Mom in the Mirror

The Gilmore Girls Wedding

Today's Ask Ausiello has some "Gilmore Girls" scoop:

Question: Any spoilers on what spoilers to expect?  — Stacey

Ausiello: In about three weeks, I'm going to have some fantastic Gilmore Girls scoop. Oh, who am I kidding? I can't wait that long. There will be a wedding in March or April, but the bride and groom do not live in Stars Hollow. And one of our favorite Gilmore girls is about to discover that she has a lot in common with Michelle Williams' character in Brokeback Mountain.

I think the wedding will be Anna's (Luke's ex and the mother of his daughter). I predict she'll marry someone and need to move away from Woodbridge, but will let April stay with Luke so they can get to know one another better, maybe for the summer, maybe longer. This will further complicate Luke and Lorelai's relationship and delay their wedding (which was already postponed in last night's episode). Or, Anna and April will both move away and Luke will begin to sympathize with Christopher, who was a mostly absentee father. Secondary choices for the wedding are: Paris and Doyle or Logan's sister and her fiance (in the latter case, Rory will have to face Logan's father again and Logan will propose, unless he's gay -- see below -- in which case maybe Rory will discover this at the wedding when she sees him with some long-time "friend").

I have no real sense of which character will discover that her husband or boyfriend is gay. Gary thinks it'll be Logan. I wonder if it'll be Jackson.

What are your predictions about who will marry and who is gay?

UPDATE: There's a whole world out there I am just discovering -- the world of "sides" (audition scenes, I think, see this one for the upcoming episode 16) and spoilers, including all the bulletin boards on which obsessed fans like me speculate. Conventional wisdom seems to be that the wedding is Honor's and Josh's (Logan's sister and brother-in-law to be) and that the "Brokeback Mountain" reference is about episode 16, titled "Bridesmaids Revisited," in which Rory learns that Logan was with two of Honor's bridesmaids (with the androgynous names Walker and Claude) during their relationship hiatus.

I HAVE TRULY GONE OVER THE EDGE: I just submitted a question to Mike Ausiello asking about the tattoo on Scott Patterson's arm. Anyone know what it is and/or what the story behind it is?

Vacationing in Stars Hollow

Over winter break, we discovered "Gilmore Girls," and ever since Gary and Colter and I have been watching the series on DVD. It's the first show that has captured our collective imaginations and I'm not entirely sure why. It is surprising and funny, exceptionally well-written, intellectually challenging, and offers a fascinating window into family dynamics. Still, its ongoing appeal -- after hours and hours of sequential viewing -- remains somewhat mysterious. Is it Lorelai's strength that keeps us going? Rory's quirky combination of maturity and immaturity? Luke's love? Ultimately, I know it's the eternal desire to know: What happens next?

Are you a "Gilmore Girls" fan?

UPDATE: If you are a fan, I just discovered a Web site that has transcripts from each episode so you can catch up on any you may have missed. Reading them is a great way to deconstruct excellent writing.

Why aren't ABC and NBC making daytime dramas available on iTunes?

It seems to me like soap operas are the most logical offerings for ABC, NBC and CBS to sell for download via iTunes. And yet they aren't. CBS is offering "Guiding Light" as a podcast, and it's great. But at a time when daytime viewership is dwindling and the potential audience (especially of women) is more mobile than ever, why can't I watch "All My Children" or "The Bold and the Beautiful" on my iPod while headed to work? I'd pay $1.99 per episode and I expect millions of others would, too.

Hurricane hysteria

Instead of panicking about Hurricane Wilma, I'm focusing on the drama in fictional lives. So, here's the latest from inside the serial box:

• Lesli Kay (formerly Lois on GH and Molly on ATWT) is the new Felicia Forrester on "The Bold and the Beautiful." She first airs Nov. 30.
• Rick Springfield is returning to GH for a few episodes to help Robin treat Jason. He first airs Dec. 2.
• I'm loving this gallery of Soap Opera Digest covers from the last 30 years.

Thank goodness I have soap operas to distract me!

What distracts you when times are tense?

Harry Potter and Luke Skywalker

We finished reading "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" last night and I couldn't help be reminded of another serial -- "Star Wars."

As we were driving to religious school this morning Gary and Colter and I described the similarities between Harry Potter and Luke Skywalker. Here they are:

• Harry's parents died when he was young and he was raised by an aunt and uncle who did not understand him. Luke's mother died during childbirth (he believed his father was dead, too) and he was raised by an aunt and uncle who did not understand him.
• Harry's father figure (not giving it away for those of you who don't know) was killed right in front of him. Luke's father figure (Obi-Wan) was killed right in front of him.
• Harry's best friends -- Ron and Hermione -- fall in love. Luke's best friends -- Han and Leia -- fall in love.
• Harry depends on the strength of a hairy beast (Hagrid). Luke depends on the strength of a hairy beast (Chewbacca).
• Harry has a magical weapon (a wand) he must to learn to control. Luke has a magical weapon (a lightsaber and the force) he must learn to control.

Are there other ways Harry Potter and Luke Skywalker are similar? Are there other characters who share these traits?

UPDATE: I just discovered that someone else has also created a list like this.

Inside the serial box

My first serial love was soap opera; my sister and I watched all the ABC soaps in the '70s, especially "General Hospital." I was soon a subscriber to "Soap Opera Digest" and later "Soap Opera Weekly" because the behind-the-scenes drama was as intriguing to me as anything that happened on-screen. And I'm not alone. As a society, we are People-loving, Us-addicted, Entertainment Weekly-ites. Popular culture is our collective story.

Whether it's daytime drama or nighttime television, tabloids or weblogs, Archie comics or Harry Potter (it's a serial narrative), we are obsessed with this question, "What happens next?"

Is Zach really Mike's son (76,661 votes have been cast)?, Should Carrie and Big live happily ever after (29,123 votes have been cast)?, and is Susan Lucci really like Meredith Contini in "Soapsuds" (no poll... yet)?

We live in installments, and we are entertained in installments.

So, every once in a while, I plan to go inside the serial box to see what trash and treasure I can find there. I hope you'll join me.