For me, the most anticipated tv moment in my life has been the Gilmore Girls reboot. I was late to the game on the original series and only began watching it on Netflix the beginning of this year… But once I entered Stars Hollow, I never wanted to leave. I fan-girled. Hard. Now that I’ve watched the entire reboot and have had a few days to sit on my many, many emotions, I felt it was time to take to the blog and pour out my heart.
*Warning: if you have never seen Gilmore Girls before, don’t read this post because you may want to watch it in the future. If you have seen the show, but not the reboot, watch all four seasons before reading this post. After you watched it, come back and let’s chat.
And please, PLEASE don’t watch the reboot before you watch the entire series. You’ll ruin it for yourself, I promise.
Also, this is just my opinion. I realize that not everyone will agree with all (or maybe even any) of my thoughts. That’s the great part about good television, we all get something different out of it.
I’ve tried my best to stay away from the millions of reviews all over the internet. I wanted to give my own opinion with no outside reviews ringing in my ears. But as soon as this post is up, you can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be reading a ton of reviews to hear other thoughts and opinions.
When we started the first episode, “Winter” (literally about 90 seconds after it was available online!) my first reaction was head-to-toe goosebumps. Those goosebumps lasted a solid 5 minutes. The black screen with magical wind chimes then audio that walked us down memory lane was almost too much for me to take. I loved it. It was everything I could hope for the series opening after almost a decade long break. My heart basically exploded inside my chest. Then “I smell snow” turning into SNOWFLAKES on the screen, sleigh bells and my favorite part… The “La, La, La” track. All of a sudden, we’re back. It’s the gazebo in the middle of the town square and there’s Lorelai and her best friend, coffee. Rory enters the scene and they have the best exchange, Gilmore style. We’re back in Stars Hollow and everything is right in our tv world.
I could go through and do a play by play through the entire series, which is exactly what I’d love to do. But, let’s be real, ain’t nobody got time for that. So I’m going to do a character and scenario breakdown.
I have a lot of happy feelings about the reboot, but more overwhelming, I have A LOT of disappointment. We’ll dive into my reasons for both, don’t worry. Let’s take it character by character, shall we?
Lorelai: I really hated that she and Luke weren’t already married. I think that was a major fail on behalf of the writers. She declares that it’s “always been Luke” but somehow doesn’t even discuss the idea of marriage after 9 years? It just never comes up? I don’t buy it. I think this was cheap attempt to keep us guessing about will they or won’t they, and I wasn’t pleased. At all. On the flip side, one thing I was pleasantly surprised about was Lorelai asking Emily for the money to buy/expand the inn. I feel like she had gotten to a place with her mother that she could do that, and a great way to honor her father. There are probably fans out there who felt this was so out of character, but for me, considering the death of Richard, I think this was appropriate. I always dont’ buy that in the past 9 years, Lorelai’s biological clock didn’t start ticking. But all of a sudden, she’s hearing fire alarms telling her it’s time to have another kid. If my calculations are correct, she’s now 48 years old. I have a hard time believing that she didn’t have these thoughts and feelings one her birthday landmarks of 40 and 45. Just saying.
Rory: Biggest let down of them all. The Rory we grew up with was not the Rory we were re-introduced to. Her storyline was unbelievable, literally. Rory was the perfect student at Chilton and Yale. She was the most organized and well thought-out young woman imaginable. I don’t see how we leave the series on her choosing her career over her love for Logan… But that turned into no career at all. Rory wasn’t the type of person to not have roots, to sleep on couches and to not have a paycheck. Yet, that is the Rory that we’re presented. Were the writers proving Mitchum Huntzberger right when he told Rory she had no talent? I don’t agree. I think she had the smarts and drive, but we see nothing to prove it now.
The most disappointing of all was the “no strings attached” affair she had with Logan. Again, not believable. Yea, Yea, I know some of you are out there saying “Well people change Angela!”…I know, I get it…but really?! Her character did a complete 180, retaining what seems like NONE of her traits, values, characteristics and qualities that made her who she was as a person in the original series. It all felt way too forced and contrived for the sake of the show, while ignoring the character who she once was.I know, I know… She had an affair with Dean when he was married to Lindsay in the original, but in Rory’s defense, she believed that their marriage was over. This Rory not only knows that Logan is engaged, but there is no talk at all of him changing his circumstances to be with Rory. Rory was never the, “Take him however you can get him” type. She’s not “the other woman.” In fact, it makes me angry to characterize an incredibly intelligent woman as a side chick. I also didn’t believe the light “talk” Lorelai gave her when she found out about Logan. Lorelai historically didn’t have it in her personality to let something that major go. She didn’t stand for Rory to be mistreated or used in the past, and instilled those values in her.
Emily: I loved her storyline. I think a lot of people probably have a hard time with the major changes we see in her. I don’t and here’s why: The story arc when Emily left Richard. She went absolutely wild. For instance, almost buying a private jet. When Emily goes through an emotional experience, she acts out. She experienced the biggest loss of her life, so I think the major character changes we saw in her were in line historically, and made complete sense.
Luke: Other than the marriage thing, I felt he was the same Luke we left 9 years ago. I loved his “declaration” moment with Lorelai. I loved how bent out of shape he got repeatedly with Taylor and Kirk. It was the same, rough around the edges but perfect Luke.
Sookie: We get it, Melissa McCarthy is a major star now. They could only get her for one scene with her busy schedule, I’m sure. There’s not much to remark on her except we still don’t know the name of her third baby, unless I missed it? Davie, Martha and ??
Michele: How did we never meet his husband? His zingers were just as great as ever though. My favorite Michele moment was when Sookie returned, their exchange about the granola. It was fun, just like the good ole’ days.
Lane: There’s not much to say because we didn’t really see much of Lane. But she did look exactly the same!
Mrs. Kim: There just wasn’t enough. She was one of my favorite characters and we didn’t see her anywhere near as much as we should have.
Mr. Kim: WHATTTT!?!? There’s a Mr. Kim! I didn’t know what to do with myself when this realization hit me.
Taylor: He was the same nut as always.
Kirk: Brilliant. Every single scene he had was brilliant. His character is probably my favorite.
Paris: We didn’t get enough of her in my opinion. Paris is such a great character. Her moments in “Spring” made me remember why I loved her all over again. So much intensity, but so much comedy. Her character has always been written the best. I never saw her going into that field professionally, but honestly, it makes sense. I just wish we’d gotten closure on the marriage fall-out with Doyle.
The Town Crew: Babette, Miss Patty & Gypsy. All were wonderful. Miss Patty looks amazing!
Dean: I always loved Dean. There was such an innocence about him. When we were speculating who Rory would be with for the remake, I never really considered Dean as a possibility. I always saw him as settled down with kids, no Rory in sight.
Jess: I held out hope that Rory would be with Jess for the new series. I love this character. I love that they always seemed to have this connection. The moment he was reintroduced, I hope he would be the end result. I love that they have similar interests and his support for Rory. I was so disappointed at the lack of development with his story line.
Logan: I’ve never been a Logan fan. There were moments where I felt he was promising, but I always preferred Dean or Jess over him. He was too “All or nothing” and, quite frankly, self absorbed for my taste. What doesn’t make sense about him, is 9 years ago we see him breaking away from the Huntzberger name. Becoming his own man. But it’s very clear in the new series that he’s engaged to an heiress which reeks of his father. It also appears that he’s back working for the family, but I don’t think that was ever concrete. I’m basing that assumption off of charging his lunch with Rory to the family account. Logan seems so crazy in love with Rory, so supportive, so involved with her life… To the point that he’s risking accepting her phone calls with his fiancé lying asleep next to him. Yet, he’s going through with the marriage for what? To please his family? To keep up appearances? How did the independent, self sufficient Logan we saw 9 years ago become the clone of his father? And even more, how stupid was his fiancé to not catch on?
UPDATE: I just saw a Facebook Live with Logan (Matt Czuchry) and he stated that Amy (the creator) informed him that Logan had spent the past 9 year entrenched in the family business and he has grown to love it. So after the show ended, we now know, Logan went back to work for his father. Based on this interview, it sounds as though the writer is saying that Logan went back to work for his father immediately.
Now that I’ve hit all the characters I wanted to, let’s talking about scenes.
The musical: Or should I say the biggest waste of my life to date? Holy freaking hot mess. It was just so unnecessary, drawn out and SO YAWN FEST! What in the world were they thinking? This added absolutely nothing to the show. It was terrible and it just seemed like fluffy filler.
The wedding: Another let down. We get to see the hype, the decor but not the wedding with all of our favorite people in one place. Such a major disappointment. And the worst part was who they had at the private wedding ceremony. Where was Jess? I don’t believe that Luke wouldn’t have called him. Why Lane and not Emily? You know Emily was staying somewhere nearby with the wedding being the next morning. Plus, if she got wind, her war with Lorelai would ignite all over again. We had Michele but not her best friend Sookie? Because she was back by this time right? I mean, I know, Melissa McCarthy’s scheduling…. But I feel like that was too important to not have her there when technically she is like 4 houses down from the gazebo!
The fight between Emily & Lorelai: I know Lorelai has foot-in-mouth-syndrome when it comes to her mother. The story she told after her father’s funeral was unbelievable, even for Lorelai. It made her out to be a truly insensitive person, which we well know isn’t the case. This was the writer’s attempt to spark a feud, but that was badly done. Lorelai loved her father, I don’t believe it was characteristic to tell those two stories, even for her.
Return of Life & Death Brigade: So unrealistic. We spent the first several minutes believing we were watching a dream sequence. Stars Hollow would never have fog machines or weird lighting. It was so fake, so unbelievably mystical. It didn’t make sense. So out of place. So overwhelming unreal. I hated it. It was shot horribly in my opinion. Not to mention, the last we saw of these three dudes, Rory was not a fan of them… Unless I’m remembering that incorrectly. But, I’m pretty sure I’m not.
The last four words: Going into this, I believed the last four words were either, “It’s another Gilmore Girl” or “Will You Marry Me?” Instead, we got the biggest cliffhanger possible. I get it, I get it… The story has come full circle. But what a horrible way to get it there. With no mention of who the father was. Again, totally unlike Rory to be irresponsible even in a moment of passion. She’s too level headed.
As for who the father is, it’s not the Wookie one night stand, that was too long ago. I don’t believe it to be Peter, Paul, or whatever her forgettable boyfriend’s name was. I also don’t think it was Logan. Isn’t that too obvious? It’s so very clearly not Dean. I think that the longing last look we see from Jess, staring at Rory through the window, was strategic. I feel like there’s more to that look, and definitely more to that story. I know we never had proof that they were ever together, but we also don’t have proof that they weren’t. Maybe I’m being hopeful, but in my head, the Jess scenario makes the most sense.
Honorable Mentions: I loved the cameos from Lauren Graham’s Parenthood co-stars, especially the scene that included both of her on screen daughters… So cool! Carole King’s appearance and her moment playing the piano was great. I also loved the throwback moments that only true fans would get, like the Cornstarch moment. Be still my heart.
Look, I’m very happy to have had the chance to visit Stars Hollow and our favorite tv characters. What I’m not happy about is how let down I feel by it. I woke up the morning after finishing the series and had this icky feeling I couldn’t shake. It was just the disappointment of it all.
I identify with Rory so much because of the high school dating experiences. So much of what she experienced, is what we’ve all experienced. Although I’ve grown so much as a person the past 9 years, I’m still the same person with the same core values. I think that’s why I’m so critical of the changes we see in her.
Alright, it’s your turn. Leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts and theories. I’m dying to hear from y’all on this!
Photos by Kara Coleen Photography.
What I’m Wearing:
Off the Shoulder Midi Dress (UNDER $50!) // Similar Leopard Heels // Strapless Bra // Similar Foldover Clutch // Earrings // Essie Nail Polish in “Angora Cardi”
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I couldn’t agree with you more! Everything I felt about the revival you summed up perfectly.
I also have to add that I didn’t buy Sookies story line. I couldn’t see her leaving the Dragonfly. I also don’t believe that Rory would have forgotten about having a boyfriend for an entire year plus.
After spending six hours watching this, I’d almost wish I didn’t. I’m not sure if there was such a build up to the premiere of the revival or what, but I was beyond disappointed. I thought that the revivial was supposed to be a closure and answer questions, yet it provided nothing but open ended scenarios. Are they trying to keep us in sespense that there will be more Gilmore Girls? If there is I hope they do a much better job of bringing back the characters we fell in love with.
I will say Paris Gellers (Chilton scences in particular) were on point and were my favorite.