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Wait, Who Wrote That Letter To Emily In 'GG'?

by Caroline Gerdes

Now that you made it through all-four supersized episodes of Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life [MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD], you probably are still reeling over a certain cliffhanger and theorizing about just who the culprit could be. No, I am not talking about Rory’s baby daddy! We all know that’s probably Logan, though I am firmly Team Wookie when it comes to that kid’s parentage. Rather, I'm discussing how we need to know which Gilmore Girls character wrote Emily that “heinous letter” she received on her birthday years ago.

The letter in question was revealed in “Spring” during Lorelai and Emily’s joint therapy session. Emily listed things Lorelai had done in the past that Emily was still upset about. Lorelai copped to several of her mother's complaints, including having frozen Emily out after having Rory and hiding her relationships. But, the one thing Lorelai would not concede to is writing the letter that has caused Emily to harbor resentment for years.

In the therapy session, the letter became fodder for a shouting match, with Emily answering Lorelai’s question of "what letter?" by saying, “[The one] with the accusations, the profanity, the abuse. The letter!” Emily clearly held onto that anger for so long that she said she remembered the envelope and even the color of the ink. The scene ended without resolution and A Year In The Life ended without fans ever learning who the author of the letter was.

Viewers know very little of the letter's contents or when it was sent — only that it happened years ago, but that hasn’t kept me from speculating about who wrote the terrible letter that haunted Emily for all those years...

Trix/Gran/Lorelai I

Richard’s mother, also named Lorelai Gilmore, is the most likely culprit for the mean-spirited letter. Fans know Trix, Richard’s pet name for his mother, has written awful letters before. After her death, Emily found carbon from a letter Trix sent to Richard the night before Richard and Emily’s wedding, begging him not to marry Emily. With this terrible wedding letter in mind, it seems Trix would also find a birthday the appropriate time to air grievances. It also doesn’t help that if the letter was signed as "Lorelai," our Lorelai may have been mistaken as the letter writer. After all, Emily did not discover the wedding eve note until after Trix’s death, so she would not have had reason to suspect Trix while she was still alive.

A Spurned Maid

It’s no secret that Emily Gilmore’s staff hasn’t exactly been fond of her in the past. She has never been able to keep a maid, she has terrified employees, and she has even been sued. Well, that was all before Berta. Perhaps an angry maid on her way out could have left an angry letter?

A DAR Frenemy

The DAR ladies may look sweet, but we know from Emily’s years of membership that there has been some real drama within the group. There has been gossip about pill addiction and secret families and let’s not forget Emily’s “two-bit gold digger” speech she gave to Shira Huntzberger at a DAR event. These ladies have manicured claws.

Strobe

Christopher’s father Strobe was a bully. We know he was estranged from the Gilmores for some time after Rory’s birth. Perhaps in the years surrounding the pregnancy and Christopher’s youthful setbacks, Strobe penned a letter blaming Emily for Lorelai and Christopher’s unplanned pregnancy? Given the subject matter, the fresh fallout, and the fact that Emily and Lorelai were also on the outs at that time, Emily may have interpreted the letter to be from Lorelai.

Lorelai

While this is the least likely scenario, and honestly it would be the worst written twist because it isn’t a twist at all, but fans can’t rule out a young, angry Lorelai. In the session Lorelai said, “I’m not Edith Wharton, I don’t write letters.” Except, Lorelai, you do. Young Lorelai left a note when she went the hospital in labor in the episode titled “Dear Emily and Richard,” named for the letter she also left when she ran away with an infant Rory. The contents of that letter were so heartbreaking for Emily, Richard later told Lorelai that after she left her mother could not get out of bed for a month. So, if the letter in question during “Spring” was written after Lorelai left home, we can at least see why Emily would assume Lorelai was the perpetrator.

Viewers may never know who wrote the “heinous letter," and I guess I also care about the fallout from those four words, too. So, Amy Sherman-Palladino, please make more Gilmore Girls — just don’t make me wait a decade this time to find out how things end up.

Images: Neil Jacobs/Netflix, Giphy, Saeed Adyani/Netflix