Today I watched all four 90 minute episodes of
Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life (Netflix).
For the record, I was a casual watcher of the series - I never rewatched any episodes. I saw them as they aired and enjoyed them. I know I missed some of them at the time, but I was able to figure out what I missed well enough to move on.
This is not a recap, but I wouldn't read this if you haven't watched the episodes.
I'm sharing my thoughts, but I believe some thoughts will sound like (and maybe even BE) criticism. To be clear, I enjoyed the show and would give it a thumbs up to other people like me. With that disclaimer, here are...
My thoughts:
1. Stars Hollow as a character: My recollection is that in the series Stars Hollow was unusual and dreamy, but it was on this side of believable. I thought, 'maybe there really are small towns where people participate and know each other and enjoy being together'.
For these four revival episodes, the Quirk Factor was turned up to 11. Everything from the amount of people walking around town to the number of people who participated in Taylor's meetings to the length of time we spent on the town musical. It was so over the top that I found it distracting and less dreamy; I don't wonder where that town is so I can imagine living there.
2. The past characters who came in and out were also distracting because it seemed forced. I can't even remember them at this point, it was just not an easy part of the story. I suppose it was nice that we saw everyone (was anyone missed?) and I might have missed it had we not. Maybe there's no way to tell the 'where are they now' stories without it feeling forced. I don't recall those three Logan guy friends, even though after a moment, that hat on Rory seemed familiar.
3. I didn't think it was funny or interesting or charming or added anything to the plot of the show that Rory had a boyfriend the whole time - his name is Paul, not Pete and it wasn't hard for me to remember that and I've never even met him - who she never remembered. How cruel is that? Just plain rotten and I didn't like it at all and was somewhat offended. If Rory, or any of the family who don't remember Paul, were friends of mine I would have to take a step back. That's a level of disregard I find disturbing. Especially since Paul seemed like a generous, thoughtful, and kind person. And the way they made him end it with a text message - that was ridiculous as well since Paul, from what I could tell based on the one scene, would have been more considerate than breaking up with a text message. That subplot was a mistake, I think.
4. Why did Rory and Lorelei bother going to the pool if all they wanted to do was mock and judge other people for how they look in a bathing suit. Aren't I supposed to LIKE these characters? I thought that deep down they were good people who wouldn't go out of their way to make fun of others. Did any plot get moved forward during these scenes? Was it only to show that it was summer? More time that I didn't appreciate.
5. I thought the length of each of the episodes was perfect. Even the number of episodes (4 90 minute episodes) Six hours total is a good number. I was able to watch it in 1/2 of a Saturday. Yeah, that was really good. Although if this were a series, I'd want to see the next batch of six episodes in six months - not a whole year. I didn't have the impression this particular show would be a series (???) but for other series 6 hours works for me. Aren't a lot of the British series about 6 hours long?
6. Speaking of characters - it was good to see Kirk. I liked his shuttle service - not the OOOOOBER one so much, but the shuttle was good and that you booked a ride via his Mom. I forgot he shows movies as well. Though, I felt his short film was another waste of time. I liked that he did one, but by today's standards it wasn't interesting. Yes, it's cute that it was amateurish, but nowadays even amateurs make better films than that. I would have preferred to see him do something really beautiful and we'd realize that was his calling all along. I liked the t-shirt that said A Film By Kirk. And the movie was A Second Film by Kirk. Or something like that.
7. I wish Carole King had more of a part.
8. Too much time on the musical. What for? It didn't do anything for me and didn't add to the story. Except that one final song that moved Lorelei.
9. Lane. Lane and her Mother. Lane and her husband. Lane and her husband and their band. I wanted MORE.
10. Paris. Paris and Doyle. Paris in the business world. Paris as a mother. Doyle as her foil ( :) ). I wanted MORE.
11. Sookie. Sookie and Jackson. Sookie and Jackson and eating dirt. I wanted MORE.
But what about the STORY?
I can go along with pretty much all of it. I thought the central story made perfect sense and I followed along with their actions and motivations.. It seemed correct based on the characters I remembered.
My mother's husband recently died and she's going through the same thing Emily Gilmore is going through.
My mother and I have a similar relationship that Emily and Lorelei have.
Finally, like Rory, in the last month or so I've been feeling particularly adrift and wondering how I can make my life feel more true to me - whoever that is. And I've been wondering why, after all these years, I don't know who I am or what I want when I've had the freedom and opportunity to discover the true me all these years. S
I love that Emily discovered her place and how she wants to live in the world without Richard Gilmore. I've always loved the Emily character. She's fierce and dedicated and organized and takes care of business. She adjusts on a dime and isn't afraid to try something new. Considering she's a bit of a stand-in for my own mother, I'm not sure why I almost always take her side in an argument and feel Lorelei shouldn't be so hard on her. My mother would agree that I shouldn't be so hard on my mother!
I think Lorelei has finally found peace. I'm glad for her.
There's so much I don't understand about her, though. And, again, considering I feel like I'm Lorelei in the Emily/Lorelei relationship and I don't understand myself, I guess it makes sense that I don't always understand Lorelei either.
I know she didn't want to marry Luke because it's what her mother does (so she says in the Summer or Fall episode, I believe). And I understand why she's so secretive with her mother, but not with Luke.
Standing in front of that beautiful scene behind the coffee shop was just what she needed to call her Mom and go back to Luke. I'm not sure exactly what it was - but I'm glad it happened.
And Rory. She's got some more stuff to go through. I thought everything in her story seemed believable and made sense to me, She didn't do the RIGHT thing quite often, but it made sense given who I know her to be. I wish she'd continued with The Gazette. I guess I don't know that she won't. She could make it a money making concern. Being a newspaper editor seems more like something she'd like rather than writing the book.
I just had a thought.
Lorelei had a tough Mom and her Dad was emotionally absent most of the time. Her best memory of her Dad is when he took care of her after a boy humiliated her.
Rory had a 'cool' Mom and her Dad was physically absent most of the time. She learned about feeling 'safe' from her first love.
And now, the full circle moment - Rory will have a child (presumably) who will also not have a strong male presence (I assume).
Gilmore Girls is about the women, but the absence of men informs (consciously and subconsciously) their lives and propels the story.
Rory was still making choices in her relationships that indicate a lack of understanding of her own sense of morals.
Lorelei was choosing to shield herself as best she can from the hurt she felt from her father's emotional absence in her life.
I think a girl gets her self-confidence and strong sense of 'self' from her father. Mother's have their place as well, to be sure, but how a girl feels about herself in society comes, in good measure, from her father.
I'm not sure if that's a thought anyone else will have about the show, but it has meaning for me.
Bottom Line -
I cried a few times, laughed a few times, and I'm glad I watched
Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.
