The witty banter is finally back. The highly anticipated Netflix revival of “Gilmore Girls” premiered on Nov. 25.
The show, titled “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life,” is split into four episodes, each named after a season: “Winter,” “Spring,” “Summer” and “Fall.” It brings us back to our beloved town of Stars Hollow and to the original show’s two protagonists, Rory Gilmore, played by Alexis Bledel, and her mother, Lorelai Gilmore, played by Lauren Graham. It features a majority of the original cast as well as some new guest stars.
The fast-paced pop culture references return, to the delight of loyal fans. The revival also brought in new fans with this Netflix release. The revival’s only real disappointment is that it doesn’t have its famous “Where You Lead” opening theme song.
The revival sees the return of the original writers and creators of the show, Daniel Palladino and Amy Sherman-Palladino. After the Palladinos and cast members spent years teasing and hinting at a possible movie spin-off or series renewal, fans are finally given the satisfaction of some closure.
Due to salary disputes with The CW network, the Palladinos cancelled their contract with the original series in 2006 before its final seventh season, according to an article on Entertainment Weekly. However, they returned in 2015 to create the revival show. The revival allows fans to watch the the show end under the direction of the Palladinos, the way it should have originally.
The original “Gilmore Girls” ended with Rory being single, which disappointed Team Jess, Team Dean and Team Logan fans. But all three of her love interests have appearances in the revival and give fans some newfound hope.
Life for the promising journalist Rory in the revival is not as successful as she hoped it would be. Viewers instead see her struggling to find a job and getting involved in a relationship that no one would expect. People will have to watch for themselves to see exactly what she gets herself into.
In the revival, Jess Mariano, played by Milo Ventimiglia, gives Rory a final longing look from afar, bringing a hint of hope for Team Jess fans. Although he has only a few scenes in the revival, this moment with Jess is by far one of the most significant.
The Palladinos also tackle the death of the highly regarded actor Edward Herrmann, who played Richard Gilmore, Rory’s grandfather, in the original series. Due to Herrmann’s passing, the Palladinos decided to have his character pass away as well.
This death is visibly hard on all three of the Gilmore women. We see Emily Gilmore, Richard’s wife, who is played by Kelly Bishop, wearing a T-shirt and jeans for the first time, when she used to exclusively wear expensive suits and dresses. The revival is also the first time Emily keeps a maid for longer than a week or so, which is a significant change for the character.
The show also includes some cringe-worthy moments. For example, an “Across the Universe”-esque musical moment is featured to pay homage to the movie, but it felt cheesy and out of place.
However, there are also scenes that allow us to overlook that corny moment. Paris Geller, played by Liza Weil, has her classic meltdown, and there is an abundance of scenes from Kirk Gleason, played by Sean Gunn, so that fans can fawn over him. A look into the relationship between Lorelai and Luke Danes, played by Scott Patterson, makes viewers forget the more awkward moments as well.
Many fans have criticized the revival for its controversial final four words. While some feel betrayed, it was exactly the right way to end the series. Leaving the show in a cliffhanger left fans feeling frustrated, but the last words also do the series justice by paying homage to the very reason for its existence.
Forget Team Logan, Team Dean, and Team Jess. The final words are important because they drive us to Team Rory. The only thing that fans can do now is wait and see if another season will continue the story.
