In a 2021 interview with The A.V. Club, Adam Brody shared that when he played Lane Kim’s boyfriend Dave Rygalski on Gilmore Girls, he felt the show cared too much about the dialogue being said exactly as it was written. Brody reflected, “In hindsight, almost 20 years later, I realize that’s still some of the best written stuff I’ve ever gotten to do and the rarity of it.”
While fans love Lorelai and Rory and the rest of the main cast, there are many side characters on Gilmore Girls, including Dave, who are just as popular. Redditors don’t all agree on these minor players, though, and fans have shared some different takes on the people who make up Lorelai and Rory’s Stars Hollow world.
Miss Patty Gossips Too Much
Miss Patty is a hilarious Gilmore Girls character and has a passion for teaching dance, talking about her youth, and knowing everything that’s going on in town. The character cares a lot about Rory and Lorelai and is always there for them. Her most memorable moments include talking to Babette Dell about the Stars Hollow latest. Lorelai calls the two characters Hello magazine.
Redditor JaneBirkin333 doesn’t love this character’s desire to talk about other people all of the time. The fan wrote that have a hot take: “Patty was annoying… also with her gossiping.”
Jackson Isn’t A Great Character
Sookie St. James and Jackson Belleville’s romance seems inevitable as they fight about perfect-looking produce and see each other all the time during their work days. Lorelai convinces Sookie to ask Jackson out and helps her friend find more courage in her love life.
While Jackson isn’t the most popular character on the show, viewers love watching him and Sookie’s relationship begin. Redditor pinkxsparkle posted an unpopular opinion about Sookie’s soulmate, writing, “I never really liked Jackson.”
Finn And Colin Aren’t Hilarious
Logan Huntzberger’s best friends Finn and Colin are often in the background of Rory’s Yale experience. Logan spends a lot of time with them and they love to party, joke around, and be part of the Life and Death Brigade. The characters are usually used for comedic relief and to show that Logan is used to being immature and thinking about adventure and fun more than anything else.
Redditor pinkxsparkle doesn’t like Logan’s pals and shared the unpopular opinion, “I also couldn’t stand Colin and Finn. They weren’t funny to me at all.” It does make sense to see the characters this way as they influence Logan to forget about any adult responsibilities.
Tristan Is Underrated And Deserves More
Tristan DuGray isn’t a very popular character. The Chilton side character is conceited, complains to Rory a lot, and teases her when she first starts attending the school, which is mean and unfair. As time goes on, Rory does see that he can be nice and learns that he doesn’t have a good home life. But many fans would say that he doesn’t ever redeem himself. Tristan’s behavior is too pushy as he insists that they’re going on a date to a concert when she tells him no repeatedly.
Redditor GroovyGhouly likes Tristan and thinks that he could have stayed on the series. The fan wrote, “Tristin had so much potential as a character…the show didn’t do nearly enough with him.”
Dave Isn’t A Great Love Interest
Although Lane Kim moves on from Dave and starts a family with Zack Van Gerbig, who she also marries, fans love watching Lane and Dave’s high school love story. Dave becomes part of the band and Lane enjoys getting to know someone who she has so much in common with.
While Dave treats Lane well and is kind, quiet, and polite, not every viewer thinks that he’s a great love interest for Lane. Redditor Frazzledsoul shared another take on this character and wrote of Dave, “he’s so boring.”
Francie Shouldn’t Come Back In A Year In The Life
Francie Jarvis might not be a sweet person, but she’s a staple of Chilton on Gilmore Girls, asking Rory to be part of secret society The Puffs and proving that Paris Geller isn’t the only tough, ambitious student there. Francis can be smart and funny, and while fans might not say that she’s a favorite, she’s not viewed as a terrible character.
Franchie has a significant appearance in the Netflix revival A Year In The Life when she happens to be in the school bathroom when Rory and Paris are there. Since Paris feels upset about the state of her life, she hates seeing her enemy there. Redditor kadje doesn’t like Francie, writing, “I absolutely can’t stand Francie. I was disappointed to see her in AYITL.”
TJ Is An Awesome Character
TJ and Liz’s Gilmore Girls scenes range from silly to more impactful, as they fight a lot and seem immature but get married and want to make things work. Many fans view TJ as a goofy character who doesn’t take anything seriously and who can be frustrating and intense.
Redditor doyouevenleviosa717 doesn’t feel that way at all and posted the unpopular opinion that TJ is not only a wonderful character, but also a great love interest for Luke Danes’s sister. The fan wrote, “I LOVE TJ… he clearly loves Liz in a way that she needs.”
TJ Is A Better Love Interest Than Luke
When thinking about Luke and his brother-in-law TJ, most viewers would say that Luke is a more compelling character and also a more solid love interest. TJ complains regularly about everything in his life and can be a bit too silly and while Luke isn’t perfect, he has a business, he tells Lorelai how he feels, and he takes care of his nephew Jess Mariano when times get tough.
Redditor amykay21 compared Luke and TJ’s romantic potential and feels that TJ comes out on top here. The fan wrote, “I think he was objectively a much better partner than Luke” because TJ is “loving, attentive, enthusiastic.”
Sherry Isn’t A Good Character
Christopher Hayden gets worse on Gilmore Girls and he has a child, Gigi, with his partner Sherry Tinsdale. There’s a funny storyline about Sherry’s baby shower which Rory and Lorelai attend and feel awkward about. Things get complicated and Sherry leaves Gigi behind, which is hard to agree with.
Viewers don’t usually discuss Sherry as much as they do Rory and Lorelai, and Sherry isn’t perfect at all. While there are several Reddit threads defending Sherry’s behavior and saying that there’s more to the story here, one Redditor thinks she is problematic. Redditor floratise wrote, “I think she’s one of the worst characters on the show.”
Lucy And Olivia Are Snobby
When Rory becomes friends with Lucy and Olivia at Yale, the three characters being hanging out regularly. There’s a lot of drama with Rory and Marty lying about actually having met each other and become pals, but for the most part, Lucy and Olivia are popular characters who are artistic and nice.
Redditor Ok_Sobert5376 posted the unpopular opinion that “They are so obnoxious.” The Redditor also isn’t a fan of the characters calling Marty “boyfriend” instead of his name, something that happens in almost every scene that they are in.
