I began watching the OG Gilmore Girls this year. As soon as I started, I knew that Lorelai and Rory would soon become an important part of my procrastination routine. Though I was late to hop on the bandwagon, I was just in time for the Netflix revival.
Like many other fans, I wasn't sure what to expect. (Would this be another Cursed Child?) Much to my surprise and joy, this revival was everything and more that I could've asked for. I felt that each character had something important to share with all of us. So, here's a list of everything to take away from some of the characters in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. (And, obviously, there are some spoilers ahead.)
1. Emily
Alright, I had to start with Emily because her character shined in the revival. Maybe you weren't the biggest Emily fan in the original series. Many of us weren't. However, after Richard's passing, Emily grew as a character. I'd even argue that she exhibited the most growth out of all the characters in this revival. She hit a rough patch after losing her husband, but she was able to recover. She stuck it to the DAR and opened up her home to a maid and her family (without firing her!). And can we talk about how she started working at the whaling museum in Nantucket? Emily taught us how to be resilient, how to cope with loss, and how to find your own path when it's hard to pinpoint who you really are. You go, Emily Gilmore.
2. Sookie
Sookie made a brief appearance in the revival, but her presence was still important. She showed us that it's okay to break away from what you once wanted in order to discover something new. (Even if you want to eat soil to determine its alkaline level.) She also taught us that our strongest friendships will change but remain stronger than ever in the face of change.
3. Rory
Rory faced some serious conflicts in the revival. Journalism failed her, and she's less than thrilled to be working (temporarily) at the Stars Hollow Gazette. Oh, and she lost that one book deal. In addition to her career troubles, Rory has, yet again, faced some romantic troubles (though they weren't the highlight of her plot line, which I appreciated). Logan is back in her life, but this time, he's engaged. Personally, I was quick to judge Rory's decisions before I realized that she needed to discover who she was. She'd had everything going for her throughout her time at Chilton and during most of her time at Yale. It was time for her to fall a little, to hit a "valley," as Lorelai calls it. In the revival, Rory taught us how to be open-minded to different opportunities. She taught us how to embrace failure and to look at it with a positive lens.
5. Dean
Dean's appearance, like Sookie's, was brief. But his lesson was one of the most important ones, in my opinion: you can make mistakes, and you can endure a whirlwind of heartbreak, but still end up where you need to be. He went through a lot when he was in love with Rory, and even though I kind of hated his character back then, he matured greatly. And most importantly, he seems happy.
6. Logan
Logan taught me that some people never change. They might grow older, and they might seem more mature, but this may just be another façade. Sure, Logan seemed to want what was best for Rory, but at the end of the day, he was still engaged. I saw no real growth on behalf of his character.
I wish I could divulge my thoughts regarding each and every character, but these are some of the ones that stood out to me the most.
(P.S. Do you think a second season is going to come out?)