15 Times Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life Gave Us All the Feels

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10. Michel’s Goodbye

Michel has always been a character relied on for comic relief more than anything else in Gilmore Girls so it refreshing to see his character fleshed out in A Year in the Life. Michel now has an entire life outside of the Dragonfly Inn including a husband who wants a baby and a job offer at a prestigious New York City hotel. And while the Dragonfly was always Lorelai’s dream with Sookie, it seems hard to imagine without Michel there as well.

One of the most touching moments in the series is in “Spring” when Lorelai tells visiting chef Rachael Ray about how she and Michel became friends. “He always had my back”, she tells Rachael regarding an incident with a stain on her shirt during her first day as the manager of the Independence Inn and you realize it is true. For all of Michel’s constant complaining, he has been one of the few people to remain steadfastly by Lorelai’s side. Even Sookie has abandoned Lorelai, going off to work on a sustainable farm rather than run the Inn with her.

Small moments like Lorelai’s confession and Michel’s (hilarious) goodbye at the Secret Bar in the “Summer” episode are what make this revival so special. It changes the way you think about certain characters and their importance. I never imagined getting choked up about anything regarding Michel, but seeing him and Lorelai saying goodbye while both of them try not to cry really got to me. He is one of those characters you take for granted because you expect he will always be there. It was nice for him to get a chance to shine in A Year in the Life as not only Lorelai’s partner, but also as her (angry) friend.