I'd quite been looking forward to this Netflix reunion show. I spent a good chunk of the first trimester of my pregnancy binge-watching Gilmore Girls when it came on Netflix. I'd watched most of the series before, but in bits and pieces on broadcast TV and mostly out of order, so it was nice to watch again while also getting a different perspective on things by seeing episodes in the correct order.
It was nice to see the characters again, to revisit old places, but structurally this was super odd. The usual tone and the whimsy are there and many of the emotions feel real, but it's all kind of hanging in space, and feels disconnected. So many plot lines are introduced then abandoned with limited impact. I suppose it could be the concept, the title makes it sound like a slice of life idea and I think that is part of what's at play here. In real life there's plenty of randomness, but we usually don't want that from our fiction, events progressing and flowing together is more satisfying. The changed format adds to this instead of 6 hour(ish) episodes there are 4 90-minute ones and I think that almost left too much space per episode. There's a lot of lingering shots on the sets and scenery, and a lot of scenes that don't lead to anything or are just gags. Various new characters are introduced, but we aren't really encouraged to get to know them and many are there for comedic value only, even when it looks like they will be significant or stick around. A lot of old characters appear, there are Stars Hollow regulars, all of Rory's exes and some of her friends. None of these characters are given much of substance to do except for Luke, and perhaps Logan in a small way. Everyone else just shows up, is a bit zany or whatever, and leaves relatively little impact. Paris is going through some stuff has, children that we aren't supposed to care about (did Rory even look at those kids more than once when she was babysitting them?) and is given a scene where she literally regresses to her teenage-self for no reason before disappearing.*
I was glad to see Sookie, though there was far too little of her. It really did feel like Sookie though and not just Melissa McCarthy doing the part (I've seen a lot more of her work since she became a biog film star). It was nice to see Alex Kingston, and she was funny first, but her plot never went anywhere, so that seemed like a bit of a waste. The Star Hollows Musical was funny, but ultimately pointless and seemed out of character for Taylor. It's good to see Lane again, but boy she is given very little to do. Also her life doesn;t seem to move on at all, she and her husband and their twins (who must be 8 or 10 or something) are still living in the shared flat with Brian. Is Brian in their relationship now? That would've been interesting, but the show isn't really bothered about these characters anymore. Michel has a husband -nice of them to finally confirm that the character isn;t straight- but we never get to see him and I'm curious.
Oy with the Spoilers Already
Although I enjoyed watching the comeback, I found that the main characters didn't seem to have progressed much and that mostly made me sad for them.
Luke and Lorelei didn't get married or have kids, which seemed to be where they were heading when the main show ended. They've been in a relationship and happily living together for 8 years (10 years?), which is fine and don't get why the show took so many pot shots at the idea of being in a relationship without marriage, loads of people do it and are very happy. The problem with Luke and Lorelei is that they just seem to have drifted aimlessly along together and have not once in a decade discussed their desires or relationship/family goals. The issue in the main show was often lack of communication, and it seemed in the last series they were getting over that, Luke admitted he used April as a way of driving Lorelei away. Lorelei realised she wanted Luke not Christopher, despite all the pressure to be with Christopher. So why, after they'd finally come together again, did they apparently never have another meaningful conversation? Luke is restrained and tight-lipped, but he does get in touch with and express his emotions when it counts, as proved when he asked Lorelei out to begin with, so why has he been unable to tell her he wanted kids until it was clearly too late? I just found myself judging them for being so uncommunicative.kn It's a similar issue with in Inn nand who even knows what the deal is between Lorelei and Sookie (I get that Melissa McCarthy was probably busy, but this seemed an odd way of dealing with that). The happy ending is nice, but even at his own wedding Luke takes a backseat to the titular girls.
Rory, who was always supposed to be bright and promising -although these expectations seemed to come entirely from people who had loved her since she was a child- has apparently wasted her potential. I get that she's meant to be a bit aimless, but honestly it seemed like she really had no plan or even much idea how to do her job. She'd clearly done a few impressive things, but her behaviour seemed a bit unprofessional or at least pretty lacklustre. I know little of journalism myself, but it seems like Rory was just flying about and not really doing much to advance her career. While she clearly had goals and aspirations she didn't seem to be putting in a lot of work, or planning for if her immediate goals/current projects didn't go through. The impression I get from the freelancers of my acquaintance is that you have to be willing to hussle and display a lot of tenacity and flexibility. Of course Rory doesn't really have to worry about it really as she has rich relatives and friends, and even not-very-wealthy friends, who will put her up and help her out. I guess if Rory's situation seemed to be a comment on precarious living styles, or quarter-life crisis, or millennial issues it would be more interesting, but it doesn't feel like any wider point is being made, Rory's just gadding about. I think she's supposed to be falling apart a bit, but I don't get why.
Then there's Emily, Emily's story gives me hope. Of course patriarch Richard Gilmore would be deceased as Edward Herrman -the actor who played him- had passed away. Emily is a widow and her life is full of grief and emptiness, the main show explored very deftly how Emily's entire life had been devoted to being a society wife. Like the other two main characters Emily goes through phases of action, reaction and freaking out in her own way -her calling out her friends' bullshit is priceless- and it all has so much more weight when she's grieving the loss of her husband, as opposed to just feeling aimless in her life. In the end Emily makes the most progress, though sadly much of it happens off screen. After firing maid after maid for not meeting perfection Emily ends up with a woman she can barely understand** looking after her and introducing a massive extended family to the house. Although Emily doesn't seem warm to the family it's clear that just being surrounded by people and children is good for her, especially when she didn't have much of that carefree joy in her own family. In the end she has found a new partner and relocated to a new home for a fresh start. Seeing her joy at giving a gory talk about whaling at a museum is wonderful and so uplifting. Bravo Emily!
* In a bit-part a briefly recurring character from the one of the middle seasons asks if she's walked into 2003, the answer is yes, but no one ever explains why, nor does it ultimately matter in the slightest.
** I think that whole joke is kinda problematic, because it seems to be all
about a funny foreigner that no one can understand. Lack of understanding and a patronising attitude was expected
when it's just Emily or the other main characters, but frankly the gag goes on
too long. Hahaha, these people are so incomprehensible even someone from the UN can't tell what language they speak. Crazy foreigners with their manual labour and vast numbers of kids.
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