To many, Gilmore Girls has become a comfort show that engrossed us in Stars Hollow and made Lorelai and Rory’s lifestyle our own. Whether you are team Jess or team Dean, every fan has their own opinion and Gilmore Girls review. These reviews may be popular to some, unpopular to many, and irrelevant to others. Regardless, I’m sharing my own personal Gilmore Girls views — which I’d say are pretty solid after rewatching the show eight times.
- Dean is not as bad as everyone thinks
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Let me start off by saying that I am not a Dean stan. I am and will always be Team Logan, but that’s an opinion for later. When Rory and Dean started dating in season one, he was pretty much the perfect boyfriend. When they broke up in season one, episode 16, “Star-Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers,” I admit he could’ve reacted differently. But all in all, Dean always cared, protected and loved Rory unconditionally.
After they reconcile in the season one finale, they enter their honeymoon phase once again. They were both so in love that it became sickening. Everything changed when Jess moved to Stars Hollow. To be completely honest, can you blame Dean for the way he acted? Rory went days without talking to him, admitted she didn’t miss him and demanded some space from him. Rory instigated Dean to become the way he did — short-tempered, angry and hurt.
She missed her mom’s—her best friend’s—graduation in season two, episode 21, “Lorelai’s Graduation Day,” to visit Jess while she was still in a relationship with Dean. It was obvious she had feelings for Jess but couldn’t risk losing her perfect, loving boyfriend. If someone should be blamed for giving Dean a bad name, it should be Rory.
- Richard is not so much of an angel as everyone thinks
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The Gilmore’s relationship is bumpy and complicated. Despite the fact that Lorelai didn’t have a smooth relationship with her parents, Rory has the chance to build a long, genuine relationship with her grandparents, which keeps growing as they become closer. However, among the grandparents, Emily was always viewed as the villain because she was the most vocal about her opinions.
For example, in season five, episode 13, “Wedding Bell Blues,” she is the reason why Luke and Lorelai break up. Emily told Christopher to return to Lorelai’s life because Luke was not worthy of her. This caused a huge rift between Lorelai and her parents, eventually causing Rory to feel anger toward Emily.
In episode 16, “So… Good Talk,” Rory disrespects Emily but treats Richard with all the sweetness in the world. In most of the rifts between Lorelai and her parents, Emily has always been the one to blame, while Richard remains silent. He does, in fact, always feel the same way as Emily but chooses not to show it. Richard was not fond of Lorelai’s relationship with Luke and made it very clear to Emily, but because he didn’t voice this to his daughter, Emily got all the blame, while Richard was seen as an angel.
- Rory was a terrible friend to Paris
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Despite Paris’ strong personality, it was clear Rory was the best friend she truly valued and cared about. Due to Rory’s prestigious personality, Paris was always taken for granted and treated terribly. She consistently called Paris crazy and annoying and never truly acknowledged her as a person or friend. Whenever she had no one else, Rory would run back to Paris, who would welcome her with open arms.
In season four, episode two, “The Lorelais’ First Day at Yale,” Paris was so excited to live with Rory at Yale and continue their friendship. Instead, Rory was irritated and confused at how this could happen. She thought she would never have to see Paris again after their high school graduation.
In season six, episode seven, “Twenty-One Is the Loneliest Number,” Rory finds out Paris has become editor of the Yale Daily News. Although it was Rory’s idea to drop out of Yale, she still seems unhappy for Paris and shows jealousy towards her instead of being a real friend and feeling proud of her accomplishments. It’s clear that Paris wasn’t the nicest person when they met at Chilton, but she proved herself to be a good friend, while Rory kept treating her as a second option.
Not only this, she constantly tells others Paris is crazy and that it is best to leave her alone. In season six, episode 14, “You’ve Been Gilmored,” Paris is forced out as editor of the Yale Daily News and Rory is voted in as the new editor. Rory knew the staff were intimidated by Paris, and instead of defending her, Rory claims to not be her friend. After having a secret meeting with staff members, Rory is officially the new editor at the Yale Daily News, taking Paris’ position without even consulting her.
- Logan is better than Jess
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When Jess showed up in season two, everyone went crazy. He was the best description of the mysterious, sexy, bad boy that everyone knew Rory needed. Although he did not show it, he was also very smart and had the same passion as Rory for reading. After rewatching the show multiple times, I have finally come to the conclusion that despite Jess’ charm, Logan is, and always will be, better than Jess.
Logan is portrayed as a trust fund kid who has no aspirations — essentially Jess, but with a rich family background. Except, Logan never treated Rory disrespectfully or made her feel like she wasn’t enough. He had no communication issues, unlike Jess, who left her in season three, episode 21, “Here Comes the Son,” without saying goodbye. It took Jess a long time to become the man for Rory to the point that, when he did, it was too late.
It is also a misconception that Logan cheated on Rory, but he didn’t. The two were broken up, and Rory had too much pride to accept it. In season six, episode 16, “Bridesmaids Revisited,” Rory finds out Logan spent time with other girls during their recent breakup and goes as far as to call this cheating. It’s frustrating to see Rory blaming Logan and calling him out for cheating when she ends up being the one who actually cheated. For the third time, might I add, since she had already cheated on Dean with Jess and later became a mistress in Dean’s marriage. Rory kissed Jess in season six, episode 18, “The Real Paul Anka,” when her and Logan were clearly still in a relationship. All in all, Logan is better than Jess in many aspects.
Gilmore Girls will forever be my favourite comfort show. It makes me happy, reminds me that true love exists, and provides me with a family on-screen. Everyone has their own opinions of the show, but regardless of that, it’s probably the best show to ever be made.