Warning: spoilers ahead! If you haven’t read Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, beware.
When I heard that Gilmore Girls was going to have a revival, my heart soared. I have found memories of coming home from school and plopping down in front of the TV and singing along to the sweet voice of Carol King. I loved that show because the mother-daughter relationship is something that I really related to, not because my own mother got pregnant at 16, but because we are so close. Like Lorelai and Rory, we are witty, we love to binge eat, watch movies, and gossip. One day, I casually brought up to my mom that we are the Gilmore girls, and she said that she loved that I felt that way, because she felt that way too.
We were very excited to watch the revival. We waited months and months for it. I was so thrilled to see the familiar faces of Lorelai, Rory, Luke, Sookie, Emily, Jess, Logan, Dean, and yes even Kirk. The day it came out, my mom and I planned watch all four episodes together. We turned on Netflix, saw the bright blue eyes of the mother-daughter duo, and we got giddy. I pressed play, expecting to here “Where You Lead,” but it never came. At. All. This was the first red flag, but I let it slide, because I figured the show would be so amazing that it would make up for that small blip. But it didn’t get better. The second problem I had was that it wasn’t as quick witted. The sharp banter between Lorelai and Rory just wasn’t there anymore, which, let’s be honest, is why we watch it.
The third problem I had with this revival was the horrific life decisions Rory was making. First of all, a woman of Rory Gilmore’s caliber and poise wouldn’t be struggling to find work at 30-something. She would also not be having an affair with a man who is engaged to another woman. She already went through that phase, but she learned from her experience. Also, Logan???? The guy whose proposal she denied to follow the Obama campaign? After amazing life experiences, she would have, there’s no way she would’ve have back tracked to Logan. Also, what was with Paris? The owner of a sperm bank? Did anyone see that coming?
The issue I had with Lorelai was that she was such a drama queen. She was just causing problems left and right. It wasn’t a surprise when her and Emily were butting heads, but her fight with Rory was outrageous. How could she possibly say no to Rory in her time of need? It is not in Lorelai’s fashion to deny her daughter’s happiness and success. Remember, this is a woman who abandoned her pride to ask her unforgiving, perfectly polished parents to fund Rory’s education as well as her home.
The only redeeming part of the revival was the return of Jess (who is even more of a babe now), and the marriage of Luke and Lorelai, which we have been waiting for since season one. Sweet, handsome Jess coming to save the day was everything. And when he looked in the window, you just knew he still had the feels for Rory. He is her Luke, they do belong together, we all know it.
The end of the show ended perfectly… almost. Luke and Lorelai are finally married, Rory finds her stride, Emily realizes her true calling in whaling… sound great right? NO! RORY IS PREGNANT??? HOW??? WHY??? WITH LOGAN’S BABY??? LIVID!!!!!! All I have to say at this point is that despite the disappointment of this revival, I really hope they make a second season. In the words of Jebidiah Atkinson, “NEXT!”