me Know) begins with one of the Gilmore's weekly dinners at Emily and Richard’s house. At this dinner, it comes to Emily’s attention that Rory needs to choose a sport to play at Chilton, and she effectively forces Richard and Rory to schedule a round of golf the next day. Lorelai makes a valiant attempt to stop it, getting into a heated argument with her mother doing so, but her efforts are to no avail. The round of golf is begrudgingly on. The next day, while Rory is struggling to learn golf and connect with her grandfather, Lorelai is setting up for a huge wedding happening at the Independence Inn. From dealing with an overworked mother of the bride, two sets of twins, and Sookie’s bickering with the vegetable man, she’s got a lot on her plate. Yet all the while, she remains steady in her opinion that Rory must be having a horrible time golfing, and can’t wait to spill all the gossip later that night. However, Rory actually ended up having “quiet a nice time,” to use her own words. Her and Richard connected over their shared love of reading, which makes Lorelai feel incredibly jealous and insecure. So much so, that the women get into a heated argument themselves, and strom off to lick their respective wounds. At the wedding the next day, the Gilmore girls talk it out and eventually come to a mutual understanding, after watching how horrible the mother/daughter relationship is between the twin brides and their mother. Finally, the episode concludes where it began, at yet another Friday dinner with Richard and Emily. However, this dinner goes much more smoothly, which is a bittersweet pill for Lorelai and the audience to swallow.

Now that you’re caught up on what happened in the episode, let's take a deeper look into how diegetic music helps define relationships in “Gilmore Girls.” Starting with an instance of diegetic music at the beginning of the episode (minutes 4-6), when Lorelai and Emily (her mother) are arguing in the kitchen. There is the faint sound of a classical tune being played somewhere in the home. This song is used as an underscore to the intense argument, and becomes a sort of auditory symbol in the episode, representing tension in the mother/daughter relationship. The sweet hum of a simple classical melody is somewhat ironic, given that we only ever hear it when there is a fight to be picked. This contrast between the musical sound and episodic content only serves to emphasize the conflict between Lorelai and Emily more, pulling the audience into the different character perspectives and dramatic tension of the episode.

But wait! There’s more: If you thought this would be the only instance of classical music being used to define the mother/daughter relationship, think again. From minutes 32-34, we see Lorelai and Rory sitting on their porch and progressing into an argument about nothing and everything at the same time. The women argue about the unpermitted borrowing of a sweater, but in reality, this argument is about Lorelai being upset by the fact that Rory had a nice time with her grandparents, whom she dislikes. And while the women argue, there is none other than a simple, classical tune being played on the piano by a neighbor, heard through an open window. This is a moment of incredible specificity within the soundscape, as we’ve established that classical music signifies tension within the episode. The use of another classical song allows the audience to subconsciously compare Lorelai to Emily (her mother) in that moment, and allows Lorelai to have a similar realization. She discovers that maybe her and her mom aren’t so different, and she doesn't like this part of herself. The repeated use of classical music helps to make connections between different characters, on top of increasing dramatic tension.

What about when classical music isn’t used? If classical music isn’t your thing, don’t worry, there are also powerful moments in “Gilmore Girls” that explore the mother/daughter relationship, without a classical tune! For example, at minutes 38-40, we see Lorelai and Rory make up from their previous argument on their porch. This productive and apologetic conversation is not underscored by classical music, but by its counterpart, modern pop. There is a fun, upbeat, pop song being played by the wedding band in the background. The intentional non-usage of classical music indicates a different kind of mother/daughter relationship at this moment. We see a pair of women who are driven to talk to eachother out of a need for healing and mutual respect.  On top of this, the use of the musical opposite, pop music, indicates that this mother/daughter relationship is different than that of Lorelai and Emily. This only makes the audience fall in love with Lorelai and Rory’s story even more, and serves to create a heartwarming moment of women supporting women, instead of succumbing to jealousy and competition.

All in all, season 1, episode 3 (Kill Me Now) of “Gilmore Girls” intentionally uses diegetic, classical music as a means of exploring the mother/daughter relationship. This intentional usage (or non-usage) allows the audience to make connections between different mother/daughter pairs, and further audience investment in the characters and stories. As Lorelai says, “Life’s short, talk fast” and feel free to leave comments, questions, ideas, and thoughts below. Stay tuned for more!

[ultralifehackerguru-blog]

New Post has been published on http://www.lifehacker.guru/16-fictional-couples-shouldve-ended-together-didnt/

16 Fictional Couples Who Should've Ended Up Together, But Didn't

There’s nothing more frustrating then when a TV show or movie give you two characters who are perfect for each other but doesn’t have them end up together.Like, why are you trying to hurt me? What did I do to deserve this pain?

Warning: Spoilers Ahead! 

  Ian and Mickey from Shameless 

This relationship was iconic, and it remains one of the most non-stereotypical gay relationships that has ever happened on television.  It was truly something special, and the ending felt forced and silly.Honestly, every other relationship on this show has paled in comparison to Ian and Mickey.

PreviouslyTV

Joyce and Bob the Brain on Stranger Things 

I do love the idea of Joyce getting with Hopper, but I know that they will be bad for each other.A relationship with Bob seemed like a real chance for Joyce to be happy, but that dream was ripped to shreds by a bunch of Demo-Dogs.

Sun and Mun from Sense8

I will never forgive Netflix for refusing to renew Sense8 for a third season because now we will never get to see Sun and Mun get together.Their chemistry is off the charts, and I could literally watch 10,000 hours of them sparring.

Tumblr | majorlyobsessed

Shawn and Angela from Boy Meets World

In my mind, these two always end up together. They were just meant to be and understood each other better than anyone else.However, Girl Meets World had to go and ruin any hope we had left that these two finally figured out they belong together.

Fanpop

Nate Archibald and Serena van der Woodsen from Gossip Girl 

I mean, come on — of course, Serena was supposed to end up with Nate! They are an iconic couple.I get that they did a ton of horrible things to each other, but so did every other couple on this dumpster fire of a show.

Giphy

Hawkeye and Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

WHAT HAPPENED IN BUDAPEST?!I guess Marvel figured this relationship was too perfect or something, so they gave Hawkeye a wife and kids and decided Natasha should fall in love with the Hulk.

Also, Natasha isn’t a “monster” like the Hulk because she can’t have kids. That explanation has always bugged me.

Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki

Lorelai and Christopher in Gilmore Girls 

If you’ve ever seen an episode of Gilmore Girls, then you know it’s obvious from very early on that Lorelei and Christopher are meant to be.The writers of this show were just too determined to keep Lorelai in the dating game, but watching her and Chris get together would have been way more interesting.

AdoroCinema

Katniss and Gale in The Hunger Games 

Sorry, Peeta fans, but Gale and Katniss should have been endgame.I’m just sick and tired of the “dopey boy with a lifelong crush getting the girl” trope. It’s boring! Katniss and Gale had a ton more in common, and that’s that.

The Hunger Games Wiki

Vada and Thomas J. in My Girl 

And now, I’m crying.Honestly, I’m sorry that I brought this up and reminded you of the Shakespearean tragedy that is My Girl, but if any two people on this list deserve justice, it’s them.

Essential Kids

Castiel and Dean from Supernatural 

I know that Supernatural is still on the air (and probably always will be), but I also know this relationship will never happen.The Supernatural writers are huge fans of teasing gay relationships and then walking them back. Cas and Dean’s relationship is easily the most compelling on the show, but now, it feels like a punchline.

Amino Apps

Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter movies.

Ummm, yes!Neville and Luna are just such great characters, and we would have loved to see them get together. They are a perfect match — both brave, kind, and loyal — and I can easily picture them falling in love.

Bustle

Marissa and Ryan from The O.C. 

Everyone who was born in the ’90s remembers exactly where they were when they saw “The Graduates‎,” the most life-ruining episode of The O.C. It was super devastating.Without Marissa, the show sort of fell apart. And don’t get me started on Taylor. Ugh.

The Zoe Report

Rachel and Joey from Friends 

I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU THINK.Ross is terrible, and Rachel deserved so much better. Ross is often jealous and belittles Rachel, but Joey has always cherished her, and they have so much fun together.

Also, did I mention that Ross is terrible?

Twitter | @kaneandgriffin| Twitter | @kaneandgriffin| Twitter | @kaneandgriffin| Twitter | @kaneandgriffin

Yara and Daenerys in Game of Thrones 

These two would have the Seven Kingdoms in the palm of their hands in less than a season.There was definitely tension between these ladies in the throne room, and as far as we know, they aren’t related.

AfterEllen

Lane and David Rygalski from Gilmore Girls 

Lane deserves so much better than she got. I will never forgive A Year In The Life for doing her so dirty. Obviously, she should have ended up with Dave. This isn’t up for debate.

The Great Gilmore Girls Rewatch

Can you think of a couple we missed? COMMENT and let us know!(C)

[frazzledsoul]

Why The IMDB Ranking of the Top Gilmore Girls Episodes Is Wrong Wrong Wrong and The True Ranking of GG Greatness According To Me

Raincoats and Recipes - This is the greatest episode of the show and one of my favorite episodes of TV ever. We have Lorelai finally fulfilling her dreams, tons of Rory drama, and the culmination of the long burning Luke/Lorelai romance in the show’s absolute most perfect moment. I feel this episode kind of encapsulates the show at its best, when it is lighthearted romantic comedy and incisive drama without being either too cloying or too heartwrenching.

Bon Voyage - Objectively, this is a great episode and is in so many ways superior to the revival finale. Rory finally gets the send-off into the world that she deserves; Lorelai finally gets the affirmation of her life choices from her dad that she always wanted; she’s set to continue her relationship with her parents even without Rory around; she and Luke finally reconcile and even though we don’t have all of our questions answered, it’s clear from the gooey looks between them in the final scene that it’s set to last this time.

In a lot of ways I wish we had left it there and imagined that Luke and Lorelai settled into early family life together and that Rory became that globe-trotting journalist she always dreamed of being.

However, personally I can’t stand that Lorelai tells Rory she is giving up on her and Luke getting back together because he hasn’t responded to her romantic overtures after she told several people in front of his face that she didn’t mean things that way. Why is always up to him to make a move Lorelai? It just bothers me. Ugh.

And this is totally beside the point, but that line “I want somebody who can tell me he can feel” is used to devastating effect in a fanfic I won’t mention to argue that he is ultimately unworthy of Lorelai and that every moment she spent with him was wasted. This is why I am so picky about how Luke is handled in fanfic, because when you’re really emotionally connected to a show that’s disappointed you, you don’t want to see your favorites trashed in the venue you escape to to make up for what the writers wrecked. (And I know I’m a hypocrite in this, as I have written both Lit and Rogan fanfics in which the wisdom of those ships are openly questioned, though I like to think that I also point out the good things about those relationships as well). Sure, the episode ends with Lorelai realizing how devoted Luke is to her, and that he puts her happiness above everything else, even his hope of having his affection returned, and that’s how he shows her he can feel. But something about the beginning rubs me the wrong way.

So I vote to substitute it with Fall (although I would not rank it so highly). There was nothing missing in the OG series finale that necessitated the existence of the revival, but I’m very glad we have it. It was so gratifying to see Luke give that speech of undying devotion, to see Luke and Lorelai finally get married, to see Jess accepted as part of the family and Rory finally be fulfilled in her work. And yes, that ending, but the passage of time has softened its harshness: Rory is older, she has the support of her family, she did get to do what she wanted in the world, and she can handle it. She’ll get to play out a healthier version of her mother’s life story.

Friday Night’s Alright For Fighting - Woo, boy. Seriously, what the hell is this doing ranked #3? It’s a decent episode, but it doesn’t belong in the Top 30, nevermind in the Top 3. Yes, the fighting is sort of amusing, but I see it sort of on the level of Babette and Miss Patty comparing Lorelai’s love interests to barnyard animals in season 7, except it’s not even as funny as that was. And Lorelai being forced to watch with the rest of the town while Luke and April hang out in the diner is not funny: it’s sad. I kind of feel this episode gets to the essence of everything that went terribly, horribly wrong in season six: the writers want us to pretend that the show is an escapist romp, but that’s impossible when the characters are making each other so miserable.

I would replace it with the much undervalued Hay Bale Maze episode. I feel this episode is everything that the season 7 writers got right and that the Palladinos didn’t understand. (If you want an example of everything they got wrong, I invite you to watch French Twist or that horrid Great Stink episode). You see Logan and Rory being a sweet, healthy couple and that Logan can actually be mature and understanding and willing to admit fault (ASP really, really needed to watch this episode). You have quirky townie action and April and Lorelai acting warmly towards each other (again, another scene that ASP needed to watch). You see Luke and Lorelai actually able to come to terms with what happened in the past and apologize to each other and yes, while it was awkward and uncomfortable those moments always are awkward and uncomfortable and they needed to face that before they could move on. (And it was hugely, hugely vindicating for Lorelai to say what she did was wrong and that she was sorry. ASP would never have let her do that in a million years). I just feel that this episode is everything that is warm and positive and forgiving about the show and that it was a hard-won moment of healing after so much bad stuff had happened during the last two seasons.

Those Are Strings Pinocchio - This is Rory’s Chilton graduation episode and it’s perfect. The moment where we see Rory give the touching graduation speech dedicated to her mom and see both Luke and Lorelai break out in tears is so heartwarming. And it is awesomely rewarding to see her surrounded by the two people who actually supported her throughout the years, instead of having one be crowded out by the guy who only showed up when he was pretending at the role in order to curry favor with her mom.

Last Week’s Fights This Year’s Tights - This is a perfect, perfect, perfect episode but it needs to be ranked higher. This truly Luke at his most swoonworthy, romantic best and it’s hugely gratifying to see Luke and Jess finally make peace with each other.

They Shoot Gilmores Don’t They - The dance marathon episode! Yes, it definitely deserves its place. I kind of feel this episode gets the wondrous fairyland aspect of Stars Hollow right, and even though we are in the midst of Rory’s high school love triangle drama, it’s wonderful to imagine a world where that’s the worst thing that can happen.

If only the show had managed to stay that way.

Wedding Bell Blues - Okay, objectively this is a great episode. Lots of fun townie action (Emily’s bachelorette party!), Emily and Richard are adorable, and there are some nice L/L moments before it all blows up. I actually enjoy seeing Christopher and Luke trade off being Protective Dad and the speech where Luke lays out to Christopher all the ways in which he has actually been Rory’s dad when Christopher couldn’t bother to show up is epic.

However, it’s also the episode where Luke and Lorelai essentially break up because Lorelai is an idiot and has no reasonable boundary issues with Christopher (in what universe is it okay to show up with a bottle of tequila to comfort your ex boyfriend and stay all night drinking with him when you are in a relationship? Seriously, Lorelai. Can’t you just give him a hug and then leave?) and Luke doesn’t fight it when she thinks she’s serious about it, even though it’s clear he regrets it and tries to fix things. I don’t like that. I know they are only separated for a single episode and a few weeks in show time, but I still don’t like it.

So I vote to replace it with Written In The Stars, the episode where Luke and Lorelai consummate their love, we get the truly swoonworthy horoscope moment, and we discover that Luke is truly an epic example of manly yet sensitive romantic dreams. I know there’s not a lot else going on outside of that, but I don’t care.

Rory’s Dance - Okay, a fine quality episode with much family Gilmore drama some sweet Rory/Dean moments, but I just don’t feel that it really is amongst the show’s best moments. I also can’t remember anything cute Luke does during this episode, and that is an absolute requirement for me. So I vote to replace it with Rory’s Birthday Parties, which has the cute Luke/Lorelai ice moment, but also is full of lots of townie moments, sweet Gilmore family bonding moments, and is basically an episode full of sweetness and love and joy. Plus, Richard Gilmore taking teen girl magazine quizzes. Perfection.

I Can’t Get Started - An episode full of Lorelai mooning over Christopher, getting excited about finally getting a second chance with him, then getting her hopes shot down after (very unwisely) getting Emily, Richard, and Rory excited about the possibility of a reformed nuclear family. Ugh, can we not? I’m not going to go into how utterly moronic Lorelai’s behavior is during this episode (but even when she learns that Christopher is going to stay with Sherry, it’s clear that she knows that it might not work out and at no point was he actually broken up with her) but just . . . . no.

So let’s replace it with my absolute favorite Season 1 episode, the sublime masterpiece that is Forgiveness and Stuff. We have great Gilmore family stuff, the Santa Burger, the giving of The Blue Baseball Cap Of Love, Luke dropping everything for Lorelai and driving her to the hospital and staying with her through the entire ordeal, even though he has plenty of reasons not to be there. I’d take Luke being a constant, loyal, giving, selfless human being over Christopher being an inconsiderate jerk every time.

The Lorelai’s First Day at Yale - Again, nothing wrong with this episode. We have cute Rory/Lorelai moments and Luke being the grumpy surrogate dad that he is in almost all circumstances. However, I don’t feel that it’s worthy of making the Top 10, so I vote to replace it with The Bracebridge Dinner, which has cute Gilmore family moments, townie action, Luke and Jess snarkily bonding, and the sleigh bell rides with lovely moments for both Rory/Jess and Luke/Lorelai.

So, reordered ranking of episodes:

1. Raincoats and Recipes

2. This Year’s Fights Last Year’s Tights

3. Fall

4. Written In The Stars

5. Forgiveness and Stuff

6. Hay Bale Maze

7. They Shoot Horses Don’t They

8. Those Are Strings Pincocchio

9. Rory’s Birthday Parties

10. The Bracebridge Dinner

[madegeeky]

So, I’ve been rewatching Gilmore Girls which has been an interesting experience for a myriad of reasons.

1) I watched it years and years ago and, wow, I remember basically fuck all about this series.

2) Watching Lorelai interact with her mother, Emily, is horrifying in a way that I didn’t expect it to be. I knew that Emily was horrible to her daughter but now that I understand mental and emotional abuse so much better it’s just downright uncomfortable to watch sometimes, especially because I don’t believe that it will ever be spelled out (the way it should) that what Lorelai’s parents were emotionally and mentally abusive to her and don’t deserve to have a relationship with their daughter or their granddaughter until they’ve changed their ways, if even then. 

3) I’d heard people talk about how bad season 7 is but, since I could remember basically fuck all about the series, I was waiting to get to it to see if it’s as bad as people say. Holy fuck is it. The dialogue and actions for the large majority of the major characters in the seventh season are all severely out of character and it’s basically like watching bad fanfiction come to life. That being said, this is actually a problem that started for Luke in seasons 6, in my opinion. I think that him not telling Lorelai about his daughter and then deliberately keeping them apart was super out of character for him and I don’t buy it for a second. It felt like drama manufactured for the sake of drama, not an actual thing that Luke would do. That being said, one character acting ooc about one particular things versus all the characters acting ooc about almost everything, it’s not hard to see why most people focus on season 7 and tend to forget Luke’s weird characterization in seaons 6.

4) I will forever and always rue the day that when the writers had Lorelai tell Luke that she’d slept with Christopher he didn’t pause and then say something along the gist of, “We’ll figure it out. That was wrong of you but it was wrong of me to keep April away from you. Both of us made mistakes here and it’s time for both of us to step up and make this right together.” That would have been an amazing way to still have the drama but to do it in a realistic way. Not to mention it would have been really nice to see a relationship like that on television. 

5) I am pissed as fuck about the fact that Luke could stand there and tell Lorelai, “We failed because we just weren’t meant to happen.” No, fuck you, you failed because you fucking kept her away from a new, huge part of her life and you failed because Lorelai was trying so hard to respect that distance that she never voiced how horrible she was feeling and you failed because you refused to stop and think for ever one fucking second about how you were making Lorelai feel and you failed BECAUSE YOU STOPPED FUCKING TRYING, LUKE.” Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all on Luke, but a huge portion of it I do think falls to his shoulders and those particular lines coming out of his mouth make me want to fucking punch him. 

6) Unless there’s some major shift in the story or the characters in the rest of season 7, I honestly think I’m just going to pretend season 7 never happened. It’s horribly written and does nothing but actively damage its own characters AND IT’S JUST FUCKING BAD AND MY LIFE IS BETTER FOR DENYING IT’S COMPLETE EXISTENCE. Fuck season 7, basically.

[nehslebasi]

2016, in pictures and text

This is going to be a very long post. A very very long post. A very very very long post. 

I’m thankful this year happened. All the tears, laughs, travels, anxiety, everything. Hoping 2016 will shape me (positively) into who I’m meant to become in the future - 2017 and beyond.

January 2016

I honestly don’t remember anything I did this month lol. I was still consistently running. Outings with Crew. Outings with my (then) 8th grade girls. Visited Lighthouse in Torrance. All I have are good, if not neutral, feelings of this month.

February 2016

Let’s just say it turned out to be the worst month of this year, and I’ll never stop missing her and wondering how different this year would have been if she were still here. So what do you do? Drink it away with your friends on Valentine’s. Go to the beach. Play board games. Go to Zinc cafe and drink Blue Bottle. Pretend you’re fine until you’re fine.

March 2016

Clara’s birthday at Bestia, where we ran into one of our Sunday school kids, asked if we wanted to take shots through lamb bone marrow lol. The setting sun and deepening pink sky behind the LA skyline as we coasted by on the freeway. Driving down to Playa Del Rey and squeezing through their narrow lanes to an ADX alumni reunion by the beach. Jack Garratt concert with Jacky, losing myself in sound. A day of exhilaration and pressuring my friends to ride roller coasters at Knott’s, and pretty much failing at that haha. 

April 2016

Coffee dates/study parties at Arts District. OC sushi and sake, where our waiter gave us complimentary sake and ice cream! Weekly Sunday lunches in Pasadena, always wearing a summery dress, always getting acai bowls. Multiple beach trips. Brunch at Perch with APR. Noah Gundersen at Hotel Cafe, where he answered a question I asked! Visited my sister’s work at Scripps even though I was dead-ass sick. And probably the #1 favorite concert I’ve ever been to, FOREVER, so much that I’m going to find them again every time they’re near me. Hullo Shadowboxers, hullo Hotel Cafe.

May 2016

Ran a half-marathon! (And couldn’t walk for days afterward) Turned 23. Treated to brunch at Republique and gifted a beautiful stick-figure drawing of us. Took a million jumping pictures by a fabric warehouse. Caught strep throat and a disgusting case of conjunctivitis. Election anxiety kicking in. Started taking this “applying to PA school” thing seriously. 

June 2016

Took a break from running (read: got lazy). Upset that the Cavaliers won. In the library or coffee shop every weekend to work on PA school apps and write my personal statement. (Shout out to Bean Town, Nest Teahouse). A Koreatown night market, lots of smoke, lots of food, lots of red lipstick. Drove to San Diego for a large-scale sleepover/reunion (and screenshotted the pictures lol)! Oscar’s fish tacos, a rooftop bar, a Werewolf bar, more ramen and pork belly than we could stomach... 

July 2017

One of my favorite, if not most stressful, months of 2016. Submitted my completed grad school application. Sushi and drinks with Angie in Pasadena. Sparklers and pyro activities at Jacky’s on the fourth. Roller-bladed by the sea with Bri from Santa Monica down to Venice, drank our way into a happy sunset buzz at a rooftop bar by the Pier, and rode the warm smooth buzz all the way back to USC on the Expo Line. Watched HP 1 with a live orchestra playing the score at the Hollywood Bowl. Ice cream and boy-stories in South Pas. Viv’s birthday right in our home turf. Started volunteering at my city’s hospital ER. Relient K released a new album. Started going to community group with Reality LA. Discussing political issues every Sunday with my friends, because I’m surrounding by men and women who care about them. Such a wonderful month :)

August 2016

Pizza and catch-ups at Old Town Pas, spilling about relationships with old friends. Exploring Santa Monica and walking for miles with the Crew in a looooong scavenger hunt that we have yet to complete! Frank Ocean drops his albums and changes my life, again. Oliver Sacks dies and I’m heartbroken. Drove through the winding Palos Verdes for a friend’s birthday. Crush on every young Murse. A wedding in San Diego, feeling regal in a borrowed navy dress and tall heels, a little too much to drink, as per usual haha.

September 2016

Crashed summer retreat at UCSD, ate too many tacos, more Tacos El Gordo, ate too much pho, just too much of everything in general lol. Crossed that rickety bridge. Binge watch Atlanta and Stranger Things. Start prepping for PA school interviews. Fly to New York for an interview at Cornell. Drag my little blue suitcase everywhere with me. It’s pouring rain the first day. Meet with Yenmin to eat Halal Guys, and Jaimie for udon and gelato. Navigating the city at night and running to catch the trains and buses. A couple nights in Jaimie’s beautiful apartment in Manhattan five stories up from the sidewalk, a brisk morning in my mom’s borrowed heels, a vegetable cream cheese bagel and coffee, a stressful interview at an ivy league, bleeding raw feet the whole day till I just had to give up and take them off. Walk through Central Park, the Met, coffee shops wearing Walgreens roll-up flats and business formal for 15+ miles till I can feel my feet bruising and my hair frizzing. Pizza and drinks with Jackie and Joyce in Soho. Little Italy’s night market. Frank Ocean, and a NY Times to and fro from NY--a beautiful city I won’t forget. JR JR/Saint Motel concert with Jess the night I land back in LA. Watched an ER patient get lungs drained, car dies in the hospital parking lot at midnight. Oh Wonder, Kevin Garrett concert with Feebs. Another memorable month :)

October 2016

Lightbulb/Third wheel dates with Clara and Justin begin (ok, unofficially in September, but officially in October)! Get a hit list of things to do in Chicago from ER guy. Fly to Chicago for an interview at Northwestern. Get picked up by Angie and drive toward her apartment in the city, become captivated by the skyline and sky. Eat my first Chicago dog. Absolutely enthralled by her cat Wrigley (and am now a cat person as a result). Venture out to Navy Pier and get caught in the pouring, storming rain. Deep dish at Giordano’s. Coffee and croissant before the interview, become attached to the program, would do ANYTHING to be accepted. Tacos at Del Seoul, some rain, Big Hero Six in pajamas as the wind blows and sun sets. Traverse through The Loop, see the Bean, the river, eat brunch/pancakes/everything, inspired by the running people preparing for the Chicago Marathon, in awe at the peace and clean grandeur of this place. It was difficult to leave. Cried after the second presidential debate because I couldn’t believe what my family was saying. Chop off my hair. Fly to Boston for an interview at MCPHS, immediately struck by the cold and beauty of this old city (and how much I suck at navigating its public transport system). Wrapped up with happiness and love while staying with my big. Walking by the Charles to the trains in the rain, a huge Bartleby’s burger and milkshake, a bookstore by Harvard U. A cloudy morning at a coffee shop with a bomb playlist and apple turnover and chai. Most amiable interview. Museum of Fine Arts, fresh seafood, another bookstore with a cafe in the middle, a long walk back home :). Coffee, the Library, Boston Commons and Boston public Gardens, a cemetery where many founders were buried, Flour bakery (nerded out about Joanne Chang), Quincy Market, Warren Anatomical Museum, JFK Library. I am in love with this city, it was also difficult to leave (plus Logan Airport had the nicest staff). And on the 31st, Hallelujah Night in a onesie.

November 2016

My friend Lynette gets engaged! We’re there to surprise her in the parking lot of the Huntington Gardens, and plan her engagement party. 11/8, the most wonderful and horrible day. I get the call that I was accepted to the school of my dreams. America elects a fool. Fly to New Jersey while listening to The Shins and watching the changing leaves through the airplane window. Stay with a gracious family during the interview at Rutgers and catch up with an old friend over Halal Guys. Kill time by reading Profiles in Courage. Realize that at this point, I’m a little burnt out with interviewing and flying back and forth across the country. Watch USC win the USC-UCLA game! Make my friends watch Stranger Things. Thanksgiving at Vincent’s. Relient K and Switchfoot concert of my DREAMS with drinks and fries before and during. Binge watch Gilmore Girls reboot and argue about who’s better: Jess or what’s-his-name, and how awful Rory and Lorelai are and how awful this reboot was!!

December 2016

Second Shadowboxer’s concert, which becomes my 2nd favorite concert ever, after my 1st favorite, which was also a Shadowboxers concert (I’m obsessed with them can you tell). Coworker shows me how to put on falsies. Dinner and stomachaches and being babysat in Old Town. The Paper Kites with Viv, and way too much food from friendly restaurant staff, and hand-banging fans who scream and clearly love The Paper Kites lol. Once more the Duke of Mediterranean Cafe. Last day volunteering. Jon’s Bday in Pas. A day in Little Tokyo and Arts District with Hannah. Vivian’s first sleepover. La La Land on Christmas Eve, dumplings on Christmas, no day off. Catch up drinks with gov kids. Administer my first Rocephin injection via dorsogluteal IM. Lots of visitors, including Yenmin and Jacky. Spend New Years Eve at Urgent Care, popping meds, and rereading A Swiftly Tilting Planet. :)

And that’s a wrap! This was supposed to be reflective and not a catalog of stuff... but welp that’s what it turned out to be. I’m grateful for surviving another year with inspiring and supportive people and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. Thank you thank you thank you, because you guys make life more interesting and beautiful. :)

Favorite Books: The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami, The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro, Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout, Profiles in Courage by JFK

Here’s to a brighter 2017.

[ofseaandsky]

10 Favourite Characters

So @shimmershae tagged me in this ages ago but I have been swamped with RL and apparently this required a lot of thinking on my part :-) So I have many more favourites and I suck at inserting gifs so this will be a text only post cuz I am horrible at these things. And I pulled these from all different areas in my life and realised I really should have focussed on one genre... When I get on my computer I will edit this to put it behind a cut. Until then, sorry!!! Without further ado and in no particular order: 10 fave characters Sirius Black- So dear old Sirius Black. I love him and have since I first read about him. He was the first character to suck me in immediately and as his story was revealed I just grew to love him more and more. It's probably the tragic backstory in part and the idea that he never quite fit with who he was supposed to be. I'm a big sucker for people who break the moulds they are set. I actually enjoy both the book and film versions, but I will admit to loving Gary Oldman and he can't play a role badly but I do agree that Sirius and Remus were cast a bit too old. And then Sirius died which yes, makes sense from a story perspective but it really broke my heart. He just had such a shitty lot in life and I don't think he ever knew that he was loved. Roan This was one of my surprise favourites and just like Sirius he had me from the very first episode. I don't really know why he interested me initially, it was just something that happened. When his princely status was revealed and the fight with Lexa that was really it for me. There was just so much that was left unexplored about him and it felt like he really had a story to tell that was important and we never actually got to hear it in canon which is endlessly disappointing. Shadow Moon American Gods is one of the books that got me through a few rough patches and I have always loved Shadow because he just can't catch a break. A trend in my faves I know. But he is so adorably obstinacy about seeing what is actually happening and I always found that incredibly charming. He isn't perfect from a moral standpoint but he does his best and sometimes that is good enough. I love this book and there is no way I could not mention Shadow. And Ricky Whittle is perfection. It almost makes up for Lincolns death. Almost, but not quite. McSweeney - show mainly (bonus) Yes, another character who has just had enough and hates everyone for screwing him around. The show version of him is beautiful because he really needed an expanded story and there isn't as much to go on in the books. And I love me a funny Irishman ;) Lorelai Gilmore Gilmore Girls was the one of only two shows I never missed as it aired. I should have identified more with Rory because we were closer in age and with the sheer volume of reading she does could rival mine, it would make sense. But Lorelai had a different kind of heart. And I loved how hard she always tried. I was really not a fan of the her-marrying-Christopher plot because everyone knows it's Luke forever, but up until then she could do no wrong. I aspire to be as cool as she was as a mom one day. Hermione Granger Yes, she has her flaws but I adore Hermione. I was a bit of a know it all when I was younger too, I never got along with girls and I always turned to books in my time of need. Im happy that she is inspiring other young girls to not hide how smart they are because you should never hide your brilliance. I'm not a Ron fan, I thought that as sweet as he is he's just not a good match for her, but hey. The Doctor I'm going for the general character here, not a specific regeneration (though 10 and 9 are my faves). For me The Doctor has always been a bit inspirational in that no matter how many times people, societies, the universe in general disappoints him he just never gives up. He always steps in to do what needs doing and goes back in again and again and fights harder each time. I'm looking forward to the new season to see how the gender swap influences the story and I'm a bit nervous but in a good way. Carol (to show not comic) I've been a fan of the comics for many years and so I watch the show pretty religiously as well. Some of the character changes appeal to me, some don't. Carol is definitely one that I LOVE. There is nothing I don't like about her evolution on the show. She has risen out of the ashes of an abusive relationship and the death of a child and become a momma bear taking care of absolutely everyone and she still manages to maintain and grow a stronger sense of self. It is just a beautiful and incredibly inspiring character arc. The Joker Ah my favourite agent of chaos. I've never been a huge DC reader or Batman either but The Joker has always been an incredible bad guy. He is sadistic and evil and does it all for the pleasure of creating chaos. He is fun as a bad guy and the fact that we still don't know much about where he came from is intriguing. Harley Quinn Not because of her association with Mr. J but more recently how she has moved on from that relationship. When she first appeared it was quite confronting and controversial to show such an abusive relationship and recently she has truly grown into her own. But throughout she has shown the many sides of being in an abusive relationship and they have all been important, even when she continued to believe that she was truly loved. And it should make you angry and sad and disappointed as a reader because that means they are telling the story right. And seeing her finally break away was really satisfying. Now I don't have much time to read comics anymore so I don't know much about recent story arcs but I'm happy with where I left off with her. And unhappy that suicide squad the movie really gave audiences the wrong idea about them as a couple. Harry Dresden Want an adult, slightly bitter, always accident prone wizard who bribes fairies with pizza? You will love Dresden. The TV show sucked but the books are awesome. There's a zombified T-Rex! Harry is just amazing and I wish I could just sit down in a bar and drink a beer with him. Or ten. And then chat to Bob for hours. Buffy The second show I never missed an episode of growing up. It doesn't really need much explanation. She was awesome. Flawed and angry on occasion but always tried to do the best she could. Iago (Shakespeare) This is where my obsession with villainous characters started. Iago is amazing. He is just cruel and in it for himself and a classic example that there have always been villains like him in the world.