One of the (somewhat) significant men in Rory's life won't be making his way to Stars Hollow for the revival, but that's not because Amy Sherman-Palladino didn't want him back. Sherman-Palladino and her husband/co-writer Daniel Palladino revealed to TV Line that Wayne Wilcox's character Marty won't be in the Gilmore Girls revival due to time constraints. Team Marty fans, take heart — the Palladinos love Marty just as much as you do, but with a limited number of storytelling hours, heartbreaking decisions about which characters to include had to be made.
Sherman-Palladino promised she tried her best to find a place for Marty. There simply was not an organic way to fit him into the four episodes. As bummed as I am about the lack of Marty goodness in the Gilmore Girls revival, Marty's absence may be for the best.
The main goal of the revival is to tell the story of the three Gilmore women — Emily, Lorelai, and Rory. From what has been revealed about Rory's story so far, her primary struggle involves figuring out what she wants out of her adult life, including her career. Marty doesn't fit into that picture, largely due to his Season 7 return. In Seasons 4 and 5, Rory and Marty were close friends and confidants. Marty's crush on Rory was one of the heartbreaking highlights of Season 5, in particular. In so many ways, Marty was the road not taken for Rory. Then Season 7 happened.
Sherman-Palladino did not write Season 7, and she has also avoided watching the final season. That means she missed out on Marty returning as the boyfriend of Rory's new friend, and proceeding to hit on Rory and make her uncomfortable for several episodes. Marty fans were not happy with the sudden shift in his behavior (and neither was Wilcox). Even if he had a beautiful revival moment with Rory, it would be hard to forget Marty's creepy Season 7 persona.
It is also important to remember, Sherman-Palladino's ultimate reason for not including Marty was there simply was no natural way to fit him into the story. With just four episodes, the revival needs to stay focused on the Gilmore women as much as possible. It is truly amazing how many former stars and guest stars are returning for the revival, but every single character who passed through the lives of Rory, Lorelai, and Emily cannot make an appearance.
The sad reality of life is some people drift apart permanently. After Marty and Rory's awkward Season 7 encounters, it is unlikely they would have stayed in touch over the years. As an avid Marty fan, I will miss the quirky, sweet vibe Wilcox brought to the role, but as a viewer, I understand why Team Marty never had a chance in the revival.
Not everyone can snag a return ticket to Stars Hollow. Marty is just one of several characters who did not make the cut. While it is sad to know there are no new scenes with him on the horizon, his story reached its natural conclusion during the show's original run, and it is better to have no Marty than see him included in the revival with no real purpose.
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