There have been several pivotal moments in my life that have completely changed who I am. One of those moments was when I watched the Gilmore Girls pilot for the first time. At that moment, I found myself drawn into Stars Hollow, and for seven seasons I stayed there, consumed by the complexities of Lorelai and Rory’s lives. The series finale left me weak, so you can imagine my excitement when the revival was announced. I could hardly contain myself as I waited for the series to appear on my Netflix, a cup of coffee in one hand and tissues in the other. I found myself drifting through each of the seasons- winter, spring, summer, and fall. By the end, I was weeping into my coffee. However, while the revival was beautiful and well-done, it left me a little bit dissatisfied. The bad definitely came with the good in this case. Therefore, I give to you a list of the best and worst things about Gilmore Girls: A Year in The Life:
The Best
1. Paris Gellar.
Paris Gellar has always had a special place in my heart. However, I don’t think I have ever loved her more than I did in the revival. Her fast quips and minor bathroom-breakdowns had me rolling. As always, Paris is a gem.
2. The Boyfriend Trinity.
Perhaps one of the greatest aspects of Gilmore Girls is the trio of boyfriends Rory always seems to have on a loop. While Dean and Jess’s appearances were short and sweet, seeing them all back in Stars Hollow filled me with nostalgia. God bless those beautiful boys. Amen.
3. Kirk’s Short Film.
Anything Kirk does is a masterpiece, but he truly outdid himself with this one. Let’s not forget to mention Petals, the shining star of the whole production.
4. Lorelai and Luke.
There was a lot of talk prior to the release of the revival that Lorelai and Luke would not end up together. I wouldn’t hear of it at the time, but as I sat down and began to binge watch, I was worried that the rumors might be true. However, Luke and Lorelai are the kind of power couple you cannot break apart indefinitely. Even when they are going through a rough patch, you can clearly see the tie that binds them together. I knew from the beginning of “Winter” that by the end “Fall”, they would be married- and it was everything I had hoped it would be.
5. Emily’s Recovery.
The revival was amazing, but it was missing one very important man. Ed Hermann, who played the beloved Richard Gilmore, passed away in 2014. Not only to Amy Sherman-Pallidino memorialize him beautifully, she also let his death build the character of Emily Gilmore, Richard’s wife. The matriarch suffered throughout the seasons and had to make a lot of difficult choices for herself. This struggle helped Emily grow and mend all of the broken pieces of her life, including her relationship with her only daughter. While this development took a while, Emily picked up her pieces and made herself whole again. Her recovery was one of the strongest plot lines in the revival.
6. The Last Four Words.
This was a bombshell that I certainly didn’t see coming. Rory’s story took a different turn than most of us expected it to in the revival, and her illegitimate pregnancy may have been the biggest surprise of all. However, the contrast between Rory and Lorelai came full circle with this last piece of information. Between the pregnancy, Jess’s longing for Rory and the affair with Logan, I am getting strong Lorelai-Luke-Christopher vibes from this plot twist. Here’s hoping for a full revival?
The Worst
1. The Stars Hollow Musical.
Did anyone else find this really cringy? I don’t know what hurt worse, Sutton Foster’s talent being wasted, or the meant-to-be-heartfelt serenading scene. Sorry Amy, but if I wanted to watch a TV-musical, I’d binge Glee.
2. Christopher.
I know Christopher catches some heat for trying to break apart Luke and Lorelai, but I have always quietly loved him. He’s just charming, and I think his intentions have always been good. He didn’t deserve the lot that was handed to him in the revival. In his two-minute cameo, he is taking over the family business, which is practically his worst nightmare. He is in a suit and tie, trapped behind a desk and trapped in his life. He has finally lost control of everything. This broke my heart. Christopher’s life took a turn for the worst, and he deserved so much more.
3. Lorelai’s Hat Collection.
God, those hats. They’re like a mix between a beret and a baseball cap, and they’re absolutely hideous. I wish Lorelai had left those in season 5, but it seems they’ve made an unfortunate comeback.
4. The Affair.
Logan has never been my pick for Rory. He just drools charm, and for some reason, I have always found that untrustworthy. We all remember when Rory slept with Dean, who was very married at the time. It was so out of character for Rory, who seemed to have a good head on her shoulders until that moment. After her rough patch passed, we turned a blind eye to the affair and hoped for a better tomorrow. However, here she was in the revival, sleeping with a very engaged Logan- only this time, Rory had no qualms with it. Rory’s willingness to go along with another affair shocked me and damaged her image in the eyes of many viewers.
5. Sookie.
Sookie made one appearance in the revival. ONE. She didn’t even make it into the wedding scene. I’ll keep this one short and simple- I was gypped by the utter lack of Sookie and I am not pleased in the slightest.
6. The song…or lack thereof.
I got my hopes up with every season that the credits would roll and the world would break out into a rousing chorus of “Where you lead, I will follow…” However, I was let down time and time again. The credits rolled silently up to the very end, breaking my heart and my dreams. This was the ultimate betrayal. But who can stay mad at Amy Sherman-Pallidino? (The answer is me, unless she writes a spinoff based on Rory’s relationship with her child.)
With all that being said, the Gilmore Girls revival was everything I had ever hoped it would be. It tugged at my heartstrings, made me bend in laughter and left me questioning everything I’ve ever known. Well done, Amy Sherman-Pallidino. I only hate you a little bit.
