Ep 1. Winter

In Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life season 1, episode 1, named Winter, fans of the beloved show are reunited with Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, who are back in Stars Hollow after a decade. The series picks up nine years after the finale of the original seven-season show, and this episode is the first of four, each one dedicated to a different season of the year.

The episode begins with a sweeping shot of the snowy Stars Hollow town square, a place of comfort and familiarity for fans of the original series. Lorelai is standing in front of Doose's market, chatting with Kirk and marveling at the snow. She tells Kirk that it's been almost a decade since she's seen snow, and he's incredulous. How has it been that long? she wonders.

The town is bustling with activity as usual, and it's clear that this sleepy Connecticut hamlet is still full of surprises. For example, the town square now has a new venture: a farmer's market located inside of the town's iconic gazebo. Lorelai is taken aback by this new development and has mixed feelings. Of course, she loves that farmers now have a place to sell their products, but the gazebo has always been a sacred space to her.

Rory, on the other hand, is sleeping soundly in her bedroom at her parent's mansion. She's a freelance journalist who's finds herself in a difficult rut in her career, and feels she's not making much professional progress. However, after a chance meeting with an old friend in New York, she's convinced to attend a job interview at a website called SandeeSays. The former editor of the Yale Daily News is excited for something new and Rory embarks on a new career journey. During her interview, however, she gets a new perspective on how much journalism has changed in the last decade. It's clear that she's not used to being on the other side of the business and the interviewer pokes some holes in her previous work. Despite this, Rory manages to land the gig, but her work is far from over.

Back in Stars Hollow, Lorelai and Luke are happily together, and their relationship is as quirky and endearing as ever. Luke is becoming more detail-oriented and Lorelai's need for coffee drives her back to her inn, the Dragonfly, where it's revealed another surprise awaits her: Michel, her trusty French concierge, is leaving to work at the W Hotel in Paris.

Lorelai is in shock! Michel has been her steadfast employee for years and he's not only a colleague, but a friend. They talk to each other more like siblings than co-workers. She's worried about who will take his place and whether the new person will fit her needed agenda. Michel creates a divide between Lorelai and his replacement, but Lorelai has a plan to try to bridge that gap and get the replacement to understand the expectations of his new position.

As the episode continues, viewers get to watch scenes that are reminiscent of the original series, including quirky town meetings (and hilarious amendments), Kirk's unconventional work ventures, and Loralai's and Rory's legendary fast talk banter. The major plot threads of the episode revolve around Rory's new job and Lorelai's unexpected existential crisis, but it's the smaller moments that truly make the show a standout.

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life season 1, episode 1 is a bittersweet return for fans of the original series. On one hand, it's amazing to catch up with these beloved characters and check-in on how their lives have evolved in the decade since we last saw them. On the other hand, the episode is tinged with sadness, as we're acutely aware that Edward Hermann, who played Lorelai's father Richard, passed away in real life.

Despite this, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life has the same heart, humor, and charm that viewers fell in love with so many years ago. It's a welcome return, and episode 1, Winter, sets the stage for what promises to be an emotionally satisfying ride through the seasons.