‘Gilmore Girls’ Final 4 Words: Let the Debates Begin About That Brilliant Ending
[Warning: The following contains major spoilers from the final episode of “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.” For the love of Kirk, don’t read ahead if you haven’t seen the full series.]
It wasn’t “Oy with the poodles!”
“Gilmore Girls” creator Amy Sherman-Palladino packed a wallop with the much ballyhooed final four words of the revival, which is currently streaming on Netflix. In the closing scene after Lorelai (Lauren Graham) secretly married Luke (Scott Patterson), just hours before their official public wedding would take place, she and her daughter Rory (Alexis Bledel) enjoyed a moment of calm between the two nuptial storms.
READ MORE: Netflix Releasing ‘Gilmore Girls’ the Day After Thanksgiving Is Brilliant… Right?
As mother and daughter sat on the steps of the town’s gazebo, Rory turned to her mother and had this rather surprising exchange:
Rory: Mom?
Lorelai: Yeah.
Rory: I’m pregnant.[Cut to the credits.]
We have many, many thoughts about these words, so let’s break it down:
- Okay, we were surprised: From a writer’s point of view, having the final four words be a dialogue exchange is a bit of a surprise, but definitely in keeping with the show’s primary focus on the relationship between these two women. Well played, Amy Sherman-Palladino. Well played.
- Does this mean “Gilmore Girls” is going to come back? Although it’s entirely possible Netflix could end the series on a horrible tease that would fuel fanfic for years, the story possibilities seem too ripe to pass up. Sherman-Palladino claims that she thought of these final four words to cap off the original series, but even back then she could have written the scene with the intent to keep the door open for a movie or some other revival. Also, the main stars appear to be available for another series. Even Milo Ventimiglia, who co-stars on NBC’s “This Is Us,” would potentially be able to return on a limited basis.
- Logan is the father… right? We’re assuming Logan (Matt Czuchry) is the father because we know that Rory had an ongoing affair with him and pretty much never was around for her actual boyfriend. As for her one-night stand with the Wookiee, that happened in the “Spring” episode, so if she were pregnant via Star Wars character, she would’ve been 4-6 months along by “Fall” and most likely already be showing because she is tiny as hell.
- Rory’s pregnancy is not quite full circle: The parallels between Rory’s and Lorelai’s pregnancies are obvious: They were both unmarried, they were both living at home with at least one parent, and they both (likely) got pregnant by wealthy, high-society men. The biggest difference is that Rory is 32 and therefore double the age that her mother had gotten pregnant. Rory has had time to pursue a career and have a lot of experiences. She hasn’t quite achieved her goals, but she’s done well for herself, even if her romantic life is a wreck.
READ MORE: ‘Gilmore Girls’: Why Lauren Graham at First Refused to Read the Revival’s Final Script
- Rory will probably carry her baby to term: Assuming a best case scenario where “Gilmore Girls” continues, we’re guessing that she’ll decide to have the baby so that many wacky and wonderful stories can came out of it and possibly even mirror Lorelai’s experiences. We also saw Rory caring for Paris’ kids a couple times over the course of “A Year in the Life.” Perhaps that was a little parental appetizer? Plus: If it’s a girl she’s got to name her Lorelai to carry on the tradition. Here are our favorite possible cute nicknames: Lila, Elle, Ellie, Lola, Lori, Leela, Layla and Riley. But not Lulu; that’s the name of Kirk’s girlfriend.
- This was a great ending no matter what: Even if the show doesn’t continue, this moment is the epitome of how well the show balances emotion with story. Lorelai’s sneaky wedding was almost fantastical in the way it was shot, and to come down from that to such an earthbound problem that goes to the heart of the show’s central relationship is beautiful.
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