Julie Taylor Pulls a Rory Gilmore

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The Gilmore Girls’ Rory Gilmore was the consummate “good girl.” She was smart and became the valedictorian of her academically rigorous private school’s senior class. She dated a nice boy and then a bad boy but never let her behavior veer off into wild gal territory. She was respectful to her mother and her grandparents.But when she began attending Yale, things started going off the rails and Rory started acting distinctly unRory-like.


For example, she had an affair with Dean, her married ex-boyfriend which led to the breakup of his marriage.

Her next boyfriend, Logan, was an affluent, spoiled albeit very smart party boy. She was in his company when she suggested that they “borrow” (i.e. – steal) someone else’s boat at a marina for a joy ride. (Just before the joy ride, she had been told in no uncertain terms by Logan’s media magnate of a father that she had no future in her chosen profession: Journalism.) Following her arrest and probation, she withdrew from Yale, became estranged from her mother and went to live at her grandparents’ home, missing out on a semester of college as she tried to figure out what she was going to make of her life.


Now Friday Night Lights’ Julie Taylor is not Rory Gilmore. She got a tattoo when she was in high school. Her dad, her high school’s football coach, walked in on her when she was having sex with her boyfriend, the team quarterback. She went through a rebellious period, including the time when she went away overnight with her boyfriend in direct violation of her parents’ wishes, and she frequently clashed with them.

But by the time she was ready to head off to college, Julie and her parents were at peace with one another. Her parents were tearful as she pulled out of the driveway.


That was before Julie met Derek, a charming and handsome teaching assistant who took a shining to the college freshman. Derek showered her with attention and flirted until the flirting turned into a full fledged affair. Problem is, Derek was married. And Julie knew it but proceeded to screw around with him anyway.

Julie’s stealing-the-boat moment occurred when Derek’s wife slapped her across the face and screamed, “Julie Taylor is a slut!” in front of a whole bunch of her fellow students. In her shame, Julie fled school and headed home, even went so far as to intentionally smash her car into a brick post so she couldn’t drive herself back to school.

When Julie’s parents Eric and Tami finally learned why she was hiding out at home, why she intentionally totaled her car, they tried to make her return to school, like Rory’s mother Lorelai unsuccessfully tried to make Rory go back to school after Rory was busted. Eric became so irritated, that he tried to physically get her to walk to the door. That was a no-go. Frustrated, Tami drove up to the college to pick up her daughter’s books and assignments so Julie wouldn’t fail out of her first semester of college.


What does this mean for Julie Taylor’s future as a college student? Will she turn it around like Rory eventually did?

Image credit: NBC.

'Friday Night Lights:' The Last Season Thus Far

This final season of Friday Night Lights has not disappointed.

It’s had a little bit of everything in its first six episodes.

Family drama: College freshman Julie Taylor had an affair with a married teaching assistant then fled home after the guy’s wife confronted her and called her a slut. Becky Sproles fled to Billy and Mindy Riggins’ house after her father’s wife is nasty to her. Vince Howard’s formerly bad dude dad was released from prison and, though Vince originally didn’t want him around for fear he’d get his mother hooked on drugs again, Vince started to warm up to him.

Football drama: The East Dillon Lions football team is doing well this year thanks to Coach Eric Taylor, and some inspiration from Billy Riggins, leading Eric to be put on the cover of a national football magazine under the title “Coach Kingmaker.” Luke Cafferty is starting to worry that he won’t be able to play college football or might not even go to college, while Vince is being courted by some big name colleges. Buddy Garrity Jr. straightened himself out – after drinking, doing drugs, lying, stealing – after his dad persuaded him to join the East Dillon football team.

Teen romance drama: Jess Meriweather and Vince make for a cute couple and their relationship is tested when Jess joins the football staff. Luke keeps flirting with Becky, clearly interested.

Career intrigue: Tami Taylor, fresh from the abortion controversy that led to her leaving her post as Dillon High School principal, has had difficulties fitting in at East Dillon as she tried to breathe new life into the guidance department and reach out to troubled students. Mindy, having lost her baby weight, returned to working at the Landing Strip but was given cruddy hours.

Random teen stupidness: A high school girl got drunk and boys at the party were flopping her around in front of a video camera; a video of it was posted on YouTube. Members of the East Dillon Lions football team branded themselves as an idiotic team building move.

I can promise you, even more meaty, moving drama is ahead in the final seven episodes as I've already seen them. I’m gonna miss this show mightily, the Taylors especially.