Few things can compare to the caffeine induced, Stars Hollow magic that is Gilmore Girls.
And now that creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino, is in negotiations for additional episodes of the 7-season TV series, they don’t have to.
Fans flocked to social media last week to describe their excitement for the series’ return — which will almost definitely include starlets Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel, the original mother-daughter pair.
One interview with the Gilmore Guys (yes, I promise this exists — I checked), podcast personalities Kevin Porter and Demi Adejyigbe, revealed viewers’ explosive responses.
“It would have been like having the emotional nuclear football of the Gilmore Girls universe,” Porter said, explaining what it would have meant to be the first informed of the revival.
For Palladino, the revival — made possible by Netflix — gives her the opportunity to end the cult classic on her own terms. Palladino left the show’s staff following contract negotiations and was unable to contribute to the final episodes for her favorite family.
“It’s always a bummer when you don’t get to end it,” she told the audience of the Austin TV Festival this year. “I had hoped maybe that there would have been a call, ‘Hey, it’s the last episode, do you want to come back? And there wasn’t.”
Viewers clamoring to know details of the revival should not expect to see all elements of the cast and plot return, though. Edward Herrmann, who played the beloved Richard Gilmore, passed away last December. Melissa McCarthy, too, has been unconfirmed — her career having taken off following the series’ close.
The Netflix project will include four, 90-minute episodes tracking Palladino’s quick-witted characters in the present day — now eight years later. According to TV Line, these episodes might each embrace a different season in Stars Hollow, providing viewers the crucial opportunity to appreciate a full year of Gilmore Girls wardrobe and Stars Hollow’s fall foliage.
Responses to the original series finale varied, and I’m still convinced the show’s writers showed certain malicious intent given the lack of resolution for almost all of the characters. So in the spirit of witty repartee and lightning speed dialogue, I’ve gathered my thoughts long enough to record a couple potential directions for the revival.
1. Loose Ends to Tie Up
My humble plea for Rory’s future to be extremely different from “Post Grad,” Bledel’s later film about a struggling college graduate.
Perhaps the most notable and confusing story arc involves Rory’s post-college life. With Rory’s pending graduation from Yale, the audience dreams of happy, Spring-let conclusions for the world’s most relatable and at times, daring, bookworm. But no such resolution is offered, as Rory labors over her decision to turn down her college boyfriend Logan and heads off on the campaign trail. Now eight years later, we’ll check back in on Rory, whose future is completely uncertain and might not include Lorelai sitting next to her.
The seasoned journalist and even more seasoned pizza-eater could find herself the editor of a major publication, a political analyst in Washington D.C., maybe even an author or Paris’ roommate. Or she could simply find herself in the arms of one of her former beaus — or both. In the case of the latter, let me take this moment to express my particular affinity for the matured Jess, now a publisher in Philadelphia with the same deeply handsome smile and ostensibly improved knowledge of books.
2. Lorelai and Luke for Life
“Coffee, please, and a shot of cynicism,” Lorelai iconically shouted across the counter to Luke Danes — local diner owner and permanent love interest (?). The couple’s relationship waxed and waned throughout the series, at times nonexistent and others engaged. But producers and future screenwriters, this note is for you. No matter the potential for their relationship to be “stale” or lack the same anxious butterflies in the revival, do not allow Christopher — Lorelai’s high school flame and Rory’s father — to rattle the Stars Hollow couple. Clearly, it is not my job to draft the entirety of the script… but look at that, I just did.
3. The Missing Cast Dilemma
If there was a way to truly encapsulate what a show without Sookie St. James would miss, this quote says it all: “super cool party people bid you super good adieu.”
As for the late Edward Herrmann, Palladino and her husband and executive producer Daniel have their work cut out for them. Richard Gilmore provided the perfect and oh-so-needed balance of scholarly interest and the occasional and always light-hearted kick to the couple’s dynamic.
But ultimately, in considering the series revival and boundless potential, I have only one thought.
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