The trouble with reboots
What do “The X-Files”, “Gilmore Girls,” and “Full House” all have in common?
They’re all fan-favorite shows who were given the opportunity to make a modern-day return.
And while, in theory, getting the chance to revisit some of TV’s favorite characters seems like it could mean nothing but success – the truth of the matter is that oftentimes TV reboots leave a lot to be desired.
While the draw of reboots is undeniable – being able to see a character and see a story continue to unfold long after you thought it was done – a question that all audiences need to be asking themselves is: is this necessary?
When “Gilmore Girls” made it’s 2016 comeback with “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life,” a fan of “Gilmore Girls” like myself, was over the moon. The series ended unexpectedly back in 2007 and many questions regarding the main characters, Lorelai and Rory, were left up in the air. Viewers were then forced to wonder, seemingly forevermore, about what ended up happening in the lives of the “Gilmore Girls.”
After the reboot and after finding out the true ending of the series, many fans were left with the same feeling of disdain. It seemed that after nearly ten years off the air that nothing much had happened in the lives of these characters. It was unsatisfying and soiled the excitement of being able to reunite with beloved characters.
“Fuller House” made its debut in early 2016 and was regarded by many as too campy for the modern world. The real issue being, what made “Full House” a classic was that it set the bar for many ’90s family-sitcoms – in the ’90s – a tone which simply did not translate in the 2016 landscape.
“Roseanne” was selected for a reviving, but when the once progressive, feminist show returned to airways with a suddenly more conservative tone and a suddenly more unstable Roseanne Barr, fans were left wishing they had never been given the gift of a reboot at all.
So why do shows keep being brought back when so, so often viewers end up wishing they’d left the end at the end? Why do audiences keep tuning in? Why do I keep tuning in?
When I heard that “Veronica Mars” was being rebooted on Hulu, my first thought wasn’t “Oh dear god, why?” it was, “I can’t wait.”
For me, someone who has been hurt by reboots in the past, watching a reboot isn’t about trying to recapture the magic that existed in the original run of whatever show it is that’s been rebooted. Watching a reboot is about getting the chance to see and hear these characters that had, until that moment, been silent.
Yes, it would have been great if “Gilmore Girls” hadn’t made a painfully obvious reference to über and to “Hamilton,” but what was great was getting to watch Lorelai slug coffee and make snappy comments.
It’s the nostalgia.
And yes, I’m someone who was lucky enough to grow up in the time of binge-watching, so perhaps in my case, where I was able to watch the entirety of “Gilmore Girls” six months before the revival aired the sense of nostalgia wasn’t enough for me to not be disappointed.
Maybe we’re being too hard on reboots. We’re expecting too much. When some of these shows aired, they were monumental for that specific decade. When we know it’s from now and we watch it now, sometimes the exact same writing can just sound… wrong.
Either way, I plan to continue to watch reboots – even if they do diminish my enjoyment of the original.
