Romance, the loss of the great Richard Gilmore, new and bizarre town festivals thought up by Taylor — all of these things will play a role in the stories of Rory, Emily, and Lorelai Gilmore in Netflix's Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life . None of those things answer the bigger question of what exactly the revival is about, though. Thankfully, series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino has shared with TVLine how Rory, Emily, and Lorelai's revival journeys will begin. This is the first time fans have been given a fully formed picture of the Gilmore women's states of mind in the wake of Richard's death, and the descriptions are at once fascinating, heartbreaking, and completely true to who these characters are.
There have been more clues dropped about Rory than any other character, so there's not much new in Sherman-Palladino's summation of the state of Rory. What the description does offer is a promise that Rory will still be relatable to the generation who grew up with her. She has not raced ahead of the pack to become an award-winning journalist. Her life is just as messy and unexpected as every other millennials'. As Sherman-Palladino told TV Line, "It’s this idea of, you hit [your 30s], you did everything right — you went to college, you had the good grades, you worked really hard — and yet somehow life isn’t turning out the way you wanted it to turn out."
If Rory's life has stalled, Emily's has been set on a trajectory she never wanted it to be on. The woman who demanded to go first has lost her husband and along with him her sense of self. More so than Rory or Lorelai's, Emily's entire world will be turned upside down as she tries to find a way forward through her grief and confusion. Watching Kelly Bishop play out this new chapter of Emily's story is going to be a gift. Emily is eternally underrated, but it sounds like the revival will be keeping her front and center.
"What does the death of a husband mean to a woman who had a life very specific to her all of these years?" Sherman-Palladino mused. That will be the question at the heart of Emily's story, right alongside what her next step is. Emily's world has both shrunk and expanded with the loss of Richard, and seeing her shape her new start is going to be a messy process. It will also be a rewarding one. As amazing as Richard was, there is life after him for Emily, even though she will always be affected by his loss.
Then there is Lorelai. Lorelai has always put her kid and her family first. She has had terrible luck with relationships and is more comfortable throwing herself into work than with sharing her feelings. Of the three Gilmore women, Lorelai's revival journey is the one that has been the most unclear. Is it about her finally marrying Luke? Is it about a breakup? A career move? There have been precious few hints until now.
The way Sherman-Palladino sees it, three big questions will guide Lorelai as she embarks on the next stage of her life: "Where am I now? Where’s my path? Where’s my comfort?" After all these years, Lorelai is finally focusing on herself and what is best for her.
It has never been easy for Lorelai to make herself her first priority. She will still be with Luke when the revival begins, but it sounds like Lorelai is chasing some much needed emotional security. Rory and Emily will no doubt be turning to Lorelai after Richard's death, but Lorelai is going to need support too. The prospect of watching this fiercely independent woman find the strength to tell her family, friends, and Luke what she wants and needs out of life is exciting.
Now that Lorelai, Rory, and Emily's revival journeys have been laid out, I cannot wait to see where these three end up. November 25 cannot get here soon enough.
Images: Warner Bros. TV; Giphy (3)
