Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life - Summer
In Spite of its Flaws, Summer Shines
By Felix Quinonez Jr.
December 22, 2016
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Because of this, there's an undeniable appeal to spending a whole episode at Stars Hollow during the off-season. And it begins pretty much as expected, with Rory (Alexis Bledel) and Lorelai (Lauren Graham) lounging by a pool. Unfortunately, they are at their most unbearable. Rory continuously snaps at people who are genuinely happy to see her. And, along with Lorelai, she ridicules everyone for not being as perfect as they are. And the casual body shaming is off-putting and a bit odd. At one point Rory actually looks like she will throw up from the sight of an overweight man without a shirt on. But as usual, the show mistakes their callous cruelty for humor.
Summer also brings another face from the past, the unfairly maligned, April. (Vanessa Marano) Although it's hard to argue that she was introduced as a glorified plot device, she didn't really deserve all the hate she got. Back in Season 6, things seemed to be going too well for Luke (Scott Patterson) and Lorelai so April was brought in to cause some trouble for Stars Hollow's favorite couple.
But she eventually became a compelling character in her own right. And her upbringing bore more than a passing resemblance to Rory's childhood. As time passed, she became a nice addition to the cast and showed Luke in a different light.
Because of this, it was a welcome surprise to see her having dinner with Luke, Lorelai and Rory. Her appearance in the episode is barely more than a cameo but it's handled very well. It also shows that a little can go a long way.
Marano gives a winning performance that feels like a natural progression for the character. Looking back on the precocious young girl introduced in Season 6, it seems natural that she would grow up to be a German-silent-film-loving college student. She's still very strong willed and a bit awkward. And seeing her bonding with Rory was especially nice and touches on the recurring theme of things coming full circle.
The show always understood the importance of the town and its residents. They gave Gilmore Girls an added sense of verisimilitude. And the town meeting is a perfectly executed example of this. It, surprisingly, became one of the episode's highlights. The scene sets up the two major story lines of summer but never felt perfunctory. Taylor introduces the idea of a Stars Hollow musical, which drives Lorelai's narrative in this episode. And he also informs the crowd about the Stars Hollow Gazette closing. Rory finds this particularly distressing, and saving it becomes her driving mission in this episode. It would have felt too choreographed if it weren't executed so well. The residents talk over each other and bicker. Their interactions are so lively and natural that it almost seems like they just filmed an actual town meeting.
Unfortunately, this is also the point where the grating “30 something gang” is introduced. They are a group of guys and girls in their 30s who, like, Rory found themselves living back at home. They spend their days drinking milk shakes, and as Babette (Sally Struthers) explains, “they're very sensitive.” In theory, the idea wasn't half bad. It was an interesting way to show a glimpse of what Rory feels she might become as she's struggling to find her way. But unfortunately, it fails in execution and comes off as a tired, unfunny dig at millennials.
After seeing Rory flailing in the last two episodes it's nice to see her gain a sense of purpose in Stars Hollow, even if it's temporary. Saving the paper has given her something to grab on to as she searches for a semblance of control. And it was also a great opportunity to showcase the reporting talents Rory supposedly has. Unfortunately, the show is more interested in showing how delightfully kooky the staff of two is.
When the show first introduces Charlie (Charles C. Stevenson Jr.) and Esther (Jackie Hoffman), they are in the office of the Stars Hollow Gazette even though the newspaper had already shut down. They are very old and most of the time can barely hear what is being said. Charlie is constantly falling asleep and Esther is always filing one cabinet. It's not necessary to show the entire production of the newspaper. But because they focus on how bare bones and generally helpless the staff is, it raises questions the viewer might have otherwise overlooked. Basically, how on earth is this paper going to get finished? But unfortunately the show doesn't answer that. In one scene Rory is meeting the “staff;” in the next scene, the issue is completely done. This is just one example of the terrible pacing in this episode.
It is, however, very nice to see how committed the show has been about seeing its story lines through. In the previous episode Michel's (Yanic Truesdale) dilemma was great in adding to the emotional stakes. But it was also a device to set up conflict between Luke and Lorelai. So it's a pleasant surprise to see that Michel's storyline wasn't brushed aside after serving its purpose.
From the beginning of the episode, it's evident that there is some trouble brewing between Michel and Lorelai. And it's clear that Lorelai is not only aware of the problem but dreading the inevitable discussion. Things start off innocently enough when Michel asks Lorelai out for drinks. Unfortunately, as soon as Michel comments that it will also give them a chance to talk, it becomes clear that it isn't going to be a lighthearted evening.
Because Michel has so often been relegated to the role of comic relief and is so often grumpy, it's possible to overlook how big of a role he's played in Lorelai's life. But he's known her since she was 17 and has been part of the Dragonfly Inn since day one. And although he is very temperamental, it's clear that they mean a lot to each other. Because of this, their scene, at the secret bar is very moving. It is understated and feels more like a couple ending a long-term relationship. Michel isn't his usual sarcastic self but is instead sad, dreading what he has to do. He even asks Lorelai if they can expand the Dragonfly Inn so he won't have to quit. It's similar to a couple trying a last ditch effort to save the relationship. But in the end they realize that it's over and Michel is leaving.
Unfortunately, the show's pacing problem rears its head again. Because Lorelai, somewhat uncharacteristically, joins the Musical committee, there is way more of the preview performance than is necessary. At one point it actually feels like the episode was put on pause. It's clear from the beginning that Lorelai is going to be the only one who hates the show. So, the fact that they linger on the actual performance for so long is, frankly, a bit distracting.
In fact, the only good thing to come out of this detour was a brief interaction between Lorelai and Violet (Sutton Foster), the lead performer on the musical. Foster played the lead in another Amy Sherman-Palladino show, Bunheads. Her character had a lot of similarities with Lorelai. Because of this, the scene plays like a dream meeting for fans of both shows.
So far, Logan (Matt Czuchry) has been the only one of Rory's exes to show up, so it is nice when Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) makes an appearance. He's in town to help Luke out. He has always been a divisive character for fans. Some believe he's Rory's true love, while others…strongly disagree. Fans of the show know this is a very heated topic and there are actually different teams for the guys that fans think Rory should be with.
But luckily, it's clear that A Year in the Life is not interested in stoking those flames. That means there won't be any repeats of the Season 3 brawl between Dean and Jess. Instead Rory and Jess share a very nice, friendly scene. The two had a very nice rapport even if they lacked chemistry. In fact, judging from this scene, it was hard to tell they ever dated.
There was always a sense that the writers of the show pushed the idea of Jess as being “the one” even though he was usually kind of terrible and almost always underwritten. Because of this, it was a nice touch when he suggested the idea that Rory write a book about her and Lorelai. It recalls the past when he was the one who got Rory to go back to Yale after dropping out. It was also sweet seeing Rory looking through old issues of the Stars Hollow Gazette to read about her mother's past.
Unfortunately, Emily (Kelly Bishop) was sidelined most of the episode, but as the show has already shown, patience is rewarded. It's clear that she's having a rough time adjusting to life without Richard, but it's also clear that the show is setting things up for her in the next episode.
And when Rory and Lorelai accompany Emily to the cemetery, one of the episode's biggest blowouts occurs. After Jess suggests the book idea, Rory becomes filled with a new sense of purpose. She was so excited that she has already begun working on it. Because of this, she's thrilled to share the news with her mom. Unfortunately, Lorelai doesn't share her enthusiasm. It turns out she is not too keen about her personal life being put out for the world to read.
It's always tough to see these two fight, but this one is especially brutal. Lorelai's anger gets the best of her and she cuts extra deep. She even throws in a line about Logan that seems excessively cold. There's also something disdainful about the way she calls Rory “kid.” And just like that, what was supposed to be happy news has torn the Gilmore girls apart.
The two go their separate ways to deal with the fallout. Rory turns to Lane, who as usual is very supportive and kind. On the other hand, Lorelai still has some anger to let out.
Not surprisingly, she goes to Luke's after the blowout and there is tension almost right away. It's clear that Lorelai's anger from her fallout with Rory is spilling over onto Luke. At first their fight rises from the seeds of deceit planted in the previous episode. Lorelai is mad at Luke for not telling her that he and Emily went looking for properties to buy. And Luke is mad that she hadn't shared the fact that her mom stopped going to their therapy sessions. But pretty soon it becomes about more than that. It's a raw and emotional fight that doesn't get resolved. It just ends with Luke storming out.
The writers have always been good at adding small details that make the scenes feel more real. And it was a nice touch, that even as they were fighting, they were cleaning up the tables at the diner.
But apparently, one overlong musical scene isn't enough, and Taylor calls Lorelai to let her know that a new song was written for the musical. Because Lorelai is part of the advisory committee, she is invited to see a preview performance of it. At first, this seems like punishment but this musical piece is a lot better than the last one. It's more than a little on the nose. In fact, the only way it could have been more obvious would be if Violet literally included Lorelai's name in the song. But none of that matters, because Sutton Foster does such an amazing job. The song is genuinely moving and inspires Lorelai to embark on her next adventure because it's “never or now.”
Moved to tears, Lorelai realizes she needs to do some soul searching, and that means going away. But first she has to tell Luke. And what follows is a subtle and heartbreaking scene. Their last fight was explosive and overwhelming. But this is almost the exact opposite. They are both tired and filled with resignation. Lorelai knows what she has to do, and Luke knows that he can't stop her.
Being the Gilmore Girls, sometimes the male actors tend to get overlooked, but Scott Patterson has always been one of the standouts of the show. There's no doubt that he really stepped it up for the revival. And this scene proves just how valuable he is to the show. The scene doesn't have flashy speeches. In fact, there isn't even a lot of dialogue. But Patterson fills every line with fear and distress. Luke feels that he is losing Lorelai and the life they've built together. Worst of all is that he knows he can't stop it.
Overall, Summer proved to be a strong episode almost in spite of itself. As already stated, the first musical scene was way too long and even a bit self-indulgent. It didn't really add much to the story and seemed like a tacked on eulogy for Bunheads (RIP). And its long run time contributed to the pacing problems that seriously brought down the quality of the episode. And the less said about the extended newspaper delivery scene, the better. Watching Rory and Lorelai deliver newspapers all over town to the tune of “These Boots Are Made for Walking” isn't inherently bad. But something like that would have played better if this was a regular season with 23 episodes. But A Year in Life is only four episodes. Granted, the episodes are longer but overall, the running time is a lot shorter so the writers should have taken that into consideration.
And because of the sloppy pacing, the last act feels awkward and rushed. It seems that the writers realized they were running out of time and tried to jam too much in. As powerful as those last scenes were, they might have been even more effective if they were given some room to breathe. As it is, Lorelai goes from one fight to another.
When Summer started, things were looking good, but at the end, just about everyone is at odds with each other. And Lorelai is off to the Pacific Crest Trail to find herself. It seems that things will be at a low point at the outset of Fall, the final episode.