After nine years, six months and 10 days we finally return to the quaint little town of Stars Hollow. Netflix took to Instagram earlier this year to confirm that Gilmore Girls, the beloved early 2000s hit show, was picked up for a four-part revival. The 90 minute mini movies mimic all four seasons, hence, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.
For those unfamiliar with the show, it follows the lives of the mother-daughter duo that is Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) in their small town of Stars Hollow where shenanigans are always occurring.
The revival brought on a kaleidoscope of emotions. There was an immense sense of comfort seeing all the friendly faces return to our screens. (To keep it short, there will be no spoilers.) With that said, the return was everything any fan could ask for, yet incredibly bittersweet.
There was a balance of highs, lows and many silver linings, but depending on whom you ask, the end was disappointing. To see all the main characters back felt like the show never ended. Graham and Bledel melted back into their old roles like second skins. Lorelai, like always, entertained the four episodes with her classic 100-words-per-minute, allusion-filled charisma, while Rory unexpectedly portrayed the “30-something” who was all over the place. The new Rory was one of the many twists in the revival.
There was a lack of solid consistency throughout the episodes. Not only were there far too many plots, but they all felt incredibly stuffed in the short time frames. The fast momentum did not transition well with the plots and made certain scenes dull and confusing. Many of the previously established character arcs either felt destroyed or lived up to expectations. It was very hit-or-miss for the most part.
The episodes were jam-packed with old and new faces. One of the most anticipated returns was of Paris Geller (Liza Weil), a long-time friend of Rory’s and Weil’s performance was exceptional. A familiar face to Graham was Mae Whitman, Graham’s daughter in NBC’s Parenthood, making a quick cameo that included both Graham and Bledel.
Ever since the abrupt seventh season finale, one of the many questions that fans were left wondering was who Rory was going to end up with. Fans were overjoyed upon hearing the news that Dean (Jared Padalecki), Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) and Logan (Matt Czuchry) would all make an appearance. In the end, I was surprised to have so many mixed feelings about the boys and how they turned out after all these years.
Not only was the revival highly anticipated, but the final four words were all many fans could think about. Due to un-renewed contracts, the creator of the show, Amy Sherman-Palladino, and writer Daniel Palladino, were unable to return for the seventh season of Gilmore Girls. When creating the show, Sherman-Palladino envisioned the ending with four specific words and after all this time we finally got to hear them. Regarding those four final words, there comes an understanding as to why they were said, but in terms of character development, they were anything but fulfilling. As a fan of the show, this revival did exude a sense of closure, and wherever the Gilmore Girls lead, I will follow, but I am still left feeling unsatisfied. The only thing left to say is actually a question: Will we ever get more episodes?
