New 'Gilmore Girls' Trailer Has Everyone Emotional Over Richard's Death
In case you haven't heard, the first "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life" dropped today, and it will turn you into an emotional wreck.
We got so much new information from it — first of all, Lorelai and Luke are truly, definitely together. (It looks like they might have a hit a rough patch, but I have faith they will make it through.)
We also learned Rory has been living a "vagabond existence," as her grandmother describes it, and is currently jobless, credit-less and underwear-less. (Hopefully this last one will be explained more.)
But the most heartbreaking moment of the trailer was definitely seeing Richard Gilmore's funeral and hearing Emily talk about coping with her loss.
We already knew there would be a funeral scene in the revival, thanks to a set photo that was released last month, but seeing Emily standing by the coffin and seeing Rory and Lorelai cry was truly painful.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't tear up immediately.
And, to really drive the pain home, we see Emily (Kelly Bishop) looking lost (and wearing a t-shirt!) at home. She says,
I don't know how to do this. I was married for 50 years. Half of me is gone.
Yeah, that's when I truly lost it.
Of course, it's particularly painful because of the loss of actor Edward Herrmann, who died at the age of 71 in December 2014.
As the fictional Gilmores mourn Richard on the show, the actors mourned Herrmann throughout the production of the revival.
During a panel at the "Gilmore Girls" Fan Fest in Washington, CT this weekend, "Gilmore Girls" casting director Jami Rudofsky said these scenes about Richard were difficult to get through at the initial table read.
She said,
That moment in the table read, as amazing at the table read was, to feel that energy of, first of all, the love for him, but also the emptiness, of not having him there.
While dealing with his death in some ways feels like a natural progression of the show, it's hard to handle knowing how real the pain is.
Fans are already prepared to experience some heavy emotions come November 25.
But it's not all sad. The trailer also features a more light-hearted Richard moment — a giant wall-to-wall portrait of the patriarch that Emily seems to love, while Lorelai and Rory are slightly horrified.
Richard would probably hate that painting, but I'm certain he'd love this revival.
“Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” will begin streaming on Netflix on November 25.