Although Rory’s romantic relationships with Jess and Logan had a profound impact on her character arc, there is a good reason that neither of her endings fromGilmore GirlsorA Year in the Lifefocused on them. Theentire cast ofGilmore Girlshad important roles to play in the cult dramedy’s success, but no one was more central to the show than Kelly Bishop’s Emily, Lauren Graham’s Lorelai, and Alexis Bledel’s Rory. The three titular Gilmore girls may have struggled to see eye to eye sometimes, but they were the show’s multi-generational heroines.
As such, it makes sense thatthe originalGilmore Girlsseries finalecentered on Rory deciding what to do next after graduating from Yale. Some viewers were surprised when Rory and Logan’s romantic relationship ended before the finale, but Logan returned in2016’s divisive revivalA Year in the Life. That Netflix miniseries focused on the Gilmore girls a decade after the original show ended and revealed that Rory was feeling professionally and personally unmoored, sleeping with an engaged Logan even though she had a boyfriend.
Rory’s Love Interests Always Dominate Discussion Of Her Arc
Logan and Jess Are Often Viewed As Defining Parts Of Her Story
Some crítics complained that Rory’s new beau fromA Year in the Life, Paul, received nowhere near as much screen time or story focus as his predecessors. However, although Logan, Jess, and Dean all got a lot of screen time in the original series, it is worth noting thatthere is a reason Rory’s two series finale fates have little to do with her love interests. At the end of the day, Gilmore Girlswas more interested in Rory’s own character evolution than her love life, despite how entertaining her boyfriends were.
However, much likeGilmore Girlsdidn’t depict Lorelai raising Rory when she was a child, the show also didn’t prioritize Rory’s love life over her career and broader personal ambitions.
Viewers on Team Jess were disappointed when his sweet cameo inA Year in the Lifedidn’t turn into a full-blown romantic reunion, while fans on Team Logan were upset when season 7 ended their relationship just before the big finale. However, much likeGilmore Girlsdidn’t depict Lorelai raising Rorywhen she was a child, the show also didn’t prioritize Rory’s love life over her career and her personal ambitions.Gilmore Girlswas never about who Rory ended up with any more than it was about what job she ended up doing.
The subtle ways that Emily shaped Lorelai’s worldview, and how Lorelai in turn shaped her daughter’s attitude to life, were the show’s true focus. As such,Gilmore Girlsdidn’t center Jess and Logan in the two series finales because the show was ultimately about Rory. She may have sometimes been precocious, entitled, and self-centered, but Rory was the show’s imperfect heroine and its primary focus ahead of even her motor-mouthed mother Lorelai.
Rory’s Original Gilmore Girls Ending Was About Her Leaving Home
Gilmore Girls Was Never Entirely Focused On Rory’s Romantic Life
In season 7, episode 22, “Bon Voyage,”Gilmore Girlsignored Logan’s existence to center on Rory’s goodbye party in Stars Hollow. This made much more thematic sense as the party was a symbolic rite of passage for the now fully independent heroine. Rory finally leaving the protection and security of Stars Hollow behind and being in a place, thanks to Lorelai, her grandparents, Yale, and everyone else, to take a bold step into the world of journalism was the perfect end to her arc.
No Logan-centric ending could have lived up to Rory striking out on her own in the series finale, since the show had focused on Rory since its pilot episode and Logan was a comparatively recent arrival. LikeChristopher and Lorelai’s marriage, Logan and Rory’s relationship was a fun storyline that wasn’t the true heart of the show’s final season. Instead, Rory finally being ready to go off and be bold in her career was the culmination of her efforts throughout the series.
Rory’s A Year In the Life Ending Was About Her Finding Her Place Again
The Gilmore Girls Revival Returning Rory To Stars Hollow Made Perfect Sense
While Logan notably isn’t in the original series finale, as the breakup is handled in the penultimate episode, Jess’s role inA Year in the Lifeis more complicated. While the original series finale was free to be about Rory leaving Stars Hollow,A Year in the Lifesaw her character arc come full circle. Rory returned home about her back home, struggled to find her purpose, and wondered what became of her ambitions. InA Year in the Life, Rory learns what she truly wants to do after a decade of career struggles.
He only appears briefly, but it is Jess who convinces Rory to try writing a book.
With her pregnancy, Rory almost inadvertently became a lot more like Lorelai. However, whileRory and Logan’s storywas dropped before the original series finale,Jess plays a subtle role in setting up Rory’sA Year in the Lifeending. He only appears briefly, but it is Jess who convinces Rory to try writing a book. This ends up being central to her fate in the finale, as she effectively gives up her focus on journalism to write her memoir.
Which Of Rory’s Two Gilmore Girls Endings Was Better?
The originalGilmore Girlsseries finale was full of hope, but it was still strange to see Logan shunted off to the sidelines after he was so central to Rory’s story for the preceding three seasons. In contrast,A Year in the Lifewas so infamously messy that it made many viewers retroactively forgive the shortcomings of season 7’s ending, but its finale had a killer last line. AlthoughGilmore Girlshandled Lane’s pregnancy terribly, the show made the reveal of Rory’s unplanned pregnancy a genuinely shocking twist inA Year in the Life’s last scene.
Rory’s A Year In The Life Ending Wouldn’t Have Worked In Gilmore Girls
A Year In the Life’s Twist Couldn’t Have Arrived Any Sooner
Ironically, series creator Amy Sherman Palladino has stated that she planned those final four words as an ending for the show’s original run, so that scene could have been season 7’s ending if she had not been replaced by another showrunner. However,Gilmore Girlsseason 7 ending with Rory announcing her pregnancy would not have workedsince the show spent so long focusing on her career plans.
Gilmore Girlsis now available to stream on Hulu.A Year in the Lifeis available to stream on Netflix.
With the setup of Rory discovering herself and finally spreading her wings beyond Stars Hollow (and nearby cities), it would have felt oddly bleak for her to make a massive life decision that planned her firmly at home for the foreseeable future. In contrast, where the ending ofGilmore Girlsalways needed Rory to leave her hometown,A Year in the Life’s ending was perfectly timed to bring her back home.
