What a difference eight years makes…

Have you missed the smell of snow? Do you need a strong cup of coffee à la Luke’s? How about a craving for some Red Vines, Pop Tarts, and/or Tater Tots to go with everything else you could ever fathom eating as you watch The Godfather trilogy? Lorelai and Rory returned in the ‘Gilmore Girls Revival’ Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life on Friday 25^th November on Netflix. *Spoiler alert! A cornucopia of spoilers ahead… 

Before we talk about the new feature-length episodes available to binge watch online now, let’s take a quick retro ‘Gilmore Girls Revival’ look at some of the show’s best moments…

The ultimate Friday Night Dinner

Tense dinner scenes have forever been the staple for the dysfunctional family; from Festen to American Beauty, plus Channel 4’s comedy Friday Night Dinner. We have sat on the other side of the 180-degree axis of action and enjoyed the explosive rants that ensue. What begins as a verbal clause in the Emily Gilmore contract (the Girls must attend dinner every Friday night otherwise Rory’s Chilton tuition loan will be null and void) takes a hilarious turn in S6E13. A roller-coaster of emotion takes over in one of the funniest scenes of the series:

Don’t cross Emily Gilmore

If I had to pick a favourite character in the show, it would be Kelly Bishop as the resplendent Emily Gilmore. You have to respect her. In spite of her antiquated ideologies concerning class, culture, and disdain for Lorelai’s witty skits, Emily is as funny as she can be cold. A mere icy stare of animosity and you can tell she means business with her impending brand of judgment. She has thawed from her prickly persona thanks to Rory. A frozen pizza baked in the oven wasn’t something she had ever considered as a meal before her granddaughter rustled it up on the cook’s night off. Here is just one of many times Emily has proved she has called bullshit on people years before literally saying the word (more than once) in the Fall episode:

Achieving culinary and film perfection

Stars Hollow Video store has inspired Lorelai and Rory to come up with the ‘Ruth Gordon Film Festival’ (Harold and Maude, Rosemary’s Baby, and “that really great episode of Taxi”) as well as the ‘Worst Film Festival Ever’ (Cool as Ice, Hudson Hawk, and Electric Boogaloo). They have enjoyed Grey Gardens (“I love these women”) back home, where the cupboards are full of tasty and colourful junk foods, the fridge cooling leftovers, the bin-to-the-brim of take-out boxes, and the pizza delivery man has rung more than twice. The Girls have sampled the fascinating fusion at Al’s Pancake World (e.g. chicken chow mein sandwich) which leads to a very fitting film choice, Fatso.

As a foodie and a film nerd, I feel akin to the Gilmores. Some of the top TV series mentioned include “the incomparable Donna Reed Show”, as well as making references to British programmes, such as Ab Fab and the Two Fat Ladies. I have never seen The Joan and Melissa Rivers Story but they really sell it.

A Film by Kirk

Kirk (Sean Gunn) is just there. He is a Jack-of-all-trades to begin with and then doesn’t leave Luke alone as a perpetual patron at the diner. His social awkwardness, living arrangement with his mother, and cat also named Kirk add to his idiosyncratic personality. He is the lovable village idiot with a patriotic interest in the town’s cultural well-being. David Lynch’s Eraserhead is also a big influence for Kirk to the extent that he decides to produce, direct, and star in his own homage to the disturbing saga, I Love Your Daughter. An homage as disturbing as Eraserhead itself. Chloe from 24 (Mary Lynn Rajskub) co-stars as Kirk’s perfectly deadpan girlfriend. We discover in Spring that he entered it into the Chappaqua Film Festival “where it won the coveted Good Try Award”. Hear, hear!

OK, now that thrifty trip down the fictional Connecticut memory lane has been experienced, let’s look ahead to the reunion.

In memory of Edward Hermann

In every scene honouring his character, the moments were even more touching due to Hermann’s passing in real life. Although, there is a bit of comic relief with the farce of Emily “Spinal Tapping” the portrait in memoriam to Richard. After Lorelai incessantly berates her that she couldn’t have possibly wanted a picture that big, Emily admits she accidentally commissioned the painting in the wrong size. The result ends up overwhelming the sitting room as the portrait spans an entire wall from floor to ceiling.

“I love the spoken word. I love hearing it. The way the words can seduce you.” A quote from the actor which he embodied in his roles, notably as Richard Gilmore and his Yale Bulldog baritone days. Lending his voice to American Dad! and TV series Perception, Hermann was cast in the Jason Blum and Ryan Murphy produced remake of The Town That Dreaded Sundown before his death. He was always credited in the show as “Special Appearance by Edward Hermann”. I think we can all agree that it was.

The brand new opening

Lorelai: I’ve missed you, kid. Rory: I’ve missed you too. Lorelai: How long’s it been? Rory: It feels like years.

As soon as the first episode begins, we can feel how cinematic the miniseries is going to be. It’s like “the first 15 minutes of Saving Private Ryan but at least those guys got to be France.” While the charm of the show is not diminished, the expansive camera movements and tracking shots present a greater scope and production value. Plus, the extended 90 to 105-minute episodes feel like each one is a short film in itself.

There is a festive, dreamlike jingling sound as we are reminded of the past series against a black screen, including Lorelai pleading for Luke to give her another cup of coffee in the first episode. Then Lorelai’s voice declares “I smell snow” – and we’re back! Lorelai jokes that “the entire town was actually constructed in a giant snow globe” which is the perfect epitome of Stars Hollow in Winter…

Episode 1: Winter

Rory is visiting from London to catch up the eclectic townsfolk. Currently pursuing a career in journalism, she is also engaging in a casual, clandestine affair with former flame Logan Huntzberger (Matt Czuchry). Meanwhile, Lorelai is going strong with her Dragonfly Inn B&B, despite that Sookie is off elsewhere on an extended sabbatical. Along with Luke (Scott Patterson), the couple make an important decision: whether or not to have a child together. First, they visit a familiar face: Paris Geller (Lisa Weil, who originally auditioned for the role of Rory), now running an elite surrogate agency called Dynasty Makers. She is as brash and to-the-point as ever, yet harbours an unfaltering soft spot for Lorelai – someone she considers to be her “second mother”.

We get a poignant flashback of Richard’s funeral, played by the late Edward Hermann. As well as the casts’ glistening eyes when they reunite on-screen, the true emotion during these scenes dedicated to Richard’s character is naturally a tribute to Hermann himself. Following the service, Lorelai puts her foot in it with Emily when she cannot share a suitably fond memory of Richard amongst family friends. This reignites the precarious mother-daughter relationship for the year ahead.

The pop culture tit-bits are still there: “There’s the debate going on whether or not to get rid of the phone-booth – “But where would Superman change when he comes to save our town from Ben Affleck?” One quote in particular that stands out is from Alex Kingston’s cameo. Rory is expanding on her published ‘Talk of the Town’ piece with a biography about her acclaimed subject, Naomi Shropshire (Kingston). Shropshire makes a joke out of the recent referendum: “I’m voting for Brexit. It’s a protest vote, it’ll never win”, before saying Sir Winston Churchill was a “fat poof”. I laughed incredulously at both statements as they took me off-guard and the fact that Shropshire is a bit of a lush – she doesn’t give a toss about what she says and that is that.

Winter ends with Lorelai getting duped into attending shrink sessions with her mother. Well played, Emily. The matriarch reigns as the master manipulator with her persuasive word-play.

Episode 2: Spring

“Welcome to our world of food and fun. Welcome, welcome, everyone!” The Spring International Food Festival is in fully swing with Taylor (Michael Winters) at the helm to mark the new season. Who wouldn’t want to visit Stars Hollow? It’s like a family-friendly Twin Peaks.

Saying that, the unbearable silence (except for a clock ticking) of Lorelai, Interrupted could be considered a bit more ominous. The therapy has begun and Emily doesn’t intend on making it easy. We all know Lorelai well enough to know that the silence will be broken by her involuntary need to verbally splurge. This pressure of speech (like Eileen Brennan’s Mrs. Peacock at the dinner table in Clue) just makes it more entertainingly awkward. If this wasn’t enough, Emily focuses her attention on Luke with a stipulation from Richard’s will. He has left a substantial sum of money in a trust fund for Luke to expand his diner into a franchise.

On the other side of the pond, Rory is struggling with her career as martini guzzling Naomi Shropshire gets increasingly unhinged. She may be a popular figure for empowering women, however wanting to lick Rory’s “juicy apple cheeks” is just the start of her instability. Mitchum Huntzberger (Gregg Henry) surprises Rory with the offer to help her prospects, but returning to Chilton prep school in Hartford as an Alumna, Headmaster Charlston recommends that Rory takes a teaching position if she gets a Master’s degree. Unsure, Rory dabbles in fluff pieces for Condé Nast, such as reporting on why New Yorkers religiously queue for things like “the new Cronut”, to letting her hopes get dashed by gossip site Sandy Says.

Prepare for Kirk’s new film: A Second Film by Kirk. At the local Red, White and Blue bookstore-cum-theatre, Kirk introduces his follow-up short before a screening of Eraserhead, which Lane admits used to be her “make-out movie” with Zack – brilliant. It starts happily enough with his pet Petal the Pig, then turns into a black-and-white tragedy. Another good try, Kirk.

More Spring highlights are Lorelai’s Paul Anka dream (featuring the real man himself, not the dog) and Rory’s one-night-stand with a Star Wars cosplayer dressed as a Wookie. Yes, a Wookie, a Wookie!

Episode 3: Summer

Nothing screams summer like the sight of ‘Back Fat Pat’ stalking the municipal pool in all his glory. Totes Y’all! Even if she doesn’t want to admit it, let’s join in and welcome back Rory. Rory is back. What better way to celebrate the occasion than with a bowl of popcorn and watching The Returned – “the French Returned”.

The town meeting, chaired by Taylor, prompts Rory to make a stand to keep the Stars Hollow Gazette in print. What else is she going to do – wallow? No, not this Yale graduate. She’s going to turn the local paper into an Aaron Sorkin movie, powered by MS Dos. With a skeleton crew of two veterans: Esther (Jackie Hoffman – Kissing Jessica Stein) and Charlie (Charles C. Stevenson Jr. – the mysterious man waiting at the bus stop in Ghostworld), Rory endeavours to fill former editor Bernie Roundsbottom’s boots and take the press in a new direction – from East to West. When Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) stops by to see Uncle Luke, his visit incites the ultimate idea for Rory’s life – to write a book about her unique mother-daughter relationship. However, Lorelai is adamant she will not give her permission.

Where is Lorelai while all of this is happening? She’s part of the advisory committee for Stars Hollow: The Musical realised from the flamboyant mind of Taylor. We are treated to over 10 minutes of the advanced preview which is beyond words. What is it about? A couple in an abusive marriage travel back in time to live through the ages; from when the town was founded by Pilgrims and back to present day again. Everyone but Lorelai gives it a rave review. These are revolutionary t-ha-ha-ha-imes.

Regardless of her criticisms, the musical triggers Lorelai to bolt and discover her own path. Inspired by Wild, she takes off to California, leaving behind a flummoxed Luke, the discovery that Emily has taken a new “lover” with Jack (Twin Peak’s Ray Wise), Michel’s (Yanic Truesdale) bombshell about quitting his job to work at the W, and her ongoing feud with Rory.

Episode 4: Fall

Just to reiterate, Lorelai is following in the inspirational footsteps from the book – Cheryl Strayed’s Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail – and not the movie version – Wild, starring Reese Witherspoon. There is a big divide between the two apparently.

In between episodes of Snapped and trying to get all the necessities into her jack-in-the-box backpack, Lorelai is living the motel life. She makes new friends with boxed wine (except for bear-punching Carol) off the beaten track. She’s not cut out for it but that won’t stop her from trying to get out of her funk. That is until she stumbles across a picturesque landscape on the hunt for coffee. The overwhelming vista encourages Lorelai to calls Emily and finally share the emotional memory of Richard that Emily has been waiting for. It involves a giant pretzel covered in mustard.

Emily is making dramatic changes in her life too. Not only does she have a big-screen TV in her living room, Emily doesn’t give a crap about the DAR ladies. It’s all “bullshit” – it has to be seen and enjoyed multiple times. Emily then agrees to put Luke’s unwanted trust account towards funding Lorelai’s business expansion, as well as putting up the Gilmore mansion for sale. What will she do now? Educate and shock families as a docent at the Whaling Museum in Nantucket, of course!

As secret as the bar that the residents are keeping hidden from Taylor, the Life and Death Brigade are reanimated. The band reforms with cryptic foreshadowing messages and make an eerie entrance under the guise of fog. We can’t dismiss the talking raven in the vein of Edgar Allan Poe – these guys should organise Secret Cinema. Finn (Tanc Sade), Colin (Alan Loayza), Robert (Nick Holmes) and Huntzberger whisk Ace away on a steampunk, Wind in the Willows road trip with a Bright Young Things twist. What else would you do with a little help from your friends?

Back to reality, Lorelai proposes to Luke. Rory makes a start on the book – The Gilmore Girls – to which Lorelai suggests: “Just one note – drop the ‘The’. Just Gilmore Girls. It’s cleaner” – for a touch of magic meta. All is well between the Lorelais because if Lorelai Snr. doesn’t like the completed memoirs she’ll just sue Rory’s ass. This is better news than what Christopher (David Sutcliffe) can offer, whose lack of presence as a father when she was young is still tormenting Rory.

The Danes-Gilmore wedding is happening but it doesn’t go as planned. Don’t worry – it takes place the night before. Ahead of the big ceremony, we are treated to a Busby Berkeley choreographed dance around the decorated town square to see Lorelai and Luke joined in holy matrimony. It’s a good thing the priest/minister/reverend/wizard was up and awake due to his penchant for Bingo.

Cameos from the original

OK, was anyone else panicking that Melissa McCarthy wasn’t going to show up at all? I checked when the revival was announced to see who would be returning and McCarthy was a yes. The actress’ schedule was cutting it close due to filming Ghostbusters but she was nevertheless confirmed. Naturally, when Fall was over halfway through its running time, I was getting frantic. Thankfully, Sookie pops up with a line worth waiting for: “That was positively pornographic”, after squirting a stream of cream up into the air. Classic Sookie.

Babette and Morey, Lane and Mrs. Kim, Zack and Brian, Paris and Doyle, and Gypsy (who also plays Emily’s new housekeeper Berta from who knows where) are peppered into the series with so many recognisable faces. There is even a sneaky reference to Tristan, although he is played by a double in the distance.

The ghosts of boyfriends past rock up in a staggered formation. Sorry, Pete, Patrick, Paul, is it? First comes Huntzberger, then Jess (who still has feelings for Rory), and finally Dean (Jared Padalecki). Another last-minute appearance, Dean bumps into Rory at Doose’s. She teIls him “you taught me what safe feels like” followed by a reminder that he did a “terrible Smeagol impression”. Tall, strong, nerdy Dean. I have always been and will always be rooting for Team Dean. The market was the ideal setting for this nostalgia: here is where Rory got her first kiss and subsequently became a thief in flight in season one.

Also, I had to confirm on IMDb that the larger-than-life Miss Patty was played by the original actress, Liz Torres. You won’t believe how she looks now. I did not recognise her. The red hair has gone and she is practically the same dress size as Alexis Bledel. The town troubadour reclaims his post and has to chase away “his sister” encroaching on his corner. I was pretty sure this was Sam Phillips but I couldn’t find her in the credits. I assumed the iconic “la-la-la’s” were a dead giveaway. Is it her? Someone tell me.

One of the new additions to the cast is the Park Ranger played by Six Feet Under’s Peter Krause; Lauren Graham’s Parenthood co-star and actual partner.

Watch Today’s cast reunion with creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, Jared Padalecki, Kelly Bishop, Alexis Bledel, Lauren Graham, and Scott Patterson here:

The gazebo bookends

The original series began and ended with Lorelai and Rory drinking coffee in their favourite hang-out in Stars Hollow – Luke’s Diner. This time, the girls make a slight geographical shift to the centre of the town by taking a pew on the steps of the gazebo in the town square. The morning after the wedding, the finale fade-out is imminent and Rory turns to Lorelai to leave us with a shocking confession…

This can’t be the end

If you don’t want to know the ultimate spoiler I suggest you look away now. I need to get this out there with all of the repressed passion I can muster: THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER SEASON! Or, at least, seasons. Rory confesses that she is pregnant to leave us hanging with mouths agape. I waited expectantly for an unexpected end-credit sequence – nothing. The baby bomb cannot be dropped without a follow-up. I just hope we don’t have to wait eight more years for a Boyhood-style comeback.

Overall…

I loved Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life and agree with Milo Ventimiglia’s comment on the Chelsea Show: “I feel like this whole Gilmore thing was for the fans”, and “we’re showing up here for all of y’all”. I think that’s the sentiment we feel watching it that adds to the impact of show and the Palladino power.

Catch the entire series of Gilmore Girls and Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life on Netflix now.