Luke and Lorelai are holding hands in new photos. What was it like getting back into that relationship with Lauren, and is the chemistry there the same?

SP: We picked up where we left off. The chemistry has always been very, very natural and very easy with her and not surprisingly, it remains that way. Funny anecdote: Our very first table read, they have Lauren and I sitting next to one another at all these table reads because they want to hear and see the dialogue as close up as they can, as realistically as they can. As soon as we sat down and said our hellos to everybody, we both simultaneously and in total synchronicity pulled out our reading glasses to put them on. We both looked at each other, laughed, and said, “Well, I guess a little time has gone by.’ [Laughs] It was as effortless and as fun as it's always been.

Would you say that their relationship has changed a lot since we last saw them?

SP: It's as complex and entertaining as it's always been—if not more so, actually. In these four mini movies, the relationship is really ramped up and the stakes are much higher … It's fun playing it, and it's different. There's some really juicy stuff in there. I think the fans are going to be wowed by it. It's a little different from the show because they were hour shows. These are hour and a half movies, so the scripts are longer—considerably longer. Sometimes almost twice as long. The storytelling has always been deep and involved and intricate and interesting, but it's even more so now.

What is Luke and Rory's relationship like? Are they still close?

SP: That hasn't changed. She's the apple of my eye. Luke always considered Rory to be a little bit like his child as well. He helped in raising her.

What was it like to see Alexis all grown up? She was like 16 when she started this show and went on to have a great career and get married and start her own family.

SP: It was great to see her. She's really blossomed as a woman and now she's a proud new mother and married and happy. I remember her as an 18-year-old kid, fresh out of college coming into Hollywood and being a little overwhelmed. She's just the most likable, intelligent person and adorable human being. She hasn't changed at all. She looks the same. We're comparing notes because my son is about a year and a half older than her young son. I’m showing her photos and videos and what to expect. We're just really enjoying each other’s company.

When we last spoke, you said that Rory should have ended up with Dean. Now that you've seen all the guys on set, have you changed your mind?

SP: I know it wasn't a popular statement when I declared myself to be a Team Dean member. Look, I just remember—and I never really watched all the episodes—that Dean was always very, very romantic. I thought he was the original one. The backlash was just tremendous.

Do you have a new stance now that you've heard all that backlash or are you sticking to your guns?

SP: No, I actually changed my position. Upon further reflection, I met with my top advisors on the east coast and the west coast, and we decided that the statement that I should put out was what I went with at ATX [Television Festival], which was none of them were good enough for her.