Gilmore Girls Revival Finally Resolved A Series-Long Mystery

The Gilmore Girls revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life, finally resolved a mystery that spanned the show’s entire seven-season run. Gilmore Girls, the CW show that garnered a massive cult following, ran from 2000 to 2007 and Netflix revived the show a decade later with a limited series. Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life premiered on Netflix on November 25, 2017. On the third anniversary of the revival (and with rumors of a possible follow-up to the revival swirling around the internet), many fans of Gilmore Girls are reflecting on the hit mother-daughter dramedy.

The ups and downs of the multi-generational Gilmore family are at the heart of the show, but Gilmore Girls also built a strong foundation in each of its lovable minor characters. Miss Patty, Kirk, Taylor, Michel, and Babette are just as vibrant and unique as the main cast – and they’re only a handful of the many quirky citizens in the show’s fictional Connecticut town of Stars Hollow. But one such minor character was barely mentioned in the original show, leading some fans to wonder if he actually existed in the universe of Gilmore Girls.

Fans were surprised when Mr. Kim, the father of Rory’s best friend, Lane Kim, made a brief appearance in Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life episode 2, “Spring.” At one of Stars Hollow’s many festivals, Rory and Lane are chatting when Lane nonchalantly points out that her dad is there. Rory says, “Oh, hi Mr. Kim!” and waves at Lane’s dad as if she knows him well and has met him many times before. Mr. Kim, who has no lines in the show, waves back and then the shot cuts away. Lane and Rory resume their conversation as if Mr. Kim’s presence were neither startling nor significant.

Lane’s mom, Mrs. Kim, showed up in several episodes of Gilmore Girls – usually reprimanding her daughter or negotiating with the customers of her antique shop. But Lane’s dad never appeared and was directly referenced only twice. Lane once acknowledged his existence when referring to her parents (rather than just her mom) and Mrs. Kim spoke briefly of her wedding night in season 6.

Fans of Gilmore Girls’ many side characters often wondered why Mr. Kim was excluded and speculated that his absence from the show meant he must have died or divorced Mrs. Kim a long time ago. But since the show never confirmed Mr. Kim’s fate, it left the door open for Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life to include him. Mr. Kim’s surprise cameo caught many longtime fans off-guard, leaving them shocked and laughing – and that was likely showrunner Amy Sherman-Palladino’s intention. But even if another season of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life gets made, fans may never know what Mr. Kim has been up to during all these years in Stars Hollow.

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