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Streaming the series allows one to notice and appreciate the changes in style to the food, Valerie's comfortable but always stylish wardrobe, and quite a few kitchen and backyard/pool renovations: I counted five.

From its premiere episode to its last, Valerie is warm, funny, and friendly as she shares her extensive knowledge and know-how about everything from appetizers to desserts, and cocktails that would make any mixologist jealous. Throughout the series we're introduced to her friends, her family, as well as past cast mates, & celebrity chefs.

It is truly unfortunate that The Food Network didn't renew Valerie's contract for this series deciding to stick with reality-based shows instead of cooking series that inform and teach the viewer.

Valerie's series is worth watching with a pen & pad in hand to jot down so many of the delicious recipes she shares.

The premise of the series lured me in and the ghost stories and the main storyline kept me interested throughout. The characters were well written and did develop over the course of the series. Yes, some of the teen moodiness and acting out were predictable as well as annoying, but then again - I remember how I was at that stage and cut the writers and the actors some slack.

The cinematography, setting, and music added the feel of each episode and had me looking forward to the next.

My only complaint is with the lighting department & the director for the overuse of that awful blue filter! Honestly, it made the scenes too dark to enjoy - let alone watch. To have to wait until dark to watch a series because blackout blinds can't get the room you're in dark enough to block any kind of reflection on the TV, the series becomes a chore to watch because you're limited to what time of day you can enjoy the series.

Seriously, enough with the blue filter! That "almost dark" doesn't create mood - it creates annoyance in those attempting to watch the series in their living rooms.

The antique sepia filter was way more effective in creating tension.

What can be writ about the season that should never have been? How to expand upon storylines that took unnecessary twists and turns? When does one stop ranting about superficial characters used to seemingly fill empty airtime?

Our Gilmore Girls grow as do most of the friends and family around them, and yet so much stays the same: Binary stars caught in each others gravity, unable to escape.

As Emily and Richard grow, regress, and settle back into their comfortable status quo, Lorelai and Luke do very much the same - grow, regress, & return to their comfortable status quo.

Lastly, there's Rory setting out into her future eagerly looking forward to unknown adventures with one eye cast back - to her own Luke, Logan Huntzberger, always there, to that one love that's never far behind.

We say farewell to Stars Hallow knowing we too can return to visit old friends and relish its familiarity, or we can choose to cast our glance forward to witness A Year In The Life.