‘Gilmore Girls’: Amy Sherman-Palladino Claims She Wanted Rory’s Ending to be ‘Open-Ended’
In November 2016, Gilmore Girls fans were afforded the chance to catch up with their favorite Stars Hollow inhabitants. While the four-part Netlfix special, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, had some truly wonderful moments, fans were largely let down by the revival. They were most disappointed in the way Rory Gilmore’s storyline played out, with some fans wondering if the show’s creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino intended to destroy the character. Sherman-Palladino, however, insists she wanted Rory’s ending to be messy. Her rationale behind the decision does make a lot of sense.
Rory was lost and confused when fans caught back up with her in the Netflix revival
When fans left Rory and her mother, Lorelai Gilmore, in 2007, their futures looked bright. Rory had accepted a job working for an online magazine, and Lorelai’s business, the Dragonfly Inn, was a success. When fans picked back up with the mother and daughter in 2016, things looked a lot different.
The once studious and determined Rory was rootless and confused. She had no discernible career prospects, and she didn’t care all that much. Lorelai’s inn was experiencing a serious downturn in business, and, much like her daughter, she felt conflicted and restless. Lorelai’s restlessness seemed to make sense, but at 32, fans had expected Rory to find some semblance of success, or, at the very least, have a plan. She had neither.
The final four words of the series did little to tie up loose ends
Sherman-Palladino always intended to end Gilmore Girls with four words. In those four words, Rory told Lorelai she was pregnant. Admittedly, the ending came much later than Sherman-Palladino had intended. If she had had it her way, Rory would have been just 23, not 32, when she uttered the words. In all likelihood, she would have still been dating Logan Huntzberger, too. Sherman-Palladino didn’t get the chance back in 2007 because she walked away from the series after its sixth season due to conflicts with studio executives.
Fans largely believe the final four words would have been a perfect way to bring the story full-circle during the show’s original run. Nine years after the series ended, though, it seemed to fall flat. Rory’s immaturity didn’t sit well with fans, but Sherman-Palladino explained why she decided to keep her planned ending largely intact.
Amy Sherman-Palladino said she wanted Rory’s ending to be open-ended and “messy”
The open-ended ending led many fans to believe more episodes of the famed series were to come. Four years later, there has been no movement on a second installment. While some fans still have hope for a second revival, the ending of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life was not written with the intention of more episodes. At least, not entirely.
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Sherman-Palladino sat down with Buzzfeed to discuss the series back in 2016. She said that she made the decision to leave Rory’s story messy and open-ended because that’s generally how life works. She told the publication, “Your life should not have a bow on it at 32. Your life should be a wide-open field at 32 years old.” She also noted that Rory could go in several different directions after the final four words. While most fans assume she would keep the baby and raise it alone, Sherman-Palladino isn’t so sure about that.
