Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, Warner Bros. Television, Netflix
Let me start by saying this is gonna hurt me a lot more than it hurts you. When truly excited about an upcoming movie or TV show, I go on a blackout – no articles, trailers, or photos prior to viewing. In preparation for Gilmore Girls, A Year in the Life, I avoided all coverage of the new season, and avoided everything from the Amy Sherman-Palladino back catalog including the original Gilmore Girls and Bunheads.
Sure these reboots are usually fraught with disappointment inciting fans to launch hate grenades in defense of the original, once beloved shows. And time is rarely kind to our TV heroes, even Veronica Mars had a hard time convincing us that she returned to be a detective, now without the charm of being a detective in high school.
During its seven season run, one of the greatest gifts Gilmore Girls gave us was the gift of place. Stars Hallow became our home, our town with Miss Patty’s School of Ballet, Doose’s Market, Weston’s Bakery, Kim’s Antiques, Gypsy’s Garage, and Luke’s Diner. Each shop set with their own three dimensional warmth, charm, and authenticity. That's where I longed to return. However, within eight minutes of the reboot, A Year in the Life, two things were abundantly clear, 1. Nostalgia is the enemy and 2. We wouldn't be going home again. The technical details failed to recapture the heart of the show. The Gilmore Girls' kitchen was blown out with so much light that the scene appeared flat, like an old sitcom – the refrigerator full of reflections, and the cabinets illuminated like a showroom. From there, for me, the whole thing fell apart. This summation may seem harsh, but if I can't get lost in a place, I won't get lost in the story.
While lighting was the greatest distraction in the reboot, Lorelai's styling came in second. So many floral dresses, so many floral details, all the way to the final scene with a white silk flower at her hip. While I know her best in the Fall and Winter months, covered in florals doesn't ring true to the Lorelai in my head. It could be that I previously did not have to experience Stars Hallow in the Summer, one of its many former charms.
As for the storytelling, the two shortcomings above made it impossible to fully get lost in Stars Hallow 2016. However, the writers treated the loss of Edward Herrmann with great dignity and respect, and naturally led to where the women are in this moment, a bit unmoored with themselves and with one another, and for Lorelai in particular, feeling their mortality. For the most part, they handled it well. I could have done without seeing Luke's daughter again, nor the 18 minute musical interlude, nor did I need to travel to London and New York so much, for change of scenery, I'd much prefer a visit to the secret bar with Hep Alien's musical stylings. The original series had the excitement and momentum of forging your own way, where the return with A Year in the Life is the feeling of loss once you get there. Maybe that's why it's often so uncomfortable to watch, these Gilmore Girls, nine years later, even with bad lighting and covered in florals, are still all too relatable.
