Warning: This article contains spoilers for ‘Gilmore Girls.’
The air is crisp, the leaves are orange, and sunsets have a melancholic, yet nostalgic, feel to them. We’re finally in the midst of fall! During such a cozy time of the year, few things feel better than bundling up in a warm blanket in front of a big window, watching the fallen leaves swirl around. However, it’s also the perfect setting to binge-watch a classic, feel-good, TV show.
Gilmore Girls, a Y2K dramedy favorite, is a TV show following the lives of a mother-daughter duo as they face the world together through sarcastic quick-witted humor and an unbreakable bond. Rory Gilmore, one of the main characters (besides her mother, Lorelai Gilmore), is a seemingly sweet introvert who loves to read and write… and also home-wreck relationships. At face value, Rory seems to be picture-perfect, setting an unrealistic precedent for most teenagers her age. Yet, when her behavior is actually analyzed, it becomes quite clear how her privilege transformed into entitlement, and her innocent persona quickly fades.
I mean, everyone makes mistakes. But, very few of us get to maintain our perfect image each time we make one. Below I’ll be listing a few of Rory’s worst moments, in which she still tried to upkeep her holier-than-thou image.
- Homewrecking Dean’s Marriage
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This one is obvious, but it must be mentioned. At the end of season four, Rory decided it was a good idea to lose her virginity to her first highschool boyfriend and longtime love interest, who was also fully married. Not much needs to be said here, I mean, he was married.
- Skipping her Mother’s Graduation to Hang out with Jess
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Lorelai has sacrificed quite literally everything for Rory, yet, when it’s her turn to receive support and praise, where is Rory off to? Oh right, with a boy.
- Her entire relationship with Lane
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Lane Kim is Rory’s supposed “best friend,” yet is treated as a disposable support system, only reached out to when Rory needs to whine about her boy drama.
- Dropping out of Yale (& then stealing a yacht)
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Rory’s entire life revolves around academic validation. It’s a shock when she picks Yale after obsessing over Harvard her entire life. But what was more of a bombshell was Rory completely dropping out of Yale after receiving criticism on her journalism from her then-boss, and boyfriend’s father, Mitchum Huntzberger.
Don’t worry, it gets better.
She also decided to steal a yacht with her boyfriend Logan as an appropriate reaction to the criticism she received. At least she didn’t receive just a slap on the wrist, as she got an appropriate sentence for her off-the-rails, yet privileged, moment.
- Everything that happened in the Reboot, A Year in the Life
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Grown-up Rory has abandoned everything teenage Rory deeply valued. She was the pillar of organization and put-togetherness. Meanwhile, Rory in the reboot repeatedly forgets about her long-term boyfriend Paul, is having an affair with Logan (who is taken), has no work ethic or real career, runs to her tortured past love, Jess, for life advice after not speaking to him for four years, wants to exploit her mother’s life story without Lorelai’s consent, and oh — and she’s pregnant!
Whether you love her or hate her, Rory’s progression throughout the show and reboot encourages viewers to be mindful of the complexity of the individual. On one side, Rory is the studious, sweet daughter of a single mother with a passion for journalism, while on another, she is a privileged white woman whose problems can almost always be solved with her grandparent’s bank account.
Both “Rory’s” are one in the same, as contradicting as they may seem. Do I love everything Rory’s done? Not at all. However, do I appreciate the portrayal of an imperfect human with flaws? Yes. Instead of hating on Rory (as hard as that may be), it’s important to give her credit where credit is due, as she has reminded us to reflect on our own behaviors and further align them to our values.
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