Top 10 Times Gilmore Girls Tackled Serious Issues
#10: Workplace Abuse at the Gilmore House “I Solemnly Swear”
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It’s obvious that Emily Gilmore has a nasty side, and her housekeepers witness it regularly. The nitpicking and rudeness that we regularly see from the matriarch comes to a head in the third season, when she’s slapped with a lawsuit by a former employee. The offense? Emily fired her for audible “clomping.” Lorelai must participate in a deposition and toes the line of incriminating her mother, but the storyline’s overall tone is humorous. Even so, Emily’s pattern of misremembering her employees’ names, working them to the bone, and terminating them for dubious reasons is no laughing matter.
#9: Luke & Anna’s Custody Battle “To Whom It May Concern”
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Season 6 of “Gilmore Girls” is full of drama, but one of its biggest bombshells is the revelation of Luke’s daughter April. After April’s mother Anna makes plans to move herself and her daughter out of state, Luke seeks to assert his decision-making rights. This conflict leads to a legal battle between the two parents that lasts for multiple episodes, and in one instance requires Lorelai to draft a reference for her ex-boyfriend. Tensions between Luke and Anna are serious, as are the case’s implications for his life and relationships. Although he wins joint custody before too long, it’s obvious that this feud could have taken a nasty turn.
#8: Rory Drops Out of College “A House Is Not a Home”
After a tumultuous conclusion to her school year, Rory makes the controversial decision to drop out of Yale. Although Lorelai is usually a supportive parent and tends to meet her daughter in the middle, she strongly opposes the move. Uncharacteristically, she even appeals to her parents for help with getting Rory back on track. Things go off the rails once Emily and Richard decide to back their granddaughter’s plan, though. Dropping out of school is never an easy choice, and when “Gilmore Girls” depicts it, things are as dramatic as can be. As stressful as the saga is, though, it’s fascinating for bringing out sides of both Lorelai and Rory that we haven’t yet seen.
#7: Mrs. Kim Kicks Lane Out “In the Clamor and the Clangor”
Lane Kim’s relationship with her mother isn’t always the happiest. As the teenager increasingly explores her love of rock music, it leads to friction at home and decisions like sneaking out to attend a gig. This tension culminates when Mrs. Kim snoops in her daughter’s room and discovers a variety of personal belongings that don’t mesh with her values. In a heartbreaking turn of events, Mrs. Kim draws a hard line in the sand. Lane goes on to take refuge with Rory before moving in with her bandmates, marking a period of estrangement from her mother. Although the Kims do later repair their relationship, their separation marks one of the most dramatic and downright sad episodes in the show’s history.
#6: Rory Is Sentenced to Community Service “New and Improved Lorelai”
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Rory’s third boyfriend, the uber-rich and free-spirited Logan Huntzberger, is sometimes considered a bad influence on her. But one of Rory’s most questionable decisions is actually of her own design. After a crushing professional encounter with her boss — Logan’s father Mitchum — Rory deals with her angst by taking someone else’s boat for a joyride. She subsequently finds out that her good girl image and family connections won’t protect her from the repercussions. Rory’s impulsive move lands her 300 hours of community service, during which time she gets in even more trouble for fighting. It’s a rebellious pattern of behavior we’re not used to seeing from Rory, but it marks a critical, if challenging, step in her personal growth.
#5: Rory Loses Her Virginity (& Dean Cheats) “Raincoats and Recipes”
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A first sexual experience can be an important milestone, and teen shows are no stranger to depicting this moment and all its foibles. Although this event comes up in Paris’s meltdown live on “C-SPAN,” “Gilmore Girls” takes things yet a step further in portraying Rory’s first time. Not only does Rory sleep with her ex-boyfriend Dean Forester, but he’s actually married to Stars Hollow local Lindsay at the time. The affair leads to a huge blow-up between Rory and Lorelai, with the show exploring the unique significance it carries for each Gilmore. Although the pair can sometimes come off more like friends than family, this is a time when their mother-daughter dynamic comes out in full force.
#4: Emily Grieves Richard “Winter”
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In “Gilmore Girls,” we see Richard’s health land him in the hospital on two separate — and very scary — occasions. In “A Year In the Life,” though, we find Emily a widow and seriously lost in Richard’s absence. Without her longtime husband, the Gilmore matriarch is no longer driven to maintain the routine and habits that were once of the utmost importance to her. It’s devastating to see Emily’s pain and her sudden disengagement from her home, her social affairs, and even her usual way of dressing. Richard’s death also leads to conflict with Lorelai after the latter’s misconduct following his funeral. Losing a partner is one of life’s toughest challenges, and the show depicts it with tenderness and honesty.
#3: Jess Violates Rory's Boundaries “Keg! Max!”
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Especially in relation to Dean, Jess never comes off as an ideal match for Rory. As much as he can be loving, he can also be rash, insensitive, and cold. But things take a turn for the worse at a house party. Rory and Jess share a tense moment where he pressures her into being physically intimate. Without apologizing for his actions, he storms out and eventually gets into a shocking fistfight with Dean. Sexual experiences where consent isn’t granted and instances where boundaries aren’t respected are all too common, and “Gilmore Girls” doesn’t shy away from this reality.
#2: Lorelai & Emily Attend Family Therapy “Spring”
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When she sees her mother going through a hard time following Richard’s passing, Lorelai suggests Emily attend therapy to help talk through her feelings. Emily concedes, and soon manipulates Lorelai into joining her, effectively focusing the sessions on their mother-daughter relationship. The two go over ancient history as old wounds are ripped open once again. Having watched Lorelai’s sometimes toxic dynamic with her mother ebb and flow through seven seasons, it’s intriguing (and exhausting) to see it play out in front of a licensed professional. Although the sessions aren’t always fruitful, the show admirably normalizes seeking help when it’s needed.
#1: Lorelai's Teen Pregnancy “Dear Emily and Richard”
This is the conflict that is at the root of so much of the interfamily dynamics in “Gilmore Girls.” As we see in a flashback episode, Lorelai feels hurt by her parents’ judgement and expectations. On the flip side, the Gilmores feel rejected as caretakers and abandoned by their only child. The two parties can never see eye-to-eye on Lorelai’s departure, and on what course of action would have been best for her and Rory. Although the series begins with the prospect of mending the massive rift between generations, it’s a topic that surfaces time and time again as the family runs into problems. The show is never afraid to tackle deep subjects, and Lorelai’s journey as a young parent and single mother is the ultimate example.
