This episode originally debuted on November 25, 2016 on Netflix
Summary:
Fresh from a career high, Rory pays a visit to Stars Hollow. Emily copes with Richard’s death. The inn keeps Lorelai busy as she ponders her future.
Recap:
The first episode of the Gilmore Girls revival series, “Winter,” picks up nine years after the original show ended. Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) is still running the Dragonfly Inn in Stars Hollow, Connecticut, and her daughter Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) is now a struggling freelance journalist.
The episode opens with Lorelai and Rory meeting for coffee at Luke’s Diner. Rory is in town to visit her grandmother, Emily Gilmore (Kelly Bishop), whose husband Richard (Edward Herrmann) passed away the previous year. Emily is still grieving Richard’s death and is struggling to adjust to her new life without him.
Meanwhile, Lorelai is dealing with her own issues. She is feeling stressed and overwhelmed about her job and her relationship with Luke. She is also struggling to come to terms with her own mortality.
Later in the episode, Rory visits Emily and finds her decluttering her house. Emily is getting rid of everything that doesn’t bring her joy, which turns out to be nearly everything she owns. Rory is worried about her mother, but Emily assures her that she is okay.
Meanwhile, Lorelai visits Luke at his diner. Luke is excited to show Lorelai his new menus, which feature Rory’s New Yorker piece printed on the back. Lorelai is impressed and tells Luke that he is a good man.
At the end of the episode, Rory and Lorelai attend a town meeting where they learn that Kirk has started a new business called Ooober. Kirk gives Lorelai a ride to Hartford in his Ooober car, which he has equipped with a Brita filter and a karaoke machine.
Rory arrives at the Gilmore house just a few minutes later and is introduced to the family that now lives in Emily’s house. Emily is not happy about the new tenants and takes it out on Lorelai by yelling at her about a speech she gave at Richard’s funeral.
The episode ends with Lorelai and Rory sitting on the porch of Emily’s house, talking and eating junk food. They are both struggling to adjust to their new lives, but they have each other for support.
Overall, the first episode of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life is a good start to the revival series. It is full of humour, heart, and nostalgia. It is also a good reminder of why we love the Gilmore Girls characters so much.
