The Ending of ‘Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life’ Is Pretty Depressing When You Approach It From a Different Angle

Amy Sherman-Palladino, the showrunner of Gilmore Girls, finally got the chance to end her series the way she always wanted. The case came nine years after Gilmore Girls originally went off the air in the form of a Netflix revival. With four words, Sherman-Palladino ensured Rory Gilmore and Lorelai Gilmore’s lives were completely intertwined. That’s what she always intended. Sherman-Palladino has stated she planned to bring the story full-circle. While that can be viewed as a good thing, if you look at it from a different angle, the story’s full-circle nature is actually kind of depressing.

Amy Sherman-Palladino’s “full-circle” vision for Gilmore Girls is actually kind of depressing

The concept of bringing the entire storyline full-circle is pretty depressing if you look at it through a slightly darker lens. One Reddit user points out that Sherman-Palladino’s decision to intertwine Rory and Lorelai’s storylines suggests a person is destined to repeat the mistakes of their closest loved ones, over and over again, regardless of the opportunities they have been given.

Rory was given all of the opportunities in the world. Not only did she graduate from a prestigious prep school and an Ivy League college, but she had deep connections that could have gotten her ahead in her chosen field. Rory, however, had to fail, just as her mother had done. Yes, Lorelai rebounded and made a comfortable life for herself, but her struggles were seemingly needless, just as Rory’s struggle was needless.

Rory’s troubled love life can be traced back to Lorelai, too

Rory’s professional life wasn’t the only thing in disarray when fans reconnected with her nine years after Gilmore Girls went off the air. Her romantic life made almost no sense. There was foreshadowing in the original series that Rory would have difficulty committing to a romantic partner, though. Rory’s romantic troubles closely mimicked Lorelai’s challenges in love.

Rory cheated on Dean with Jess. Later, she attempted to cheat on Logan with Jess, too. Rory also didn’t have a problem cheating with Dean. In the revival, didn’t seem to be bothered by the fact that both she and Logan were cheating on their partners with each other. Her inability to form a healthy and lasting relationship could be linked to Lorelai’s romantic difficulties while raising Rory. Her romantic troubles once again prove that Rory, regardless of her privilege, was destined to make the same mistakes as her mother.  

Will fans get to see more from Rory and Lorelai Gilmore?

Sherman-Palladino made it clear that the final four words were exactly how she planned to leave the show. That doesn’t mean another revival season is out of the question, though. Sherman-Palladino and her husband, Dan Palladino, are both open to returning to Stars Hollow for another season. Several of the actors are willing to step back on the set, too.

So, what’s the hold-up? The only thing standing in the way of another season is scheduling. When Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life was filmed, all of the actors were able to fit the project into their schedule. Four years later, things have just gotten busier. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen, though. Rumors are continuing to swirl that planning is underway for another revival season.