Biggest Unanswered Questions In Gilmore Girls
There's nothing worse than a show leaving fans with a ton of unanswered questions after the finale. It's one thing if the series faces an unplanned ending, but it's even worse when an ending concludes on a cliffhanger, let alone a dozen. "Gilmore Girls" fans tend to hate on the show's seventh season produced following the departure of showrunner and co-creator Amy Sherman-Palladino. While the response to Season 7 wasn't the official reason why The CW canceled "Gilmore Girls" in 2007, it certainly didn't make a terrific case for the necessity of a Season 8.
While Season 7 gets more than its share of flack, the OG series finale was pretty great. Most of the show's biggest questions were answered, and almost everyone's story ended on a positive, hopeful note. After Rory turns down Logan's marriage proposal, both characters leave off on major developments. Yet when "Gilmore Girls" returned in 2016 with "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life" on Netflix, instead of offering fans a wholesome glimpse at where the Stars Hollow gang are 10 years after the finale leaves off, the relaunch mini-series more-or-less reverts the characters back to where they were before the show's final season. Some fans claim the "Year in the Life" finale raises more questions than answers, and the show's attempt to make Rory's life come full circle in a mirror image of her mother's is clunky and confusing. Out of the many questions lingering after both "Gilmore Girls" finales, these are the most pressing.
Does Rory become a successful author?
The most satisfying aspect of "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life" is Rory's book, "Gilmore Girls." There's no denying that Rory isn't exactly the best journalist throughout the original show, despite leaving for presidential primary campaign coverage in the finale. Newspaper guru Mitchum Huntzberger may be a jerk, but when he tells Rory that she doesn't have what it takes to be a journalist, he's not wrong. She doesn't speak up or offer ideas at her internship, she rarely pitches her own ideas, and she even drops out of Yale just because her boss criticizes her. With her shy demeanor and need to please, it's not exactly surprising that the revival opens with her floundering as a freelance journalist. Rory may be book smart, but her ego and her lack of tenacity prevent her from truly going after what she wants — and people don't hand things to 30-year-olds as much as they do to plucky teens.
Rory's career pivot in the revival implies success, given that she's writing the story fans have watched since the turn of the millennium, putting a meta spin on the show. If this story is popular in the real world, it stands to reason that it should be popular in the fictional world of "Gilmore Girls," right? And though author seems to be a more fitting title for Rory than journalist, we don't know for sure if her book is successful, or where she goes from there. Does the book succeed? Is she a one-hit wonder? Will she go on to chronicle the lives of her and her own child? We may never know.
Do Lorelai and Luke go through with surrogacy or adoption?
One of the revival's greatest tragedies is that it starts with Luke and Lorelai's relationship in the same rut it was a decade prior, making it too late to carry out their dreams as a couple. Why? So fans can see their wedding. Given that Lorelai's marriage ultimatum to Luke from Season 6 is partially responsible for their year-long breakup, it's more than frustrating to see them unmarried and without the kid(s) they wanted. Even worse, Luke still mentions April being "his," furthering the divide in their personal lives that fans assumed they'd already worked through.
How many times do they need to keep making the same mistakes? Sure, it's nice to see the most beloved relationship on the show have an on-screen wedding, but not at the expense of taking away their planned life together. They could have had a 10-year anniversary wedding vow renewal in the revival. Instead, both characters lament not having kids, something they never talked about after ten years together. How is their relationship not past this point by now? When they finally discuss it and express regrets, Luke doesn't want to adopt, and the prospect of insemination freaks him out. Fans are, once again, wondering where the couple stands on an important life decision.
Are Lorelai and Luke going to live vicariously through Rory's kid? Ugh. Yet they're not the only Stars Hollow couple left without closure. We don't entirely know what's happening with Michel's adoption, and it's unclear if Kirk will graduate from having a pig to a human kid.
What kind of relationship does Rory have with G.G.?
One aspect of the series that's been relatively muddy throughout "Gilmore Girls" is Rory's relationship with her half-sister G.G. When it comes to Rory, the writers didn't really commit to the Season 2 plot twist of Chris and Sherry's pregnancy. Lorelai has more interaction with her daughter's sister than Rory herself. Beyond a kiss on the forehead here and there, a few Season 7 scenes are the most we get to see of the two sisters interacting.
In the Season 7 Christmas episode, the sort-of-happy family celebrate the holiday together, and Rory and Lorelai discuss how Lorelai's keeping a secret from Chris (who is Lorelai's husband at this point) as G.G. blissfully strings popcorn. While Rory doesn't have any outward animosity toward her younger sister, it's fairly obvious that she's uncomfortable around her, which implies that the two don't have much more face time outside of what's shown on-screen. At one point, G.G. takes Rory's Christmas antlers, and she responds with, "Kid took my antlers. She took my antlers and galloped away."
Even more telling, Rory refers to herself as an only child long after G.G.'s arrival. Sure, Rory didn't grow up with her half-sister, but it's still a glaring omission. G.G. is even entirely omitted from the reboot, leaving fans to wonder how much of her now teenage sister Rory sees. Hell, Rory gets an unnecessary scene with one of TV's most hated characters, April, but not one with her actual sister.
Does Hep Alien ever make it?
Fans spend five seasons and a relaunch watching Lane's band Hep Alien try and fail to amass a fanbase outside of Stars Hollow and the Seventh Day Adventist Church circuit. While Season 7 leaves off with Lane's zero chemistry husband Zack making a name for himself as a fill-in on a major band's tour, Hep Alien seems dead in the water with Zack away and Lane raising her twins.
The revival doesn't seem to imply much change for the band, either. Though Mrs. Kim made Zack write a "hit song" before she permitted him to pop the question, it's unclear if that tune went anywhere. In the revival, Lane mentions Zack's day job and how he's turning into his father. The band's success seems even more out of reach than in the first finale.
Though Hep Alien's guitarist Gil is played by real-world rockstar Sebastian Bach from the band Skid Row, Hep Alien never really gets it together. They almost play at CBGB at one point, but that fateful gig and, later on, Zack blowing their shot to impress a producer mark the end of the band's real chances at the big time. So, do they ever get it together enough to make it even on a small scale? Probably not, and Lane deserves better.
Who does Rory end up with? Does she stay single?
In the original Season 7 ending of "Gilmore Girls," Rory breaks up with Logan to embrace the uncertainty of life after graduation. Whether you're Team Logan or Team Jess (sorry, Dean fans, but he's a toxic, controlling jerk), fans can't begrudge Rory for putting her career first. We just watched seven seasons of her working her butt off to get where she gets, after all.
Though the OG series ends on this dash of empowerment, Rory's love life is somehow even worse in the revival. Not only does she continually forget the existence of her boyfriend, but she regularly cheats on him with Logan — all while knowing he has a fiancé waiting for him. You'd think she might have learned something after she and Dean blow up his marriage in Season 4, yet she apparently does not. Rory's distraught when she discovers that Logan cheated on her with a few of his sister's bridesmaids in Season 6, but evidently, she didn't learn anything from that experience, either.
We also discover that Jess is still holding a torch for Rory after all of these years, but frankly, he deserves better. Jess was a pretty terrible boyfriend in high school — he's emotional unavailable, he's problematically impatient when it comes to sex, we could go on — but by "A Year in the Life," he's arguably evolved more than anyone else in the show, save for Emily. Rory's life (and her love life) doesn't need to follow her mom's, with Jess pining for a decade and Logan (probably) being an absent father. So, who does Rory end up with? Honestly, it's probably best that she stay single and get her life together, at least for a while.
Do Paris and Doyle ever patch things up?
Who decided to break up Paris and Doyle? What exactly were they thinking? Sure, divorces are a common adult problem, but never have two TV characters' weirdness complimented each other so beautifully. As fans of "The X-Files" fans can attest to, it's pretty lame for a reboot to retcon a happy ending and break a beloved couple up in a relaunch.
Watching Paris and Doyle spar is pretty entertaining, but nothing was stopping the couple from reuniting at the end of "A Year in the Life." Doyle can admit that he's an egotistical Hollywood screenwriter cliché, while Paris can acknowledge that her intensity is a bit much to deal with, and then they can both kiss and make up. Instead, the revival leaves off with them in the middle of a bitter divorce, leaving one of the show's few happy couples in shambles. Can we have our break from reality back, please?
Do Michel and Sookie have futures at the Dragonfly?
Lorelai's dad Richard couldn't be in "A Year in the Life" given Edward Herrmann's tragic real-life death. Yet despite his physical absence, fans feel his presence throughout the four-episode miniseries. Richard had been trying to get Luke to expand his diner since Lorelai first told him about their relationship. And while he's not successful from beyond the grave, the trust he left Luke is useful for something — Lorelai's expansion of the Dragonfly Inn.
In an attempt to keep Michel from leaving for a position with more responsibility and pay, Lorelai uses the money to buy a building for a spa. But will this be enough to keep Michel in the long run? While it's clear that the perceived grump likes Lorelai and Stars Hollow traditions more than he lets on, will a spa pay enough to afford the kid his husband may or may not have successfully adopted? Meanwhile, what's going on with Sookie, and will she ever come back to the Dragonfly? And if both Michel and Sookie don't stay, could Lorelai sell the Dragonfly?
Richard's hotel tycoon friend Mike Armstrong was interested in the OG series, after all. And hey, whatever happened to the Independence Inn where Lorelai gets her start in the hospitality biz? Mia was set on selling, but is it still a Stars Hollow inn? Did it get turned into something else? There are so many questions surrounding Stars Hollow's inns.
What's the deal with these small unanswered moments?
There are plenty of major questions posed by "Gilmore Girls" and the revival, but what about the small nagging details? They don't really matter in the long run, but nonetheless, they pester fans. Remember in Season 6 when Richard and Emily search Rory's pool house and Emily flashbacks to Lorelai's drawer of Tootsie Rolls? Richard aptly points out that she was hiding something under the Tootsie Rolls. So what was it? And better yet, why do we care?
Similarly, fans can't help but wonder what the town recluse is protesting when his voice is inaudible, and his poster is ripped. Equally perplexing is what Emily gets Lorelai for her intended first wedding to Max at the onset of Season 2. She makes a point of keeping it to torment Lorelai, but it certainly isn't the hideous painting she gives Chris and Lorelai for their wedding later on. Luckily, thanks to the GilmoreGuysShow, we know the answer to what's in Lorelai's letter to Rory about Logan from Season 6. She basically tells Rory to listen to her heart, which is admittedly a little anti-climactic.
Do Lorelai and Emily continue therapy after Emily moves?
Some fans say the revival ruins more than a few relationships while obliterating some character development, but Lorelai and Emily working through their trauma is a joy to watch. Not only is the duo's therapy session about Rory's age in the making, but it also undoes some of the questionable things in "Gilmore Girls" regarding therapy in the past. Frankly, everyone could use some therapy, and it's great to see the most dysfunctional relationship in the show get some closure.
Sadly, the revival reverts back to some of that problematic messaging when Emily quits therapy in "Spring," and in "Summer," their therapist reveals her true passion for ... showbiz? The mother-daughter duo probably make the right call ditching their therapist, but do either of them continue seeing someone after Emily's move to Nantucket? It would certainly be a good idea. Does their former therapist ever accomplish her Broadway dreams? And finally, is Emily dating Jack Smith, or are they just friends?
What happens with the Stars Hollow musical?
Let's be real: The Stars Hollow musical might be the revival's worst bit. It doesn't add much to the story, and the never-ending sequence is insufferable to watch (which it's supposed to be). The comedic aspect comes from the fact that Stars Hollow's greatest supporter Lorelai hates it, but it takes forever to get to that point — and critics at The Verge and Paste Magazine agree.
Now, if the musical featured the Stars Hollow characters we know and love, it might have been more entertaining and relevant. But not even Sutton Foster's attempt at bad theater makes us want to spend over 15 precious minutes of this short-lived revival watching an incest-laden "Hamilton" rip-off. Think of all the unanswered questions we could have answered during this time.
Even the meta moment where the show's theme song performer Carol King's character gets her famous song "I Feel the Earth Move" ripped to shreds by Taylor isn't enough to redeem the musical's inclusion. So what happens with the Stars Hollow musical, and does Lorelai's therapist ever make it in showbiz?
Does Lorelai still have her big town wedding with Luke?
There's no denying that Luke and Lorelai's spontaneous wedding is one of the best TV weddings of all time. It's just as wondrous and eclectic as the duo, and it's lovely to see them tie the knot in an intimate ceremony. However, it's hard not to notice the glaring absences that should be at the wedding. The show could only get Melissa McCarthy for one scene, and instead of Lorelai's wedding, Sookie shows up for a goofy cake-baking scene. Sure, it's entirely in character, but wouldn't fans rather see Sookie at Lorelai's wedding than baking cakes for it? Also, what's with the hideous fondant figures on her milestone cake?
Lorelai's mom is also missing from the wedding. After all the work they put into mending their relationship, it's a bummer that Lorelai doesn't include her mom in the real ceremony. How often does Lorelai wait ages to tell her mom about her engagements? She also neglected to tell Emily about her spur-of-the-moment wedding with Chris in Italy from Season 7. Every time Lorelai leaves her mom out of her wedding planning, or the ceremony itself, her mom is visibly crushed. Heck, Emily and Richard put massive effort into trying to buy Luke and Lorelai a house for their first engagement. Leaving Emily out of what will hopefully be Lorelai's last wedding is cruel.
The intimate ceremony is lovely, but some fans might also feel cheated out of the big town wedding afterward. There's no reason "A Year in the Life" couldn't do the town wedding, and have Lorelai hear Rory's much-ballyhooed four-words after that. So, does the big town wedding even happen? Are Sookie and Emily in attendance?
Who is the father of Rory's baby, and does she keep it?
Maybe the show's four final words would have made sense back when Rory was barely an adult, but it just doesn't work when she's a 30-year-old. "Mom?" "Yeah?" "I'm pregnant" isn't exactly groundbreaking TV when a character is twice the age of her mom when she got pregnant. As a result, the show's attempts to bring the Gilmore girls full circle fall flat. Not only are the stakes comparatively low here, but some fans might feel like they wasted seven years of watching Lorelai trying to direct Rory towards a better life and make better choices than she did.
It finally seems like Rory is doing just that in the original finale, only for the reboot to come along and make Rory even more chaotic than she was in college. Sure, your 30s can be a challenging time, but what was the point of the original series if Rory seems to increasingly make immature mistakes? Lorelai made major life concessions, like putting up with more than her fair share of verbal abuse from the Gilmores, to get Rory an education.
So why does Rory need to follow in her footsteps? This ending would have been a letdown back in Season 7, and it's certainly a letdown now. We don't know for sure if Rory is keeping the baby or who the father is, but Rory declaring that she wants to remember everything hints that she's keeping it. Similarly, the show's attempt for Rory to mirror her mother's life heavily suggests that Logan is the father.
Does Logan go through with his wedding?
Considering the show's attempt to mirror Rory's life after her mom's, history dictates that Logan is probably the father of Rory's baby. Given that as far as we know, Logan's actor Matt Czuchry is the only person Amy Sherman-Palladino told about the pesky paternity (EW), all signs point to Logan. (Sorry, Wookiee guy. Or maybe congratulations?)
Despite his apparent growth in Season 7, it tracks that the show would set up Logan as Rory's Christopher — the baby daddy she just can't quit. As is Lorelai's tendency with Chris, Rory keeps finding herself back in Logan's arms. Meanwhile, Jess (arguably Rory's Luke) pines from afar, just out of reach.
However, toward the end of the revival, Logan is engaged to the woman his family set up for him — as if the Huntzbergers are next in line for the throne, which isn't too far off, given Mitchum's ego. It's possible that if Logan is the father of Rory's baby, and if she tells him about it before his wedding, he would call it off and propose to Rory. But like her mom, Rory isn't going to make a life choice based on obligation. But where does that leave Logan and his impending nuptials?