Although Alexis Bledel’s first major project after the originalGilmore Girlsfinale was a flop, the underrated movie highlighted just what was missing from the cult dramedy’s formula. While theentire cast ofGilmore Girlsplayed an indispensable role in the show’s success, there were three stars who stood out among its ensemble. There is a reason that the series was calledGilmore Girls, as Kelly Bishop’s Emily Gilmore, Lauren Graham’s Lorelai Gilmore, and Alexis Bledel’s Rory Gilmore were its true main characters.
Despite their flaws, each generation of the Gilmore family’s representative had a major part to play in the overarching story of the series. Thefamily at the center ofGilmore Girlsoften found themselves at odds with each other, but most of their endless disagreements eventually resulted in much-needed character growth for Emily, Lorelai, and Rory alike. This is whyRory’sA Year in the Lifestorywas so disappointing, since the 2016 Netflix miniseries revival revealed that Bledel’s static character didn’t continue to grow off-screen after the original series finale.
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To make matters worse,the originalGilmore Girlsseries finalehad already hinted at this possibility. Season 7, episode 22, “Bon Voyage,” focused on Rory’s going-away party as she prepared to take a job covering Barack Obama’s primary campaign for an online magazine. Rory’s post-college future seemed bright in “Bon Voyage” but she couldn’t be sure of her success, and she was tired of everyone around her insisting that she would soon be crushing it professionally.
In one telling moment of foreshadowing, Rory pointed out to Lane that the town of Stars Hollow had no real reason to assume her success was inevitable and predestined. Frustratingly, this is a theme that Bledel’s first post-Gilmore Girlsproject focused on, but few viewers sought out the underrated movie.2009’sPost Gradwas a rom-com from director Vicky Jenson that starred Bledel as an ambitious but luckless graduatewhose post-college plans are decimated by the late 2000s financial crash.
Like Rory,Post Grad’s heroine is horrified to learn that the world of work is nowhere near as accommodating as academia.
Like Rory, Bledel’s character Ryden is an obsessively focused figure who has methodically planned out her life’s progression since childhood. Like Rory, she hoped to transition from a successful stint in college to working in the arts, specifically publishing. Like Rory,Post Grad’s heroine is horrified to learn that the world of work is nowhere near as accommodating as academia, and her perfect grades and flawless attendance can’t help her when a string of bad luck sees her lost out on a dream job.
AlthoughGilmore Girls’ most controversial plot saw Roryconsider dropping out of Yale, the series never committed to this storyline. As such, viewers never got to see what Rory’s life was like after she left the institution of higher learning and joined the professional world untilA Year in the Life. Fortunately,Post Gradfeels a lot like a continuation ofGilmore Girlsthanks to its dramedy tone, its quirky cast of supporting characters, the atypical family at its center, and its warm tone.
Ryden’s romance with Zach Gilford’s affable slacker Adam feels like a blend of Rory’s relationships with Dean and Jess, as the laidback Adam is neither as possessive as Dean nor as aggressive as Jess. Instead, he helps Ryden relax and see the lighter side of life, admitting that her ambitious plans have been scuppered but suggesting that this gives her a new level of freedom for her future. Althoughneither of Rory’sGilmore Girlsfinaleswere ultimately centered on her love interests,Post Gradends with a sweet romantic reunion between the pair.
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Post Grad’s stacked supporting cast includes JK Simmons, Jane Lynch, Carol Burnett, Fred Armisen, Craig Robinson, and a scene-stealing Michael Keaton as Ryden’s father. As such, the movie shares the fun character comedy that made the sadder scenes more palatable inGilmore Girls. However, what really makes the movie stand out is the fact thatPost Gradfills in the blanks from Rory’s story between theGilmore Girlsfinale andA Year in the Life’sbeginning.
The similarities between the two characters make it feel likePost Gradexplains what could have happened to Rory after her post-college plans fell through.
Admittedly, Ryden is close with her quirky father rather than Rory’s equally unconventional mother, and she wants to work in publishing rather than journalism. However, the similarities between the two characters make it feel likePost Gradexplains what could have happened to Rory after her post-college plans fell through. Much likeGilmore Girlsmissed Rory’s early childhood, the show’s ending meant viewers never saw what happened to Rory between “Bon Voyage” and the arrival of her older, more cynical self inA Year in the Life.
Bledel’s Flop Was A Fun If Inessential Rom-Com
Post Gradwas a major flop upon release, earning only $6 million on a budget of $15 million and gaining abominable reviews. Fortunately, the years have been kind to its stars and creators. Screenwriter Kelly Fremon went on to pen the deservedly adored teen classicsThe Edge of SeventeenandAre You There God? It’s Me, Margaret., while Gilford found late-career success with a nuanced, standout central turn in Mike Flanagan’s Netflix seriesMidnight Mass.
One might even argue that Ryden learning to chill out and focus on the present over her ambitious future plans is a better ending for the character than Rory’s canonical fate fromA Year in the Life.
However,Post Graddeserves a reappraisal in light ofthe disappointingGilmore Girlsrevivalthat arrived almost a decade later. Despite its brutal 9% rating onRotten Tomatoes, Bledel’s star vehicle is certainly no worse than the worst episodes ofGilmore Girlsand arguably better than much ofA Year in the Life. While Rory and Ryden have their differences, one might even argue that Ryden learning to chill out and focus on the present over her ambitious future plans is a better ending for the character than Rory’s canonical fate fromA Year in the Life.
Post Gradis currently available to stream on Disney+.
There is no knowing how Rory’sGilmore Girlsarc ultimately ends, but her aimless, frustrated existence inA Year in the Lifewas a surprisingly bleak update on the show’s heroine. If andwhen anotherGilmore Girlsrevival happens, viewers might get to see Rory end up in a more fulfilling place. However, until then, Alexis Bledel’s unfairly maligned post-Gilmore Girlsflop is a fine follow-up to the ambiguous finale of the original series.
