Each installment—"Winter," "Spring," "Summer" and "Fall"—have their own vibe. Once viewers experience the new 90-minute format with "Winter," it's easy to get back into the Gilmore Girls rhythm. Center to the story is the death of Richard Gilmore (Edward Herrmann). His presence is felt in each episode in different ways for each of the three Gilmores. Would a Gilmore Girls revival make sense without telling the story of loss, grief and self-discovery? Probably not.

The loss spurs the Gilmore women in different and exciting directions. But of course there's the familiar. Rory and Lorelai are still the way you remember them.