Rewatched AYITL

And I still love it... I figured, like many things before it, I'd have seen through the shine of something new and caught glimpses of the duct tape covering the flaws in the foundation or the mismatched colours betraying the chop shop origins but instead I found extra things to enjoy and still shed tears.

I agree with many here, though, Logan's bizarre dynastic engagement seems out of character considering his trajectory on the show and Rory's continued reliance on him, 9 years after she said "No" to him, is strange. The chemistry between them seems to have improved over the years and I find their two break ups (The phone call in Summer and the final good bye in Fall) to be great scenes.

I find Lorelai far less selfish in this than she was on the show. The drunken rambling at Richard's funeral, on closer inspection, feels realistic and fitting. While they had seemed superficially resolved in the show, Richard's shocking death and Lorelai's unresolved feelings mixed with the alcohol and grief quite probably created in her a vulnerability and inability to think good thoughts. I kept saying to myself "Why doesn't she just say something that happened between them during the show's run?" and even I came up empty. In a way, the stories aren't about Richard's neglect as a father but about Lorelai's failure to be the daughter she should have been. Emily's insults after are exactly in line with her character (understandably furious and unfairly cruel). Everything Emily says drives Lorelai's actions throughout the revival as she tries to come to terms with her flaws.

I love the Life and Death Brigade scene.

The musical, on first view horrendously inappropriate and overly long, is actually fun to watch in its cheesy style.

My other complaint comes from pacing. A feature length episode brings with it many challenges and one of those is keeping people engaged throughout. Stretching a 40 minute format to 1.5 hours is something the creators struggle with and I think they should have hired feature writers to help edit and push. A lot of the Gilmore dialogue is slowed down to fit the run time and a few early on moments are jarring as they try to eat up the mammoth space Netflix has created (Kirk's OOOber joke that only needed to be said once, maybe twice and Rory running around trying to get a signal are two such examples).

However, I like the narrative arc for the three girls. Emily struggling to find her place now that her husband has died feels small in comparison to the other two but the scope of it is actually massive and I think she has the best development. The TV tray scene is depressing and her refusal to socialise despite Rory's pleas is realistic and sad. She no longer belongs to the World of the wives and the DAR but she has no idea who she is. Where she ends up makes me so happy for her. Her "condition" for Lorelai is barely a condition at all, it's an invitation that does nothing but benefit both parties. Her decision to redo the portrait is another small action that carries great weight.

As for Rory, and I know this is where people here get livid, I think her pregnancy is not a hindrance at all. She's already well into the book she's writing and, if its anything like the TV show we all know and love, it will probably be a best seller. She's not going to struggle, she's not going to have to put her life on hold. Rory failed as journalist and that's OK. Failure is a big part of life. She was always a gifted writer, it's prevalent throughout the show. Yes, Jess gives her the idea but she is the one writing it. Jess' final glance through the window is another sweet moment I missed first time around.

The revival isn't perfect but it is better than I expected (and I had high hopes).

My teenage angst has a body count