So, I have many thoughts I need to get off my chest. I’m a HUGE fan of the show Gilmore Girls and if you may or may not have known, there was a revival called A Year in the Life that premiered on Netflix on November 25th. And after waiting almost 10 years after the original show ended, I was over the moon excited about this revival. I was counting down the days and it was a bright light after the disastrous election results (more on that later). However, after finally watching all four, 90-minutes episodes, it left a lot to be desired. So I’m going to talk about it and if you haven’t watched or don’t want to be spoiled, I suggest to look away because SPOILERS GALORE!
Luke and Lorelai:
While I am happy to see that they’re still together, Lorelai being all cute and refilling his salt shakers or picking up plates at the diner in order to help him and Luke just going along with her antics and allowing her to fill up the DVR with all the Lifetime movies, are you telling me that it took them 10 years to get married? That they never discussed getting married or having kids in the years they’ve been together? What exactly do they talk about? They used they excuse that they thought the other would approach it if they wanted to but honestly, that doesn’t really justify letting 10 years go by without talking about what they want from each other. It seems to me that the creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino (ASP), didn’t allow these characters to grow up after 10 years. I wouldn’t care if they hadn’t gotten married because they don’t believe in marriage, but they were engaged at one point in their relationship and had even discussed having kids. So seeing them get married in the revival was a little bittersweet because I thought it should have happened ages ago. I would have been more than okay with seeing flashbacks of the wedding or nothing at all because I know that they had been married already. I will say that Luke’s long ranting speech (like a true Gilmore, btw) melted my heart and Lorelai just easy breezy telling him that she already had the day picked for the wedding, and on a day that he’s able to get away from the diner, just gave me all the feels because they are so right for each other.
Richard’s Death:
One of my favorite things about the revival was how they handled Richard’s death. I cried every time he was mentioned because his presence was certainly missed. The grief that all three Gilmore women expressed for their missed companion/father was palpable. There were certain scenes that I could have easily pictured Richard’s smart and quick wit.
Emily’s story:
You can’t talk about Richard’s death and not mention Emily. Emily’s story was the one that I’m most content with. It was heartbreaking to watch her inner struggles of trying to cope with her grief of losing her best friend and partner of 50 years. It was made even harder to watch as she pushed Lorelai away (for reasons that are to be blamed on both women) because she was filled with such grief. But they were both in such pain that they didn’t know how to reach out for help or seek comfort in each other. However, seeing her close a chapter of her life, both personally and socially, it was still shocking for me seeing her attempt to move on by moving out of the home she shared with Richard. But in hindsight, I would probably do the same thing.
And finally, Rory:
Ok, this is going to be a long one so I’ll start with her career. Look, I love that she’s struggling in getting steady work. I love it because it’s realistic in today’s workforce. Print media has been struggling since before she graduated and the landscape was and still is changing, and in today’s world, some people her age are still struggling in finding their passion. Now, ahem, the relationships. I don’t like cheating. Like, it one of my most hated acts. Whenever I read/watch/hear about cheating, I get angry because I want to tell that person to put on their big girl panties or to grow a pair and end the relationship if you want to sleep with someone else. So seeing Rory fall into bed with my favorite guy for her and knowingly sleeping with him while they’re in a relationship with other people and he’s engaged! Like, what?! Didn’t she learn anything from the way she and Dean ended?? Like, I don’t fully get their reasoning in continuing the affair. Especially when you can tell that they both have feelings for the other but neither one of them is willing to broach the subject.
Which brings to two points, the last four words and ASP. Amy Sherman-Palladino said that she had planned these four words since the beginning and that it was always supposed to happen. Also, she has said that Logan was set up to be Rory’s Christopher. And I gotta tell you I am upset. Logan has surpassed Christopher in so many ways and so I resent that she’s still ended using that formula for him. I don’t necessarily care for the last four words, I prefer it wasn’t them but at least it didn’t happen when she had just graduated, but I hate what it’ll mean for Rory. ASP kept writing throughout the whole revival how it ends in “full freaking circle” but to me it kind of a cop-out; after everything Rory went through, all to end up like single-mom, Lorelai.
I don’t believe that Logan is Rory’s Christopher because he grew up and he’s older than when Lorelai and Chris were in that same situation. When Rory went to talk to Chris and asked him how did he feel about Lorelai raising Rory alone, I can take it to mean that she’s struggling to not tell Logan about the pregnancy or that she’s set on doing it on her like her mother. However, the Logan I have grown to know, he would step up to the plate and be the person that he needs to be. He loves Rory and you can see from the way he tried to take care her. With Rory, you can see from the way she struggled to give him up to his fiancé that she still loves him. However, I think she also knows that he is marrying for the benefit of his family so she doesn’t want to rock the boat. But SERIOUSLY! Cheating? Why???
My only hope is that if Netflix and ASP do decide to continue the show, that they’ll give Logan a fighting chance. Because if Logan is Chris, then Jess is Luke and to be quite honest, Rory and Lorelai might be eerily similar but their lives don’t need to be the same. Logan and Jess don't need to be the same as Lorelai's love interest. They're different people, so please ASP, let that idea go.
On a different note, it was so awesome being back in Stars Hollow and seeing everyone. Kirk was forever the lovable weirdo and seeing Paris was so fun because her character in
How To Get Away With Murder is SO different. Michel was one my favorite in the revival and although we only got one scene with her, Sookie is still a favorite. And the boys! Dean, Jess, and Logan, forever gorgeous. They have only gotten better with age.
SO! What did you think? Did you love it? Did you hate it? Were there tears? What did you think of the four words? Do you want to do
Wild? I kinda want to but not by myself. I’ll buy myself something cute to distract myself from that idea a la typical Lorelai move. Tell me what you thought! Comment down below.
