With just two months to go until the Gilmore Girls revival yet another new character has joined the show. According to Variety, Cougar Town alum Carolyn Hennesy has joined the Gilmore Girls revival as Toni, a longtime member of the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution). Fans know Emily has always taken great pleasure in her role as a member of the DAR, which means Toni could be set to either clash with Emily or become her new BFF. Hey, they could even do both if Amy Sherman-Palladino is gifting the world with a next generation Paris and Rory.
In her character introduction, Toni is described as "upper-crust, someone who likes to keep things orderly and does not appreciate dissension." It sounds like she could be gunning for Emily's role as the leader of the DAR in the aftermath of Richard's death, if it is a mantle Emily has taken up. The Gilmore matriarch is going to be struggling to figure out what life holds for her now that she has lost Richard, and it only makes sense she would put extra energy into the DAR to keep her mind off her new life situation.
On the flip side, Toni may be the club's current leader, and Emily could be coming after her role. I don't know about you, but seeing Emily cause dissension among her elitist friends sounds amazing to me. Having Hennesy in the role of the opposition only makes the idea sound even juicier — fans of Cougar Town know just how deliciously vicious Hennesy's characters can be.
So far, the only thing anyone knows about Emily's revival story is much of it will be devoted to her finding her new normal. Life without Richard is going to be hard for all the Gilmores, but, for a woman like Emily, who devoted her entire adult life to being a wife and a woman of society, suddenly losing her life partner is going to turn her entire world inside out. Knowing the DAR will play some role in the revival is reassuring both because it means Emily is continuing to do the things she enjoys, but also because it hints at Emily exploring the bounds of the society life she has been living.
A character like Toni who is all about maintaining the status quo is going to bump heads with a woman like Emily who is in the mood to upset it. Life is going to get messy for Emily, but Kelly Bishop has always excelled when Emily lets her pent up emotions free. Knowing Bishop will have an acting partner like Hennesy to square off with is just one more reason to be excited for Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life .
Image: Warner Bros. TV; Giphy
