Even after audiences got the Gilmore Girls revival, A Year in the Life, many people are still clamoring for another reboot in the form of Gilmore Girls season 9. There’s an argument to be made that the revival made Gilmore Girls‘ ending worse, creating a clear need for the TV show to return and right the wrongs of the most recent addition to the story’s canon. However, it can’t be overlooked that there are many problems another season of the series would face if the creators, Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, revisit the show.
The chances of a Gilmore Girls revival are murky, as the creators and actors all have a deep love for the show, but tackling the world of story today would look very different. Starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel as Lorelai and Rory, the titular Gilmores, the series delved into the complex relationship between the mother and daughter and their intense closeness. This was juxtaposed by Lorelai’s strained relationship with her parents, particularly with her mother, Emily (Kelly Bishop). These layered dynamics were the driving force behind the conflict in Gilmore Girls.
Gilmore Girls Season 9 Would Risk Feeling Repetitive After Netflix’s Revival
Gilmore Girls Has Already Tackled The Possible Storylines For Season 9
Mother-daughter dynamics are at the forefront of Gilmore Girls. Though it’s fun to talk about the best couples in Gilmore Girls, it’s the relationships between Lorelai, Emily, and Rory that are emblematic of the deeper themes and meanings in the show. After A Year in the Life left off on the cliffhanger of Rory revealing her pregnancy to Lorelai, this is the clear direction that Gilmore Girls season 9 would go. However, this isn’t a storyline that audiences haven’t seen the series explore many times over.
While there could be some intrigue built in with the question of who the father is and witnessing how Rory grapples with her new parental roles, this isn’t different enough to sustain a whole season of television. Gilmore Girls season 9 would have to unpack the mother-child dynamic between Rory and her kid, but it would be tough to make this unique compared to the other seasons of the show. The path to making Rory’s life as a parent different from the rest of the series would be an uphill battle.
There’s Only One Way To Make Season 9 Feel Fresh & It’s Unrealistic
The Best Path Forward For Gilmore Girls Season 9 Wouldn’t Make For Good TV
Though the world of Gilmore Girls and Stars Hollow always had elements of magical realism, the series was fully rooted in an honest depiction of the characters’ emotional development. Due to this, we saw Lorelai and Emily grapple with the ways they had failed their children and become disillusioned with the life paths they chose for themselves. The only realistic way that Gilmore Girls could expand on this would be by exploring Rory’s relationship with her child and how this diverges from her family legacy.
There’s no way that Rory would be a perfect mother, which is natural but doesn’t align with the narrative structure.
However, the happy medium between Lorelai and Emily’s parenting styles is a healthy and respectful parent-child dynamic with closeness balanced by boundaries. While this makes for a great family, it doesn’t make for interesting TV or spark conflicts that the story could explore. Though Gilmore Girls season 9 could fix some storylines, the most important part of the narrative, Rory’s role as a mother, wouldn’t have the bite of the other character dynamics. Additionally, there’s no way that Rory would be a perfect mother, which is natural but doesn’t align with the narrative structure.
|
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Gilmore Girls (2000–2007) |
N/A |
87% |
Gilmore Girls Doesn’t Need Another Season After A Year In The Life’s Ending
We Have Enough Gilmore Girls Episodes To Draw Our Own Conclusions
While it’s frustrating that A Year in the Life left audiences with the cliffhanger of Rory’s pregnancy, it’s likely that the Palladinos wanted the audience to draw their own conclusions about what would happen next. In both Gilmore Girls and A Year in the Life, the viewer saw firsthand the long-term effects of Emily and Lorelai’s parenting styles, cementing the fact that no one is perfect and that there will always be unavoidable mistakes made when raising a child. However, it’s clear that these are lessons the show has already learned.
Related
Gilmore Girls’ Lowest-Rated Episode Predicted Rory’s Frustrating Revival Story, 10 Years Earlier
Gilmore Girls’ lowest-rated episode features one of Rory’s most relatable moments, and it lays the groundwork for her story in the Netflix revival.
Gilmore Girls always did a good job of trusting the audience to interpret the characters’ actions and draw their own conclusions about the events of the show. Reviving the series at this point simply to answer lingering questions about Rory’s future would go back on the promise of the essential style and format of the show. Gilmore Girls has given the audience plenty of explanations and opportunities to interpret the trajectory of the narrative, and it might be time to leave it at that.