A revival doesn't work for every TV series, as sometimes the story reaches its natural conclusion and the characters have nowhere left to go. In the case of Gilmore Girls, fans welcomed the 2016 Netflix revival A Year in the Life with open arms. Getting the chance to hang out with coffee lovers Lorelai and Rory again seemed like a dream, and it was wonderful and special to visit Stars Hollow again.
The revival had emotional moments and all the familiar faces that fans loved were back, except for the sad ing of Richard Gilmore. Even though fans couldn't wait for these new episodes, it's safe to say that the revival had some highs and some lows. In some ways, A Year in the Life felt more powerful than the original, but in other cases, it was a bit disappointing.
Improved: Drove Home The Bond Between Rory And Luke
Luke was a father figure to many and that included Rory, even if it was never really spelled out in so many words.
While these characters always got along and cared about each other, the Netflix revival really drove home the sweet bond that they shared. Right away, fans learned that Luke loved the piece that Rory wrote for The New Yorker and Lorelai was calling him "Super Proud Luke." It was heartwarming to see that although many years had ed, Luke still thought that Rory was brilliant, and he was among her biggest fans. Since the point of a revival is to revisit beloved characters, this was important.
Didn't: Fans Didn't Like Seeing Rory Struggle
Rory Gilmore was always smart and logical, yet she made some odd choices that fans wondered about.
Fans didn't like seeing this character struggle in the revival, as her life was out of control. She had trouble getting articles approved by editors, so her freelance writing career wasn't what she thought it would be, and she tried to write a book with a famous figure and that became a disaster, too. She even hooked up with someone dressed as a Wookiee when she was supposed to be working. While some parts of the revival were great, this made fans wish for the Rory Gilmore of original episodes.
Improved: Gave Emily Her Time To Shine
While Emily wasn't a perfect mom, she loved her daughter and had many scenes with Lorelai in A Year in the Life.
Emily had always been a main character on the show, but the revival episodes allowed fans to see how inspiring and wonderful she really was. Instead of just being known as an intimidating mother and grandmother, she was someone who had to move forward after a tough loss. Emily was able to shine as she decluttered her home and relocated to Nantucket.
Didn't: Had A Musical Number That Didn't Fit
Gilmore Girls fans are familiar with the quirky festivals and events that Stars Hollow residents were always putting on, but the revival took this to a whole other level.
In the third episode, Taylor Doose created "Stars Hollow: The Musical" and it was silly and awkward. Instead of embracing the beloved small-town vibes that viewers had always associated with this show, it felt like something from another show entirely. This could have been omitted from the revival in favor of something with more nostalgia.
Improved: Got To The Root Of The Lorelai/Luke Conflict
The Gilmore Girls revival did improve on the original series in of the Luke and Lorelai romance.
The couple had a long road to their wedding day because of conflict stemming from Luke learning he had a daughter, April Nardini. The two never really dealt with that properly and got back together in the season seven finale. Now, many years later in A Year in the Life, they fought about whether they wanted a baby and got to the heart of their hurt feelings and disappointments. It was nice to finally see them get married as well.
Didn't: A Disappointing Resolution For Rory's Love Life
Jess and Logan were two of Rory's love interests, along with nice guy Dean, and fans saw Rory spending time with Logan in London in the new episodes.
Unfortunately, the couple hadn't rekindled their flame in a legitimate way because Logan was engaged. It wasn't fun seeing Rory having an affair with him, and this wasn't the way that fans wanted to see Rory's love life wrapped up. Between Logan and Rory literally forgetting about her boyfriend Paul's existence, this wasn't a well-crafted part of the revival. Why couldn't Rory be in a happy and healthy relationship?
Improved: Leaned Into The Quirky Characters Like Kirk
Gilmore Girls was always famous for having offbeat characters like Kirk. In the revival, the spotlight was turned on him, and it was so nice to see him again.
Kirk was excited about his new business venture, a ride-sharing service called "Ooober," and he drove Lorelai to her mom's house for Friday Night Dinner. This scene gave fans so many feelings as this was a happy reminder of the original series. Kirk was more hilarious than ever here, and instead of making him the odd man out, he was part of the story when he ed Emily and Lorelai for dinner.
Didn't: Lorelai's Hiking Storyline Didn't Make Sense
Lorelai made some confusing decisions on the original series, and the same thing was true of A Year in the Life.
In the episode "Summer," Lorelai wanted some time to think about her relationship with Luke, and she got inspired by the book and movie Wild to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. Why did Lorelai do this? She didn't end up getting very far with the hike, which seemed to defeat the purpose of the storyline, and since she wasn't athletic, this didn't work well for her character. It would have been better to see Lorelai visit Sookie or something that she was better suited for.
Improved: Fans Finally Heard Those Final Four Words, Bringing The Story Full Circle
Fans knew that Amy Sherman-Palladino wanted to end the series with her "final four words." Since she didn't work on the seventh season of the original series, these words ended the revival.
When Rory turned to Lorelai and said "Mom?" and Lorelai responded "Yeah?" it was a big shock when Rory said "I'm pregnant." This brought the story full circle, as this suggested that Rory would be a young single mom raising her kid just like Lorelai once was. This was a beautiful moment and one reason why fans would love to see a second season.
Didn't: Not Enough Sookie Or Lane
In the original series, Lorelai and Sookie were best friends and business partners, and Rory's closest friend Lane was always hiding her life from her strict mom.
Sookie was only in the revival briefly since she had been furthering her culinary education away from the inn, and Lane wasn't very far along in making her music dreams come true. The revival may have had some amazing parts, but it didn't give fans enough time with these two characters, and it seemed like they were doing much better before the show returned.