'Gilmore Girls: a Year in the Life's 34 Most Important Moments
After legit months of waiting that felt like years, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life FINALLY dropped on Netflix. All around the world, Gilmore Girls addicts stayed up all night (with a healthy supply of coffee and Pop Tarts, of course) to binge all four 90-minute episodes. From the first moments of hearing the infamous “la-la”s to those final four words (!!!) it honestly felt as though time had stopped between 2007 and 2017. Even though some things have changed in Stars Hollow (Luke’s patrons were asking for the WiFi password, and there were plenty of social media jokes), it simultaneously felt as though nothing changed at all.
While watching the reboot, we definitely went through every human emotion possible. We laughed, we cried, we ate some more pop tarts. Here are the most important moments of the entire revival.
1/35Let’s talk about Rory’s weirdly forgettable boyfriend Paul.
Pretty early in the first episode, “Winter,” we met Rory’s new boyfriend Paul. And literally no one could remember his name. Even Rory constantly forgot about him. She was supposedly dating him throughout the entire reboot...but like, not really. We can’t believe we’re saying this, but he might have been worse than Dean.
2/35Kirk had a ride share business, because of course he did.
Considering that Kirk had a new business every other episode in the original series, we knew he would have some kind of entrepreneurial adventure in the reboot. His business is called Ooober (yes like Uber but with three o’s instead of a u). To get a ride, people have to call Kirk’s mom, who will call him. Seems legit. Of course, he eventually had to close up shop when the actual Uber caught wind of it.
3/35Michel finally got a love interest (!!!)
We weren’t sure Michel would ever find someone to love as much as his chow puppies, but he did. Michel is married to a man named Frederick who is baby-crazy. We are obsessed.
4/35And we found out where Sookie has been all this time.
Apparently, Sookie retreated to the woods for a year to harvest fruits and vegetables, leaving Lorelai with a slew of celebrity chefs like Rachael Ray and Anthony Bourdain. Of course, none of them could measure up to Sookie so she fired pretty much everyone.
5/35We finally learned the truth about THAT painting.
Turns out that the mammoth portrait of Richard in the living room was actually an accident. Emily gave the artist the wrong measurements; or, as Lorelai put it, she “spinal-tapped the painting.”
6/35Aaaaand the funeral scene ruined us.
Through a flashback, we saw Richard’s funeral, including a shot of Emily standing alone, as a single leaf fell from the tree and landed on the coffin. BRB, crying forever.
7/35To make things worse, Lorelai and Emily had a HUGE fight after Richard’s funeral.
Emily asked everyone to go around in a circle and share a memory about Richard. When it was Lorelai’s turn, she told some pretty awkward stories, like the time she played hide-and-seek with Richard and he left for a European business trip mid-game. Understandably, Emily was furious and they had a huge blowout in the kitchen. As Lorelai put it, “full freakin’ circle.” Of course, Lorelai remedied this later when she called Emily to tell a real story about Richard – and we all cried for hours.
8/35We now understand why Paris has her name on the door in gold plates.
Paris is a doctor (oh and a lawyer, of course). She runs a fancy surrogacy clinic, which is simultaneously the best job for her and also the most surprising. Paris hasn’t exactly been the warmest character, but that’s exactly how she runs her clinic.
9/35And Paris has kids of her own.
She and Doyle are in the middle of a divorce, after he became an obnoxious and arrogant writer. This actually made us pretty sad...remember their awkward editor jokes at Yale?
10/35Let’s talk about Rory’s job situation.
When we first see her in “Winter,” she had just written a famed piece for The New Yorker. She began co-writing a book with the subject of her New Yorker article, feminist and activist Naomi Shropshire. But that contract dissolved quickly (also because Naomi seemed to be a total lunatic). Rory was then tapped for a blog called Sandee Says, but she was really trying to get a job with Condé Nast (hi, hello, we’ll take you, Rory). She offered to write a story about people waiting in lines all over NYC. This later segued into Rory not having a job at all, and she moved back into her old room in Stars Hollow...but of course everything worked out for her eventually.
11/35Logan was the first of the boyfriend trifecta to appear.
So...Logan is still 100% Logan. He and Rory got back together. (!!) Well, sort of. They had a “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” arrangement, except just replace Vegas with London. However, Logan was engaged, so they were both cheating on their respective significant others. It came out later that Logan’s engagement seemed to be forced – he referred to it as “the dynastic plan” – but still. Of course, he redeemed himself by the end of the reboot and offered Rory a place to stay and write – AKA, the 2016 version of the avocado tree – and Rory turned him down. It was season 7 all over again.
12/35Luke upgraded from cell phone hostility to WiFi hostility.
Every time Luke’s patrons asked for the WiFi password, he would give them a different (and fake) password. Taylor eventually broke the news to them when they couldn’t log on to their email, shouting, “This isn’t your office, it’s a diner!” So 2016.
13/35Emily and Lorelai finally went to therapy together.
Emily decided to go to therapy to work out some of her emotions regarding Richard’s death, and she casually asked Lorelai to “meet her therapist.” Of course, that turned into Lorelai going to therapy with Emily, where they ended up talking through all of their issues.
14/35LANE HAS A DAD.
Sorry, we interrupt this regular program to announce that there is a Mr. Kim. At the Stars Hollow International Food Festival (yep), Lane shouts hello to her dad, and an elderly man waves back. HE DOES EXIST!
15/35There was a Mitchum Huntzberger appearance.
We’re pretty sure that Mitchum Huntzberger has a radar that goes off whenever someone needs a job or networking opportunity. He popped up as Rory was having dinner with Logan to ask if she needed a connection with Condé Nast. This is so meta.
16/35Richard still wants Luke to franchise the diner.
Richard left Luke money in his will, but only if he would use it to franchise Luke’s diner and “build an empire.” We kind of love that Richard is still attempting to call the shots from beyond the grave.
17/35There was a Chilton reunion.
Paris and Rory both attended and taught sample classes. Rory’s class was inspiring and uplifting, while Paris quoted Joseph Stalin. Uh….
18/35Oh, and Tristan was there!
Paris revealed that she’s been in love with Tristan all these years. WE SHIP IT.
19/35April finally appeared in the “Summer” episode – and she’s all grown up.
She just graduated from MIT and during her post-grad summer, she plans to canvas with her friends for marijuana legalization.
20/35Uh, there was a Stars Hollow musical. And it was kind of awkward.
At a town meeting, Taylor announced that there was going to be a musical based on life in Stars Hollow. We are not surprised by this at all. The musical itself was, um, pretty terrible. But everyone loved it...well, except for Lorelai. However, Broadway actors Sutton Foster and Christian Biorle played the actors starring in the show. Best. Cameos. Ever.
21/35Can we talk about the scene when Michel tells Lorelai he needs to leave the Dragonfly?
Noooooo, Michel! He’s been a staple at the Dragonfly – what would be the front desk without his grumpy disposition? When Lorelai said, “I’m trying not to cry,” that was pretty much all of us.
22/35Rory eventually got a job as editor of the Stars Hollow Gazette.
And they still used MS Dos with floppy discs. And thought that the editor’s job was to deliver papers. Wut. Needless to say, she was not happy there.
23/35Jess (!!) finally showed up in “Summer.”
He surprised Rory while she was at the Gazette office. Of course he’s still an author, and he’s still scruffy and handsome as ever. And naturally he showed up just in time for Rory to have a meltdown about her career (or lack thereof) in a perfect parallel structure to that shippable scene in season 6.
24/35And Jess had the BEST advice for Rory.
“Write a book about you and your mom.” OF. FREAKIN’. COURSE. But...Lorelai wasn’t too thrilled about it, and they had a big fight over the topic. While standing in the cemetery. Awk. Ward. (Hey, we thought it was a good idea, Jess!)
25/35Let’s address the ultimate ship, Luke and Lorelai.
At the start of the reboot we see that they are living together. Lorelai seems to be content with their domestic partnership without an official engagement or marriage, until Emily starts to give her a hard time about the two of them being “booty buddies.” However, Lorelai eventually proposes to Luke (again), and he was prepared with a ring this time.
26/35Lorelai had a Wild moment.
As in, the Reese Witherspoon movie based on the Cheryl Strayed memoir. Lorelai decided to walk the Pacific Crest Trail for weeks, because it’s “never or now.”
27/35The boys of The Life and Death Brigade made a comeback!
Naturally, they showed up in costume to surprise Rory when she was feeling down. In a montage fueled by the Beatles’s “I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends,” complete with backup dancers (no, really) they essentially created the best method for cheering anyone up, ever. Can we call them next time we’re in a bad mood?
28/35Rory eventually found the perfect place to write.
Inside Richard Gilmore’s study of course.
29/35And she wrote that book anyway.
The one about her and Lorelai. And she called it The Gilmore Girls. Later, Lorelai told her to drop the ‘the’ in a total Justin Timberlake-circa-The Social Network move.
30/35We need to talk about Emily.
Midway through the reboot, she started dating one of Richard’s friends, much to Lorelai’s surprise. She also decided to move to Nantucket and sell her house. Emily went on to work as a guide at a whaling museum in Nantucket. Perfection.
31/35Aaaand she also found another way to rope Lorelai into another “Friday Night Dinner” plan.
Lorelai decided to annex the Dragonfly Inn, but needed some money in order to do so. Emily agreed to give her the money that Richard left to Luke, but only if Lorelai and Luke promised to visit Nantucket every other week. And the circle continues.
32/35Dean FINALLY made an appearance in the last episode.
Speaking of full circle, Rory ran into Dean inside Doose’s Market. (She wasn’t stealing corn starch this time though, though she did make a reference that season 1 moment.) And apparently he’s re-married, with three kids and another one on the way. Good for you, Dean.
33/35SOOKIE CAME BACK.
Towards the end of “Fall,” Lorelai walked into the Dragonfly kitchen to find literally dozens of cakes on the counters. Just as Lorelai came back from her nature retreat, Sookie did the same. After all, her home is in Stars Hollow, inside the kitchen with Lorelai. Friendship goals forever.
34/35Lorelai and Luke officially tied the knot.
OMG. We’ve only been waiting TEN YEARS. They got married under the Stars Hollow gazebo and it was everything.
35/35And then. There were those final four words.
We already warned you there’s going to be spoilers so STOP READING if you don’t want to know the last four words. But we screamed at our TVs when we heard this:
“Mom?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m pregnant.”
WHAT THE- WHAT?! WHAT?! HOW DOES IT END THERE!? We obviously are getting more, right? Right?! Right?!
If you need us, we’ll be watching the entire thing again.
