TV Binge: Gilmore Girls (Season 6, 2006)

To see the TV binge for Gilmore Girls Season 5, check it out HERE.

Its been a long journey getting these TV binges in. I sometimes feel like it just gave me a reason to watching Gilmore Girls over and over and over again. Not that I need a reason to watch it since its so incredibly feel good and fun. After quite the turn of events that ended Season 5, we start Season 6 with a pretty new type of scenario and perhaps it is what the show needs in terms of change, or maybe not.

As always, if you haven’t seen the previous seasons and there will definitely be spoilers, so consider yourselves warned!

Gilmore Girls (Season 6, 2006)

Creator: Amy Sherman-Palladino

Cast: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Scott Patterson, Keiko Agena, Liza Weil, Melissa McCarthy, Yanic Truesdale, Kelly Bishop, Edward Herrmann, Sean Gunn

Season 6 is a really fun ride. On one hand, the changes here work for the better because we truly see Lorelai and Rory apart and the other aspects of their life grow as they focus on other things in each of their lives. On the other hand, their relationship can also be very frustrating especially because Rory always seems to be this less refined version of Lorelai who doesn’t quite find herself and her individuality. However, it gives her character a lot of development as she questions her path eventually.

This season had a lot packed into it. Luke and Lorelai get ready for their wedding while Lorelai and Rory go through half the season separated. During this time, Lorelai gets a dog while Rory serves her hundreds of hours (literally) of community service while working at the DAR and spying as intel and event organizing as well with her grandmother.

Lorelai and Luke

Talk about a roller coaster ride, right? Lorelai and Luke was in focus the whole season as they go from one obstacle to the next. It seems that they never quite get their break. But then, you could say that its all part of them figuring themselves out and getting their ducks on a row before finally being together, right? In many ways, we got to see how they are at their best and of course, at their worst and how they treat each of these situations.

Paul Anka

Its weird to mention a supporting part like Lorelai’s dog Paul Anka but in the first few seasons, we already knew that Lorelai is not a pet person since she lacks maturity in herself. However, we do see that when she got Paul Anka, just like the quirky name that she chooses for it, he is just as quirky as the Gilmore Girls are and is a perfect fit. Its always a fun time whenever they talk about Paul Anka and just adds on to the awesomeness of the show.

Rory’s Detour

Rory takes a big detour in life and completely changes course from where she wants to go because of one road bump. It is a completely necessary detour because everyone needs to have that at one point or another in their life to realize how the hard times makes you stronger and fight even harder to achieve what you want as it gives you a clearer image of what you want (if that makes any sense). Being away from Lorelai and owning up to her mistakes and seeing what she is capable of doing and what she wants and doesn’t want, its all part of Rory’s character development and this season, there’s a big focus on her character growing up and finding herself in a way. Plus, the part where she comes back and has to embrace the break-up with Logan while going to see the psychologist and see how she just breaks down from everything is hilarious.

Jess’s Cameo

Its no secret at this point if you’ve been following these TV Binges for Gilmore Girls that I love Jess. Its sad to see that his relationship with Rory never got further than it did but he keeps having cameos and thats always a welcome thing in my book. In this season, he gets two cameos which act as something of a wake-up call for Rory in her life choices because Jess knows what she can do and believes in what she can accomplish even when she doubts herself. Even if he is really blunt with his words. But that is the charm of Jess and I’d like to think that we all meet a Jess in our lives who is the person who tells you off when you are doing something dumb or stupid and puts you back into the right path. With that said, its why I love how even without having Jess as a regular but just in cameo and we’ve seen how his character has grown and matured and has turned into a positive influence on Rory’s life.

Lorelai & Emily

Every season of Gilmore Girls has included a ton of great moments with Emily and Lorelai Gilmore as we watch this mother and daughter come back together no matter how different they are. It feels like they’ve never had as much progress as this season as Emily and Richard truly embrace Lorelai’s choice and realize that Lorelai does know best in some situations. It does help that this season included so many situation and rifts that truly pulled them together and Lorelai can’t help but to look to her mother for support by the end.

April

A plot point that truly comes out of the left field is the appearance of Luke’s daughter, April who is a very smart 12 year old who really doesn’t have many social skills. You can take a stab at where she probably gets it from since Luke doesn’t deal well with other people or detecting social cues and such. This does lead to some hilariously awkward moments especially since April is fairly blunt when she speaks. It fits into the tone of the show and her character adds on a new layer to Luke’s character as well. I personally like April quite a bit even if she’s not too frequently there.

Dragonfly Inn Crew

I always feel like I don’t give enough credit to Sookie and Michel which is Lorelai’s great partners in her business. They always retain some great funny moments. Between Sookie’s carelessness and her obsession with cooking and Michel’s feisty and sass and neverending sarcastic comments, its a fun ride with them. Dragonfly Inn takes a big part this season especially when the town events officially affect them especially with the change in street names.

Rory and Logan

Its also no secret that I’m not much of a Logan sort of girl. However, Logan does have his moments even if he makes dumb decisions but Rory is the girl who reforms him to knowing how to be a boyfriend and deal with a relationship because he’s never had one before. Its a learning curve and while their relationship has their ups and downs, Logan’s character also has a lot of growth and maturity when he’s with Rory at least. When she’s not there, well…lets just say he still manages to go back to make dumb life choices. So can you really change someone? The life questions that Gilmore Girls brings up while being entertaining, right?

Overall, that kind of sums up the season except for say Lane and Zach getting married without heading too much into spoiler territory. Now, Season 6 was a true ride. There were some fantastic moments and hilarious ones. It had character development and lots of character cameos and revisits. There was a lot packed into one season. that made it work out in all kinds of ways and I actually love Season 6 quite a bit. Not really as much as Season 3 or 5. This one did seem like too much was going on at times but it spent a lot of time with the relationships here and it all worked together to be a fun watch. The season finale was kind of a bummer though…thats how it gets us to keep going into Season 7 but thats for next recap, coming up hopefully soon. 🙂

TV Binge: Gilmore Girls (Season 3, 2003)

Continuing on with the Gilmore Girls, Season 2 ended on quite an odd note. Marriage, broken hearts and conflicted feelings pretty much wraps it up. Heading into Season 3, Gilmore Girls has a lot in store as it would seem as it picks up months later when summer is at its end.

Lets talk about the third season!

Gilmore Girls [Season 3, 2003]

Creator: Amy Sherman-Palladino

Cast: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Scott Patterson, Milo Ventimiglia, Melissa McCarthy, Liza Weil, Kelly Bishop, Keiko Agena, Edward Herrmann, Sean Gunn, Jared Padalecki, Yanic Truesdale

Season 3 starts with learning that Rory headed out with Paris for a learning experience. Her and Paris has grown closer a friends despite their personalities. They come back to head into the final year of high school at Chilton. Rory comes back to Stars Hollow with Dean eagerly waiting for her to come back but in her mind, she thinks about kissing Jess at Sookie’s wedding but realizes that he has moved on with someone else. Lorelai is healing from Chris showing his love and devotion to her but having to run off to be responsible and stay with Sherry and take care of her as she is pregnant. Over the course of the season, Jess experiences quite a bit whether with Rory or personally. Luke and Jess’s relationship grows. Emily and Richard Gilmore become more prominent in their lives as we can see their roles becoming more important as well. Finally, Lane commits to joining a band after learning to play the drums. As usual, the town of Stars Hollows has a lot of shenanigans thanks to Taylor and Kirk always has something funky to add.

What did I like from Season 3!

Jess/Jess & Rory

Perhaps generic and easy to figure out but I love Jess as a character. Jess’s character has one of the most developments, particularly in this season. He’s troubled by his mommy issues which he tries to hide. He actually is really smart and loves reading inside his bad boy exterior. He challenges Rory but also likes her a whole lot that he’ll go through lots of situations for her. However, Jess is still young and he is not yet the guy for Rory yet. Will he be? Well, we’ll see, right? Still, his relationship with Rory is one that I love.

Jess’s relationship with Rory might not be very lengthy, at least not in comparison to Dean’s but it was a lot more impactful. Something about Jess and Rory really meshed well, but it also felt like they weren’t in the right place yet. Somehow it seems very similar to what we can say about Lorelai and Chris, who seems to mesh well but never in the right place to be together yet, no matter how much they loved each other.

Rory, Paris & Chilton

 The friendship between Rory and Paris is a special one. Its competition and intellectual and awkward in so many ways and yet, somehow they’ve bonded in the oddest way. Paris is all work, high intensity all the time. Rory is also pretty intense about academics but together its hard to deny and they make a good team. Paris is efficient and all work where Rory is more of the appealing person and pulls everyone together but when times get hard, she stays loyal and steps up. That is the growth that Rory has in Season 3 and one that is pretty awesome.

Cameo performances

Season 3 brought in some familiar faces as cameos. There was Adam Brody who played as Dave who has a relationship with Lane. There’s Billy Burke as Alex, a businessman who ends up dating Lorelai for a little bit. These two in particular have quite some fun moments from Lorelai trying to pretend to learn how to fish to Dave and Lane trying to hide their relationship not only from Mrs. Kim but also from their band. And while not exactly a cameo, Dean’s new relationship is with Lindsay, played by Arielle Kebbel. Not to mention Rob Lowe also makes an appearance as Jess’s father. I’m sure I’m missing someone else but please forgive me, as I type this up, I’m already at Season 7…

New Beginnings

Embracing a new stage is probably where season 3 is. Sookie and Jackson are pregnant with their first child. Paris is facing her relationship and her and Rory are preparing to apply for universities and choosing their next step to the future. Lorelai and Sookie and Michel are faced with Independence Inn’s accident and embracing their dream of opening their own inn. Opportunities come with hurdles and they face them head-on like they all should. Everyone is learning to be brave and doing what needs to be done to achieve their goals and find a place that is right for them.

I don’t really have a whole lot to say about Season 3, mostly because while I find it a charming season, my favorite parts that I remember are the hectic moments and watching Jess and Rory and well, Jess in general. Luke and Lorelai are converging in paths but yet still finding their own partners and futures. Emily and Richard are becoming really fun to watch with their bickering and Friday night dinners and the friction of losing what they’ve built over the last two years. Everyone is picking up their courage to achieve their own goals and while there is still some conflicts, its a fun journey. There were some moments that really hit me and it shows a great world building and immersive characters. My favorite quote is by far the one on top when Rory does her graduation speech. Let me tell you, I got misty. That highlights the mother-daughter relationship that Lorelai and Rory have. Its pretty awesome!

TV Binge: Gilmore Girls (Season 2, 2001)

Jumping right after into Season 2 of Gilmore Girls was inevitable. As much as I would choose to wait and write up the TV Binge in between, the series just pushed me forward and I wanted to know what happened with its great characters and hope that Season 2 will absolutely extend and make it all better and wonder what other obstacles they have to face.

Let’s check it out!

Gilmore Girls (Season 2, 2001)

Creator: Amy Sherman – Palladino

Cast: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Jared Padelecki, Keiko Agena, Scott Patterson, Melissa McCarthy, Milo Ventimiglia, Kelly Bishop, Edward Hermmann, David Sutcliffe

The second season starts on a pretty good note. Both Rory and Lorelai had come out Season 1 with great news to tell each other. Now its about building for Rory, in terms of a relationship with Dean and really embracing her feelings for him while Lorelai is preparing for her marriage to Max and ironing out thise details of loving together and whatnot. Dean is now a regular along with a few others from Stars Hollow. There isn’t ever quite a dull moment in Stars Hollow and its amazing the town that they have created for the show especially with all the silly festivities that the Gilmore Girls always become a part of. Plus this season marks the entrance of Jess played by Milo Ventimiglia who is a discussion in itself. We have Rory’s dad Christopher making a much more significant presence on the show as well.

Its taken me a few days to put this recap/binge review together and I realized that perhaps each season of Gilmore Girls attempts to show a certain area of growth. In Season 2, what we love is how the creators developed the various relationships, whether it be friends, family or love. Just saying that I still liked how Gilmore Girls progressed in Season 2 because after learning about our lovely ladies, it is time to move on and see their lives and the people they interact with and how they grow. I think one very important thing to learn about Gilmore Girls and we live through them in Stars Hollow the majority of the time and everyone who passes through their life or who they meet is not exactly about that other person but more about how these life experiences help them grow as a person, and in my opinion, reflects life in a pretty realistic way.

• Lorelai & Rory: The obvious one to show here. Rory is a teen and she’s also growing up in a harsh environment and having to fight her own battles in a world that she’s pretty unfamiliar with but learning to adapt to. While they do have different views in everything from dating to friends and school even, their relationship is based on honesty. In here, we start seeing that Rory and Lorelai both want to be honest as much as they can but also sometimes, make decisions that they don’t approve but things usually work out between them because they have such a strong mother-daughter/best friend relationship

• Lorelai & Emily: Lorelai and Rory have something special between them and in many ways, Emily (Lorelai’s mother) craves the same involvement except there is a difference in view and opinions. It doesn’t help that the isolation and control over the years has left quite a gap between them. Season 2 starts having a lot more of Emily Gilmore and there is nothing quite as fun as watching them bicker and Lorelai’s desperate comebacks. While also seeing that they are growing closer and starting to confide in each other and putting their pride aside sometimes.
• Christopher & Lorelai & Rory: Season 2 shows the increased involvement in Rory’s father, Christopher. From the first glance, even though he has a lovely lady friend that comes into the picture and they are in fact in love and he is settling down from his free-will bachelor ways, his eyes are for Lorelai. He can hide that by just trying to be there for Rory more and he does a good job at it. However, it eventually feels like the perfect time to rekindle those feelings because he is finally who Lorelai wants and needs but is it, right? Since he is with someone else… In many ways, that would make everyone around them happy as well as themselves. And man, Christopher’s eyes when he looks at Lorelai is so genuinely full of love sometimes and I have to say its what makes me love his character.

• Rory & Dean: At the end of Season 1, we saw Rory open up to Dean about her feelings and naturally, they got back together. The way to look at Rory and Dean is that they are really perfect for each other. Or perhaps, Dean is perfect for Rory because he tries to be understanding about and make time for each other. He holds back his anger or over-reacting as much as he can and he does put her first. He cares so much about her and wants to spend time together a lot. Isn’t that what a great first boyfriend is and what puppy love is?
• Rory & Jess: Jess walks into Stars Hollow as the quiet, loner, introvert bad boy who also likes to read. He’s mysterious and rude and self-righteous, I guess. Except he reminds me of a second type of guy that I was intrigued by when I was younger. Except I’m sure they didn’t have a book with them everywhere they went and it was a short crush. Jess has a rough past and it doesn’t take long to realize that there is a genuine connection between them. Plus, they really work on that friendship of theirs while Jess isn’t afraid to show that he probably wants to use whatever way to spend more time with her, even if it means pissing off the towering Dean. Is it the right thing to do? Maybe not, but maybe this is the adventure that Rory needs to break out of the perfect and safe world she’s living in.

There are obviously lots of other thing going on. We see Jess and Luke, Lorelai and Luke, Rory and Paris, Sookie and Jackson, etc. There’s a lot going on in the season and its hard to go through everything and those friendships and relationships are a ton of fun to talk about as well, especially Lorelai and Luke, except they are just growing and I’m sure I’ll be talking about them more.

Overall, Season 2 was pretty awesome. The best parts could be really in terms of giving Rory and Dean and Jess some friction. There’s some nice moments of Lorelai and Luke who, lets face it, is my couple to ship which I’m sure will, in time, get together. Their chemistry is just building up every single quiet moment they have together. This is a much slower episodes but feels very natural to watch. In many respects, we have a few things going on in the background but never does it feel like too much. The town is bustling as always. There’s always some fun festival going on in Stars Hollow. The relationship building is fantastic. Before I wrap this up, as I was talking about Dean and Jess and Rory, a thought came in my head about something that was i The Vampire Diaries which applies here which was mentioned about the love triangle there. If you think about it, the character design here is very similar. Dean is perfect and he’s safe which is a great thing but Jess challenges Rory and takes her out of her comfort zone and maybe thats a good thing also. Which one is right for her, well, we’ll see, right? I’m sure at the end of all the Gilmore Girls binging, I’ll have an extra post on the guys in the Gilmore Girls life.

Have you seen Gilmore Girls? Are you a fan?

Netflix A-Z: Kiss of the Damned (2012)

With Netfliz A-Z coming back, you know we’re back to normal.  I’ve drafted out the rest of the movies, hopefully, none of them will be removed before we get to it. I might replace a few with series if I feel like I need a little break from movies. We’ll see! K is always a hard selection but that’s okay. There are enough choices.  Not sure if any of them was intriguing but this movie has been on my list for a while.  I don’t even know why its on my list.  Its a vampire movie called Kiss of the Damned.

I really have nothing else to say.  Let’s just jump right in…

Kiss of the Damned (2012)

Director: Xan Cassavetes

Cast: Josephine de la Baume, Milo Ventimiglia, Roxane Mesquida, Anna Mouglalis, Michael Rapaport

The vampire Djuna resists the advances of Paolo, but soon gives in to their passion. When her trouble-making sister unexpectedly comes to visit, Djuna’s love is threatened, and the whole vampire community becomes endangered. –IMDB

 Kiss of the Damned is pretty much a harmless film.  I didn’t mind watching it.  There were some silly bits and the dialogue was pretty clunky and awkward.  Its bizarre in general.  The best part was the background music.  However, it also feels like a movie that has some intention except it doesn’t really know what it wants to be.  It seems to want us to feel fear because we’re dealing with vampires.  It wants us to feel the drama of being a vampire and the feud  between power and how much they should be revealed to the world. And easily the only thing it achieved quite a bit of, was romance and the emphasis on passion.  When it was passionate, it was almost burning with desire. It helps that the cast here are a pretty bunch and their clothes makes them sexy, classy, elegant, whatever that character was.

The only issue is that with a story that doesn’t commit to what it wants to be, its hard for us as the audience to commit either. Its sad because I felt the cast did a decent job and in the multilayer of no direction, if there was more of it, this could at least let me connect with one character. Except it falls into the boring territory of being predictable as it brushes past themes of passion and desire, jealousy and manipulation, rebellion and resistance. What is even more bothersome for me is the attempts at putting twists for the final reveal which was done so to try so hard to be surprising when it was obvious even before anything happened.

I have never seen any of the actors here except for the small supporting role that Michael Rapaport does. However, as I flip through the filmography here, the main man Milo Ventimiglia has been in a TV series that I have heard of but not seen. With that said, I liked his character quite a bit. The ladies used here were foreign actresses. Josephine de la Baume plays our main girl Djuna who has a crazy and rebellious sister Mimi. She falls in love with Paolo and things move fast. The characters are portrayed well and even the mood and cinematography has an artistic touch to it as it pairs with the beautiful music scored with Kiss of the Damned.

Overall, Kiss of the Damned is an okay, tries but fails to be unique movie. Even with good cinematography and pretty music, nothing can save this movie from its flawed execution, clunky dialogue and the lack of a decent script.  It builds decent romantic scenes especially the sex scenes are rather fun to watch, however, Kiss of the Damned lacks an engaging storyline to make it worth another watch.

Have you seen Kiss of the Damned? Do you like vampire movies? 

Next up is the letter L? Any ideas of what it might be? Hint: Foreign movie