Rory Gilmore is the most polarizing TV character since Hannah Horvath first put her foot in her mouth in 2012. At least, that’s the consensus judging from the recent think pieces and word-of-mouth surrounding “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.” Many “Gilmore” fans and TV critics, us included, are annoyed or even angry about Rory’s downward spiral.

Surprisingly, the possibility that Rory suffers from depression is only mentioned in passing — if at all — without any compassion. The closest we get to an acknowledgement of Rory’s mental state is from Vox: “We could posit that Rory’s professional indifference is the result of burnout or honest failure,” the opinion piece reads. “[B]ut ‘A Year in the Life’ offers no indication that she ever had a real career to burn out from, or that she was ever working toward concrete goals to begin with.” Rory could be mentally exhausted or possibly has zero talent! Either way, doesn’t she just suck?

To some extent, yes, she absolutely does. She is passive, which she herself acknowledges in the “Spring” installment of the revival. “I’m blowing everything. My life, my career,” Rory says. “I’m flailing, and I don’t have a plan, or a list, or a clue.” Sure, she could be lazy or a stereotypical millennial (Shout out to the 30-something Gang! You are definitely not annoying!). She could also be reeling from a bone-deep sadness, one that crept in so insidiously that no one — not even Rory — is fully aware that it’s there.

Depression doesn’t always present itself as catatonia or uncontrollable crying. Sometimes it simply is the inability to get your shit together even when you have every advantage in the world. Or you find yourself in a pattern that you hate, without the energy to break out of it.

There is definitely evidence of depression throughout “A Year in the Life.” Consider these re-contextualized Rory-is-an-asshole moments:

• Rory is in a long term relationship with a guy she doesn’t like because she keeps forgetting to break up with him. Confrontation is always hard, and nearly impossible when your mind is out of sorts. So stringing Paul along would be easier and more feasible than actually kicking him to the curb. Also, depressives can be extremely self-involved because they can’t get out of their own heads.
• Rory is exes-with-all-sorts-of-benefits with Logan, who is engaged to another woman. This behavior is not new, considering she slept with a married man all the way back in Season 4. In both instances, Rory is seeking out what’s comfortable and familiar during a time of personal upheaval, even if it is morally questionable (er, bankrupt?). If her depression manifests itself as inertia, it makes sense that Rory hasn’t pulled away from this toxic relationship.
• She literally falls asleep while interviewing a source. Fatigue and an irregular sleep schedule are often symptoms of depression. This also explains Rory’s midnight tap sessions.
• She has casual sex with a Wookiee cosplayer. There’s nothing wrong with Rory having a sex life, or a one night stand for that matter, but this hookup is definitely impulsive and out of character. It also inspires her to tell Lorelai how lost and discouraged she feels, suggesting that her tryst stemmed from self-loathing.
• Rory fucks things up with Naomi Shropshire, GQ, and the blog Sandee Says. Rory torpedoing several career opportunities — and her subsequent return to Stars Hollow and a low-paid job at the local newspaper — seems like pure self-destruction. She is dissatisfied with her career and frustrated by her prospects. Consciously, Rory wants a writing job, any writing job. But her sub-conscious became disenchanted with freelance journalism a long time ago.
• There’s yet another escapade with the fucking Life and Death Brigade. Alright, this is a hard one to defend because these guys are terrible. But it’s understandable that Rory, who is feeling like a loser, is reminiscing with the dudes she hung out with during her Yale highs, and who cheered her up during her Yale lows (Dean dumping her in public, the fallout from her grand theft yacht). Characters feel nostalgia, too!

Obviously, this is just one reading of Rory’s story during “A Year in the Life.” She could be having some mental health struggles; she could be a spoiled princess who finally gets her comeuppance. Hell, she could be both. We do know for sure that Rory is layered, and not entirely likable. Rory isn’t a hero and her imperfections should not be ignored, but neither should her emotional complexity. After finishing “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life,” it would be reductive to simply write-off Rory as just another millennial fuck-up. It’s much more compelling and narratively satisfying to see her as a smart young woman who has stumbled and isn’t even sure if she wants to get back up.