The world was turned upside for fans everywhere on October 19 when the possibility of a Netflix Gilmore Girls reboot show was announced — and then re-announced many times by secondary sources. According to those many sources, here is the news that we have so far: Netflix hasn’t confirmed anything, but creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino are in the works for a reunion series consisting of four 90-minute episodes. Lauren Graham (Lorelai), Alexis Bledel (Rory), Scott Patterson (Luke), and Kelly Bishop (Emily) are all rumored to be on board. Yanic Tuesdale (Michel) also confirmed his interest, and it could be possible that all three of Rory’s former boyfriends from the show will be in the reboot.
I still remember the day I watched my first Gilmore Girls episode. I was in middle school and caught one of the older episodes playing on ABC Family: “Like Mother Like Daughter,” the one where Headmaster Charleston decides that Rory isn’t social enough at school. I fell in love immediately. Rory was just like me, reading books at lunch instead of talking. She was quiet and studious and close to her mom, as close as I was to my own single dad. The way they bantered and joked about the whole situation after school reminded me so much of my own life. By the end of the episode, I had already set a series recording on my TiVo.
I embarked on a whirlwind binge-watch of the series starting with episode one — and this was all before binge-watching a show was cool. Listening to Lorelai’s bit at Weston’s about “coffee, coffee, coffee,” and seeing Luke yell at an audiotape in his truck kept me going through the rough days of my own high school career.
Everyone who knows me sees me as a Gilmore Girls aficionado — sharp-witted and ready with references to both the show and other related pop culture at a moment’s notice. The news of a reboot comes at the perfect time for me since I just graduated from college in May, and I can no longer live my annual tradition of watching “The Lorelais’ First Day at Yale” the night before I move into my dorm. I need the Gilmore Girls cast to tell me what to do with my brand new adult life.
These are the 4 things I would absolutely love to see in the Netflix reunion show:
1. The trajectory of Rory’s journalism career
I knew that Rory wouldn’t be permanently swayed by Mitchum’s dismissal of her at the end of season five and that she would come back stronger than ever. It was still weird to see her momentarily drop out of Yale and eventually end up rejected for a New York Times fellowship. (Now that I’m older and wiser, it’s not that weird. The Reston Fellowship, which exists in real life, is extremely competitive and only accepts four applicants nationwide.)
What I’d like to see most is where Rory’s career went after the close of season seven. All Gilmore Girls fans know that the ending wasn’t Amy Sherman-Palladino’s intended ending, and I want to see where the creators would have wanted Rory to end up. Did she continue following Obama after he won the presidency? Did she end up reporting for print newspapers in the D.C. area, or did she join a weekly magazine like Time?
2. Lorelai and Luke’s relationship.
I care about Lorelai’s career as much as I care about Rory’s, but Lorelai was much more established when we left her. She was running The Dragonfly with Sookie and Michel and had turned down offers to have the inn bought and managed by industry professionals. We can safely assume that she’s probably still at the helm of the inn now, but what we can’t predict is what’s happening with her and Luke.
Are they married? Do they have a child or have a baby on the way? What happened to Christopher? (We hope he just gave up and moved away or that they’re true amicable friends now.) Did they allow Emily to buy them a house in Stars Hollow like she wanted to in season six, or did Luke go back after The Twickham House again?
3. Where is Lane now?
If you’re anything like me, the one character whose season seven ending you were most unsatisfied with was Lane Kim’s. It wasn’t the fact that Lane became a mom that I didn’t like; I think she would make a great parent. It was more the fact that she was forced to give up rock ‘n’ roll, at least for the time being, and was shown as really unhappy with her sex life. In my opinion, a strong, independent female character like Lane really deserves more.
In the reboot, I’d like to see seasoned parent Lane handling her young sons but also rocking out with the band. I want Lane to be happy and comfortable and, most importantly, successful in her own right. She doesn’t have to be a famous musician for me to be satisfied; she just has to love her life completely. I also wouldn’t be disappointed if she ran off with old flame Dave Rygalski; but, alas, I’ve all but lost hope.
4. How is Emily doing, and how will the show deal with the loss of Richard?
This is the most crucial reason to watch the reboot. We can all admit that the older Gilmores were a pain-in-the-neck sometimes; but, they were a staple of the show, and Richard was probably one of my favorite characters of all time. The two Richard scenes that still make me tear up? The way he hugs Rory in season five when she’s crying about how she “messed up,” and his speech to Lorelai in the season finale about how proud he is of her.
When I learned of Edward Herrmann’s passing last December, I actually cried. That’s how much Richard’s character meant to me. Before Herrmann’s passing, I crossed my fingers and hoped for a reunion movie. Afterward, I wasn’t so sure what I thought about the idea of a Gilmore universe post-Richard.
Now that the reboot is really on its way, that’s one key factor the series creators will need to deal with. In season one, Emily made it clear that she wants to “go first,” so how will the writers address Richard’s absence?
Regardless of what decisions the writers make regarding the show’s beloved characters, there is one person I was really hoping to see in season seven whom I am now hoping will make a charmed appearance in the reunion: Jess Mariano.