The Gilmore Girls Netflix reboot was bound to elicit strong reactions from longtime fans of the show. And while there's a lot to love about Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, viewers and critics alike have made their problems with the show loud and clear. There's an unfortunate body-shaming joke, a slew of off-key pop culture references, a (still) incredibly white cast and, of course, that controversial ending. But the broadest critique is of the two central characters, Lorelai and Rory Gilmore themselves — and their obnoxious self-centeredness and sense of entitlement.
Lauren Graham, who plays Lorelai, addressed those negative reactions during a panel discussion in New York on Tuesday, alongside co-stars Alexis Bledel (Rory), Kelly Bishop (Emily), and Scott Patterson (Luke). Entertainment Weekly reports that moderator Gazelle Emami brought up the "backlash against [Lorelai and Rory]" for being "kind of awful sometimes and a little bit selfish," mentioning the running joke of them forgetting that Rory's boyfriend Paul exists.
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“We don’t pay attention to anything, we don’t know," Graham responded, per EW, adding that most of the cast doesn't read reviews or reactions online. "So I know what you mean, but the show has a sense of humor, and that’s its sense of humor. And I think maybe it feels a little different; Rory’s not in high school anymore, so yes, as grown women constantly forgetting… I just thought [the Paul joke] was a funny runner."
Graham continued to defend the humor that some found off-putting with an inexplicably poor choice of metaphor — likening the show to none other than Donald Trump's over-the-top manner. "[The] whole show has a kind of heightened theatrical quality. I mean, just like Donald Trump, don’t take it literally. But unlike that, to me it was more of a metaphor for, this isn’t the right guy, and this is how they communicate about it, and does it go 10 steps too far?" The actress added, in another less-than-ideal choice of words: "I don’t know, but it was 90 minutes. We had a lot of time to fill.”
Alright then! Just to recap: Much like Donald Trump, Gilmore Girls: AYITL went heavy on the hyperbole and had way too much screen time. The good news, though, is that it's quite possible that Gilmore Girls will get another chance to make it up to less-than-thrilled fans. I mean, given those last four words and the fact that nobody's ruled it out yet, we're going to say there are great odds for a reboot, part deux.