I’ve watched it several times over the years, most intensively as a student in the mid 2000s (and as work avoidance when writing my PhD thesis), and then again this year. I have had completely different responses to it at different ages, and I’ve often wondered if that was intentional or accidental by the writers.
As a student I was very much team Rory, and very disappointed in the ending (but then maybe that’s the point? They could both have had their happy ending but didn’t want it? Or then again that the happy ending looks different to different people and being a society wife wasn’t what she wanted).
As an adult I’m Team Emily all the way - in fact I love her. I think she gets plenty of things wrong, but the characterisation is fantastic. I’m also a massive fan of Mrs Kim who I think is excellently cast. And the whole Lane/Mrs Kim/Lorelai dynamic has changed for me over the years - Mrs Kim does not get it right, but actually neither does Lorelai.
And let’s not even get started on year in the life - what a disappointment. What was the point of giving up everything Logan offered just to become massively unsuccessful? And a horrible person to boot? Sneaking around, with Logan, and resenting the person who did want what he offered. Hugely disappointing. Maybe that’s the point? Bad decision making doesn’t lead to life success?
But I think it’s really about female relationships and their nuances, that they are multifaceted and complex.
Looking back on GG it feels very pedestrian and hasn’t aged well, which is a shame as Mrs Maisel is glorious.