Throughout its seven seasons, “Gilmore Girls” earned its position as the champion Autumnal feel-good show. The wooing soundtrack, warm-toned filter and grainy camera quality transport you to the charming town of Stars Hollow while watching. Nothing beats lighting a pumpkin spice candle, bundling up with a fuzzy blanket and hibernating to binge the show. “Gilmore Girls” brought the best vibes, but it also brought a plethora of funky characters, some of whom had more problems than others. As an obsessive devotee of the show, I think I am qualified to rank some of the characters based on their underlying issues.
- Rory Gilmore
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In first place, we have Rory Gilmore. Witty, charismatic and doe-eyed, Rory easily won over the hearts of Stars Hollow. Throughout the show, we are meant to love her and feel pity for her. After all, the entire series is about her life. At first glance, what’s not to love? A kind and intelligent girl-next-door who loves reading, eating 10-course meals with her mother (who is also her best friend) and drinking copious amounts of coffee.
The more we learned about Rory, the more I grew to dislike her. She expected the world to feel bad for her and had an astronomical sense of entitlement. Contrary to her mother, she had a fear of failure and was seen as the “golden child” of their family. As a headstrong, intelligent Yale student, Rory had little to no obstacles in her upbringing. Due to her Grandparent’s wealth and abundant love for her, she always had something and someplace to fall back on. Overall, Rory had little to no character development and is easily my least favorite Gilmore.
- Dean Forester
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Dean started as the ideal boy-next-door and a perfect first boyfriend for Rory. He quickly turned into a possessive, toxic partner. No matter how long he and Rory were separated, he still loved her and disrespected all of her boyfriends after him. He also married a girl to get over Rory and, plot twist, it did not work. On top of that, he had an affair with Rory while being married. Constantly battling for Rory’s love, while having no patience for her dreams and busy schedule, he was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Additionally, he did not have much character growth at all.
- Logan Huntzberger
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Daddy issues and extreme privilege were an obvious plague to Logan Huntzburger’s personality. He felt invincible due to his family’s wealth and their ability to erase all of his wrongs with the snap of a finger. He encouraged Rory’s break from Yale, stole a yacht with her and constantly did risky things without hesitation. Furthermore, he treated all of Rory’s exes with extreme disrespect, as he felt he was better for her and better than them. Are we sensing a theme of jealousy and angst with Rory’s exes? Logan made it very clear that money was not an issue and ultimately the only way he knew to solve problems was through money or gifts.
- Lorelai Gilmore
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Throughout the series we watched Lorelai Gilmore grow from an irresponsible teen mom to a successful businesswoman. This transformation was not without obstacles and setbacks. Lorelai deemed Rory as her best friend, and when she did decide to be strict, it did not solicit a positive reaction. Bubbly and spontaneous, Lorelai often acted childlike while Rory functioned as an adult. Additionally, she had very clear resentment towards Rory’s relationship with her parents. Nonetheless, Lorelai was a good mom and great friend to Rory and had amazing character development. She had dry but laughable humor and was always willing to be there for the people she loved.
- Paris Geller
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Arguably my favorite character, Paris grew tremendously from her starting persona. She originated as the main antagonist in Rory’s life, rooted out of jealousy, she tried all she could to dismantle Rory’s success. But throughout the series, we got a peek behind the curtain of her life and were able to see that the only way she knew how to gain respect and love was to be the smartest and best person in the room.
She had no relationship with her parents, was an only child and the only family she had that loved her was her nanny. Eventually, her and Rory blossomed into best friends and accidental college roommates. We saw Paris struggle with her sexuality and celebrated when she found outlets that allowed her to express herself. Paris put hard work into becoming a better person, which separates her from all of the other characters.
