There are SPOILERS ahead for Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, so read no further if you don't want to know what happens. In the Gilmore Girls revival series, Rory hits a bit of a rough patch in her journalism career at the end of the episode "Spring," causing her to move back home to Stars Hollow with her mom Lorelai. The town warmly welcomes Rory home in the episode "Summer," but she insists that she's not home for long and she's definitely not one of Stars Hollow's 30-Something gang in the Gilmore Girls revival. But they sound like an awesome group and I wish there were more scenes with them in the series.
In a town meeting in the episode "Summer," Babette describes the 30-Something Gang to Rory (now 32 years old) as follows: "A group of kids, all about your age. They've been to college and then out in the real world. It spit them out like a stale piece of gum and now they're all back in their old rooms ... They all hang out together." They're also sensitive to loud noises and enjoy bowling. The diverse group (led by Bunheads' Bailey De Young) is a fun gag to show that Rory isn't alone in coming home again, but it's also a concept that has roots in reality. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, 32.1 percent of adults ages 18-34 lived at home with their parents by 2014.
In addition to living at home and occasionally going bowling, the 30-Something Gang also enjoys Paul Thomas Anderson movies, imitating Paul Thomas Anderson movies ("We're doing 'I drink your milkshake' from There Will Be Blood ," one of the gang tells Rory at the soda shoppe). It's a well-known fact that interests change as you age from your 20s to your 30s, so I can only imagine the gang also reflects that. They probably talk about their taxes, their attempts at new fitness regimens, and how they fell asleep at 10 p.m. last night — as they share milkshakes and a game of bowling, of course. Obviously, the whole gag is making fun of millennial culture, but still, it's cool to see a part of the revival so based in reality.
As for the gang's parents, fans later learn that there's also a 30-Something Gang parental support group that meets at Luke's Diner and they invite Lorelai to join them as they discuss resume tips. Lorelai does not respond. Still, if there's one thing the 30-Something Gang shows, even jokingly, it's that you can always return to Stars Hollow and there will be people there for you — no matter the age group.
Images: Netflix (2)
