I don't want to hate these characters

Generally, I'm just disappointed, because I've never hated characters on this show (Gilmore Girls) before, and in fact I've been in love with them all for the past several seasons--precisely the reason I continue to watch. Duh. It's obvious. Unless it's one of those shows where you're supposed to hate the characters, why you would watch the show?

First, I hate TJ. I've hated TJ since the beginning, so it's not like anything has changed this season, but he's fairly new enough, so I never counted him as a major mark against the show. Now he's just like the icing on the cake, the tabasco in a wound. I'm not opposed to the DeLuise style of acting, I'm opposed to his inability to ever "get it." Leave Luke and Lorelai to their romantic dinner in Luke's apartment, please. And for pete's sake, what in the world are you thinking in knocking a giant, unsightly hole in the Gilmore house? Mostly I was disappointed not about the damage he caused, but the fact that he would probably be around for awhile more. It's making me sort of hate Liz, too, just for bringing him around.

Lorelai. Usually I just get a little mad at Lorelai for being melodramatic, overly self-absorbed and childish, but now I'm beginning to hate her, too. And again, I don't want to hate anyone on this show, but it's there. Her and that stupid dog. And I love dogs. But just the fact that she's replacing Rory with an animal, and a high-maintenance animal at that, when it's obvious the reason she's so bad at taking care of animals is because she needs the attention for herself. Wow, that was mean. But she really doesn't even deserve the dog at this point.

And now Rory. This one is the worst of all, because I have never, ever hated Rory. Sometimes I might be a tiny bit impatient with her, and I don't always like her choice in guys, but I have never ever come close to disliking Rory for a single scene, much less hating her over the course of three or more episodes. I can't even like her haircut because I'm so irritated with her right now. She's not going to Yale, she's not talking to Lorelai. She's all "in" with Emily, working and spying at the DAR. She's completely mooching but acting like all of what she has and where she lives is "her cool new pad," when she could totally be going back to school, living with Paris, and trying to figure out what her major is. Like it even matters. She'll at least have a degree from Yale, which should make her at least a little bit marketable, no matter what she chooses. And is really so stupid to believe Mitchum Huntzberger, when he was clearly manipulating her because the family doesn't want her marrying Logan? Why can't that attempt at dream-dashing be used to motivate her to do better in whatever it is she wants to do.

I know that makes it sound too easy, and I know people go through things, and I know no story is a good one without conflict. But what I always loved about Gilmore Girls is that the conflicts were manageable and were never taken too far. The writers always managed to maintain an air of lightness that made the show so appealing and happy and fun to watch. I can't accept that air of lightness in the form of Rory being the superstar trash-picker-upper at her community service. That's just crossing the line.