Every fall since my senior year of high school, I’ve tuned in to every season of Gilmore Girls (including A Year in the Life). It’s a tradition for me, and it’s a good show to watch before bed or while doing homework! So, when I asked my roommate to watch it two years ago and she said she “felt like she should’ve watched it in high school,” I did not really get what she meant. If you were willing to watch it, why did it matter that you were two years late to starting it? It’s not like Rory Gilmore is in high school for the entirety of the series either, she heads off to college and the workforce all within the series, let alone the continuation!
Even though I spent the past two years being baffled at her complete unwillingness to watch what I would consider a vital piece of media for young girls, I finally understood it recently. After going through every possible new series I could watch (from the new season of Love is Blind that I couldn’t bear to finish to all the episodes of the final season of The Summer I Turned Pretty), I was desperate for something new to watch. Of course, I could return for my yearly rewatch of Gilmore Girls, but to fill the hole in my heart for new episodes, I decided to try The O.C.. I’ve seen most of the main characters in other TV and films that are some of my favorites, how could this show be different? Well, it wasn’t like While You Were Sleeping ( ft. Peter Gallagher), Nobody Wants This (ft. Adam Brody), or Grey’s Anatomy (ft. Chris Carmack). The O.C. is a decent show, don’t get me wrong. But, watching the episodes, I just cannot help but feel like I missed the boat on caring about the show. Granted, the entire run of the show was in between before I was born and when I was 3. However, Gilmore Girls spanned from three years prior to The O.C. and ran until a few months after the end of the show. So, is release date really a factor like I suspected originally?
I’ve come to realize that my roommate was probably right; maybe I just feel too far removed from high school generally, but also the way that the characters in The O.C. live. I felt somewhat similarly about One Tree Hill, even though that was one my roommate was able to get through in the span of a semester last year. I guess I’ve seen that even though we watch a lot of the same TV and we always have the same ships as our favorite, maybe there’s some series we just can’t agree on.
When I think of the shows I have not liked as much, I always feel intrigued because they share similarities with shows I do enjoy. The O.C., The Summer I Turned Pretty, and Gilmore Girls all have debutante balls (you’d think debutante balls were extremely common the way they’re featured in most of our young adult series, but I’ve never met someone who’s actually been to one). Additionally, One Tree Hill includes (step) brothers, like The Summer I Turned Pretty and The Vampire Diaries. In a way, The O.C. includes a similar situation with Ryan and Seth becoming brothers through guardianship. Like the Gilmore Girls, The O.C. also includes a nerdy, quippy main character. However, I feel that Rory Gilmore and Seth Cohen are very different characters even though their characteristics align at face value.
Overall, I think I’ve found that not every show will work for me anymore. Even though I can appreciate The O.C., I don’t feel a tight attachment to knowing what happens next. Like many on TikTok have expressed about The Summer I Turned Pretty, maybe it’s something I really am “too old” for, even though I’m only 21.