So, just finished watching the last and final episode of Gilmore Girls, a show I’ve been watching faithfully since it first aired on October 5, 2000. People who wrote the show off as just a “chick show” never knew what they were missing, which was one of the wittiest, quirkiest shows on TV made by one of the most talented casts and crew on the air. The show has had its ups and downs, but for the most part it remained one of the best shows out there. I’ve mentioned in recent months how this 7th season has helped get the show back on its feet from the less-than-great 6th season, and I’ll say it again. This 7th and final season has been solid - a return of form for the series. As a result of that, I’m actually almost glad that it has ended where it did. It got the dignity it deserves, going out at the top of their game, heads held high.

Today’s final episode, appropriately titled “Bon Voyage” hit as many of the marks as I would have hoped to expect. They rounded up nearly the entire supporting cast for this one, which is no small thing given the history and cross section of supporting characters. The one main person that didn’t make it into this final episode was Paris Gellar, played so wonderfully by Liza Weil. Given the story and setting of this final episode, it kinda makes sense they she be the one they have to send off in the previous episode, but it would have been nice to include just a quick moment of her, even on a phone. Still, that’s a very minor nit-pick. I did have one idea that I bet the writers didn’t think of, and I’ll forgive them for not coming up with it, that would have been a perfect touch. While I watched the scene of Lorelai watching Rory sleep, the idea of the perfect scene popped into my head. They should have had Rory wake up and Lorelai lay down next to her, and have Lorelai recite (as Rory quotes along) the story of her delivery at the hospital. It’s a classic scene from the 6th episode of the series, “Rory’s Birthday Parties.” It goes like this:

Lorelai: And, it’s so hard to believe that at exactly this time many moons ago I was lying in exactly this same position…
Rory: Oh, boy. Here we go…
Lorelai: …only I had a huge fat stomach and big fat ankles and I was swearing like a sailor…
Rory: …on leave…
Lorelai: …on leave! Right! And, there I was…
Rory: …in labor…
Lorelai: …and, while some have called it, the most meaningful experience of your life, to me it was something more akin to doing the splits on a crate of dynamite.
Rory: I wonder if the Waltons ever did this.
Lorelai: And, I was screaming and swearing, and being surrounded as I was by a hundred prominent doctors, I just assumed there was an actual use for the cup of ice chips they gave me.
Rory: There wasn’t.
Lorelai: But, pelting the nurses sure was fun…

It loses at least half its hilarity without the perfect performances of Alexis Bledel and primarily Lauren Graham, who does her best Dr. Seuss narration styled delivery. But anyway, I digress a bit. I bet they probably had a bit of a discussion about what scene to end on, and they made a great pick. Pulling back slowly from the front window at Luke’s Diner was the absolute perfect choice. It’s a fantastic bookend to the wonderful opening scene of the series (the scene that made me instantly love the show - “are you my new daddy?”).

So, thus ends one of my favorite shows. Lauren Graham has been robbed all these years as one of the easily greatest actresses in the game. What she did on this show was nothing short of magical. The rest of the cast was equally fantastic. Yes, even Sally Struthers.

And on Thursday, we find out if Veronica Mars will survive. Unlike Gilmore Girls, which had a long, healthy run, it would be downright criminal to cancel Veronica Mars…