'Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life' Series Review
Oy, with the poodles already!
It’s been nine years since audiences said goodbye to Stars Hollow, and after much fan fervour the much-loved and oft-quoted ‘Gilmore Girls’ is back!
A sequel to the comedy-drama series that ended its seven-season run back in 2007, ‘Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life’ sees audiences play catch-up with one of television’s most beloved mother-daughter pairs.
Originally debuting in 2000, the show follows the lives of single mother Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and her daughter Rory - birth name also Lorelai (played by Alexis Bledel) in the fictional small town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut.
Series creator and executive producers Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino are back at the helm, structuring the revival across four episodes – one each for Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.
The script is expectantly outfitted with the canon fast-paced dialogue laced with popular culture references, and the acting remains as consistent as it was a near decade ago. The cast - despite their varied roles and careers post-‘Gilmore’, slip graciously back into the mind-set of their beloved television counterparts, and with most of the original cast returning, it almost feels like a homecoming for fans… Almost.
The classic ‘Gilmore Girls’ formula is still there: the copious amounts of coffee, the insane town functions, the lightning-quick banter, the food… even Paul Anka, the dog! Yet, it still feels like something is missing. It’s difficult the identify the missing element, as the show appears consistent with the program that fans fell in love with seventeen years ago; however, small character differences and unnecessary running gags only highlight the returned series as an imperfect recreation.
Not to be a total “buttfaced miscreant” though, as the follow-up is still a treasure for Gilmore fans. Luke’s Diner and Miss Patty’s School of Ballet still stand; Kirk is just as ridiculous; the townsfolk continue to attend town meetings begrudgingly; and the Stars Hollow events are still just as quirky and elaborate. It has everything die-hard fans have wanted since the show’s series finale. And as Lorelai and Rory banter over “coffee-coffee-coffee”, it feels like no time has passed at all.
Although the revival could be considered a hot mess, there’s no better mess than a Gilmore one. And regardless of the moments that didn’t click, Gilmore fans will appreciate the nostalgic trip back to small town Connecticut, because this is not just a show: “it’s a lifestyle”.
‘Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life’ is available on Netflix now.
