Richard Gilmore's Death On Gilmore Girls, Explained

A tough insurance man with a heart of gold. That's Richard Gilmore (Edward Herrmann), the husband to Emily (Kelly Bishop), father to Lorelai (Lauren Graham), and grandfather to Rory (Alexis Bledel). He first appears during the "Gilmore Girls" pilot as Lorelai and Rory attend their first Friday night dinner. He is a quiet man with bold opinions, and he's the glue that tries to help Lorelai and Emily connect while supporting Rory as she strives to achieve her goals. Of course, there are times where the voice of reason needs to hear some reasoning himself, including when he tries to steer Rory toward Yale by setting up a surprise admissions interview during Season 3, Episode 8, "Let the Games Begin." While Lorelai is furious, it's a sneaky move that comes with the best of intentions, and it is that caring attitude that makes him all that more endearing.

His death is one that sends a ripple effect throughout these three generations of Gilmores. Rory has lost her cheerleader, Lorelai has lost her protective father, and Emily has lost the steadying hand that has calmed her during so many life events. It's an earth-shattering moment that means more big changes are ahead for this family, and the death of Richard was a plot decision caused by a tragedy off screen.

When does Richard Gilmore die?

Richard Gilmore dies four months before the events of "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life," Episode 1, "Winter." The episode begins with a brief mention of his death and later flashes back to his funeral. In Episode 2, "Spring," Lorelai recounts how her father's health took a turn for the worst. She remembers receiving a call from her mother, saying that Richard was in the ICU after a big heart attack. He would go in and out of conscience, sharing anger over what had happened to him. Unfortunately, he died at the hospital.

During the flashback in Episode 1, grief is a loud undertone that makes its way into the funeral reception at the Gilmore house. It is there that Lorelai finds words for her grief by sharing a few not-so-fond memories after a few drinks. Emily and Lorelai's relationship has had plenty of rocky moments, creating a dynamic that fans love. However, this moment goes too far, leaving Emily disgusted and separating them for a time. Rory learns about all of this during a sour moment at Friday night dinner, and it helps to set the tone for "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life."

Why Richard Gilmore was killed off

Richard Gilmore's death plays a big role in 2016's "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life" because actor Edward Herrmann died a few years prior. According to The New York Times, who spoke to his son, the actor died from brain cancer in December 2014 at 71-years-old. Herrmann appeared on all seven seasons of "Gilmore Girls," even though he wasn't a fan of the 80-page scripts.  Show creator Amy Sherman-Palladino told People that his death impacted how they felt going into the cast reunion at the ATX Television Festival in 2015. "So we were all very raw, and it was a big surprise, and we didn't really know he was sick because he was very proud ... he was a proud dude."

In her memoir "The Third Gilmore Girl," Kelly Bishop said that she learned of Herrmann's diagnosis while reading the New York Post (via Entertainment Weekly). Bishop did get to say goodbye to her former co-star after receiving an invitation from his wife, Star Roman. "I knew I'd regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't summon up the courage to get past all those tubes and beeping monitors and focus on the fact that it was Ed lying there," she said. Roman told Vanity Fair, "She was the only person we had come. It was important to him, and it was important to her." Sherman-Palladino told People that Herrmann's loss shook their worlds, and it would ultimately become the cornerstone of "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life."

How Gilmore Girls paid tribute to Richard Gilmore actor Edward Herrmann

Amy Sherman-Palladino honored Edward Herrmann by using Richard Gilmore's death as a catalyst for the events in "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life." She told People that the earth-shattering news led to her developing this moment in the series. She told Entertainment Weekly, "Dealing with the death of Richard is going to impact them all, because when somebody close to you dies your whole life comes into a weird focus for a minute. Like, what direction am I walking?"

Direction is a big theme in the revival. Rory is trying to figure out what she wants her life to look like and Lorelai even goes on a hiking trip as she assesses her life and relationship with Luke Danes (Scott Patterson), while Emily is trying to figure out how she moves forward without Richard. It's a time where they're questioning everything, and it ultimately results in them coming to terms with their grief, which leads to the scene that Lauren Graham thinks is perfect. During a "Gilmore Girls" Fanfest Panel (via Bustle), Herrmann's daughter Ryen thought that "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life" contained the best four episodes in the whole Gilmore universe because of how it focused on a central topic rather than randomly jumping around. "And it was beautiful how it just evolved into something that made so much more sense, and really brought the family tighter together," she said. Herrmann's wife, Star Roman, also said that her late husband would have loved it.