There’s nothing quite like re-entering Stars Hollow during the holiday season, and that’s exactly what Gilmore Girl stars Lauren Graham, Scott Patterson and Sean Gunn have given to fans. Members of the small town reunited for a new Walmart ad, just in time for Christmas, reigniting our obsession with the show (like it ever disappeared).
The commercial takes place after the events of the reboot series, Gilmore Girls: A Year In the Life, which ended with Luke and Lorelai tying the knot after years together. In the ad, the eccentric Kirk, portrayed by Sean Gunn, delivers a Walmart box to Luke (Patterson) as his diner. When Lorelai (Graham) enters begging for “coffee, coffee coffee,” Luke hands her the package, which holds a new Keurig machine. See the ad below:
Lorelai explains that Luke shouldn’t have done that, to which he responds, “I had to, you’re drinking me out of business.” This is an obvious recall to the series in which Lorelai has a serious coffee obsession. Often, Luke would tell Lorelai that her coffee habit would kill her and plead with her to switch to decaf, which she never does.
Lauren Graham and Scott Patterson reflect on their reunion
Following the release of the Walmart ad, Graham and Patterson shared their thoughts on their characters and where they think they’d be if the show was still ongoing.
“It’s always a little surreal [returning to Stars Hollow], because we were back where we’ve been so many times,” Graham shared in an interview. “It was a particularly odd day for me because there’s just so much familiarity with that character and seeing Scott and being in that place.” And although her Gilmore Girls TV daughter didn’t return for the commercial, a daughter from another world did. “And then Mae Whitman, my TV daughter from another universe, was there with her baby. It was just really, really fun and a great opportunity,” she added.
Mae Whitman starred as Graham’s TV daughter, Amber Holt, in her next drama series, Parenthood, which aired from 2010-2015. On Gilmore Girls, Graham’s on-screen daughter, Rory, was portrayed by Alexis Bledel.
Patterson also had some kind words about Graham upon returning to their old stomping grounds. Calling his former on-screen love interest his “favorite scene partner of [his] entire career], Patterson raved about Graham.
“I’ve never worked with anybody with a better skill set, more grit and just this incredible stamina among the other things that she brings with her humor and her kindness,” Patterson shared. “It was just wonderful to see her and work with her again and Sean as well. I’ll always cherish the time I got to spend with Lauren and act with her because she’s literally an icon. And that is just growing as the years go by.”
What Lauren Graham and Scott Patterson think Lorelai and Luke are up to now
The last time audiences saw Luke and Lorelai, they were getting married at the gazebo in Stars Hollow, the perfect wedding for the couple. But that was nearly 10 years ago, and fans have wondered where those characters are today. Both Graham and Patterson opened up about what they believe they are up to.
“What is most probable is that they’re exactly the same,” Graham shared. “I don’t think Lorelai left the country to find herself or anything. I think she is running an inn or maybe a second inn and hitting Luke’s up every day for her coffee unless she’s making it at home with the thoughtful gift you gave her for Christmas… It’s a classic because it doesn’t adhere to a specific time,” she says. “It feels very timeless.”
Patterson had similar thoughts on their characters, stating, “I think that’s the appeal of these characters in the first place is that they’ll get older, but we can rely on them not to change.”
