Wherever the cast of Gilmore Girls lead, the questions about whether the series will ever return for more in some capacity will inevitably follow. After the four-episode Netflix revival series Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life dropped in November 2016, fans of the beloved series have been anxious for the story to continue, but apart from the cast saying they'd return in a heartbeat, there have been no concrete plans for a new iteration of the dramedy.
Gilmore Girls star Lauren Graham has been making the promotional rounds in support of her new Tubi comedy series The Z-Suite, and she has fielded multiple questions in interviews about the status of Gilmore Girls. She hasn't broken any news we didn't know before, but during a recent appearance on Armchair Expert with her on-screen Parenthood brother Dax Shepard, Graham revealed the only way she could currently see the series returning.
When Shepard asked about why Gilmore Girls hasn't come back, given its enduring popularity and success on streaming, Graham opened up a bit more about her concerns with another revival more so than she has in the past. She addressed the mixed reception to A Year in the Life, which is exactly the truth. Those episodes, and especially the ending, were somewhat polarizing for a certain sector of fans. I can only speak for myself when I say that I loved A Year in the Life.
But she's aware that some fans of the series weren't blown away by the miniseries, and broaching the subject of making more Gilmore Girls isn't just about coming back to come back. She told Shepard there are some questions to consider before jumping right back into another edition of the series, and it's all about honoring both the story and its characters as well as the audience. Here's how she explained the thought process on the podcast:
"How do you honor that piece? How do you honor those people who have kept it alive? Is it giving them more? Is it doing what Reese Witherspoon's doing with Legally Blonde, Elle the prequel? Is this a Captain Marvel multiverse where you want to follow whoever? And, or do you try to go back?"
She then offered a pitch on how she can conceptualize a return to this world: a Christmas movie! There have been many British series that have produced a Christmas reunion special years later to give fans a taste of a revival without committing to a full series. Of course, she's merely musing and thinking out loud, and there's no official word on a Christmas movie actually being in the works. But it's a great idea! Check out Graham's full quote:
"Because I always say, and it's not me trying to get out of the question, it is literally what I could picture given everyone's lives and schedules and whatever, is: Christmas movie. Because that's what I think the Brits do so well with their beloved shows, you get like a Christmas special. So, it's not episodes but it's seeing all your friends together again, and that's one of the reasons I thought the Walmart commercial was so sweet."
In late 2024, Graham reunited with Scott Patterson and Sean Gunn for a Walmart Christmas commercial set in Stars Hollow that found the actors reprising their roles as Lorelai, Luke, and Kirk. That was just a small, bite-sized return to the world of the show, but once again, it proved the appetite that's still out there for some kind of continuation.
Before wrapping up the subject of Gilmore Girls on Armchair Expert, Graham wondered if it's better to leave fans wanting more rather than giving them more and risking disappointment. Shepard advocated that no matter what the reaction might be to any new edition of the series, the original's legacy wouldn't and couldn't ever be erased. But as someone who's married to Veronica Mars herself, you'd think he would know how a revival series can impact a show.
In spite of Shepard speaking for those of us who want more Lorelai and Rory, there is still a slight risk in decreasing the value in a series by making a wrong move, and I never want to see that happen to Gilmore Girls. Personally, it's my favorite show of all time, and as much as I would love for more episodes or a Christmas movie, I'm also beyond content to continue watching the episodes we do have over and over again and following the cast to new projects.
Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix and Hulu and Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life on Netflix.