Sherman-Palladino and Netflix have yet to confirm rumors that they were filming Richard's funeral, but the creator has previously said the death of actor Edward Herrmann, who played Richard, will play an important part in the revival.Particularly, for his wife, Emily, who is moving on with her life as a widow. Kelly Bishop, who plays Emily, told TVLine , that the first of the four 90-minute episodes is "Winter," which takes place "four months" after Richard's death. Vox has guessed that the series will start with Richard's funeral, likely a flashback, which seems to fit the timeline Bishop has given. Vox also believes this is why unexpected characters, like Lorelai's ex-boyfriend Jason "Digger" Stiles, have signed on for the revival . While it did seem weird to think Digger would be back for the new episodes, having worked with Richard, it would make sense that he would attend his funeral.While Richard's funeral will likely be a tearjerker for Gilmore Girls fans, Bishop did tell TVLine, Emily will be focused on finding a way to live without him.“By the time you get to [Episode 4 aka ‘Fall’] a whole year will have passed," Bishop said. "And I know from my experience, that the first year [after losing a loved one] is awful. But when you hit that first year you start to emerge from it.”Have the tissues close throughout the Gilmore Girls revival because it seems like you're definitely going to need them.