I find 'Road Trip' nigh-unwatchable for what are probably idiosyncratic reasons: primarily the ridiculously over-the-top veneration of Harvard. The Gilmore girls are literally in awe of the place, but for very non-specific reasons (i.e. not because any particular program, professor, or alum looks like something they…

May I suggest a Paloma? It's tequila and lime juice topped off with grapefruit soda (I use Squirt, myself). Very refreshing, and apparently the most popular tequila drink in Mexico.

Attended a scotch-themed party at which I got to try small amounts of:

I don't usually drink my tequila neat - whiskey is my go-to "complex flavors for sippin'" drink - but I do think a home-made margarita (just lime, Cointreau, and tequila, no additional sweetener) is the finest drink known to humankind.

@nummymuffincookoobutter:disqus Cioppino would also like a word with @avclub-29501df08e5d9ae59e432e4f188d3735:disqus

Excellent point about the "tell, don't show" approach the show takes. It's frustrating, in that it messes with the audience's expectations about how to tell stories, and yet it makes sense in that what exactly happened isn't as important as how it affects those characters in the future, especially in how they relate…

I'm pretty much in wholesale agreement with you on all points. Somehow the lower stakes of season one put the great character moments into sharper relief. I enjoy a lot of what comes in the next few seasons, but the quality in the first season is just so high, and I'm not yet forced to overlook inconsistent…

Naked Marty high-five!

I only own seasons 1-3, so my memory of Digger is old and rusty. I'll have to revisit those episodes somehow and re-evaluate him when the recaps get that far.

Yeah, I guess I have less of an objection to late-season Luke as a character/match for Lorelai. He gets listed in the "bad boyfriend" section due to the out-of-left field appearance of complications and drama, but as you note, it's mostly consistent with his character.

@avclub-0f8adb83a042059c41c46e2e93506d4b:disqus You're certainly right that Lorelai's financial struggles are not portrayed in a realistic manner consistently. I constantly wonder how she supports their lifestyle on her income. Financially, they are "TV poor", which in real world terms is somewhere on the upper end of…

Agreed. I've finally stopped lurking in order to start commenting here. I feel like I've got some catching up to do, opinion-voicing wise, so… Lightning Round!

@avclub-73d66a6a344a15201f9a15107723c9e6:disqus You're probably right to see the first season as primarily being about setting characters up. I think I view the first season with more fondness, thematically because later on (esp. season 4 and on) they have a tendency manipulate characters in ways that aren't always…

I'm not sure I agree that there's not much going on thematically in season one. I ramble above about huge class issues in the basic setup of the show. Moreover, I think the show is doing excellent work in season one exploring the difficulties of parents and children getting to know each other as adults. And although…

As an example of the kind of discussion I'd like to be having: GG is one of the few shows to do much interesting work on social class, and it often manages to do it in very character-centered ways, which I appreciate. In this episode, Emily's pain at seeing the shed where Rory grew up is obviously colored by her…

Sounds great, I'll definitely give it a try!

Yeah, that's what I understand, although I've had some trouble finding recipes that look good for those stews - hoping to access the collective knowledge of the TI foodie hivemind for higher quality results than google. :-)

Late to the party, so I'm not sure if anyone will see this, but I'm looking for recipe suggestions using pomegranate molasses (essentially concentrated pomegranate juice and sugar with the texture of molasses. hyper-tart and sweet, as you would expect).

Try being a pedestrian in a wheelchair. Drivers will either:

Nice. I don't have the patience for learning to play an instrument, but if I did, the Appalachian dulcimer would be near the top of the list (along with hurdy gurdy and bagpipes). In any case, good luck!