A popular fan theory suggests that Rory Gilmore’s surprise pregnancy inGilmore Girls: A Year in the Lifeisn’t what it seems. Instead of a traditional pregnancy, the theory posits that Rory acted as a surrogate for her close friend, Paris, who runs asuccessful fertility clinic inGilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.
This interpretation drastically alters the meaning of the revival’s final moments and raisesGilmore Girlswhat if? questionsabout Rory’s character arc, her role in repeating history, and her circumstances. It would also be aninteresting twist on the cyclical narrative, giving Rory agency in an uncertain world, one of many plotlines that makeGilmore Girlssurprisingly deepand worthy of a rewatch.
Rory Is A Surrogate For Paris' Fertility Clinic - Gilmore Girls Theory Explained
Rory’s Joke About Paris’ Clinic May Actually Ring True
The possibility of Rory having a surrogate pregnancy has been explored inGilmore Girlstheories. This is because Paris runs a fertility clinic andRory mentions that she hopes she will consider her as a candidate for surrogacy, quipping,“She’s always liked my teeth.”Although this could be dismissed as the usual fast-paced banter between Rory and Lorelai, it could also not be a joke, and Rory could be gauging Lorelai’s reaction to this idea. According to the theory, the final four words,“Mom?”, “Yeah?”, “I’m pregnant"are simply a dramatic way of announcing her surrogacy.
The theory is not without its flaws, mainly regarding the creator’s intentions for those final four words. In an interview withVogue,Amy Sherman-Palladino addressed her intentions for the show from the beginning. Here is what she stated:
“…the purpose of leaving Rory in this position was always supposed to be that history repeats itself - daughter follows mother; where you lead I will follow.”
She also said that she sees Rory’s pregnancy as a“curveball”. This implies that, as part of a cyclical narrativerepeatingGilmore Girlsstories, it is an unintentional pregnancy, just like Lorelai’s. This would make sense because Rory has grown up with Lorelai as a living example of what a single mother can achieve. Lauren Graham has also expressed enthusiasm about the idea that history would repeat itself, hoping Rory continues the tradition of naming a daughter after herself (perBrit).
How Rory Being A Surrogate Completely Changes A Year In The Life’s Shocking Ending
There Would Be No More Speculation Over The Father
Rory being a surrogate casts a dramatically different light onGilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.Firstly, it throws a spanner in the works regardingGilmore Girls’love interestsand the speculation about the father of Rory’s baby. No longer could it be Logan, Jess, Dean, or any other candidates. In a way, the father is Paris. After the pregnancy, the focus will be on the parents of the child, not Rory. Apart from financial compensation, she would not be going through the pregnancy for herself, which some viewers see as unusually selfless for Rory.
It would also be adifferent way of translating the idea of history repeating itself. In the more widely accepted interpretation, Rory is dealing with a curveball pregnancy, just like Lorelai did. In this alternative interpretation, Rory has intentionally become pregnant and will not be keeping the child. This presents a whole different future for the show with a completely different set of circumstances for Lorelai to support her through.
Why The Rory Pregnancy Theory Makes A Lot Of Sense
Rory Is Floundering In AYITL, Lacking Direction
If Rory is indeed a surrogate mother, it would make sense for her character inGilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.In the revival,Rory is no longer insulated from the realities of the job market. While she dreamed of being a journalist, the field is in decline, and she goes through periods of unemployment. This is especially hard for Rory, having been told she is special her entire life and the bar being so high for her. This throws her future into freefall, and she is floundering.
Many viewers may assume she would be showered in opportunities by having been to Yale, having connections, and having ancestors who“came over on the Mayflower”. However, she also could have turned opportunities down, stemming from a superiority complexGilmore Girls’Logan points out in the original series. This could be for being anything less than her dream, but she could also be losing her passion for journalism.
She may have finally burned out from the weight of expectations…
Gilmore Girls’Rory may have turned to surrogacy for financial reasons and to have something other than her journalism career to focus on for the best part of a year. She may have finally burned out from the weight of expectations and grasped an opportunity for security in the form of a generous surrogacy paycheck, knowing her mother would be able to support her emotionally through the pregnancy.
Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life
Cast
Acting as a follow-up to the original series, Gilmore Girls, A Year In The Life is a comedy-drama series. Having completed her stint on the Obama campaign trail, Rory now finds herself as a freelance journalist with an inconsistent life. Meanwhile, Lorelei finds herself lost in life before her upcoming marriage to Luke. This four-part mini-series follows the titular mother-daughter duo as they continue to navigate their mother-daughter relationship in Star’s Hollow.
