I hope all of you had a lovely break. I most certainly did. I spent my long drives to and from school listening to Gilmore Guys, and reliving Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, yet again. This time, I bring you to the final installment of my Gilmore Girls commentary, and, yikes, do I have a lot to say about this one.
Anyone who is a Gilmore Girls fans know that the last four words Amy Sherman-Palladino was planning on writing season six of Gilmore Girls were being revealed in this episode. Even before Amy left the show, people were guessing what the last four words were going to be. However, can it still be possible for those theories to be true even nine years later? Certainly not!
Wrong.
We are shown, yet again, through the rest of these episodes that Amy Sherman-Palladino could not give up or let go of her dream. Isn’t it strange to you that it seemed as if Lorelai and Luke’s relationship is a new one? Isn’t it strange that Rory hasn’t matured at all? Weird that it seems like A Year in the Life is emotionally and mentally just as season seven would have been. The last four words of this show prove it.
Rory: Mom?
Lorelai: Yeah?
Rory: I’m pregnant.
Am I the only one who is angry? Surely not. Amy wanted the story to come full circle, she wanted the teen-mother, who tried with all of her might to raise a daughter who wouldn’t be a teen mother like her, end up exactly like her. Amy wanted that, but she still didn’t get it with this ending. She would have if it were a year after season six, but when Rory is 32 years old, it just seems like a lost dream to Amy, and just disappointing and inappropriate immaturity on Rory’s part.
There are also many loose ends at the end of this episode, it seems extremely unfair to the viewers to leave it as it was. We have enough loose ends that it could continue on a few more seasons, but, Amy, why can’t you just let a good thing die good? This is a point of contingency for a lot of fans, some really want more, some just want it to stop, personally, I would want these loose ends cleared up. One particularly nasty loose end is: who is the father of Rory’s unborn child? Is it Logan? (Ew). Jess? (Yeah, I wouldn’t mind that). The wookie? (I’m just mad about that plotline in the first place). Paul? (Really, though… who’s Paul?) Or was it Paris, who convinced her all along that Rory should totally have a kid, and Rory inseminated herself with the help of Paris? (Side note: Paris runs a fertility clinic… nothing weird).
I’ll let you think about that a little bit. You can research your own theories, or derive some version of the truth yourself. I will continue with this commentary, giving you my thoughts and opinions on some of the final scenes of Gilmore Girls.
Emily Gilmore:
This woman has the most complex character arc in this show, which is disappointing, considering all of the time they spend focusing on Lorelai and Rory. It seems as if Amy and the other writers thrive when they’re not confined to one dream they had nine years ago. When Edward Herrmann (Richard Gilmore) passed away, they had to change Emily’s story in real time, and I’ve got to say, they did an incredibly good job with it. This makes me think that they should have done this with all of the other characters as well. She ends up moving to Nantucket, becoming a more loving, and engaged member of the community, finding herself in her grief. I was really proud of her strength, and ability to change.
Michel:
I also really loved Michel’s plot line. When Sookie left (also out of the creator’s control), Michel stepped forward to fill a more mature and prominent role in running the Dragonfly. He even says that he may leave to find something more fulfilling and with higher pay because he wants to raise a family. What a development from the Michel we knew nine years ago. It is only at the end, where Rory asks her mother for the installment Richard left for Luke to buy a building to make a Dragonfly Annex, where Michel can run it on his own.
The Wedding:
Hm, okay. I got some other things to say about this wedding at the end. Cute montage, but, where’s Sookie? Where’s Emily? Like, where is anyone of importance of Luke or Lorelai’s at their own wedding? I mean, I know it’s in the middle of the night (because they just couldn’t wait a few more hours!), but I’m sure their family and best friends would come and see them married. My other problem with this is the hats. Just, like, why are they there? What is happening with them? I don’t know. The biggest part of the wedding that gets my goat is the fact that there is a wedding at all. It’s the 21st century, what is not acceptable and valid about having a life partner that you’re not necessarily married to. I mean, true, if you have a life partner, then what’s the problem with getting married, but that’s not the point. The point is, it shouldn’t have to be the end of Gilmore Girls once Lorelai gets married, it’s not the be all end all. I was very happy at the end of season six when Lorelai and Luke just live happily ever after, wedding or not.
Thank you all very much for reading these commentaries, and taking this wild journey with me. Here are some links if you are interested in reading Winter, Spring, and Summer! If you want to hear more commentary on Gilmore Girls, be sure to listen to Gilmore Guys, a podcast where two guys talk about Gilmore Girls (it’s pretty amazing).