Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life - Winter

It’s hard to believe it’s been over nine years since I was last immersed in the quirky, outlandish and heart warming world of Gilmore Girls. I’m sure I’m in the majority when I say that the series finale left a bitter taste in my mouth. While I wouldn’t say season seven was entirely without merit, It was a cold slap in the face to see a series that had such heart and wit fade out so unceremoniously, and without the rightful captain at the helm; Amy Sherman-Palladino (ASP from here on out). Now thanks to Netflix, the show and ASP are back again and after the dust finally settled from the initial rapid fire reunion between mother and daughter, it didn’t take long to see that although the show has been off the air for quite some time, life really has been moving on for these characters all these years. ‘Winter’ got us up to speed on where Lorelai, Rory and Emily are in their lives, and how a major loss has catapulted them into the unknown.

With the first few beats of Sam Phillips music, I was immediately whisked back into this wonderful, hyper reality. It was so great to see Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel back in these defining roles, whipping pop culture references back and forth with barely a breath in between. Both women seem to have settled back into their roles pretty easily; Graham in particular shines as Lorelai. You can really tell she’s as happy to be back as we are.

The supporting characters are all as we remember them though each has changed enough to feel like a bit of time has passed. Michel is still as cynical and cranky as he used to be, except now he’s married, and fighting his husband over their choice to have children. Lane is still with Zach, and is raising her two twins in Stars Hollow. Thankfully Hep Alien are back and better than ever. I missed rock Lane. Paris is still Paris, as authoritarian and intense as ever. It figures she’d own her own company and combine all of her talents into one huge empire. She’s the best. As for three our main Gilmore girls, there’re still plenty of coffee and Friday night dinners to go around, but patriarch Richard is looming over them, both figuratively, and literally; that is one massive portrait Emily has in the living room. His death seems to have affected them in different ways, forcing each to contemplate their lives, and where they’ve ended up.

Despite seemingly having everything she’s worked for, Lorelai has found herself in a rut of sorts. Last time we saw her she had only just reconciled with Luke after the whole messy engagement debacle of ’06 and it seems like things are great between them. She’s still begging him to serve her junk food. He’s still infuriated at the fact that she has a diet of a seven year old. It’s all very classic Lorelai and Luke, but it doesn’t take long to see that Lorelai is feeling unfulfilled.

Maybe it’s the fact that they still haven’t gotten married, a fact Emily pointed out when Lorelai tried to relate her relationship with that of Emily and Richard. It might also be the fact that they’ve never had a kid of their own. It certainly seems as though that’s something Lorelai might want. After Luke ran out on their botched attempt to use a surrogate provided by Paris’ company, she still seemed hopeful that it’s something he might consider. But Luke has April (now studying at MIT, no surprise there), and Rory to a certain extent, and that’s all he seems to want. Will Lorelai be able to accept that or will she want more? If her DVR choices are anything to go by, she seems to chasing some sort of Lifetime happy ending, one that might involve a bigger family. Please don’t let it drive them apart...again.

Rory seems equally unhappy, though she’s trying her best to hide it. Her career seems to be challenging her in some very interesting ways, with some of her work getting published in the New Yorker, and a potential book deal on the way. Yet she still seems to be floating, trying to find solace in the fact that she’s without a place to live, with no security and far from home; things we all know Rory Gilmore is all about. Plus she’s cheating on poor what’s-his-face with her old college boyfriend, which seems a little regressive for a woman who was always so in charge of her future. Perhaps we’ll see the series explore that over the remaining three episodes.

Emily, reeling from Richard’s death a few months prior to the events taking place here, is facing similar struggles to that of her daughter and granddaughter. Without Richard she doesn’t know what to do with her life. As she said herself, she was married for fifty years, which is a long time for anyone. She took care of her husband, she watched out for him, she cared for him, and above all else she loved him. Without all that what does she do with her time? Where does she channel that kind of devotion? The series explored this kind of helplessness before when Richard ended up in the hospital, but now a hypothetical scenario has become a reality and she’s grasping at any new idea that might help her find some sort of peace in her otherwise lonely world. And you know she’s seriously hurting if she’s wearing jeans. What a sight.

Plus

That argument between Lorelai and Emily, mirroring a similar one in the pilot, stung. One of the things I’d like to see explored in this miniseries is their relationship. I’d love to see them reconcile.

He Said, She Said

Lorelai: “Haven’t done that in a while.”
Rory: “Felt good.”

Emily: “How dare you call me an idiot! I just lost my husband!”
Loreali: “I just lost my father!”
Emily: “And you couldn't care less.”

I think the format of this revival gave ASP a fantastic platform on which to explore some pivotal moments in the Gilmore girls’ lives. By charting their exploits over a specific period we can see how all of the events started here will unfold and develop throughout the course of a year, with very little need for filler along the way. ‘Winter’ laid some excellent groundwork for what’s sure to be an interesting, funny and heartbreaking journey. It’s good to be back in Starts Hollow.

9/10