Review: “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life”
We had to wait almost ten years until our beloved, fast speaking Gilmore Girls came back to screen. “A Year in the Life” consists of four parts, each of them portraying a season (Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer). Sounds like a nice idea, doesn’t it? Although many fans loved the return to Stars Hollow (the small town hasn’t lost its charm at all by the way); other fans were rather disappointed by this sequel. But is this mini series really a worthy revival?
Well, let’s begin with the characters. We meet many old friends again, ranging from the quirky residents of Stars Hollow (Kirk, Taylor, Miss Patty, Gypsy etc.) to Rory’s three ex-boyfriends. But it is striking that one important character is missing: Richard Gilmore. The reason for that is because the actor Edward Herrmann died in 2014. However, it is an important element of the show how the Gilmore girls, especially Emily, try to deal with their loss. Actually, it feels like we get to know Emily in a completely different way. A character, who had far too little screen time is Sookie St. James, Lorelai’s clumsy but lovely best friend, since the actress Melissa McCarthy was very busy with other movies.
When it came to the love life of the girls, most fans were really curious to see Rory’s recent boyfriend. After the announcement of a Gilmore Girls sequels, they instantly divided themselves into three different parties: Team Dean, Team Jess or Team Logan. However, it might be a surprise who Rory’s actual boyfriend really is, whereas her affair might be not so much of a surprise. Yes, right, the nice, well-read and good girl Rory has an affair. All in all, Rory seems to be a bit lost working as a freelance journalist and, to be honest, sometimes it is a bit hard to sympathize with her.
But what about Lorelai, the young at the heart, coffee lover with the great pop cultural references? Well, she is still the loveliest character of the show. She hasn’t lost her charm and wittiness at all. Although she is still in a relationship with diner owner Luke, they are still not married. Another big topic in the show. Furthermore, the miniseries does not only broaches the issue of her complicated relationship with her mother Emily but also reflects on the relationship she had with her father Richard.
To summarize: Yes, “A Year in the Life” is a good sequel, watching it makes every true Gilmore Girls fan feel like coming back home after a long time. But four episodes are not enough and a really mean cliffhanger at the end really longs for another sequel. Well, let’s hope for the best and in the meantime we can still re-watch the old seasons.
With thanks to Tansica Sun and Anna Woods
