Gilmore Girls: A Year In the Life

Gilmore+Girls%3A+A+Year+In+the+Life

Janine Jones, Copy Editor

Where you lead, I will follow..

After years of agony and assumptions of what could be, Netflix has brought us a gift from above and made the original special, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. The mastermind, Amy Sherman-Palladino and the angels at Netflix thought it would be nice to bring a little nostalgia to the holiday season and they were SO RIGHT.

I’d like to start off by saying: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. TURN BACK WHILE YOU STILL CAN. If you haven’t watched yet, click on over to Netflix and do yourself the favor.

Go ahead…. I’ll wait.

It’s been over a week since it’s release and I feel like I’m finally ready to talk about this extension of the beloved religion that is Gilmore Girls.

I loved what they did with the beginning, black screen with audio clips of big events of Gilmores past. Then BANG back in Stars Hollow after 10 years of wondering how this funky little cute town was faring, and what Taylor was complaining about now, we know that the answer is phone booths and sewage systems. Oh, Taylor.

Where was the theme song? I needs my 30 second Carole King fix in the beginning of every episode.

Excitement was in the air as we anticipated the Lorelai/Rory reunion, but that stopped when Rory became THE most awkward person on the planet. Now I understand that 10 years is a long time, but that’s no excuse for Rory to be so painfully awkward. RORY, WHO HURT YOU? Why are you like this?

Let’s not forget she also started an affair with an almost married man, a very good looking after 10 years man, but a still very engaged Logan. One could argue he proposed to her first, so technically he’ll always be hers, but SHE SAID NO. She sabotaged herself at pretty much every turn, with her career (or lack of it) and her personal life, it gave me the meanest headache. At this point, I won’t put anything past Rory because of one word… wookie.

Lorelai and Luke…. Bless my soul, I love them so much! Their domestic banter and sheer love for each other makes my heart cry tears of joy. Which brings me to this: Why make us believe they were going to break up for THREE out of four episodes? I’m an overly dramatic, panicky, kind of person – YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO ME. Also, why Wild? If for not any other reason, but Julia Roberts, why not Eat Pray Love? I would think it’d be right up Lorelai’s alley, but trendz.. am I right? But in the end, their wedding was nothing short of perfection.

Emily made me angry for most of the special because it was long hidden grudge after long hidden grudge that kept coming up, and you start to wonder to yourself: don’t you have anything else to do? Then again, it’s Emily, if her and Lorelai aren’t arguing about something, it’s not really Gilmore Girls. Her ending in Nantucket was an unexpected but very appreciated ending for her. If Emily Gilmore is leading a whaling tour anywhere near here anytime soon, count me in. And I can’t be the only person wondering who wrote that letter, can I?

Stars Hollow: The Musical? No, just no. That was 15 minutes that could’ve been used to explain some of the many unanswered questions – like where and what was Mr. Kim doing for seven seasons?

If you ask me, the best parts of the revival were Paris, Kirk and Petal, and the reunion of The Life and Death Brigade. Don’t fight with me on this, you won’t win.

I saw those last four words coming from 10 years away. Of course she’s pregnant, I’m actually shocked they didn’t start her out with a baby. There are many, many fan theories floating out there in the universe, but I don’t know what to expect, other than more episodes of course.

Below is a playlist complete with explanations courtesy of my fellow Gilmore worshiper, Jenna.

Songs:

  1. There She Goes – The La’s (The first song played in the Pilot episode. Oh, the nostalgia.)  
  2. Where You Lead – Carole King (Does this really need an explanation? No, but just in case you’re watching the revival to be ~in the loop~ this is the theme song by the amazing Carole King, aka Sophie, and her daughter Louise Goffin.) 
  3. Walk Like An Egyptian – The Bangles (I’ll take What is Lorelei’s favorite band? for $200 please.
  4. When You And I Were Young Maggie Blues – Bing and Gary Crosby (An ode to one of my favorite characters from the series, Richard. He and Rory listened to this while he was in the hospital after his heart attack. RIP Edward Herrmann 🙁 The revival was lacking without you.) 
  5. These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ – Nancy Sinatra (Plays during the revival when Rory and Lorelai are delivering the new issue of the Stars Hollow Gazette ON FOOT.)  
  6. I Will Always Love You – Dolly Parton version (Lorelai serenaded Luke with this song in a bar after Rory’s graduation and it was v heartbreaking. Let’s stop talking about it.) 
  7. Puppy Love – Paul Anka (Duh, Lorelai’s immortal dog.) 
  8. Waterloo – ABBA (The finale song of the completely unnecessary Stars Hollow Musical. But hey, who doesn’t love Sutton Foster?) 
  9. Reflecting Light – Sam Phillips (Lorelai and Luke danced to this at his sister’s wedding and then it played during their own wedding in the revival. I’m not crying, you are.) 
  10. With A Little Help From My Friends – Jim Sturgess and Joe Anderson version (This played during Rory’s over the top but awesome reunion with the Life and Death Brigade, Logan included.)