Gilmore Girls' Rory Spinoff Might've Fixed A Year In The Life

2 days ago 2

A Year in the Life follows the Gilmore Girls cast nine years after the original show's ending. The revival sees Alexis Bledel and Laura Graham reprise their iconic roles as Rory and Lorelai, who have moved on to other ventures. Where each Gilmore Girls character ends up in the miniseries changes the trajectory of their journeys, but Rory's arc in particular has a lot of major problems. Perhaps if Rory had her own spinoff without Lorelai, many of her moments A Year in the Life set up by Gilmore Girls would have come across better.

What Happened With Gilmore Girls' Rory Spinoff?

Both Gilmore Girls Leads Called Time On The Orginal Show

Rory's Gilmore Girls spinoff did not happen for several key reasons. In an interview with TV Guideback in 2007, Graham revealed that she and Bledel " felt tired" and the show was "in a place where we were either at the end or very close to it,"; another Gilmore Girls was unlikely when the two core characters weren't invested creatively. Although Gilmore Girls' bosses attempted to "tempt" Graham and Bledel with 13 more episodes, it "just wasn't meant to be," as the filming schedules also did not work for Graham and Bledel.

10 Harsh Realities Of Watching Gilmore Girls Season 1, 24 Years Later

Rewatching Season 1 of Gilmore Girls reveals a lot of harsh realities that weren't caught when the show first came out 24 years ago.

A Gilmore Girls Rory spinoff was near impossible; before the show’s conclusion, Graham had communicated that she was "not coming back." However, in response to Graham, the bosses tried to do 13 more episodes with just Bledel, but she was uninterested in doing it without her iconic co-star. Graham also stated in her interview that the producers thought she could produce Rory's Gilmore Girls spinoff, but Graham was "ready to move on" after seven seasons on the show. Ultimately, Graham's and Bledel's decisions and the show's cancelation ended the Gilmore Girls' story, until A Year in the Life.

Seeing Rory After Gilmore Girls Could've Avoided Rory's A Year In The Life Story

Rory's Age In Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life Made Her Story Unconvincing

A Rory spinoff following Gilmore Girls' conclusion could have avoided the problems with Rory's A Year in the Life story and fixed it. Throughout Gilmore Girls' run, Rory's journalism career is hit-and-miss and does not advance in A Year in the Life. As she is in her early thirties in the miniseries, it would have been even more believable to see her struggles in her journalism career or career triumphs in her solo spinoff when she is in her early twenties. However, Rory's journalism struggles were not the only story that fell flat in A Year in the Life.

Rory's also her affair with Logan (Matt Czuchry), while she is dating Paul (Paul Anka) remains one of the most contested parts of the Gilmore Girls franchise.

Rory's also her affair with Logan (Matt Czuchry), while she is dating Paul (Paul Anka), remains one of the most contested parts of the Gilmore Girls franchise. One of the main issues with Rory's character is that she does not hold herself accountable for her wrongdoings. With her new affair storyline, Rory's selfishness only shows that she has not evolved as a character following "He's my Dean." With a Rory spinoff, Blede's character could have learned to take responsibility in her early twenties instead of making the same mistakes in her thirties.

It's Good Rory's Spinoff Didn't Happen, Despite A Year In The Life's Problems

Gilmore Girls Cannot Exist With One Gilmore Girl

Rory sitting at her desk in the Gilmore Girls revival

Although a Gilmore Girls spinoff with just Rory might have saved her character when it came to how she is portrayed in A Year in the Life, it simply would not have worked. Gilmore Girls is not and has never been the Rory story — it's about both Rory and Lorelai. Therefore, a Gilmore Girls spinoff with one Gilmore girl would have ruined the show's essence. Gilmore Girls would not be Gilmore Girls without Lorelai's and Rory's dynamic, which is the show's true heart.

Fixing Rory’s Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life story would need both Lorelai and Rory, as their conversations could have changed Rory's actions.

With Rory and Lorelai's relationship being central to Gilmore Girls, they are integral characters in each other's storylines. Their individual plot would not be as enhanced if one of them was missing, as their bond is one of the key motivators in the choices that they make throughout the show's run. Fixing Rory’s Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life story would need both Lorelai and Rory, as their conversations could have changed Rory's actions; her redemption could only still be accomplished in debated season 9 of Gilmore Girls.

Source: TV Guide