Oy with the poodles, already: the extended Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life trailer is here.
And it’s glorious.
After months of teasing and speculation, Netflix’s four-episode special — which comes to us nine years after the series ended — will be dropping on November 25.
The latest trailer marks the beginning of the one-month countdown, and it’s given fans a lot to dwell on.
Some things in Gilmore-land have barely changed: Stars Hollow is as festive as ever, Jess is still a dreamboat (#teamJess), and Lorelai has maintained her insane words-per-minute speaking rate.
HOWEVER. Eagle-eyed fans will have noticed a few key differences that might seem insignificant to the untrained eye, but could hold major clues as to what the series revival has in store.
Let's take a walk through:
Seeing Lorelai and Rory clutching coffee cups isn't weird — in fact, it's weirder seeing them without a giant vessel of coffee in hand.
What's odd about this photo is the logo on the cups. Here, take another look:
It's the logo for Al's Pancake World. Not Luke's diner.
Any Gilmore Girls fan worth her junk food knows the Gilmore women only ever eat Chinese food from Al's; Luke's coffee is non-negotiable. This is a betrayal of the highest order.
What this could mean: Perhaps Luke has given up the diner, and is now lending a hand at the Dragonfly Inn with his true love Lorelai?
Or perhaps Al's finally got his hands on some decent coffee beans? Either way, this is big.
Oh? You were too busy being all giddy at the appearance of Luke that you didn't bother carefully examining the details of Lorelai's kitchen?
WELL THEN. You just missed a giant clue, my friend, because it appears Lorelai's stove has been given a majorly fancy upgrade and now has six burners. It's also, you know, being used, which is a rare sight.
Well hello, Masterchef.
Home cooking wasn't exactly Lorelai's forte — hence the constant mounds of Chinese takeaway — but you know who always was a great cook? Luke Danes.
What this could mean: Maybe, just maybe, Luke is living with Lorelai. Huge if true.
Everyone has an opinion about Rory's worst ex-boyfriend Dean. But that's a whole other post.
What we need to talk about right now is Dean's appearance in this new trailer:
Well, he certainly hasn't regressed to his floppy Backstreet Boy hair, thank God.
But I digress. Take another look:
That sign right there? It says CORN STARCH. But really, it says so much more than that.
If you cast your mind back to Season One, you'll recall a humble box of corn starch played a pivotal role in Rory and Dean's first kiss in the aisles of Doose's Market:
If you're about to write this off as a mere coinki-dink, you need to take a long, hard look at yourself.
The official Gilmore Girls Instagram page made a far less subtle reference to the grocery staple just a month ago, so this isn't a one-off.
What this could mean: It pains me to say this, but maybe this is a hint that Rory and Dean end up together...? (Please, no.)
Edward Herrmann, who played Gilmore family patriarch Richard, sadly passed away in 2014.
Since A Year in the Life was announced, fans have wondered how the show would treat the absence of one of its most beloved characters — not to mention how Emily would cope, considering the bargain she made with her husband back in the first season:
The new trailer provides a brief glimpse of the three Gilmore women at Richard's funeral.
If you look closely at the table at the very back of the tableau, you can see a table bearing a number of items, including a portrait of Richard and Emily. Look closer again, and you'll spot an even more touching detail:
You might need to squint for this one.
It appears to be the birthday present Rory gave her grandfather in Season Three: a copy of Chuck Berry Live at the Fillmore on vinyl.
As you might remember, Lorelai struggled to find the perfect gift for her father — but Rory, ever the overachiever, simply called Richard and asked him what he wanted. He loved the record then, and judging by this image it became a treasured belonging.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some ugly crying to do.
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