One year on the scene of life is enough to make me forgive all your revival sins

While A year in the life undoubtedly had its flaws, 2016's Netflix Gilmore Girls revival also offered one of the series' best moments in its final episode. To say that 2016 Gilmore Girls revival A year in the life was met with mixed reviews, to say the least. Fans and critics waited nearly a decade to see more Gilmore Girls' cast of characters and everyone had a fan favorite that they hoped would get enough screen time. THE Gilmore Girls the revival that barely included Sookie and Dean was enough to anger some viewers.

No revival could have perfectly recaptured the unique charms of the original drama series, but it was Rory's work A year in the life changes that generated the most pronounced anger. Rory has been at the center of some never-ending stories before, but the Gilmore Girls the revival felt like a betrayal of the ambitious character, according to some viewers. I disagreed, and like many other fans and critics, I felt that Rory's thirtysomething malaise was well foreshadowed in the original series. However, the scene that completely redeemed A year in the life it didn't even involve Rory.

Why Lorelai and Emily's Phone Call Is Easily a Year of the Best Moment Ever

The Gilmore Girls revival nailed this pivotal moment

In A Year in life episode 4, “Fall,” Lorelai’s attempt to hike the Pacific Crest Trail leads to an unlikely epiphany that finally brings some hard-won peace to her relationship with her mother. During her father's wake in a previous episode, Lorelai froze when asked to recall a fond memory of Richard and ended up upsetting Emily by telling a story about family fights. Although she doesn't go very far on the Pacific Crest Trail, Lorelai calls Emily as she looks at the mountains and shares a precious birthday memory. The ever-bitter Emily seems genuinely moved.

While the Gilmore Girls the revival's problems are impossible to ignore, the phone call in "Fall" between Lorelai and Emily allows Lorelai to share her fondest memories of her father and delivers one of the most beautiful and touching moments in the show's history in the process. It's an incredible scene, a sweet final tribute to Richard, and a really powerful message about dealing with grief. Loss is not a simple process and people like Lorelai and Emily process it differently, at different times. Lauren Graham and Kelly Bishop's dynamics peak in this poignant and perfectly judged scene.

Lorelai and Emily's phone call was what they fought to make for decades

Lorelai and Emily finally saw each other's perspectives during the call

It's rare to see Emily truly satisfied after an interaction with Lorelai, although sometimes she can temporarily celebrate having gotten over her daughter. Their relationship is defined by antagonism and a shared inability to see each other's perspective, which is what makes calling in “Autumn” such an achievement. Lorelai and Emily finally agree when Lorelai tells this joke and for a moment, the pair are at peace and capable of healthy communication. While the original Gilmore Girls finale has its high points, it doesn't include an equally cathartic scene.

The tenuous relationship between the mother-daughter duo drives much of the original series and becomes even more central in A year in the life thanks to Richard's off-screen passing. Sometimes this loss means Lorelai and Emily are more at odds than ever, but the shift in perspectives also allows for welcome surprises, like Lorelai's call to her mother. It's a shame that Rory's story is handled less skillfully, but in its own way, the conclusion of her character's arc is as fitting as Emily and Lorelai resolving their differences in "Fall."

I think “Fall” was an almost perfect ending for Gilmore Girls

A Year in the Life's Best Episode Was Better Than Critics Claimed

“Autumn” isn’t perfect, but it’s not far off. The final episode of Gilmore Girls revival is the strongest of its four episodes, and Rory's A year in the life The plan to write a memoir apparently put his important career back on track. Furthermore, the revival gets the characterization of Luke, Emily and Lorelai right, and I would say it also gets Rory right, even if it displeases some viewers. Whether it was her inability to follow Mitchum's advice or her shameful criticism of a ballerina, Rory was never as perfect as Stars Hollow believed her to be.

As such, it's not at all surprising that the complacent protagonist ended up in a professional rut in her thirties. Plus, her consistent struggles with fidelity mean it's not too shocking to find out that Rory has been cheating on her mostly invisible boyfriend with Logan this whole time. A year in the life. All of this aligns with his characterization in the original series, even if it highlights his less likable side. As such, it is difficult to deny that the Gilmore Girls revival A year in the life got its main characters right, for better or worse.