SPOILERS FOR SEASON SEVEN OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE I AM ABOUT TO DISCUSS KEY PLOT POINTS

HI GUYS! Long-time watcher of the show, I remember hurrying home from school to catch the latest rerun back in 2003. I've watched the show through MAYBE a thousand times, the "dreaded" Season 7 included.

But you know what? There's too much negativity in this world, and I want to bring a LITTLE light into it.

I know it gets a lot of hate, but I've always felt this was somewhat undeserved since OBVIOUSLY nobody can replace Amy Sherman Palladino, and David S. Rosenthal was put in a VERY difficult position of having to write the final season. Upon my recent rewatch, I decided to keep a list of things that happen in season 7 that are actually PLEASANT and would like to relay them here.

So, HERE WE GO! Things in Season 7 that work:

• Zach stops being an asshole. The devastation that is Lane's life aside (settling for a dumbbell with no redeeming qualities and getting knocked up right after marriage, not being able to enjoy sex, etc), at LEAST there is some redemption for Zach's character. The episode where Lane is about ready to pop and he's caring for her and giving her foot massages, asking how often she's peed, helping her carry her bags, etc, was REALLY sweet. He's still a gigantic idiot, but at least he's not "THIS IS MY STAGE, EVERYONE FUCK OFF" terrible. He's the best he's ever been in Season 7.

• This also goes for Logan. Look, love him or hate him, we can all agree Logan is a manipulative playboy who talks his way out of trouble and almost always gets his way (except with his dad). BUT IN SEASON 7! Some redemption for his character! He's building his business, making deals, and acting quite well as a boyfriend to Rory. He takes chances and when his business endeavors fails, he gathers himself up and moves forward again. I found this admirable behavior. And while you shouldn't propose to your girlfriend in front of tons of people without knowing for sure if she would say yes, frankly, I think he (and honestly, at this point, me too—they've been dating 3 years, they've talked about their futures before, why not start a future together?) really thought she would say yes. Anyway, Logan is also at his most likable this season.

• Chris and Lorelai get together (please hold the rotten tomatoes) This is actually a good thing, because it was an inevitability. Of COURSE they had to actually do the marriage thing once. They've been talking about it for YEARS. Literally since Season 1, and even before then, back when they were 16. It was an inevitability that they would eventually marry, and of course break up. It had to be done. They had to try. Lorelai had to prove to herself that Luke was the one for her, and Chris had to realize that he would never fully "have" Lorelai. I know a lot of people didn't like this plot, but truthfully, it had to play out at one point or another. And really, David was given a shitty hand at the end of Season 6, which infamously ends with Chris and Lorelai sleeping together. I felt the progression in their relationship was natural and smooth, considering the devolution of Luke's character in the previous season and the inevitable separation from Lorelai.

• And oh yeah, what about Luke? While Luke got totally Dean'd (see: dumbed down/intentionally made horrible to make room for a new plot or character), Season 7 is also redemption for HIS character. He spends more time with his new daughter, he comes to understand his own flaws, and stops being a big dumb idiot and starts fighting for Lorelai again once her and Chris break up. The Luke we know and love comes back, and weird zombie Luke who can only think about one thing at a time is gone.

• Rory chooses work over love. That's really it. I was impressed with Rory's mature decision to see where her life would take her before settling down, and as an independent woman myself I thought the message was very strong and relatable. I loved that Rory wasn't going to settle down right after college because she had goals and wanted to fulfill them. I loved EVERYTHING about that. You go, Rory.

• And, Rory doesn't have everything figured out. While rewatching Season 6 & 7 in college, I always found the plotlines where Rory wasn't sure about her future, where she stumbled, where she put all her eggs in one basket and was rejected, where she made poor choices, and ultimately, where she was offered a job based on who she knew and some side work she had been doing for the online magazine to be VERY realistic. It was relatable, it was fun to watch Miss I Know What I'm Doing and I'm So Smart While Doing It to have the rug pulled from under her and made uncomfortable. I also liked this AYITL but WE WILL GET TO THAT.

• Emily gets arrested. This plotpoint is hilarious, Kelly Bishop is queen, I only regret we didn't get to see the picture of her with the guards that Lorelai took. This was great.

• Town Shenanigans Yeah, there are a few recycled plots here (pickles vs. rotten eggs) BUT we still get that crazy wacky town that we love. Kirk driving his car through Luke's diner, causing Luke to assess the chaos in his life and realize he needs Lorelai was fantastic. The haybale maze? I lowkey LOVE that episode, and all the imagery they play with in that episode (specifically, Rory and Logan taking hands and choosing a way together, and Lorelai and Luke walking away from each other but him SHOWING HER THE WAY before they separated...it's great). It's a good time. I can never get enough of the townies.

• Rory finally makes friends. I mean, it had to be said. Rory had no friends, and at one point David S. Rosenthal was like "shit her graduation is gonna be depressing if we don't bring in people." They brought in Lucy and Olivia who were fun, bubbly, and acted as ideal side-characters for Rory's plots. I really enjoy seeing them on screen together.

• Paris She was one of the characters I felt was done RIGHT. From callbacks to when the newsroom overruled her and kicked her out to her subplot of her end-of-college-career-to-do-list felt very in-character and of course, perfectly executed by Liza Weil. I thought it was appropriate she got into every grad school she applied for, and more than that, thought the way they played it (starting with excitement and ending with devastation in a very Paris-like fashion) was flawlessly done. Say what you will about some characters becoming more annoying (Lorelai), Paris had some of her best scenes in Season 7.

• Fashion and style. You. Guys. The outfits, the hair, the make-up. Ohhhh man. So delightful to step out of the 90's and into FASHION!!! Loooove watching Season 7 just for this stuff alone, and I'm not even a big fashion buff.

• Mia's Wedding and Closure. I loved the wrapping up of Mia and Emily here, where they admire Lorelai together, have a nice conversation. Yeah, Emiliy was in a bad mood most of the wedding, but to have them find peace with one another was a tie-up I didn't know I needed, and I was happy to see it. And also, awwww to them watching Pursuit of Happyness in the motel room and Emily liking Will Smith. That is sweet.

• Luke and Lorelai gradually repairing their relationship. Everything was done at JUST the right pace. Nothing rushed, nothing too demanding. There's hesitation on both sides, and there is AWKWARDNESS and I LOVE that. It's realistic! Them not knowing where they stand with one another and breaking the ice finally when they start acting like their true selves while car shopping, when Luke gets grumpy and Lorelai is called out on being too picky. From there, there are still some hiccups and misunderstandings, but ultimately, it was a realistic and well-paced way of getting them back together. And the KARAOKEEE SCEEEEN??? 'nuff said.

• April leaves. GUYS. Rosenthal WRITES OUT APRIL. SHE IS GOOOOOOOOOOOOONE. WHY DOES THIS GUY NOT HAVE A SHRINE DEDICATED TO HIM????

• Luke and Lorelai finally get together. And they finally seem to be TOGETHER-TOGETHER, having both completed their arcs of living out fatherhood and trying to be with Rory's father and realizing it was never meant to happen.

• The finale was perfect. YOU GUYS. The FINALE was PERFECT. Everyone in the town was there to see Rory off, even Emily and Richard. In the chaos and the oncoming storm, Luke spends ALL NIGHT making a tent to keep the rain out and keep the party on. Rory gets to say her proper goodbye and more importantly, we as an AUDIENCE get to have a proper goodbye with everyone and the girls. It's established Lorelai will continue to go to Friday night dinners, which elates the Gilmores. Rory is on her way to the real world. The last stop is Luke's, which is exactly where the show all started. It was an INCREDIBLY well-done finale, and I absolutely applaud Rosenthal for his attempt at wrapping up the season and show. Seriously. I cry every time.

So, maybe there are a lot of people who don't agree with me, and maybe Season 7 really is poo-poo, and yes, there are a lot of issues with the writing and pacing etc. But it was never going to be the same without Amy, and I feel that a real attempt and a DECENT attempt was made at filling in the gaps without her.

What do you guys think? What were your favorite parts of Season 7? (Please don't say when it was over)

This got long. Thanks for the read!