Part of what makes Lorelai Gilmore so charming to a viewer is how relatable she is. Throughout Gilmore Girls, Lorelai makes one mistake after another and bounces back after a few pints of Ben & Jerry’s. She loves hard and she falls hard.
But there comes a time in every character’s life when they need to learn from their mistakes do better. Everything Lorelai does has an effect on Rory. From the men she dates to how she bonds with Emily and Richard Gilmore, it all has repercussions. And sadly, as amazing a woman as Lorelai can be, she’s made grave mistakes that made viewers question her morals.
She Slept With Christopher The Second She Was Single
One of the biggest mistakes Lorelai made in the series was going back and forth with Christopher. She was on a rollercoaster with him since they were teenagers and it was hard for her to hop off.
When Luke turned down Lorelai’s ultimatum to get married, she was devastated enough to run into Christopher’s arms. She was sad and wanted to feel better, so she spent the night with him. Not only did she hurt Luke to the core by doing this but she also hurt Christopher. He wanted more, but to her, it was just a one-night stand.
Her Entire Childhood
Lorelai’s main mission throughout Gilmore Girls is to make people aware of how controlling and manipulative her parents are. There’s a reason why she left that life behind when Rory was a year old. And while Emily and Richard are hard to live with — even their houseworkers are fired daily — Lorelai’s pride gets in the way of the good that came from her upbringing.
Her parents gave her everything she ever needed. They bought her the best clothes and sent her to the best schools. Is it so bad that parents want the best for their only child? Lorelai didn’t want the smart housewife life, so she rebelled. But there are times she’s needlessly hard on Emily and Richard for the sole crime of raising her the only way they knew how.
She Made Sookie’s Baptism About Her
Lorelai is a fantastic friend and mother, there’s no denying that. But her morals came into question on the day of Sookie’s kids’ baptism. The day was supposed to be all about Sookie, Jackson, and their two kids. But instead, Lorelai made it about her own issues.
In the middle of the baptism, Lorelai was talking over the minister as a way to talk to Rory. She ended up stalling the entire service so she could go outside and scold Rory for her actions. Why Lorelai made the baptism all about her is beyond anyone’s comprehension but it was a lousy thing to do to her best friend.
Lorelai Encouraged Rory’s Bad Side
As much as Stars Hollow claims Rory is the perfect child, she’s anything but. She too makes mistakes.
After her first big keg party, she leaves the party in a fuss after Jess takes his frustrations out on her. When Dean saw Rory in tears leaving the party and Jess behind her, the two men got into a full-on brawl. Things were broken, the house was damaged, and two young men were beaten to a pulp.
Instead of getting to the bottom of the situation and talking things over with Rory, Lorelai made light of it all and was happy it happened. She was excited that her daughter went to her first party where there were booze and fighting, ignoring the fact that all the chaos and violence was because of Rory.
When She Kicked Rory Out Of The House
Viewers were torn on the decision for Lorelai to kick Rory out of the house. After Rory stole a yacht and was arrested, she decided she was going to take some time off from school to regroup. Lorelai saw Rory’s future burning away in the blink of an eye. If Rory wasn’t going to continue Yale, then she certainly wasn’t going to stay at home where things were continued to be handed to her.
Some fans understood where Lorelai came from but others didn’t. Rory had just been through something traumatic and needed her mother; she needed a safe space to land. And instead, Lorelai kicked her to the curb.
Dating (And Dumping) Rory’s Teacher
Lorelai knew dating a Chilton teacher was a bad look, which was exactly why she forbade it. But after talking to Mr. Medina more, she realized there was a true connection between them. The two began dating on the down-low but she never told — or even asked — Rory about it!
Rory found out they were together after seeing Max at their front door. Eventually, the two became engaged but Lorelai knew it wasn’t right. Instead of declining the engagement, she accepted it, planned the wedding, and ghosted him a few days before they were to be married. Max never deserved that kind of treatment.
Was Lorelai As Good A Friend To Sookie As Sookie Was To Her?
When you have a best friend as amazing as Sookie, you have to do right by her and treat her with the respect she deserves. There’s nothing Sookie wouldn’t do for Lorelai. She took care of Paul Anka, was there after every break-up and make-up, and supported her through every Rory woe. But was Lorelai the same kind of friend to Sookie?
She sold their Bangles tickets to Rory’s friends, she made her cook food for her personal needs regardless of what Sookie was already doing, and remember the time she told Sookie she couldn’t comment on her relationship issues because she had never had a longterm boyfriend? Lorelai should have behaved better toward her BFF.
The Reason Behind Her Yale Anger
It wasn’t shocking that Rory decided to apply to Yale. What was shocking was Lorelai thinking Rory was only going to apply to one school: Harvard. As brilliant as Rory was, that doesn’t mean Harvard was going to accept her — just look at Paris. Not having a backup option would have been incredibly immature and risky.
When Lorelai found out Rory was considering Yale for college, she had a meltdown at the dinner table in front of Emily and Richard’s friends. Was Rory not allowed to go to Yale because that’s where Richard went? It was selfish for Lorelai to be this upset.
Her Constant Lying
Lorelai hates dishonesty and being left in the dark about things, but she should look in the mirror. She tells white lies all the time to get out of things. In the earlier seasons, she lied to Luke about the reason why she didn’t paint the dinner with him. She claimed it was an emergency but she was actually sleeping with Christopher. She also kept Luke in the dark about how often she saw or spoke to Christopher. And she lied to him about going to therapy with her mom in A Year in the Life.
It Was Time To Let Michel Go
In A Year in the Life, Lorelai knew that Michel wanted more in his career. He was no longer satisfied at the Dragonfly Inn and, quite frankly, was worth more than he was paid. Lorelai knew Michel was going to leave her, so she dodged him and ignored his attempts at having a serious conversation. Sure, she did this because she loved Michel and didn’t want him to leave but, once again, she was only thinking of her own feelings.
