While A Year in the Life’s Michel storyline never received a proper conclusion, it is still enough to reshape his role in any future Gilmore Girls reunion. The cast of Gilmore Girls were all vital to the show’s success, despite how much Lauren Graham’s Lorelai, Kelly Bishop’s Emily, and Alexis Bledel’s Rory are viewed as the show’s heroines. The problems with Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life proved this, as smaller roles for the show’s original supporting stars left the miniseries revival feeling less like the original show.
There were many other problems with the revival, but there is no doubt that Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life’s small Sookie and Dean roles helped make the series a disappointment. As much as viewers wanted to know what happened to Emily, Lorelai, Luke, and Rory after the series finale, they also wanted to check in on Jackson, Jess, Paris, and other assorted supporting characters. Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life brought back most of the show’s supporting cast but often in minor, compromised cameos, an issue epitomized by the comeback of Yanic Trusedale’s Michel.
Michel Left The Dragonfly Inn In Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life
Yanic Truesdale’s Fan-Favorite Moved On To Greener Pastures
Throughout the show’s original run, Michel was the sardonic receptionist of the Dragonfly Inn. Although he had a sharp tongue and a deep disinterest in hard work, Michel was as loyal to Sookie and Lorelai as they were to him, and he was an indispensable part of the Dragonfly Inn family. As such, it was something of a sad surprise when viewers discovered that Sookie was no longer the chef at Lorelai’s inn early on in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, and instead now worked as a produce wholesaler.
Michel told Lorelai that he intended to leave the Dragonfly Inn for greener pastures, or at least that he would unless Lorelai expanded and built a new site with a spa.
As if this weren’t enough of a disappointment, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life twisted the knife when the revival revealed that Michel wouldn’t be around for much longer, either. Michel told Lorelai that he intended to leave the Dragonfly Inn for greener pastures, or at least that he would unless Lorelai expanded and built a new site with a spa. Eventually, Lorelai opts to expand the Dragonfly, but Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life never clarifies whether Michel stayed working at the inn.
Considering how disappointing Rory’s Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life story was, it was deeply frustrating that the miniseries simply forgot about this major supporting star in favor of focusing on the main characters. According to Truesdale in an interview with Business Insider, the revival did originally clarify Michel’s fate, but this moment was later cut. Per the star, “There was this scene that got cut because the show was too long. That was a big moment for Michel and Lorelai where they go and they buy that other place to do the spa.”
Michel’s Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life Was Never Clarified
The Supporting Star’s Exit Wasn’t Confirmed Or Undone
As noted in Marie Claire‘s writeup of the revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life didn’t explain what happened to Michel after dropping the bombshell revelation that he was leaving the Inn. Lorelai did eventually expand the inn, but the revival never told viewers whether Michel had already moved on since this happened months later. Michel’s unclear fate proves how uneven Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life’s storytelling was, as the long-standing supporting star simply vanishes from the revival after giving Lorelai his ultimatum. This causes frustrating storytelling problems down the line.
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While not all Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life’s episodes were terrible, this is indicative of the choppy, unclear writing style that earned the miniseries criticism. Liza Weill’s Paris also returns early on, only to be unceremoniously dropped when her presence is no longer convenient. Meanwhile, Lane’s married life with Zach barely merits a momentary cameo appearance. Despite these brief roles, the revival somehow found time for a comeback from April Nardini and the introduction of Rory’s forgettable new boyfriend, Paul.
Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life’s Followup Should Clarify Michel’s Fate
It Was Time For Lorelai’s Old Colleagues To Move On
The fact that Sookie already worked elsewhere means it would not necessarily be heartbreaking for Michel to move on from the Dragonfly, despite what Truesdale clarified about the original plans for his subplot. Whether Lorelai built the spa or not, any future revival of the series would need to finally explain what happened to Michel after Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. There are plenty of Gilmore Girls storylines viewers could live without, but Michel was a deservedly beloved member of the show’s supporting cast for years.
Viewers deserve some clarification about Michel’s fate, whether he remains Lorelai’s colleague or is now a friend who works elsewhere but still has a place in her life.
If Melissa McCarthy’s Sookie isn’t working at the Dragonfly Inn, then it would make sense for the show’s next revival to let Michel move on, too. However, if Sookie and Lorelai are professionally reunited next time round, then the series should bring back Truesdale’s character and keep the entire Dragonfly Inn family together. In either case, viewers deserve some clarification about Michel’s fate, whether he remains Lorelai’s colleague or is now a friend who works elsewhere but still has a place in her life like Sookie.
Why Any Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life Sequel Still Needs Michel
The Sardonic Supporting Star Brought Much-Needed Diversity To Stars Hollow
Even if the next reunion does decide to reveal that he no longer works at the Dragonfly Inn, Gilmore Girls needs Michel as his character brings diversity to the world of Stars Hollow. For all of its faults, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life did finally canonically confirm that Michel is gay, making him one of the very few members of the LGBTQ+ community in the show’s cast. Considering how limited the show’s representation of gay characters is, Michel plays a pivotal part in making Stars Hollow a place that reflects the life experiences of more viewers.
While the next step in Rory’s Gilmore Girls character evolution might be the show’s main focus, any return to Stars Hollow would be incomplete without an answer to Michel’s mysterious fate. Even if Michel doesn’t work in the Dragonfly Inn anymore, he should remain a part of Lorelai’s life, much like Sookie was in A Year in the Life. Meanwhile, his place in the Stars Hollow community remains as vital as ever in 2025. As such, after A Year in the Life’s story forgot all about him, the next Gilmore Girls revival must do justice to Michel’s story.
Sources: Business Insider
Marie Claire
Gilmore Girls
9/10
- Release Date
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2000 – 2006
- Writers
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Amy Sherman-Palladino