‘Gilmore Girls’: Paris, Jess, and 3 More Characters Fans Would Love to See a Spinoff About
Gilmore Girls told the story of Rory (Alexis Bledel) and Lorelai (Lauren Graham) Gilmore, but the series introduced a whole slate of interesting characters over the course of its seven-season run. Those supporting cast members brought the magic of Stars Hollow to life just as much as the Gilmores. In fact, Gilmore Girls fans would even be interested in following some of them in their own spinoff series — including Paris (Liza Weil) and Jess (Milo Ventimiglia).
‘Gilmore Girls’ left plenty of mystery surrounding Jess
Jess Mariano serves as Rory’s love interest during the second and third seasons of Gilmore Girls. However, he eventually departs from Stars Hollow — without a word to his girlfriend — and moves to Philadelphia. He later shows up having written a novel and gotten his life together, but fans never see how Jess got from Point A to Point B. As it turns out, many of them would like to.
On a Reddit thread discussing which characters would make compelling spinoff leads, many commenters pointed to Jess. It’s no secret he’s often considered Rory’s best love interest from the series — well, for those who don’t prefer Logan, anyway. Jess also carries an air of mystery about him throughout the show, and it could be interesting to dive deeper into his character.
In fact, a Gilmore Girls spinoff focused on Jess almost happened IRL because fans loved the character so much. Sadly, the idea eventually fell through, but Jess remains someone viewers wanted to see more of.
Paris would be 1 of the more comical characters to follow
Paris Geller is Rory’s friend and rival at Chilton, and she’s one of the most neurotic characters on Gilmore Girls. That’s precisely why fans feel Paris would make an obvious choice to lead a spinoff.
In particular, fans would like to spend more time with adult Paris, watching her navigate graduate school and her career. She was always ambitious, so honing in on the ups and downs of her early adult life would no doubt be hilarious — and incredibly relatable for some.
One Redditor also pointed out how fun it would be to see Paris respond to fads from the late 2000s. And yes, Paris’ take on pop culture fads and political scandals would absolutely prove fun to watch:
“I’d love to have seen Paris at grad school in the late ’00s. Imagine her hot takes on Twilight, Sarah Palin, and David Bit My Finger. She would’ve hated ALL of it!”
Emily could headline a ‘Gilmore Girls’ sequel or prequel
Emily Gilmore is the “Gilmore Girl” who probably gets the least screen time in the original series, yet she’s one of the most interesting. On Reddit, many fans suggested a spinoff following Lorelai’s mother. And the creators would have a couple of options regarding which direction to take the character in.
Fans don’t know much about Emily’s life before Richard and Lorelai, so a prequel could prove an interesting addition to her story. It’s hard to imagine an Emily before Friday-night dinners. However, that’s why this take on one of Gilmore Girls‘ most predictable characters could add something fresh to the narrative.
Of course, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life also opens the door for a sequel spinoff surrounding Emily. Richard’s (Edward Hermann) passing forces Emily to contend with grief and find herself. Diving deeper into that storyline would prove a relatable series for anyone who’s gone through something similar. As one Redditor points out, the series could even mix Emily’s present-day storylines with flashbacks. That would certainly get viewers in their feels:
“Emily’s storyline is definitely one of the most compelling in the revival – would love to see more of it and to have Richard come back in some form through flashbacks would be great but would be so odd having him be played by anyone other than Edward Herrmann.”
Paris isn’t Rory’s only friend ‘Gilmore Girls’ fans want more of — what about Lane?
Paris may be Rory’s most entertaining friend from Gilmore Girls, but she’s not the only one who’d make for an interesting spinoff. Numerous Redditors wondered what a series focused on Lane Kim (Keiko Agena) could look like, especially if it allowed her to pursue her passion for music.
Throughout the original show, Lane spends much of her time sneaking around her mother’s strict rules to embrace a more Americanized lifestyle. A series that follows Lane into adulthood would enable viewers to explore her character without all the restrictions her mother placed on her.
And although Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life makes a mom of Lane, some Redditors even suggested a spinoff could take place once her nest is empty again:
“I’d love a Lane spinoff where the kids are older/moved out and she moves to a big city (single) and pursues music properly. We always see young people trying to make it in the city and I’d love to see someone in their 40s pursuing their dreams.”
Such a spinoff might even make up for the disappointment surrounding Lane’s A Year in the Life. It would also give viewers a reason to catch up with the other characters in Stars Hollow since Lane still lives there.
What about the next generation of Gilmore?
While following characters like Paris, Jess, or Lane would be fun, the Gilmores were a big part of why fans loved Gilmore Girls. With that in mind, why shouldn’t a spinoff continue the tradition of following the family? An Emily sequel or prequel could fill that need, but so could a series centered on Rory’s child.
A Year in the Life leaves off with the reveal that Rory is pregnant. Fans never learn who the father is or what Rory plans to do next. And while those questions were likely left open intentionally, it wouldn’t be terrible to finally get some answers. That’s especially true if it means spending more time with the Gilmores.
Of course, A Year in the Life Season 2 could solve this problem without turning into an entirely new spinoff. However, Redditors don’t seem opposed to a second Gilmore Girls series centered on the Gilmores. In fact, when it comes to new stories, the attitude seems to be “the more, the merrier.”
