I’m Assuming You Have Feelings About Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life?
Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall have been binged. Would you like a place to share your spoilery feelings about Netflix’s Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life?
I just finished the revival earlier this afternoon and have a lot of decompressing to do. But I realized over the last few days it was harder to avoid Gilmore Girls spoilers online than the latest Marvel/Netflix show so I figured I’d plop down an open thread for you all to vent your many, many feelings.
Please preface your comment with “WINTER,” “SPRING,” etc. if you’ve only made it partway through, that way other folks don’t reply to you with spoilers of later episodes. Otherwise, all other comments will contain FULL SPOILERS after these Paris Gellar gifs.
I really disliked Winter. I thought it took a little bit too long to get us back into the groove (maybe it was that I had been watching random episodes and felt the difference) and I really REALLY hated the Paul joke (because that’s all he was, a joke). Besides that, I liked how they did the conflict between Lorelai and Emily, even if it felt a bit tired – it’s true that Emily won’t let Lorelai not be perfect, and that’s why she was running away from the whole circle thing – she knew she was gonna mess it up. I was pleasantly surprised with the Rory/Logan situation except for the whole he’s engaged and she had a boyfriend, I would’ve been totally fine with them just being fuckbuddies who didn’t know how their relationship was at the time. Stars Hollow felt great (poor Liz Torres, what happened to her?) and all in all, I didn’t like it, but it was a good way to begin the revival.
Spring, on the other hand, was a bit more classic Gilmore (Fall for me was perfect, I’ll talk about it below). And I couldn’t get over the fact that Paris considers Lorelai a second mom – they don’t even interact that much on the original show! I agree with her career of choice though. Seeing Chilton was also interesting – it was a very interesting way to see Francine (who is right to call out Paris, even though we all know why Paris is insecure), and was it really Chad Michael Murray? It was so blink and you’ll miss it I didn’t want to go back to it.
Summer felt like a giant running joke, and I don’t know if it’s because technically I’m part of the thirty something gang (well, not really, I’m 28 and I do have a job) but everything about it felt… Phony? The fat jokes (really?), the musical was a bit much (and I say this as a Sutton Foster fan), however there were little things that I loved – Luke and Emily and the real estate lady were awesome, and Virginia as a dark Lorelai (they look too much alike) was impressive. They could’ve explored that a bit more. Also, nice to hear that it’s Doosey’s fault the town is so… Well, stuck in the 1930’s
Fall was what I wanted (except for the lack of Paris) for the revival. I actually liked how they weaved the conflict between Lorelai and Luke again – I feel this is where ASP wanted to go in the first run, because it addresses the main problem with their relationship: Lorelai does not listen to Luke and just barrels through the whole relationship. And while yes, Luke is happy with it (he adores the woman) it needed to be said, and made explicit, and Lorelai needed to be aware of it. It was pretty obvious that Rory was going to be the writer of Gilmore Girls, so it was a good way to do it. I’m not sure how I feel about Emily moving to Nantucket, but her being a very INTENSE museum guide gave me joy. And honestly, I laughed during Lorelai’s attempt at hiking. She needed some time alone though – to be at peace with her own thoughts, I don’t think she knows how to do that often.
Random explosion of thoughts:
-Luke and the WiFi password. Of course he’d do that. Also, Jess just ripping off the modem was hilarious.
-I liked how they used Digger and Christopher. Those were probably the two I wasn’t looking forward to see at all, but they were really well deployed, Christopher in particular seemed like his final farewell to Rory, like he finally understood he’ll never be part of their life, as it was the bed he had made.
-I really didn’t like Bledel’s voice – it took me out because it felt so different from her old Rory voice (a bit higher). I also didn’t like McCarthy’s scene – again, her voice didn’t ring true to the old character. Then again, she probably didn’t even rehearse the scene much, her schedule being so busy and all that.
-Michel, gay or bi? I’m sure he said in the old series that he had relationships with women but I dunno if it was gay panic back then. I would’ve loved to meet Frederick.
-I really liked the tango club in fall, much more than the musical in summer. I was particularly entranced by the male/male couple.
-I’m not sure we needed the brigade though, it seemed like an excuse to splurge for “A little help of my friends”.
-Honestly, out of the three boyfriends, the one that came out the best was… Dean. He moved on. And he was able to have a good conversation with Rory, without pining. That’s what I wanted. I would’ve loved the Logan situation if neither had had other attachments, and Jess is really still pining for Rory? Man, that’s… sad.
-For a moment I thought Lulu was not gonna be in the revival. I am happy she and Kirk are still together.
-April was awesome in her cameo. Her having a panic attack at seeing Rory being back home… Hit too hard.
-I’m not sure I believe Paris was so neglectful to her children. She hated that abouty her own family but hey, circles and all that.
-I also can’t believe Paris and Doyle didn’t work it out. In my headcanon they did.
-If they didn’t ASP has to give in and give us Paris/Rory.
-I liked the Hep Alien song? Like, actually liked it? Paris face during their performance though.
-I am particularly happy that Michel got an actual storyline. He was mostly used as a joke during the original, and while it may be that he got the storyline Sookie was supposed to get, it felt great, it felt organic, I loved that he knew he was underpayed for his experience but overpayed for the position, and that he wanted Lorelai to expand. While Lorelai did strike me as a businesswoman before, Michel had been the only one who seemed to know about the Hotelier business.
-Seriously, we didn’t need Paul. He wasn’t even a big cameo for it to be worth it.
-I didn’t get all of the cameos. I’m sure the psychologist was famous, and well as half the people that checked in at the Inn at some point.
-RIVER SONG! Well, Alex Kingston, and what madness of a role that was! I’m not sure if she was actually playing a female doctor there, with all her digressions and her need to steal food. A shame she and Lorelai didn’t meet – seems like something that should’ve happened.
-I wish we had seen more of an expansion fo the Gazette. Rory had been editor of the Yale Daily News after all, and I’m sure she could’ve flipped the place if she wanted to.
-Again, Jess, still pining?
-The most unexpected cameo was the wedding dress lady. She’s a hoot, and I would’ve loved her to evaluate Jess as well.
Of course I’ll rewatch and have different opinions then, but right now, I’m happy I got the closure ASP wanted (there’s no way they are going to get more than this).
Regarding the musical:
OK, I HATED the musical. I found it went WAY too long. I get it was a Theatre de l’Absurd, but it went way too long, and it didn’t help that we saw it all at once. If any, I would’ve preferred to see some of the songs as rehearsals rather than full production, which would’ve a) broken down the musical, making it feel less long, and b) given us a bit more of interaction between the actors and the townies, since I particularly wanted to see more of Violet and Lorelai, particularly because Violet IS Dark Lorelai – the woman who gave up the life she had for freedom she wanted, and ended up in a worse place than before. That conversation between the two of them, after the evaluation of the musical? THAT’S what I wanted to see when they announced Foster joining the cast. And as much as I love Borle (I have the MTV version of Legally Blonde the musical on three different backups) he was just there, and I think they wasted his talent.
Also, I am sure Patty would’ve complained about not being in the musical itself, but I don’t know if something happened to Liz Torres? To me, she looked emaciated – was she sick?
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/11/turns-out-rory-gilmore-is-not-a-good-journalist/508883/
For some reason I can’t never access the Atlantic…
What was with all the weird spinning camera angles? Did they like have a fun toy they could use for a few days of shooting, and then they had to give it back?
I didn’t really have an issue with the final four words, I prefer them now, than I would have if they had happened during the original run, when Rory would have been 22-25 years old. It makes sense to me because the main idea of the series is that mother-daughter relationship, and the continuation of a matriarchal family line. I am a little disappointed that both Emily and Lorelai found some sort of closure, but Rory had almost none. Living in Richard and Emily’s house, and working for the Gazette, and on the book, is fine, but it still felt like she was very unsettled.
I was also so disappointed in the whole Logan thing, only because they were both seeing other people. It’s different if you’re single and just want to sleep together when you can, but for both of them to be actively cheating made them both kind of awful people.
Also the LDB scene made me think I was on crack. It started off being an obvious dream sequence, then became real. What was that?
An excuse to have a Beatles song (even if it was the Across the Universe version) in the show.
At least the tango sequences were awesome.
I don’t love the final four words. I get why for furthering the story, but still.
The whole play section could have been scrapped as it had no impact on the story. Ridiculous.
Sassy Emily is what I live for. Ugh, so good.
Kirk has found his calling as a wedding decorator. Goddamn.
So many things were dragged out or shoehorned in for the purpose of cameos, which was ridiculous.
The Richard moments were beautiful.
TL;DR – the good was really good, the bad was awful
If there was any character who benefited from the lack of S&P was Emily. Finally allowed to use the words we all knew she was using before but we wouldn’t hear.
SPOILERS FOR IT ALL
I went to school with Nat Compton!
Emily Gilmore’s whaling lecture was so damn hot!
I missed Paris & Kirk.
The original was whimsical, but the revival kept taking detours in 4-wall busting zany that were kind of jarring.
Why were Paris’s stairs so evil?
How is Stars Hollow a dry city? There are no dry counties in actual Connecticut. The townsfolk are unanimously in favor of a bar & mayoral approval isn’t needed to apply for a liquor license.
How did Logan level up from mega-rich to magic?
If everyone hates Taylor, why is he still town autocrat?
Why didn’t Rory at least write the spec article on lines?
I’m not a fan of the hyped last 4 words.
The making fun of fat people at the pool scene was so out of line AND out of character. Made me sad. :(
SO SO BAD. I could not believe that crap, and you’re right, so out of character besides just being really awful.
In general it seemed like Lorelei & Rory were less likeable in this.
The show has always been a little judgey, but it’s never been mean before. This was MEAN. The fat shaming, the Paul thing. It was a little low.