Lorelai and Rory may be the stars of Gilmore Girls, thanks to their fascinating storylines, friendship and coffee drinking, but Lorelai’s best friend, Sookie St. James, definitely made her mark. Viewers like watching her cook, whether in the Dragonfly Inn kitchen or in her off hours and her romance with Jackson really tugs at the heartstrings.
Fans weren’t totally pleased with Sookie’s return in A Year In The Life, as she didn’t come back for very long and it was strange to see her leave the inn she started with Lorelai. But even though Sookie has some flaws, fans have found a lot to love about her character, and they’re discussing it in some threads on Reddit.
Sookie’s Career And Personality Are Great
This unnamed Reddit user shared that they love Sookie’s career and personality. They wrote, “You know who is a passionate, independent woman with a great career along with being a wholesome person? Sookie!”
Rory and Lorelai are often praised for their ambition and dreams, as Rory chooses between Harvard and Yale and wants to be a journalist, and Lorelai knows that running her own inn would be amazing. But Sookie deserves credit for her career, too, as running the kitchen at several inns is no small feat.
She Feels Like A “Real Person”
Reddit user you_clod likes that Sookie is relatable. They explained, “My love for Sookie is because she’s kind of a real person too. I mean she can’t be perfect and who hasn’t had a friend who was insecure about their own abilities.”
If Sookie didn’t mess up or if she wasn’t a bit klutzy, viewers wouldn’t see themselves in her story and they wouldn’t enjoy watching her so much. She would be a boring sidekick and while her dialogue and scenes would still be hilarious, she wouldn’t make such a big impact.
When Sookie Asks Jackson To Go On A Date
This unnamed Reddit user likes the start of Jackson and Sookie’s love story and wrote, “I love the fact that she asked out Jackson and both of them make such a cute pair.”
Viewers can relate to Jackson and Sookie’s relationship, as they’re friendly with each other for years and then finally begin dating. While fans do take issue with some parts of their love story, especially Jackson wanting four kids in four years and Sookie feeling differently, it’s definitely great that Sookie asks him out. She’s strong and independent and goes after what she wants instead of waiting and hoping that he’ll get the hint.
She Always Cooks For Lorelai And Helps With Rory’s Birthdays
Reddit user pile_o_puppies loves how Sookie cooks for Lorelai and is always there to help with parties for Rory. They wrote, “I feel like when people criticize Sookie they’re thinking of her behavior in seasons 4-5 but we always forget season 1 where she … basically co-runs all of Rory’s birthday parties.”
It would be totally logical if Sookie said that she was tired or needed a night off, but she never minds making dinner or baked goods for her best friend, and she does it all with a smile and positive attitude. It would also make sense if she wanted to be a guest at Rory’s parties, but she cares about Rory and Lorelai so much that she wants to be involved. Fans appreciate Sookie’s gentle and helpful nature.
Sookie Wants To Sell Her Own Car For Money For Chilton
pile_o_puppies also pointed out on Reddit that in the first season of the show, Sookie “offers to sell her car to pay for Chilton.” When Sookie makes this offer, she goes above and beyond being a friend, as offering someone money so their child can attend a fancy, pricey private school is incredibly kind and selfless.
Sookie might be klutzy at times and she might get upset about certain aspects of the Dragonfly Inn, but people can count on her in good times and bad. Fans love watching these characters because they act more like family.
Sookie Lets Lorelai Know When She’s Hurt
Reddit user calledannie points out that when Lorelai gets upset about the process of opening the Dragonfly Inn in season 2, Sookie tells her she was hurt and that she can’t be so mean to her. They explained, “I was very proud of Sookie for standing up for herself and saying, you know, you can’t talk to me like that, I can’t lose my business partner AND my best friend in one swoop.” A few fans responded saying Sookie was great in this scene.
Fans question Lorelai and Sookie’s friendship because of some fights, but Sookie definitely proves her strength and maturity in this particular argument. It’s important to see a character letting her best pal know that she’s not a doormat and she needs to be treated better.
She Doesn’t Mind When Lorelai Gives Away Their Concert Tickets
Reddit user notadellcomputer loves when Sookie didn’t mind when Lorelai gives away their tickets to the Bangles concert. The fan explained, “she is just totally ok with it? That’s a good friend! I love the interaction when they get to the nosebleed seats.”
Fans love the season 1 episode, “Concert Interruptus” as it’s fun to see Rory and Paris socialize, and it’s also a stand-out episode as it proves Sookie is a wonderful friend. While most people would be upset that they got amazing tickets to a beloved band’s concert and now they have to sit in a worse area, she understood that Rory needed to try to bond with her new classmates.
Sookie’s Hilarious Thanksgiving Scene
Reddit user DomesticSlacker posted that they love “When she is drunk on Thanksgiving and Jackson’s family is deep frying everything.”
This season 3 episode is a classic, and fans loved seeing Sookie become emotional after she wasn’t allowed to cook the big holiday meal. This is a perfect example of how Jackson and Sookie often had conflict without even meaning to, as Jackson probably thought she would like some time off.
Sookie’s Behavior At Rory’s Graduation
Another Sookie moment that stands out to fans? Reddit user gracevturner likes “Rory’s graduation when she keeps getting up and having to scoot past everyone.” The fan loves that Sookie kept saying, “I know, I suck.”
Fans love Sookie for her iconic comedic moments, and while this might have been a tiny part of a significant episode, as the focus was on Rory and Lorelai reaching this milestone together, it was nice to see Sookie being her funny self.
Naming Lorelai And Luke’s Wedding Cake
Reddit user ticklememelly shared on Reddit that they loved the scene when Sookie realized that Lorelai and Max’s wedding wouldn’t happen after all. The fan loved that she looked at the cake sadly and, “You were a good cake Clive, I never should have named you.”
It’s always funny when Sookie says that giving the cake a name was a mistake. This is an iconic scene from the season 2 episode “The Road Trip to Harvard,” and fans will always associate this moment with Sookie, as she showed how much she cared about Lorelai in a hilarious and unique way.
