Summary
- The Gilmore Girls revival, A Year in the Life, was met with critical praise and allowed viewers to catch up with the main cast after the show ended.
- The absence of Edward Herrmann's character, Richard Gilmore, was deeply felt, but his widow and daughters were pleased with how he was honored in the show.
- Edward Herrmann's widow stated that she couldn't watch the revival for a long time due to the emotional pain of his loss, but ultimately felt that he would have loved it.
The widow of the late Gilmore Girls star Edward Herrman gave her thoughts on the revival, and Star Herrmann had interesting things to say about Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. Debuting on Netflix in 2016, the long-awaited revival miniseries finally caught up with Rory and Lorelai nearly two decades after the original series first premiered. Noted for its close adherence to the original spirit of the show, A Year in the Life saw the return of nearly every cast member with a few notable exceptions. Edward Herrmann had previously played Lorelai's father Richard Gilmore, but had sadly ed on before the revival.
The series was met with critical praise (via The end of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life wasn't as conclusive as some may have hoped, but it was a pleasant return to Stars Hollow nonetheless. Even if it checked many boxes, the absence of characters like Richard Gilmore was still heavily felt.
Star Herrmann Couldn't Watch The Gilmore Girls Revival For "A Very Long Time"
Obviously, the loss of Edward Herrmann in 2014 was a very personal one for his widow Star Herrmann, and when speaking with Bustle, she was finally able to lay out how she felt about the Gilmore Girls revival and her husband's legacy. Because of her intimate emotional connection, the widow Herrmann revealed "I wasn't able to watch it for a very long time" because it was simply too painful. She was happy with the finished product though, and added "Ed would have loved it".
The central crux of A Year in the Life was the collective Gilmore family coming to grips with its patriarch, and how Lorelai's relationship with her mother was tempered by her father's calming presence. Recognizing that fact, Star Herrmann added in her interview that Edward "would have been really unhappy that he couldn't be here to participate" and she touched on how important Gilmore Girls was to her husband, though he had accomplished many other things in his long career. Knowing her husband well she concluded by saying that he would have wanted the show to go on without him.
Edward & Star Herrmann's Daughter Emma Thought Gilmore Girls Honored Richard
Edward and Star Herrmann's two daughters also spoke in the same Bustle interview, and they were pleased with the way their late father was honored. In many ways, Edward Herrmann was like his Gilmore Girls character, and that made the funeral scene particularly difficult for all involved to watch and perform in because he was so beloved. Herrmann's daughter Emma praised the writing of the episode calling it "really beautifully written" and no doubt cathartic for a real-life family who was still in mourning. While the absence of Herrmann's Richard Gilmore character left a hole in the Gilmore Girls revival, that hole was filled with love and amazing storytelling.