Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life

Starring: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Scott Patterson, Kelly Bishop, Liza Weil, Keiko Agena, Matt Czuchry, Milo Ventimiglia, Sally Struthers, Melissa McCarthy, Kerry Butler, Sutton Foster, Christian Borle
Creator: Amy Sherman-Palladino & Daniel Palladino
Rating: ****

Release: Available on Netflix - Now 

It has been 9 years since we last took a trip to Stars Hollow, which also means 9 years since Lorelai, Rory and the rest of the quirkiest characters on TV have been able to entertain us. Well, after years of speculation and then the actual announcement last year, Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life arrived, and for the most part it did not disappoint.

Now, I am fairly new to the Gilmore Girls fandom, having first seen it in July (thanks to Netflix) and then binge watching through to August; I then repeated this process just before the revival aired. So all of the stories, characters and memories were fresh in my mind, and while I didn't get the nostalgic feeling that so many others did, I was more than satisfied by what was delivered on my screen.

Alexis Bledel & Lauren Graham

With each new cameo, nod to the past and returning storyline from the original series came a feeling of joy, excitement and overall warmth. It is also clear that the cast and crew had that exact same feeling when making it, because you can literally feel the love coming out of the screen.

There is no doubt that some chemistry was lightly off, certainly in the first episode. Alexis Bledel, as Rory, especially seemed to take a while to find her footing, which made some of the scenes with her onscreen mum, Lauren Graham's Lorelai slightly jarring. However as the scenes went on and the many storylines began to unfold on through the seasons things began t pick up. These small hiccups may not be noticeable to some, as there are so many things happening that will whet the appetite of any Gilmore Girls fan, but if you do notice it, it's slightly disappointing.

That being said, Lauren Graham has managed to slip straight back into the shoes of the fast-paced and off the wall Lorelai. She was always the standout in the original series, and she still managed to hold the show together and dish out the word-per-second script with comedic flare and lots of heart. Now happily settled down with the forever grumpy Luke, Lorelai has been given a new life and with that of course comes new drama.

Scott Patterson

Scott Patterson is another cast member who has just picked up exactly where he left off with out any issue. Luke is the perfect partner for bubbly Lorelai, and seeing them together is just what the fans wanted, and the actors chemistry is still as infectious as it was 9 years ago. 

The many cameos all felt natural they easily could have felt forced and shoe-horned in, but it felt right that we got a chance to catch up with all of our old favourites. My only upset was the lack of Melissa McCarthy's Sookie, which I know was down to scheduling conflicts, but one seen just wasn;t enough. The other problem was the chemistry between Graham and McCarthy was completely gone, so the one scene she appeared in felt off. Also, she din;t go to the wedding...WHY?!

Now things aren't completely the same in the show, with Edward Herrmann, the actor who played Richard Gilmore, having passed away 2 years ago. This has been written into the show with love, poignancy and respect. Seeing Rory, Lorelai and matriarch Emily (Kelly Bishop) mourning the head of the family is heartbreaking, but also sets each character off on a new path which is definitely a bittersweet part of the Netflix revival.

Kelly Bishop, Lauren Graham
& Alexis Bledel

Kelly Bishop has the biggest change in character, with Emily going on a rollercoaster of a journey throughout the 4 feature length episodes, but it never feels out of place or inappropriate, which is massively down to Bishop's regal profanes, but also the brilliant writing.

Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino have managed to keep the same heart and soul of the original series, bringing back nearly every character from the original series and tying up any loose ends, but also keeping it fresh by having the characters go in new directions and of course packing the show with so many pop culture references that I struggled to keep up. The script is as fast paced as it ever was, and I wouldn't have it any other way...I mean a Paris Gellar rant needs to bee that fast or it just doesn't work!

The four episodes flew past in no time, and then at the very end we got the infamous 4 words that Palladino has often spoken about. However, it was really only the last 2 words that wee important and what a cliffhanger they created. I can only hope that another series gets made because I have questions that need to be answered. I know Netflix and the fans want it...its just down to the creators...

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life - Promo