We are currently living in a golden age where nothing that is finished is ever truly finished. Television shows new and old, cancelled before their time or ended on their own terms, all are fair game to be revived or rebooted. Nearly a decade after it left our airwaves, Gilmore Girls was revived for four feature-length episodes that tracked our favorite mother-daughter pair through A Year In The Life. Fans of the show were ecstatic to travel back to Stars Hollow to spend more time with all of the quirky characters they had fallen in love with over the course of the original seven season run. This revival also allowed Emmy-winning creator Amy Sherman-Palladino to return to her baby after departing from the show prior to its final season. Palladino always said she knew how she wanted to end the show, and now the world was finally going to be able to see for themselves. As we settle into fall, it seems time to grab some hot chocolate and delve into the charming slice of heightened small town life.
Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life appropriately enough begins in winter. Winter has always been something of a power season for Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel), and the actors seem right at home as they slip back into these iconic characters. Sure, Palladino is a little self-indulgent at first with the meta-references to the time away, but die hard fans of the show will relish every little reference or call back because it is just so nice to be with these old friends again. Rory has grown into a freelance writer since the series finale, turning into a wandering soul who travels to and fro from New York to London to Stars Hollow. Lorelai is living happily out of wedlock with Luke (Scott Patterson) in Stars Hollow, but they are getting to a point where other possible life considerations are popping up, such as having a child with one another. Things are much like you remember them from before save for the heartbreaking absence of Edward Hermann, who passed away before filming, as the patriarch of the family, Richard Gilmore. 
While absent from the series, Richard’s presence looms large over the revival as the Gilmore family tries to come to terms with the loss. The complicated relationship between Lorelai and her mother, Emily (Kelly Bishop), has always been one of the pillars of the series, and that dynamic is seen through to a wonderfully cathartic conclusion over the course of these four installments. Bishop has always been the queen of nuanced passive aggression, but Emily’s arc here unlocks new layers for the character as she grapples with who she is without Richard. Lorelai begrudgingly begins attending therapy with her mother at first, but soon finds a benefit for herself once she starts confronting some lingering issues. Lorelai is feeling lost in her life, and it takes her going on a Wild trip (the book, not the movie) to the Pacific Crest Trail to get some sense of clarity. Lorelai has often been a stubborn character, but the growth that she experiences throughout this year makes you feel close with the character. By the time you reach a heavy-cry inducing final landmark for the character, you will feel so grateful that you got to go on this additional journey with her.
Unfortunately, if you are anything like me, you might not feel the same once you reach the end of Rory’s journey. Rory has been a frustrating character at times, but she has largely stayed sympathetic to the audience. Although historically brilliant, Palladino seems hell-bent on taking her down a path of self-destruction. Even with her Ivy League education, Rory has essentially become just like any other struggling millennial who has become unemployed and aimless. She published a prominent article in The New Yorker, but cannot seem to find the right next step in her career. This is not a character flaw, but the condescension she brings to a potential job opportunity she sees as beneath her leaves you frustrated. Also, her romantic life is an absolute dumpster fire that makes you want to scream into a pillow. It may be unfair to expect everything to be wrapped up in a neat little bow… but I would be fine with that. There is a perfect opportunity to redeem her arc in the last twenty-five minutes, but the last few seconds dash any hopes we once had as an audience. I understand that Palladino wanted this conclusion for the character, but it makes me sick with rage that she insisted on certain decisions for symmetrical reasons. 
While Rory’s journey leaves a sour taste in your mouth by the end of the year, it cannot take away from the overwhelming sense of joy you get from returning to Stars Hollow once more. The Gilmores are our emotional rock, but the citizens of the town are what make the show special. The show goes out of its way to bring back everyone you might want to see over the course of these four episodes. This makes pacing and episode construction a bit erratic, but fans of the show will most likely overlook it because they are having so much fun seeing everyone again. You get to attend a town meeting, you get a festival filled with foods from around the world, and you even get a bizarre town musical. What more could you ask for? Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life is pure fan service through and through. This is not something intended to win over new viewers, but it rewards those who have been emotionally invested over the years. It is imperfect, but the high points are so good that I would not trade it for anything.
Video Quality
Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life arrives on Blu-Ray courtesy of Warner Archive with a wonderful AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This transfer reveals a lot of fine detail within the costumes and intricate production design. The series remains bright with a lovely, warm color palette revealing vibrant colors within the quaint little town. The whites of the show are luminous, but do not fall victim to any blooming in this presentation. Black levels are nice and deep, giving way to a pleasing amount of detail in darker scenes. Skin tones appear very natural throughout the presentation, and compression artifacts and noise are kept to a minimum. The Blu-Ray presentation should please fans of the series.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a lovely DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that recreates the soundscape of this world with care. Dialogue is the driving force of the show, and it always comes through crisp and clear without being clipped by any competing sounds. The music on the show is used to stir up a warm nostalgia, and it often fills the room during transitional moments. There is not much in the way of action on this show, but the environmental sounds of the world engage the surround speakers in a really pleasing way. The track never really gets more dynamic than it does in the opening moments of voices highlighting iconic lines from the show’s run from locations in the room. Ambient sounds are precisely placed in the rear channels. The audio track is not meant to be a barn burner, but it serves as a top-notch presentation for the fans of the series.
Special Features
There are no special features included in this set.
Final Thoughts
Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life is like a warm blanket to established fans of the series. With all of the uncertainty in the world, it feels really nice to spend more time with characters that have entrenched themselves in your heart over the years. While it is hard to support every creative choice, the positive developments in the story far outweigh the negative. Warner Archive’s Blu-Ray set of this revival offers a great A/V presentation that will go appreciated by fans. If you share a great affection for Gilmore Girls, you will want to add this one to your collection. Recommended
Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life can be purchased directly through Warner Archive or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
