When we left Rory Gilmore in 2007 at the end of 158 episodes and seven seasons, her future held no bounds. She had graduated Yale, kept her independence by rejecting Logan's marriage proposal, landed a promising entry-level journalism job following Barack Obama on the campaign trail, and had the support of her family and entire hometown. Losing the postgrad New York Times fellowship was a relatable setback she suffered, but she got all her ducks back in a row. There was nothing to hold her back from pursuing her career aspirations as a journalist, and we as viewers ended the show at the precipice of the Great Recession confident in Rory's future success if not our own.
Then, the Gilmore Girls Netflix revival happened.
Rory graduated college about the time I graduated high school, and despite her many advantages in life thanks to her wealthy and well-connected grandparents, she was a poster child to me for knowing what you want in life, working hard, and going after it. I never doubted that she'd have the career she wanted and end up with the perfect guy (ehem, Jess), defying all the millennial stereotypes and struggles. She was the exception to the rule.
But when sneak peeks of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life started coming out, revealing the general themes, I grew uneasy.
Who was this girl returning to her hometown of Stars Hollow, "stress tap dancing" in her mother's kitchen when she can't sleep because her piece for The Atlantic fell through? Why was she still spending time with Logan, the man she turned down for marriage on her college graduation day, every time she traveled to London? What was she doing giving up her Brooklyn apartment and living like Llewyn Davis (as her grandmother pointed out)?
So it turns out that Rory's life—moving back home, revisiting old flames, applying for jobs beneath her—is the quintessential millennial story. But that wasn't supposed to happen to Rory. Not Rory Gilmore.
My mind was very happy believing that she'd gone on to work for a major newspaper, moved to a hot metropolitan area, and settled down with a great guy (ehem, Jess), only visiting Stars Hollow on weekends and holidays. I didn't need this reminder from Netflix that Rory is just like the rest of us millennials, affected by the tough job market coupled with a college major in a dying field, astronomical rent prices, and poor dating prospects. She had an Ivy League degree, a trust fund, past internships, and most importantly, a loving and supportive mother who taught her the value of hard work.
And if finding out that Rory suffered setbacks in life just like the rest of us wasn't enough, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life didn't even give us the promise of a bright future for her.
If Rory Gilmore can't make it, who can?
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