Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, ‘Fall’
Lorelai (Lauren Graham) ventures into the wild. Emily (Kelly Bishop) finds serenity on Nantucket. An unexpected group visits Rory (Alexis Bledel).
The past week has been nostalgia filled. I’ve rehashed old scenes and moments from past episodes with friends and family. We argued as to which of Rory’s boyfriends was the best one. Gilmore Girls will always be a part of my life. It was a core show at the right time, making an impact that will always last. I’m grateful for the revival for giving us diehard fans more fodder to debate, quote, and swoon over, including those four final words.
“Fall” is the final season in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. Lorelai has decided to hike the Pacific Coast Trail just like in Wild. The book, not the movie, and yes, it makes a difference. After her second attempt to hike the trail is foiled (the Parenthood cameos gave me an extreme amount of life), Lorelai goes in search of coffee only to find the place closed. But behind the restaurant is just the right amount of nature to give her the insight she needs. Lorelai leaves California with a happy, long forgotten memory of her father and the desire to be one hundred percent all in with Luke (Scott Patterson).
The gimmicky aspect of her Wild trip is handled well. While Lorelai has a pattern of running from situations, actually going on the hike (alone nonetheless) doesn’t feel very Lorelai Gilmore. Embracing and leaning full on to the gimmick, with tons of other women going on the same trek and separated into book or movie fit nicely in the Gilmore world. Likewise, it was apropos that she would find her wisdom-in-nature moment behind a diner while looking for coffee.
Finally, finally, finally she and Luke get married. The world has been waiting years for this and, of course, they get all the details organized and get married the night before. I love that they secretly get married, so it could be all about them but will still have the party and keep it their secret. It’s so cute, sweet, and special and I will be stealing the idea from them (and also Jim and Pam). I did not, however, like the Alice in Wonderland, flowing montage thing. It was very weird and kind of psychedelic. It wasn’t right. It didn’t fit. It felt like watching a different show.
Same goes for the Life and Death Brigade, “With a Little Help from My Friends” montage. But first, the Life and Death Brigade coming back was cool. I hated them. Still do. They also amused me. They are the boys you love to watch and hate and you know they are making fun of you but you sort of don’t care. They are arrogant, spoiled, immature bastards. But it doesn’t make them less fun to watch from afar. Yet we return to the montage. The Across the Universe reference was noted and loved. It made me like the montage as a separate entity unto itself. Within the episode, the series, and the Gilmore Girls world as a whole, however, it didn’t fit. Gilmore Girls is a slice of life show. You don’t start partaking in random montages in normal life, so I don’t think it fits here either.
Emily’s Nantucket house is so fabulous. It looks so open and breezy. Her Nantucket wardrobe is amazing too. Emily has lived a great life. She loved her husband and running the household and being on committees. But this is the first time in her life that she has a wide open expanse of no expectations in front of her. I love her decision to move full time to Nantucket and work at the whaling museum. It makes sense.
So, Lorelai is married. Emily has found a new, fulfilling life on Nantucket. Rory has found her passion project. Each of them started the revival at a crossroads, the beginning of a personal crisis. They’ve each, in their own time and own way, come to find peace and what they were missing.
But that, undoubtedly, is not where Gilmore Girls ends. The revival was Amy Sherman-Palladino’s chance at another seventh season. It is felt no more distinctly that in the last bits of the final episode. First, Lorelai and Emily come full circle to how we met them so long ago. Lorelai asking for money and Emily acquiescing but with strings attached, of course. Then, more importantly, Rory and Lorelai come full circle.
In the pilot episode, Rory gets into Chilton and then decides she doesn’t want to go. Lorelai discovers it’s because of a boy, and says “After all, you’re me.” The last four words bring the series and Rory and Lorelai’s lives full circle. “Mom.” “Yeah.” “I’m pregnant.” CREDITS ROLL, “WHERE YOU LEAD” BY CAROLE KING PLAYS.
I admit I freaked out really badly. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. Now, I’ve had some time. Rory was always destined to be like Lorelai, in some ways at least. The last four words kill me in a good way. We won’t get to know how Rory handles the actual raising of her kid. Is she destined to be like Lorelai and single mom it or will she actively include Logan (Matt Czuchry)? Will Logan want to be a part of it? How involved will Lorelai be? These questions will be plaguing me forever. I don’t mind though.
Watching Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life was awesome. I wish that I was able to watch the whole thing with the Core 4 (a fun, not weird group name for my family). It was, and always will be, our thing. For most people watching the revival, they too shared the show with family or friends and that is really what glued the revival together.
