The arrival of Netflix’s Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life is only a month away—which is basically forever. November 25 can’t arrive soon enough, but at least we have photos and a new and exciting trailer to pick apart. The first trailer for the Gilmore Girls revival is fresh out of the oven, and with all sorts of footage to examine, I have some theories about what we’ll see in the four-part miniseries. But first, let’s rewatch the promo:
Our Gilmore gals–Lorelai, Rory, and Emily–are all in states of transition. We all hit periods in life where we feel lost and unfulfilled, and these ladies are in the middle of those emotions at the same time. Emily’s trying to find a life without Richard, Rory seems unsettled about her career, and Lorelai appears to be antsy. What does it all mean?
1. Lorelai has wanderlust.
The trailer hints at some unhappiness between Luke and Lorelai. We see Lorelai with a therapist; she’s telling the shrink she’s happy with Luke, but her expression doesn’t match the words coming out of her mouth. And at the beginning of the trailer, she’s walking around Stars Hollow with Rory carrying coffee cups from Al’s. Why would they stoop to drinking inferior coffee? Hopefully Luke’s is just closed for the day.
Lorelai talks about how she has everything she’s always dreamed of, and in my experience, that’s often when restlessness kicks in. She’s also having to be strong for both Emily and Rory, so perhaps the pressure is weighing on her. But what if she’s feeling anxious because she hasn’t gone out and explored enough? We see her in the outdoors, which isn’t the usual place for Lorelai, but we know she likes to travel. Perhaps the revival will end with her and Luke trying to resolve any issues they might have by taking off on his boat.
2. Is Rory pregnant or not?
The official Gilmore Girls Instagram account has been posting some mysterious pictures, and Bustle used the posts to put together a theory about Rory being pregnant with Logan’s baby. The most convincing evidence is the above photo; you can see a stroller in the reflection of the compact. Hmm.
Though we do see Rory in London and we also see Logan, we also watch her have a drink with Jess. She has no sign of a baby bump. Some think maybe she’s already had the kid, but I don’t think she’d be wandering around like a “vagabond,” as Emily put it, if that were the case. I don’t think a baby is part of the story. However, maybe trying to decide if she wants a family is part of Rory’s conundrum.
3. The role of Dean.
Dean pops up for a fleeting moment in the doorway of Doose’s Market in the trailer. Jared Padalecki was only on set for a day, so I’m guessing he and Rory will only have a passing encounter. Dean’s probably still living in Stars Hollow, and if Rory’s trying to figure out her future, running into Dean would be like seeing one of the ghosts from Christmas Past. He, like Jess and Logan, was a possible future.
I think his role will be small, but Keely Flaherty noticed a cute little detail in Doose’s window in the Dean scene: a sign for cornstarch. The baking supply played an important role in Dean and Rory’s first kiss.
4. Professor Paris Geller?
Paris is back! In her brief trailer scene, she’s at Chilton. Note the plaid skirts in the background. If she had a kid, it wouldn’t be quite old enough to attend Chilton yet, so I’m guessing she’s a professor. Or maybe she dazzled everyone and became the school’s youngest headmaster.
Of course, Rory’s seen at Chilton as well, so it’s likely some sort of alumni event is happening.
5. Emily is going through the stages.
The real-life loss of Edward Herrmann means Emily lost Richard. It’s gonna hurt, guys. Sure, they’ll handle it with the typical humor of the show, but seeing the scene at the funeral with a photo from Emily and Richard’s vow renewal? My heart. Since we see the funeral, it likely happens in the first installment of the four-part event, and we’ll see Emily move through the stages of grief as the story unfolds.
The footage shows she’s remembering and honoring Richard with a massive portrait, and that she’s trying to move on by decluttering her life. It’s the opposite of when she was mad at Richard and went on a spending spree to accumulate more stuff; it’s symbolic. This is Emily transforming. She’s still going to deliver judgment and barbs, but she’s going to learn how to be on her own after decades with Richard at her side. And being on her own apparently means wearing a Candies t-shirt and jeans.
6. Getting inside Rory’s head.
What is Rory doing? One of the early production stills showed Rory in a classroom, so I thought perhaps she was a professor. But she’s wearing the same dress in that photo that she’s wearing at Chilton in the trailer. Maybe she’s meant to give some sort of uplifting speech or presentation on a Career Day. That could be what spurs her visit home and triggers her existential crisis.
We know she’s wandering and rootless. It’s not a stretch to assume she’s working and pursuing journalism while she’s traveling. But she tells Jess she has no job. I’m guessing she secured something after being on the Obama campaign, left to pursue a different lifestyle, and is now wondering if she made the wrong decision. Jess looks like he has his shit together and so does Logan, so they could be popping up because they’re giving her career and life advice.
7. Kirk at Friday Night Dinner
Kirk at Emily Gilmore’s table. I never thought I’d see the day. Maybe Luke was supposed to come but changed his mind, so Lorelai dragged along the first available male? A previously released production still shows Luke at the same dinner (the Gilmores are wearing the same clothes). I think he shows up and chases Kirk out.
What theories do you have about Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life? Share all of ’em in the comments or come chat with me on Twitter.
Image: Netflix
