Let’s see a show of hands: who has watched Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life?
I have! And I have thoughts. I even took notes because… well, that’s what I do when I get geeky about things like this. So I thought I’d share my thoughts with all of you.
(And yes, that is Miss Little One, trying to make a move on my coffee while we watched Gilmore Girls.)
If you’d like the quick version: I really enjoyed it. I was also pretty underwhelmed by it. And my final note was “WTF?” That actually popped up quite a bit in my notes.
But I’ll share more thoughts below.
If you have not watched the Gilmore Girls revival and you do not want to be spoiled, do not read this post.
I repeat… there are spoilers ahead for the Gilmore Girls revival. Do not continue reading if you haven’t watched Gilmore Girls and do not want to be spoiled.
Okay, now we’ve entered the spoiler zone.
So, I liked the “Year in the Life” feel and going through the different seasons, HOWEVER I’m also slightly mixed on it because it felt like things moved so slowly. In reality, they went through quite a bit for a years worth of time, but from a storytelling perspective I wanted to see most of the show dominated by things that we saw in Fall and I wanted to see less of what was in all the others.
Winter
This was probably my second favorite episode of all four and I thought it was a good opening to reintroduce people to the Gilmore Girls world, however my overall reaction to it was “Meh.”
I loved, loved, loved the opening scene and hearing all the voices and lines from the show. I got goose bumps!
Rory’s boyfriend… there were some cute moments with forgettable he was, like when Rory and Lorelai left Luke’s while he was in the bathroom and Rory ran back in and sat down just as he returned to the table. However… what was up with Rory continuing to date this guy she always forgot about? No, just no! That’s not cool.
I found that my favorite moments in Winter were the moments we already saw in the trailer: the portrait of Richard, Emily decluttering.
I appreciated that Richard’s death really helped shape the season. It wasn’t something that had happened in the past and it wasn’t something they just blew past (how could they)? It made him such a big part of the revival and he was such a big part of the show that it would have felt lacking without him, I think.
What I loved most about it is that Stars Hollow and all the people in it were the same as they were when the show was airing. It was so much fun to see everyone again!
Oh, and Paris as a mom and a fertility doctor with this huge fertility clinic… I did not see any of that coming, but it also didn’t surprise me.
Spring
Spring was not my favorite episode out of the four. I’d say it was tied with most of Summer as my least favorite.
Things I liked: Chilton. That was fun. And Rory at this particular stage in her life. More thoughts on that in a minute.
I think most fans love the people of Stars Hollow and would agree that they really help make the show. It’s a quirky place and the Gilmore’s are a quirky family and they’re balanced out by all these quirky people in Stars Hollow that in a way becomes an extended family for Lorelai and Rory. And I guess I felt like they were missing from this episode, because my final note was “Really, really, really missed the Stars Hollow peeps. Really.”
So, back to Rory. She has never been my favorite character. I enjoyed her in the first three or four seasons, but once she had the affair with Dean I sort of lost the warm fuzzies for her. It wasn’t just the affair with Dean, but that was a big plot point when I realized that I didn’t particularly like her character. And that didn’t change with this revival. HOWEVER, I liked seeing where she was at in life. I liked that life didn’t exactly go as she thought it would and that she felt a little lost and unsure where to go next. I’ve felt that way, I know people who have felt that way and I think that’s a very common thing to go through in life. I appreciated seeing that struggle play out on screen and I also appreciated that it wasn’t really resolved by the end. That’s life. And I appreciated seeing that bit of reality infused into the show. I think it’s something that a lot of people who grew up with Gilmore Girls and are watching the revival now will be able to relate to and find comfort in.
Summer
1) What was with the pool? Lorelai and Rory hanging out by the pool seemed off to me.
2) April… is kinda like Rory. I didn’t really like her then and I don’t really like her now.
The storyline with Logan bugged me. First of all, she’s been in a very similar situation before (see thoughts on Dean above) and it didn’t go well, so why is she in that situation again? Also, they’re not a perfect match, but out of all of her boyfriends he was the one that made the most sense to me. (Jess fans, please don’t hate me! I actually really like his character, but I never saw them as a decent match. And I still don’t.) So the whole thing just really irritated me.
That musical… it was WAAAY too long, but totally quirky and Stars Hollow-y. They should have left it at that awful first number with the dance between the two stools, because that’s all you needed to see to know that the musical was a disaster. (I loved Lorelai scribbling notes, using up the ink in her pen, and the difference between her reaction and everyone else’s though.)
I have a note here that says, “Her book is going to be called Gilmore Girls, isn’t it?” Yep!
I really liked seeing the different ways that Emily grieved. That felt very realistic.
I loved that last song for the musical and how fitting it was for Lorelai. I loved Lorelai’s announcement that she was going to have a Wild experience.
Most of Summer was a bit of a miss with me, but I loved the last half hour and was excited to get into Fall after that.
I really wished we had less of the first four hours and more of the last two hours, because that’s what really captured my attention.
Fall
This was definitely my favorite of the episodes.
I absolutely loved Lorelai’s entire Wild experience. The book people and the movie people… the ranger saying that weather conditions weren’t great for throwing the boot… Lorelai thinking she’d actually do this. And I loved when she actually did have her Wild experience and called her mom with that beautiful memory of her dad. I will admit to crying during that scene.
Also, Luke’s speech when Lorelai came home and he thought she was going to leave him. I was like, FINALLY! I have waited for something like that from him since they first got together back in season four or five…whenever it was.
Rory and Logan… again with the heartbreak on my part. But that send off for the Life and Death Brigade was epic and I loved every minute of it.
Rory writing her book at her grandparent’s house was the best. And the flashback of Richard at his desk? Cried again!
I loved the closure to the Rory/Dean relationship. It started out as such a sweet relationship, but it went really wrong and it always made me sad that the lasting memory of it was the affair and the relationship that was so sad for each of them that resulted.
One thing that was hard for me with this revival was to see how at odds Emily and Lorelai were for the majority of it and how tense things were between Rory and Chris. He wasn’t perfect, obviously, no one is. But he loves her and I wish they had found a level of comfort with each other that I felt was totally lacking.
Sookie! I’m so glad she was able to get this scene in and it was PERFECT! The cakes, the hug, you’re still my best friend and, of course, Sookie knowing who was in her kitchen based on smells in the air. It was perfect!
I also loved the wedding. It was beautiful.
And then the final four words that earned my final note of WTF? “Mom?” “Yes?” “I’m pregnant.” I have such mixed feelings about it and I don’t think I’d be able to put them into coherent thoughts right now, so… I’m just leaving it at that. It wasn’t surprising, but it was also wasn’t a satisfying ending, in my opinion, and I have some issues with it.
Overall
I should give anyone who finished reading this entire post a piece of candy! Go you! Thanks for sticking with me through the entire rambling review. As a side note: I loved all the Bunhead and Parenthood cameos in this! That was a lot of fun.
Like I said earlier, I enjoyed the revival. It was fun to revisit Stars Hollow and see these characters again. But I was also pretty underwhelmed by it and there was a lot that didn’t live up to my expectations.
Mostly, the revival made me want to rewatch the show again to relive all the moments from before that I loved.
What did you think of the revival?
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Loved this review!! I had a lot of the same ideas about it. I also hated how lightly they took Rory’s relationship situations though. Both with Paul and Logan! With the final four words ending the season, I actually kind of loved it! The whole season they talked about “full circle” and Rory getting pregnant was a way to do that and raise her baby as a single mom like Lorelai did with Rory.
Thank you Leah! The relationship thing just really bothered me. I was like, Rory, you are well into your adulthood at this point. Grow up and act like it! It just wasn’t fair. And it’s been nice to read other perspectives on the last four words, because it definitely helps to see how things have come full circle. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts!
Okay I had to scroll past some of this because I’ve only watched Winter so far, but it was good and I can’t wait to see the rest! 🙂
Have you had a chance to finish yet? I’d love to hear your thoughts! 🙂
We have very similar feelings! I loved all the parenthood cameos, and the opening scene with all the voices made me cry immediately. Now that I’ve had a few days to think about it, I enjoy the ending from a writer’s perspective…since the very beginning, she’s had those four words in mind and she wrote the whole show knowing she wanted it to end in a full circle kind of way. So I can appreciate that, but as a viewer….WTF I NEED MORE.
Wasn’t that opening scene so powerful? And the cameos! So fun. 🙂 I like your approach to the last four words. Usually I try to look at things like this from a writer’s perspective and I don’t know why I didn’t this time. I can definitely see how it brings the entire story full circle. But yes! I NEED MORE!!
I was only a casual watcher of Gilmore Girls (caught a few episodes here and there) so I didn’t watch this revival but I’ve been curious to hear spoilers and people’s thoughts, haha! Even though I’m not super invested I’m pretty disappointed at those last 4 words.
I didn’t watch the show as it was airing, so I watched the entire series a few years ago for the first time. If you ever want to watch from start to finish, I recommend it. 🙂 And yes! I was hoping for a little more from those last 4 words. I think the only ones who weren’t disappointed by it took some time to think about it before being at peace with them.
Ok, so I JUST finished the original series two weeks ago in preparation for last Friday, so everything was very fresh in mind. I’ve never really liked Rory’s character either, and the revival painted her in a bad light. I’ve also never been Team Logan (Team Jess!!) and the seasons just proved what I always felt about him – jerk. I really hope there will be more, because I feel like we all need answers more now than we did before!
I agree! I’d love to see more to answer some of the questions we have now. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the revival!
Okay so full disclosure, never really watched Gilmore Girls when it was on, but I’ve been thinking about bingeing it. I have heard a lot of mixed reviews about the revival so I’m interested to see if I make it that far!
I didn’t watch GG when it was airing either. I binge-watched it a few years ago and then I did again this year in preparation for the revival. 🙂 You’ll have to let me know what you think when you watch it. I’d say don’t let common complaints about the final season scare you off. I didn’t have a problem with it and a friend of mine watched the entire series this year as well and she didn’t mind it, so I think those of us who watched it after it originally aired have taken it better than those who watched it while it was airing. 🙂
Hey Crystal! 🙂
So, I pretty much agree with most of what you wrote. I think I’m a little less disappointed than most people, but while I like GG and it’s in a list of favorite shows, I’ve never been die-hard about it. I do feel like Rory is kind of a disappointing character, but I kind of like that because it’s realistic and also makes you feel things. Her choices made sense to me for her as a character, but it doesn’t mean I like that character. Also, people seem to hate that musical, haha! I found it funny and enjoyed it more than I thought I would (I fast forwarded accidentally and had to rewind so I was dreading it at first but was pleasantly surprised). To me, it just reminded me of the how and the quirks of Stars Hollow, but I can see how people felt like it was a waste with the limited time for these new episodes. I also really liked Jess – he’s grown a lot and like him a lot more now. He gets most improved. 🙂
Hi Erika! It’s good to see you! 🙂
I love how you approached Rory’s character. Yes, she was disappointing, but you’re right, that makes her realistic. We don’t have to like her, but at least we have a realistic character to look at, instead of one who was written a certain way just so that we would like her. I actually agreed with you on the musical…at first I didn’t mind it at all and actually thought it spoke to the quirks of Stars Hollow. Also, I really enjoyed Lorelei’s reactions. But since I felt like the entire series moved a little too slowly for my tastes, it felt like that just took up too much time. It was kinda cute though! And I agree about Jess! He’s always been one of my least favorite characters and I wasn’t all that excited to see him, but he definitely gets most improved! He was enjoyable.
I finished watching the episodes in one day and had a lot of the same thoughts as you. I was happy that there was a revival but I wanted a little more out of it.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who felt that way! For awhile I wondered if I was too critical, but it looks like a lot of people felt the same way.
I agree with your reactions completely. I loved going back but felt a bit meh about most of it. It also made me reevaluate how I feel about Rory and now I don’t like her.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who felt so meh about it. Yes! I actually had issues with Rory when I watched the show the first time, but I think I came at her character from a different perspective because I didn’t follow the show as it aired, so I didn’t really grow up with her. (If I had, I think I would have felt totally different about her.) But yeah, she didn’t come off well in this revival!
I love Gilmore Girls! I haven’t finished all of it yet but I will soon! 🙂 I don’t want it to end though. I’ve seen post that they’ll add more episodes? I hope it’s true!
Really? They totally could with how this ended and I’d be up for more!
My favorite part? Your dog on the bed. So dang cute!!! Thanks Becky for this great synopsis (love that word!)
I think she was my favorite part of watching the revival. 🙂
I was pretty underwhelmed… the Logan thing bugged me most. I wanted to believe he had really turned over a new leaf like he seemed to by the end of season 7. And since when does Lane have a dad? 😉
Ha! I actually completely missed that part somehow, but heard about it later and was like, “Lane has a dad?!?” 😂 Yeah, the Logan thing really bugged me, not only for him but for Rory. I have so many complicated thoughts on that whole situation, though.
Such a great recap! I had so many mixed emotions about the revival. Sorry if this is long lol First off, Paul. Omg Paul haha that whole relationship made me laugh so hard. I think we’ve all had boyfriends or love interests that we just can’t seem to get rid of. But overall, I felt the entire season was a little bit on the slow side. Winter was a good opener so we could get a feel for where all the characters were in their life, but then I felt Spring and Summer were sooooo slow and uneventful. I was almost disappointed there. I really liked the huge strides Emily made in her life after Richard’s passing. I was so happy to see her and Lorelei kind of mend their relationship a bit and to see her really focus on herself and make such big life changes. Then we had the relationship with Logan. I’m sorry, but I’m a huge fan of him haha who could possibly say no to that accent and his lifestyle?! And his friends! Oh man his friends are all cuties too. That scene where they all kidnapped her for the night was just too cute. I loved every minute of it. I was also so happy to finally see Luke and Lorelai tie the knot. And lastly that ending totally pissed me off haha I was left yelling at the tv with my jaw dropped, feeling WAY too many emotions while my husband sat next to me laughing his ass off haha overall, it was a roller coaster for me here.
Thank you! And no problem…I definitely talked about it for quite awhile! I was really disappointed with Spring and Summer too! Like you said, just so slow and uneventful. I really wish they had livened those up a little.. maybe sent Lorelai on her Wild adventure earlier. Emily was a definitely a highlight for me! I wondered how things would go after Richard’s passing, but like you said, she really made great strides and it was so much fun to see her embrace a different side, especially since we saw that side start to emerge during the show. It felt totally natural for her character! I’m so glad to see find someone else who loves Logan! I’ve always loved him…and part of it might be because of the things you mentioned, but I just think he’s awesome. Sure, he’s not a perfect character (but who is??), but he has a great job, a great lifestyle and I love him. And yes! I love his friends too! They are all so cute! 🙂 I think that night was one of my favorite parts of the revival. I was happy to see Luke and Lorelai tie the knot too! To be honest, as much as they made sense together their relationship on the show greatly disappointed me, but they both did the things I felt they needed to do in order to make their relationship work for me, so I’m a proud Luke/Lorelai supporter again and so happy to see that they got married! I know! That ending! I also have some trouble with the whole “coming full circle” thing, especially in what that means, but there are some interesting theories out there.