It’s hard not to love Lorelai – from the first moments of Gilmore Girls, she’s the quirky, cheery, peppy, ever-caffeinated star. And she’s sympathetic, having worked hard to raise her daughter solo, and build a life for the two of them. Overall, her time on Gilmore Girls sees her grow and evolve even further: she repairs her relationship with her family (mostly), manages to find love (after a few false starts), and goes from working for someone else to owning her own inn.
But while these major storylines are playing out, what about the shorter arcs that Lorelai goes through over the course of the show? While most of these were positive, affirming, and made sense for the character, there were more than a few arcs that were just plain bad. Which could the show have done with more of, and which could it have done without?
Best: Dating Alex
Many fans may not even remember this love interest, what with all the Max/Christopher/Luke drama that Lorelai went through, but her brief time dating a guy she met at a business school lecture was actually a fantastic arc for her. The two meet through Sookie at the Learning Center, and then have some great dates where they bond over coffee, single parenthood, and entrepreneurship. The best part of this, though, is that it is one of the few times Lorelai dates without it having to become a huge, engagement-level situation. It’s a truly necessary break from her relationship drama.
Worst: Digger & The New Business
Another short-lived romantic interest of Lorelai’s is Digger – now known as Jason. He becomes Richard’s new business partner in the fourth season, and then starts to date Lorelai. However, from start to finish, this is just awkward. It’s bizarre to see Lorelai actively date her father’s business partner, their relationship is consistently strange, and then it ends with Lorelai dumping Jason for suing her father. It’s out of character for her, but more than that, Richard’s behavior (that led to the lawsuit in the first place) seems out of character for him, too.
Best: Lorelai & Mrs. Kim
Mrs. Kim is definitely not the best-developed character on Gilmore Girls, but the development that she does get comes in her relationship with Lorelai, and it’s wonderful to see. At the start of the series, these two barely speak, despite the fact that their daughters are best friends – and it is clear that Mrs. Kim does not think highly of Lorelai.
However, as time goes by, the two manage to find a bond through the difficulties of being mothers, and having teenage daughters, and it’s a sweet and straightforward friendship development that the show does incredibly well.
Worst: Hating Rory’s Boyfriends
In many ways, Lorelai’s hatred of Jess and Logan makes sense: Jess was a ‘bad boy’ who definitely didn’t treat Rory as well as he could have, and Logan was from her parents’ world, and Lorelai had her own issues with that. However, her obsession with Dean and her dislike of everyone else Rory dated (including, eventually, Dean – when the two got back together) got old, fast. Someone as understanding as Lorelai wouldn’t have quite such a vehement hate on for any guy who crossed Rory’s path, and it was a bit stale to see play out after Jess.
Best: Luke, Of Course
While some fans definitely felt that this story dragged on just a little too long, overall, Luke and Lorelai’s love story was one of the biggest and most satisfying arcs of her character. From their first moments together in the pilot to their marriage in A Year In The Life, there is no doubt that these two are meant to be together. Seeing them grow together (and apart) makes sense for their characters and ends up in a sweet and solid partnership.
Worst: Money Troubles
Initially, Lorelai’s financial situation seems to make sense – she’s worked hard, saved up enough for a house, but doesn’t have the kind of money to afford Chilton or Yale. However, as time goes by, her money makes less and less sense.
She had planned for Harvard and to buy her own inn, but not enough for repairs on her own home. She struggles when it adds to a different storyline, but when money isn’t front and center, she seems to have infinite funds.
Best: Opening Her Own Inn
The finances of the situation aside, Lorelai’s growth from a manager to owner, and the expansion of the Dragonfly as time goes by, is a perfect arc for the character. Her work ethic and ability to go from a maid to an owner makes sense, she has struggles but overcomes them, and from start to finish, this makes sense and is inspiring to watch.
Worst: Dating (& Jilting) Max
Lorelai’s relationship with Max was a mess from the start – and it’s hard to believe that a woman like Lorelai would choose to date her daughter’s teacher in the first place. From there, things just get worse, with Lorelai making a series of increasingly unrealistic and risky decisions. Her choice to run out on Max right before the wedding was just frustrating, and didn’t add much to the character at all.
Best: Developing A Relationship With Her Mother
From the start, Lorelai’s relationship with Emily is complicated, but seeing it grow into a real, adult relationship as the show goes on is one of the most satisfying things about the show. Lorelai initially still acts like a teenager around her mother, complaining to her friends and trying to bail on Friday night dinners, but slowly she starts to see just how much her mother tries, and how she is a complicated woman herself. While Lorelai and Rory are the obvious mother-daughter pairing of the show, Lorelai and Emily are a close second.
Worst: Marrying Christopher
When it comes down to it, Lorelai’s romantic story is essentially her going back and forth between Luke and Christopher – and while a lot of this actually makes sense, given their history, the end of their story is just a little ridiculous. Chris’s proposal and their whirlwind Paris wedding just feels out of character for Lorelai (getting married without Rory is unthinkable), and this arc feels more like something added at the end to create more Luke/Lorelai drama than a legitimate story for its own sake.
