On Gilmore Girls, as much as fans love Lorelai and Rory, it’s hard to feel bad for them when they continuously make mistakes without learning anything. There are other characters in the series that were down on their luck in ways that were different than the mother-daughter duo.
From Paris to Dean, it was hard not to feel bad for characters that suffered hard times throughout Gilmore Girls. As aggressive as Paris was, her backstory was incredibly lonely. And as outlandish and overbearing as Taylor was, he had nothing outside of Stars Hollow. Each character has a depth that allowed fans to feel for them as if they were really friends.
Christopher Was Always A Backup Plan For Lorelai
At first, it’s hard to feel bad for Christopher. He was absent from Rory’s life for 16 years, he led Lorelai on before leaving her for Sherry, and he was a selfish character who didn’t consider other people’s feelings. Christopher got worse and worse on Gilmore Girls. But when fans peel back the layers, there’s a lot to feel sympathetic about.
His parents were just as strict as Lorelai’s, he always felt like a second option for Lorelai, and even when he got a second chance at parenting he messed it up too. But were Christopher’s low moments enough to have fans feel horrible for him? Not quite.
Dean Watched His Girlfriend Fall In Love With Someone Else
It’s an unpopular opinion to feel bad for Dean but there are fans out there who did in the early seasons. Dean was Rory’s first boyfriend and they made a great couple. But towards the end of their relationship, something flipped and Dean changed. He became needy and jealous and it pushed Rory away. Nevertheless, fans felt for him.
Dean never felt good enough, both in his relationship with Rory and at school. He watched Rory fall in love with Jess while they were together, Lorelai dragged him through the mud until she got to know him, and he was never sure what he wanted out of life. However, the minute Dean cheated on Lindsay made fans lose sympathy for the “nice” guy.
Taylor Had Nothing Without Stars Hollow
Taylor Doose is Stars Hollow’s Town Selectman. He loves enforcing the town rules and making sure Stars Hollow thrives as one of the more unique towns in America. However, his position of power goes to his head and Taylor can be incredibly offputting and selfish.
But Taylor has a few moments in which fans can’t help but feel bad for him. In the episode where Jackson ran for Town Selectman and beat Taylor, fans realized that being a part of Stars Hollow was the only thing Taylor had. He lived alone, he had no kids — his job for the town was all he had.
It’s Hard Not To Feel Bad For Kirk At Times
Kirk is confident enough not to compare his life to anyone else’s. He lived in his mother’s basement for decades, he didn’t find true love until later in life, and he never caught on that he annoyed so many people around him in Stars Hollow.
In fact, it’s his unawareness that makes his character sad. He has no idea how odd he truly is. In Kirk’s best Gilmore Girls episodes, he never means harm but his drive is so strong that he doesn’t realize when he crosses a line. At the same time, it’s his idiosyncrasies that make Kirk a beloved character.
Paris Had No Real Friends
Paris is driven and brilliant. There are not many people who can stand in her way and she accomplishes everything she puts her mind to. But behind that strong attitude is a rather self-conscious young woman.
Paris’ parents pushed her to the side and she was basically raised by her nanny. The Gellers had all the money in the world, but Paris still wished for people (like the Puffs) to accept her. She was also out of her element when it came to working with others, making friends, or dating. Without Rory, Paris wouldn’t have had a true friend. As tough as Paris can be at times, fans felt bad for her.
Things Never Turned Out Right For Luke
As strong and stern as he is, Luke had many sad moments in Gilmore Girls. He kept his diner the same way for decades because it was his father’s old hardware shop. The loss of his father impacted him because he took a day off every year to mourn him. Likewise, Luke was forced to worry about his wild sister and the son she left on his doorstep.
To make matters worse, Luke found out he had a daughter whom his ex-girlfriend from high school never told him about. Things continued to get worse for Luke, but none were more worse than when he found out Lorelai slept with Christopher the night of an argument. Luke was a gruff guy but he didn’t deserve those hardships.
Emily Found Out Her Husband Wasn’t As Truthful As She Thought
There were a lot of things about Emily that aged poorly in Gilmore Girls. As a woman of wealth, she treated those around her as if they were beneath her. She was horrible to her staff, she always compared Lorelai to Rory, and she was pretentious. But there’s a small side to her that has fans divided.
Although she’s a villain at times, Emily didn’t deserve to have her daughter walk out on her. She was also treated like she was inferior because she didn’t have a job of her own. Emily’s entire life was based on catering to her husband and running charities. Without those things, she felt helpless. It didn’t help Emily’s case when she found out her husband of 30+ years saw his ex-fiancée for annual lunches. In those moments, it’s easy to feel bad for Emily.
Jess’s Youth Was Heartbreaking
As much as Team Dean or Team Logan fans don’t want to admit it, it was easy to feel sad for Jess. If fans look past his relationship with Rory, it’s his relationship with himself and his parents that are the most heartbreaking.
Jess’s dad abandoned him when he was young, and his mom basically did the same thing when Jess was a teenager because she couldn’t control him anymore. Although Luke was a great guardian for Jess, it wasn’t enough to cure the issues of his youth. Jess always felt like the black sheep — especially in Stars Hollow. Because of his youth (and later being denied by his dad), how could viewers not feel a twinge of sadness for Jess?
Lane’s Dreams Were Crushed
Lane Kim was one character that deserved better. She was a smart, bubbly teenager at the start of the series. Although her mom was strict, the future looked bright for Lane.
She was creative and connected with music, but by the end of the series, Lane never got to live out her dream of traveling the world in a rock band. Lane and Zack were good together but once she found out she was pregnant, she stayed put in Stars Hollow as a waitress. This wasn’t Lane’s dream and she had to sit back and watch Rory live out hers while she stayed behind.
Lindsay Was The Talk Of The Town
Lindsay is one Gilmore Girls character that fans feel the worst for. Although her time on the series was short, her sad relationship with Dean made an impact.
Despite Lindsay and Dean being young, they got married for all the right reasons. But the second Rory started spending more time in Stars Hollow, Dean was more interested in his first love than his wife. Dean cheated on Lindsay multiple times and treated her like dirt until she eventually found out the truth. Just like Lane, Lindsay deserved better.
