7 unexpectedly great moments from Season 7 of 'Gilmore Girls'
Fans probably haven't watched Season 7 of Gilmore Girls lately.
Due to a contract dispute with the CW, Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino was not involved with the beloved show's seventh season -- and it showed.
The dialogue is slower. The plot lines are more contrived (Lorelai and Christopher in Paris, anyone?). Honestly, it's not really the Stars Hollow fans came to love -- which is partially why people are so excited about the show's Netflix revival.
But despite Season 7's general mediocrity, it didn't all leave us cold. In fact, those 22 okay episodes gave us a few stellar moments -- even though we'll always know Lane deserved better and that Rory should have just told Lucy she already knew Marty or whatever.
Here are seven of Season 7's best moments. Spoiler: none of them involve Logan proposing to Rory in front of several dozen people.
1. Lorelai meets the resident rebel at cotillion (episode 3, "Lorelai's First Cotillion")
Caroline is the breakout star of episode 3, from her impeccable chicken dance to her sick pink Converse at cotillion. Plus, it's nice to see Lorelai admire someone else making Emily miserable instead of doing the dirty work herself.
2. Emily Gilmore goes to jail (episode 4, "'S Wonderful, 'S Marvelous")
...And Lorelai gleefully bails her out. This was an indulgent moment for the series, certainly, but that didn't make it any less fun.
3. Zach plays "My Heart Will Go On" at Chin-Chin's funeral (episode 14, "Farewell, My Pet")
Michel's highly curated funeral for Chin-Chin is one of the character's most on-point moments, and Zach's reluctant Celine Dion cover is a streak of classic Gilmore Girls hilarity. Unfortunately, the scene also tries to double as an emotional pre-divorce moment for Lorelai, which is weird because it is a dog funeral.
4. "Will you be their Lorelai Gilmore?" (episode 16, "Will You Be My Lorelai Gilmore?")
Many fans think Lane's relationship with Zach did the character a great disservice, especially throughout her pregnancy plot in Season 7. But when Lane asks Rory to be a role model for her twins -- just like Lorelai was a role model for her -- it almost makes up for putting her drums in storage. Almost.
5. Luke and Lorelai in the hay bale maze (episode 18, "Hay Bale Maze")
The hay bale maze itself -- a wacky, selfish and somehow endearing idea from Taylor -- was a charming addition to a season that often managed to be completely charm-free. And when Luke and Lorelai go their separate ways inside its extremely tall walls, it's genuinely touching -- even though Luke is wearing a turquoise bracelet.
6. Paris opens her acceptance letters (episode 19, "It's Just Like Riding A Bike")
Especially after her Harvard rejection back in Season 3, Paris deserved a few big envelopes. And she got 'em in spades. It's fun to see Paris win, and it's even more fun to watch her mood go from unbridled ecstasy to that special brand of Paris Geller anxiety as she realizes she'll have to choose between literally every Ivy League graduate school. Also: all hail the lucky letter opener.
7. Rory and Lorelai go to Luke's Diner one last time (episode 22, "Bon Voyage")
Despite the many narrative blunders Season 7 thrust upon weary Gilmore fans, the show wisely ended things where they began: over coffee at Luke's.
Let's hope they tie up a few more loose ends in the Netflix revival.
Gilmore Girls: A Day in the Life premieres on Netflix November 25.
Chloe was the shopping editor at Mashable. She was also previously a culture reporter. You can follow her on Twitter at @chloebryan.
