#another one where Lorelai Talks For Rory

[saltygilmores]

Thoughts While Watching Gilmore Girls Season 2, Episode 15, "Lost And Found", Aka The Bracelet Has Breached Containment, Aka BraceletGate, Aka QuarterOnAStringGate, Part 6

Five minutes to go. We've finally arrived at the rotting meat of the episode. Since I won't watch Teach Me Tonight (or the episode that comes after it), this is the last episode for a good long while solely focused on Lorelai Gilmore's paranoia. Thank Gawd. I am drained.I have nothing left in me. She has sucked out my life force the way she sucks the lifeforce out of Dean Forrester. Parts 1-5 (!!) and all other episodes can be found in my pinned post.

Out of context, this looks terribly ominous.

Sweaterpaws.

Jess was seriously going to just go home and not even bother to ask for any money (well, he did say "I'll be back to collect it later, I know where you live", like the old timey Italian mobster he is). But he could have used that $5 (I do wish I could tell how much she's holding). Even though Jess must wait on Lorelai's table at his place of employment at least once a day every single day, I wager this is the first time Lorelai has ever paid him or tipped him squat. The boy was too stunned to speak. Better make sure its not Monopoly money or something.

I love how cautiously he takes it. He's such a smart boy, he knows this is a trap.

Time for my favorite #SadBaby joke, one I made up myself many years ago: Why does Jess Mariano love Santa Claus so much? Because unlike his father, at least Santa Claus visits once a year.

You dropped this, my king.👑 The fact that he's so utterly unbothered by Lorelai, making this a completely one-sided argument by an adult with a minor child will always be hilarious to me. Lorelai: Why would you do this? Oh, the DRAMATICS! I would never be dramatic.

WHATEVER WHATEVER WHATEVER WHATEVER!!! How you like them apples?

"Don't whatever me, you ittle jerk! You let Rory run around PANICKED! Thinking she lost her boyfriend's bracelet! She was MISERABLE! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?"

You ever wonder if Dean Forrester is perched on a rooftop somewhere with a sniper rifle and if Lorelai doesn't say "Dean is great" "Dean is tall and pretty" "Dean is the best lover I've ever had" out loud at least twice a day, it's lights out for her? It's either that or he's blackmailing her and is going to spill their illicit relationship if she doesn't kiss his ass on the regular, or maybe he used some advanced brainwashing techniques on her (this one is highly unlikely, he's barely literate) there are no other possible explanations for this behavior.

Way to go Lorelai, that's four rapid fire lies, exagerrations and falsehoods in the span of mere seconds. I'm impressed. I think Jess has to be dying of laughter on the inside right now listening to this crazy bitch's lunatic rantings. Actualy, in the second picture, from that angle it almost looks like Milo is smiling lol

Baby, you're so smart. I know you didn't finish high school, but you should still win some kind of award for smartness. #AdmireTheBaby

Lorelai can't call Dean "son", it would clash with his other title, "Rory's Future Stepfather."

Lorelai's face after Jess pointed out Rory didn't miss the bracelet for two weeks. SHE KNOWS HE'S RIGHT. Come on, just admit this kid is right and we can move on with our lives!

Lorelai goes back to the living room to contemplate how Jess Mariano is right about everything all the time.

Okay, since we know Luke isn't getting a new apartment, I'm intrigued. Ahhh, a second Nuclear Luke rant in one episode! It almost makes up for the rotting meat of the previous scene. "Taylor is systematically buying up the whole town! He's gonna turn it into Taylorville! Everyone will wear cardigans and have the same grass height! He's gonna buy the building next to the diner and turn it into a plate shop for freaks without enough brainpower to buy stamps! I walked around in a blind rage. I was crazy. I bought one of those Belgian waffles with the ice cream dipped in chocolate. But I didn't eat it, I'm upset, not suicidal." LMAAAAAO. Oh Luke Danes, I love you so fucking much. "I had your voice going around and around in my head, I heard you saying, "take a chance Luke, make a move! Can't have a single bed! So I bought the building!" Told you Lorelai's nagging wields tremendous power, leading men to emotional and financial ruin.

For a few brief moments, Lorelai is the voice of reason and rationality. She suggests he could back out of the purchase, or barring that, expand the diner or rent the building to someone Taylor really hates, which is an idea I could get behind. Luke has 100k to spend on real estate, huh. I've said this before, I envision an au where Luke signs the paperwork to just get Jess his own seperate apartment. Even he had to wait until his 18th birthday. Jess could contribute to some of the rent and bills and Luke could pick up the rest. Everyone would be happy. I just want Jess to thrive and be happy. I'm going to imagine him thriving and happy.

A moment later, Lorelai is back to her old self. Holy hell, woman. The fuck is wrong with you? Poor Rory! Can Luke front some of that 100k to pay for Rory's future therapy bills, that she'll surely need after the damage you've caused?

I honestly have no idea what the fuck she's talking about. When have they been "thrown together"? When you think about it, Rory and Jess so far have had minimal interaction aside from some brief conversations, the majority of which Lorelai isn’t even aware of, and we're 10 episodes in after Jess' arrival. Do you mean the Bracebridge Dinner? The thing you set up and invited him to? Literally, Lorelai doesn't even know that Rory and Jess interacted in her backyard this afternoon. Or do you mean the picnic basket auction? Where Jess committed the unspeakable crime of having lunch with Rory?

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? Luke thinks Rory and Jess would make a good pair. Lorelai is so in awe of the power of Jess Mariano that she fears coupling him with her daughter might rip a hole in the very fabric of space and time.

Luke is my favorite Literati shipper.

"If Rory dates Jess, my shnooky-ukkums Dean will stop coming over to my house. Jess Mariano must die."

At least the last minute of the episode brings us one of the most splendid endings in Gilly Girls history.

Promotional poster for my horror movie called The Hollow: Luke Danes' Revenge. He's got a sledgehammer, a troubled nephew, and a thirst for Taylor Doose's blood.

I LOVE how hard Milo flinched when the hammer went through the wall. THIS EPISODE IS OVER. I SURVIVED THE ENTIRE THING. Where's my cookie?!

[thefirst3chapters]

Unpopular opinion (maybe): Luke's ultimatum at the end of Season 3 inadvertently reinforced Jess's choices that stopped him from finishing high school in the first place.

Disclaimer: The intent here isn't to attack Luke for how he handled things. The overall effect of Luke's presence in Jess's life is undoubtedly positive and instrumental to where Jess ended up. Luke was put in an unfair position that he wasn't prepared for, he genuinely cared and tried his best with the knowledge he had, and it would have been well within his rights to say no to Liz to begin with or to Jess when he came back after the car accident.

From what Jess tells Rory in "Teach Me Tonight," it sounds like he never had much academic support from adults, which is of course why Rory's belief in him will end up meaning so much. Details about Jess's childhood that are revealed once Liz is around suggest that Jess didn't have trustworthy adults in his life and had to learn how to be self-sufficient early. Even though we as the audience can see that Luke is responsible and trustworthy through his own actions and his relationships with people who have known him for many years, Jess doesn't have the same history with him, and it can take a long, long time to unlearn those survival instincts. Additionally, Jess's Walmart manager, as gregarious and pro-corporate as he seems to be, doesn't appear to engage in the practice of pressuring introverts to socialize (which happened to Rory at Chilton) and allows Jess to do something constructive and work toward a tangible reward. Some people get these benefits from going to school, but Jess didn't. Then there's a layer of youthful hubris here because Jess really did seem to think that he could manage all of this and go to school just enough to graduate based on what he tells Rory in S3 E17, Luke in S3 E18, and the principal in S3 E19. With of all this information in mind, it's really not surprising that Jess would prioritize work above school. His logic is self-destructive but understandable, and his fatal flaw ends up being that he committed to more responsibilities than a person could reasonably handle. This isn't the standard media portrayal of ditching school.

Luke's approach to being Jess's guardian is fairly hands-off. After Luke's "laying down the law" talk in the first episode Jess is in, the only requirement we see enforced is that Jess has to work at the diner, which Jess complies with. Luke didn't know Jess was working at Walmart at all until Jess bought his car, he didn't know Jess was eventually working more than full-time hours, and he didn't know Jess was missing as much school as he was. (This last one suggests a significant oversight at the school, which is another story.) When the extent of Jess's work hours is brought to his attention and Lorelai speculates about what is going on, he tells Lorelai that there is no way Jess would skip school and doesn't investigate further. When he realizes Jess is working some days instead of going to school, he offers to pay Jess more at the diner (and later steals his car) to prevent him from working at Walmart (the place he worked before he had a car to earn the money to buy it???) but doesn't press him about what is really going on.

So after all of that, it turns out Jess didn't go to school enough to graduate. Luke does give Jess the option to stay in Stars Hollow and keep going to school, but I could never blame someone for not being able to have a rational conversation immediately after a stranger randomly shows up, claims paternity, and runs out. The emotional damage of that incident really can't be divorced from what happens here. Luke is of course also in crisis mode. Jess didn't graduate because he worked too much, so now he's in a position where his consequence is to keep doing what got him into trouble, only this time he doesn't have anyone looking after him. This isn't what Luke is intending, but his ultimatum basically reinforces Jess's mindset of prioritizing work (i.e. short-term financial security) above school and his reluctance to trust other people, and it reinforces Jess's family history (ironically not including Luke) of abandoning difficult situations (in this case, the aftermath of the fight with Dean) and relationships (in this case, Rory) instead of facing them. Jess ends up on his own with the money he had from work that he was saving for a different car, so he probably thinks it's a good thing he worked as much as he did, and he ends up without adult guidance or restrictions to help him sort all this out and repair the harm he caused. This could have turned out much more darkly than it did, and it's really a miracle that Jess got to where he was by the time he was 21.

When Jess is with Jimmy in California, he acknowledges that he's failed and doesn't know where to go from there. It probably isn't outlandish to think that Jess was earning more as a full-time forklift driver than what he is earning during Season 4. Factoring in the lower cost of living in Stars Hollow or somewhere nearby compared to New York, he probably could have been able earn a decent living if he stayed at Walmart (even if he wouldn't have been better off in the long run). That's probably why Luke's "I'm sorry I didn't think driving a forklift for the rest of your life was good enough for you" stung. It was likely a much better situation than whatever Jess is in mid-Season 4.

In late Season 4, Jess seems resigned to where he is. He doesn't complain or blame anyone else for his circumstances, even when Luke repeatedly mocks him in New York. (Even mid-Season 4, Jess doesn't express anger toward Luke about anything other than Luke stealing his car until Luke provokes him multiple times.) Maybe Jess was already thinking about writing a book or studying for a GED during Season 4, but his posture and mannerisms seem to suggest defeat more than anything else. At this point, Jess might not be envisioning anything other than what he has. It is only after Luke accepts Jess for who he is, and stops seeing him as a failed project, ("You are who you are. I cannot change that, and I'm going to stop trying.") that Jess really starts to move forward. Although Luke isn't even very positive in how he says this, it's still the sort of affirmation Jess always needed and maybe never received from a family member before. Then, he's honest with Luke about his emotions, he's receptive to Luke's advice, he expresses appreciation for what Luke did for him, he offers Luke a way to stay in contact, and he makes a commitment to pay him back even though Luke says he doesn't have to do so. He tries (and fails, for the time being) to make amends with Rory, and after all of these things happen, he progresses into the version of himself that returns in Season 6. Jess pursues a path that Luke doesn't quite understand but has accepted and is proud of (it's also a path that Rory does understand and is proud of, and both forms of support are so important).

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

I Am All In Rewatch - Episode 1x14 (Part 2)

And this one it required a little it required another layer where it was sort of like, now you have to show that you're interested, that you really want her, but you know, be a little bit secretive about it, so it's not so super obvious and it doesn't turn her off. And and uh, that's what I enjoyed about it. It It was that sort of banter, that going back and forth. I mean he would go from dismissive to kind of relaxed and accepting to a little bit of a smile, like just like that, and then move in for a kiss and get interrupted and and then take you know, I liked that hit of beer I took when she left. I was like, jeez, I need a drink. I almost kissed her. It's like almost and denied again. I mean that's the second or third time he's been denied by an annoying town member...The universe conspiring against me. [The chemistry is so palpable. It's just so cool. And are you feeling that when you're acting those scenes, almost like you get pumped up by it? What does that feel like when you're just ping ponging and having those scenes? What is that like?] It feels great? It's fun it yeah, it feels like a couple of tennis players playing a nice point, you know, just like hitting the ball, hitting shots, hitting shots. But I think it's because I think that relationship works. And this is this is what is dawning on me a little bit here as I watched these episodes, is that Lorelai's a very rebellious personality. She just is and that's why we love her because she's unpredictable and she's rebellious and you never know what's going to come out of her mouth, but you know it's going to be something funny, or it's going to be something a little bit of reverend and that kind of a thing. And she does it in the in the in the beginning the dinner scene again, which I thought was just brilliant hysterical...When she encounters me, she's encountering somebody who is even more rebellious and more irreverence, so it almost makes her look and feel lighter. it's a good it's a good chemistry because I'm a sort of a darker, heavier presence, but still rebellious and irreverent with a heart not like her. She's got a heart for everybody. I've got a heart for her and Rory, and that's pretty much about it, you know. So I'm very limited in how I can use my heart. So it's like, you know, the chemistry is that she's going to be able to focus her heart maybe on me in a romantic way, and that she will open up my heart so I can lighten up and love other people as well as her. So I think that's the the sort of yang yin and the yang of it. -Scott

Um, but you know, it was just more of the tension, the sexual tension that was playing out. It's kind of the dance that they do before the consummation end. And that she convinced him to do it, and that she right, that was pretty major and it's such an excuse for them to spend all this time together. Had he not felt a certain depth of feeling for her, there's no way he would have agreed to that. And she handled it, uh, with real finesse. She was very careful about it, even to the point where she said, well, we're not going to paint over that that order that your father scribbled down. We'll do it the right way. So yeah, he was just like, man, I just want to kiss her. I just want to kiss her. I just want to kiss her. I just want to kiss her. I mean, he wants to kiss us so bad it pisses him off. That's probably why he's cranky all the time. You know, it's like he just wants to plant one on her. Man, he wants her. It's getting pretty good. Yeah, so we saw, you know, we saw, we got to see other parts of the diner in some detail and even talk about some of the things that were up on the shelves that he was in no way, shape or form going to give in on and getting rid of them at her request. There was no way. It was like, I'm I'm gonna let you do this painting thing, but you know, you're not going to change me completely. So it was like pretty much telling her, we get into a relationship, I'm willing to sort of compromise with you, but not 100%. So he's his own man. He's his own guy, you know, and he's i think entering a relationship or potentially in any relationship, you've got to establish the ground rules that yeah, I'll meet you halfway, but that's it, you know. So he's a he's a hardass. He wants her, but he's a hard ass for sure. He's as strong as she is. He's as tough as she is. I think she yeah, I think she likes the fact that he's never going to change and that she can't change him very much, you know, that's the that's this, that's how I approached it. I wanted him to be a rock of Gibraltar. He's got to be the rock he can't break ever. -Scott

[starstruckunknown-princess]

Zinnia - Jess Mariano x Reader

Zinnia (Zinnia) - Everlasting friendship, sentimentality

Summary: Jess is back in Stars Hollow and meets the reader for coffee. It's like he never left.

Pairing: Jess Mariano x Reader

Word Count: 1573

Warnings: Post-YiTL, nicknames "killer" and "trouble", Rory had a daughter, slight Logan-bashing, unrequited feelings, long-term friendships, small town adorableness, fluff

Day 11 is incredibly fluffy, so I hope you've got something to wash it down! May I suggest a cup of coffee? Or several?

In Bloom Masterlist

Likes, Comments, and Reblogs are SUPER appreciated! ❤️

While you and Jess hadn’t always been the best at keeping track of each other, you knew whenever the two of you got together you would pick up right where you left off, like no time at all had passed. 

You waited at Weston’s Bakery, nibbling on your danish and sipping your coffee when the bell above the door rang. You turned and smiled at Jess, who skipped past the line to meet you for a hug. 

“Hey, killer,” he said, squeezing extra tight for a second and making you laugh. 

“Hey, trouble,” you responded, squeezing back. The two of you leaned back, taking one another in. Even though it had only been a few months since you last saw him, he’d gotten a haircut and grown out his stubble into a delectable beard. His dark eyes sparkled at you and you felt a blush rise in your cheeks. 

“I’m gonna get coffee, you want anything?” he said, shucking off his coat and putting his laptop bag on the floor. 

“A refill would be great,” you said, handing him your empty mug. He hooked it around his finger and nodded. While he walked away, you couldn’t help but watch how the fabric of his shirt shifted over his incredible torso. 

He got in line and caught you staring, making you stare down at the remains of your danish. The door bell rang again and a little blonde girl ran in, followed shortly by her mother, Rory Gilmore. 

The little girl clocked you sitting nearby and ran over, arms outstretched. “Book Lady!” 

“Hey, Emily,” you said, accepting the girl’s hug. Since she was a baby, Rory had brought Emily in for your weekly storytime, and usually a few times a week. You’d even babysat on the rare occasion that Lorelai and Luke couldn’t. “How are you?” 

Emily’s bright blue eyes lit up and she started talking about her school and what fun books she was reading. It didn’t escape your notice that Rory and Jess were engaged in their own conversation, which made your breath catch unconsciously. 

As Jess’s only Stars Hollow High friend, you had witnessed his relationship with the brilliant Gilmore girl firsthand. You’d also been harboring your own crush on the rebellious Jess at the time, but he never seemed to notice. In college you’d moved on, had a few relationships, one even getting engagement-level-serious. 

But old habits die hard, which you saw in how Jess and Rory interacted with each other. He said something that made her laugh and put a graceful hand on his arm. Your crush on Jess had never truly abated and if the tight feeling in your throat was any indication it was coming back full-force.

“Miss Book Lady? Did you hear me?” Emily asked and you turned your attention back to the girl. 

“Sorry, Emily, what did you say?” 

“I asked if you had any books on mummies! Mommy and Gramma and I watched the Mummy movie last night even though Papa Luke said it was too scary for me and now I wanna know more!” 

You couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. “I do have books on mummies, tell your mom to bring you by this week sometime and I’ll show you.” 

“Thank you!” Emily said, dashing back to her mom. Jess had ordered and was heading back toward you with two steaming mugs, one he placed in front of you before snatching your danish and taking a large bite out of it. 

“Hey! That’s mine!”

“I’ll get you another one,” he said with a devious smirk, brushing the crumbs off his fingers. “So how’ve you been?” 

“Good! The book store is keeping me busy. I did get a reprimand from Taylor last month when I put up a display of true crime books.” 

“Really? ”

“Yeah, he said I shouldn’t be encouraging the people of Stars Hollow to read about upsetting crimes lest they start committing them here.” 

“Sounds like Taylor,” Jess smiled, taking a sip of his coffee. You opened your mouth to continue, but Emily’s voice and the bell ringing interrupted you. 

“Bye Book Lady!” she shouted across the bakery, waving wildly as Rory tried to usher her out. You waved back. 

“Emily seems fond of you,” Jess said. 

You nodded, “Well with how often she and Rory are at the store it was kind of inevitable.” You took a large sip of coffee. “Anything…happen, there? With you two?” 

Jess’s head dropped between his shoulders momentarily before he met your eyes from under his brow. “There might’ve been a thing, but that was…years ago. A quick relapse before Emily came along.”

“Since then?”

“Nah, not since then. I think we both realized our time had passed. And then she told me she was a few months pregnant and it was Logan’s, which was the final nail in the coffin.” 

You hummed in agreement. You’d only met Logan a few times when he’d accomapnied Emily and Rory to story time, but he left a bad taste in your mouth. He was too slick, like everything just rolled off his back. Partnered with his air of superiority and the way he called your shop “little” and “charming” in a condescending tone, you could understand why Jess wanted no part in that situation. 

“How about you?” he asked, leaning back in his chair with an air of faux-casualness. 

“You mean have I ever hooked up with Rory? Far as I know, she’s straight, so no.” You joked, making Jess laugh. 

“Not what I meant, but thanks for the visual. I meant do you have anyone special? Boyfriend, girlfriend, et cetera?” 

“Not since Joe Mangianello got that restraining order.”

“So that’s a no?” 

“Why the sudden interest in my love life or, more accurately, lack thereof?” 

“I’ve got some news.” 

“News that could impact my lack of love life?” You gasped theatrically, “Is Joe rescinding the restraining order?” 

“I’m moving back to Stars Hollow.” 

“Really?” You were delighted, to say the least. The idea of having Jess around all the time made you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 

“Yeah, my mom and TJ could use the extra help now that Doula is a teenager and the jewelery store is taking off. So I used my last book advance to put a down payment on that little house over on Elm.” 

This time, your gasp was quieter and much more genuine. 

The little house on Elm was one that you’d always wanted. A small English-style cottage with large windows and stone accents on the exterior, along with a well-tended flower garden in the front yard. The inside was warm, an original working fireplace in the living room and original dark wood built-ins. You’d gotten to see the inside a few times when Mrs. Becker had invited you for tea, but she didn’t want to leave the house while she was still mobile so your hopes of one day buying it were dashed. 

“I didn’t even know that house was on the market! What about Mrs. Becker?” You asked. 

“I may have asked Taylor to let me know if that house ever went on sale in exchange for a donation to the Stars Hollow Historical Society. Mrs. Becker is moving into a senior community, so Taylor called me last week.” Jess confessed, his cheeks pinkening a bit. 

“But, why would you want that house? You’re a freewheeling Philly literati type, not the settle-down-buy-a-house-in-a-small-town type.” You were confused by him buying a house in the town he claimed to hate, the town he left twice. 

Your confusion only deepened when Jess reached across the table and took your hand in his, stroking his thumb along the ridge of your knuckles. His touch felt electric and yet, safe all at the same time. He ducked his head a little to catch your eyes with his. 

“Remember when we would sneak out at night? Every time we passed that house you said it was the one you always wanted.” 

“So you bought it out from under me? Scoundrel!” you accused jokingly, and he squeezed your fingers in his. 

“No, but the last few years I started thinking about the people I could really count on, you know, the ones I knew would always be in my life and other than Luke and my family, the only person who came to mind was…you.” 

His gaze was so earnest, so open and honest that it made your heart stutter in your chest. What was he saying? 

“And since you and Luke and Liz, TJ, and Doula all live here, I figured it was time to come back. I can write from anywhere, and I’m sure Luke could use some help around the diner if I need the cash.” 

“But, Jess-” 

“And I think it’s about time I show the girl who would sneak out of her house with me in the middle of the night on a school night how I feel about her.” 

“How you…what?” Your head was spinning. After all these years, had you both finally come full circle? 

“I, uh, I want to give us a try. If that’s what you want, too, of course,” Jess said lowly, to not attract too much attention in the busy bakery. 

You had to bite your lower lip to keep from beaming like a complete fool. Turning your wrist, you laced your fingers between Jess’s. 

“Yeah, Jess, I’d really like that.” 

[theonethatwatchesalotofshows]

It's 12 am where I am but I need to once again rant about Gilmore Girls:

I think the major flaw with Lorelai's parenting isn't that she is "the cool mom" I think it's that she wants to have her cake and eat it too. She wants to have it both ways- be a fun chill and relaxed parent unlike her boring and uptight mother but at the same time have a perfect kid that does everything she wants and goes to the #1 university in the world. Basically she just wanted a perfect relationship with a perfect kid. That doesn't exist though. That's why Lorelai was always acting super chill and like a gal pal with Rory until suddenly she wasn't and pulled a mom card, which Rory didn't expect and never reacted to well. Take the first date with Dean - Lorelai is there "as a friend" but friends don't give each other's boyfriends the "everyone is watching you, if you break her heart I will kill you, there is a curfew and you're not allowed to have sex" talk (at least mine aren't to my knowledge). Same with the pilot, Rory tells Lorelai she doesn't want to go to Chilton anymore and expect Lorelai to be chill because "their house is a democracy" after all, but Lorelai decides to be a mom in that moment.

I do understand though why Lorelai wanted to raise Rory the way she did. Not wanting to end up like Emily was one factor (she did end up like Emily just in a cooler package) but I think another one was that being a teen mom, Lorelai was alienated from her peers. They were going to prom and applying to colleges while she was breastfeeding and changing diapers, so they became unrelatable to her. On the other hand the other parents were too old and unrelatable to her. She cut ties with her family that she never got along with in the first place. She didn't have a partner and probably didn't get to date much either so her whole life just revolved around Rory. That's why before she became friends with Sookie she relied on Rory for her social life and made her her best friend. However she was forced to pull a mom card once in a while which made Rory confused and that's how we ended up here.

[frazzledsoul]

The early Gilmore Girls backstory about how much contact Rory had with Christopher makes no sense. Christopher fans and Lorelai detractors claim that she ran (thirty minutes) away and didn't tell Christopher where she went and he had no clue where she was for years....yet Rory recognized him when he shows up, he knows how to get to Stars Hollow, and we're told that Rory sees him on holidays. Only on holidays? Why, yes, because he has never visited Stars Hollow even though Rory has lived there for a decade and a half. I guess he just sees Rory in Hartford? Again, Stars Hollow is THIRTY MINUTES AWAY. This cannot be that hard.

We're also told that he calls once a week, which seems unusual given that he only sees Rory a few times a year and won't actually go near her house. That's the kind of arrangement you have with a parent you have semi-regular visits with, not someone you see twice a year and who (probably) doesn't pay a dime in child support. Yet when Lorelai is engaged to Max for an entire summer he doesn't know until right before the wedding. He's calling every week and it NEVER comes up? This seems unlikely. Then his number gets randomly disconnected and it turns out he moved across the country to settle down with Sherry and never gave Rory or Lorelai his new number. Again, he talks to them every week and he never mentioned he was thinking of doing this? All summer? Three months, twelve phone calls, it never comes up? And he doesn't tell them his new number until after the fact?

Then a few months later Christopher calls to ask if Rory can spend part of the holidays with him and Lorelai delays telling Rory about it (the one time she actively does anything to "keep" Rory from Christopher). Rory asks if Christopher has called Lorelai and mentions that he always checks in at this time of year. Okay, so he's not calling every week, then?

None of this makes any sense unless you figure "every week" is a gross exaggeration and maybe Christopher checks in every couple of months at the most. And to point it out once again: Lorelai tells Christopher in that first episode that the door's always been held open to Rory, he just hasn't tried to use it, and he agrees...she also tells Rory that Christopher is going to come and go as he pleases and they just have to deal with it (actually, you don't, not if you make him pay child support, have regular visits, and set some boundaries with him. But that's another issue).

[mazzystar24]

i feel like you’re the right audience for this but i’m rewatching gilmore girls and buck and eddie are so luke and lorelai coded sometimes. christopher is rory and shannon is christopher (sorry shannon i love you). ana is max medina.

BABE YOU HAVE DEFINITELY REACHED THE RIGHT AUDIENCE ISTG I THINK I MADE LIKE 167283 POSTS ABOUT THIS

Like eventhough Chris is Rory in this situation I feel like buck is more loralie and Eddie is way more luke, so like plot wise it’s the other way but dynamic and character wise DEFINITELY Luke=Eddie and loralie= buck

Like there is something about the yapper/ fond of the yapper, the one who believes in fate and the universe/ the one who thinks it’s all bs, sunshine/ grumpy, needs attention to survive/doesn’t like attention dynamic that is just RIGHT

Plus like loralie- fucked up and complicated relationship with her parents where she never felt seen by them, troublemaker when she was younger, has a tendency to make things about her/ take things personally, kinda needy and like loves attention, yapper, adhd coded in my opinion, ran away from home at a young age to then find herself in another place and build this sort of found family dynamic, emotional attachment to a jeep, has a tendency to sometimes get control freak, micromanaging mode

All of which are very buck things

And Eddie is so luke for obvious reasons like the sort of need to kinda drag things out of him a little more, endlessly fond and supportive, would rather die than talk about his feelings, like just that sturdy energy idk

And rip Shannon but I have mixed feelings about you and you do fit the Christopher role: like left their kids with no contact✅technically has like a reason of being young scared etc but still went NO CONTACT WITH THEIR CHILD✅ their love interest romanticises their relationship eventhough in reality it’s not a good relationship ✅

Also omg Rory as Chris just works so well cos it’s like that smart beyond their years and supportive energy (cough cough both had a player era too)

I see your Ana as max and I raise you Tommy as Rachel, nothing overtly wrong but they’re just not the right person (if he has the Rachel send off I’d die of joy)

TAYLOR IS JASON (digger) LIKE THE SAME ENERGY OF BEING A BIT COLD AND CLOSED OFF AND SHIT AND THEN BETRAYING THEIR TRUST BY HURTING THEIR FAMILY - actually depending on how Tommy goes his personality also fits Jason too like the kinda closed off energy works

Marisol is Nicole cos Nicole pisses me off 🙄 (like we haven’t seen Marisol enough for me to hate her but you know what edy made me hate her because seeing her face and hearing her voice actually physically makes me vomit) but like lbr personality of a wet towel, underdeveloped, moved very quickly then moved back then moved quick again then imploded

Omg tho if we get any form of luke and loralie build to buddie I would love it like I made a post before about the “I feel like I’m never gonna have it- the whole package” “you will” “you don’t know that, how do you know that” “ I just do” conversation but also the luke and loralie first kiss would be so scrumptious for buddie

I’m gonna shut up now cos I feel like I yapped too much but yes I love you sm because you absolutely clocked me right with this ask

[ivypost]

Rory ships

Every Rory ship and my take on them.

Dean was the best first love Rory could have ever asked for, he was such a sweet little boy throughout season 1. My favorite parts had to be the ones where he'd hangout with lorelai and rory and meet rory at the bus station in the morning. He did get kinda toxic though, like the part where he didn't care about her going to Harvard and then the other part where they have this conversation about being a domestic housewife from the tv show they watched the other night and he tells her she only thinks that way because her mom does and a whole bunch of other crap lol. Maybe he had a point in what he was trying to say but he conveyed it in the worst possible way and then he hit an all time low after rory met jess. and then there is the part after their breakup and how he cheated on his wife but that discussion is for another time.

Then there's my guy Jess. I would have loved jess so much if only the guy knew how to communicate. Rory and Jess had the best Chemistry, and they shared similar interests and hobbies. I loved the whole Cliche bad boy vibe they had going haha. But then can we please take a minute to talk about the MAN that jess became. He had the best redemption arc in the whole show and he was just too good for rory at that point LMAO. Jess saw rory on a deeper lever for who she really was and you can really see that in the "whY did you drOp out of yAle" scene. Overall rory and jess give off major 'right person wrong time' vibes.

Logan was fine i guess, Their relationship was mature and understanding and everything with them was more real. My favorite part was the life and death brigade. Logan was always there for rory and called her out on her bullshit when he had to. I liked that they had a stark difference in their personalities and they still made it work out. i like how he quite literally changed for rory. Logan's worst part has to be that part where he cheated on her with his sister's friends when he 'thought' they had broken up when they were only on a break. thats just straight up wrong, no excuses. When rory was with logan she was chilton-rory no more and she was very problematic at this point too, If anything, i am surprised their relationship lasted how long it did. But the way they're both a bit problematic gives off made for each other vibes TT.

Thank you for listening to my ted talk and goodnight beautiful people of tumblrtown.

[ilovedumboys]

i saw you love gilmore girls and so do i! would you do a imagine where like in season five, rory sees logan with that other girl while shopping with lorelai? rory and logan established that their “relationship” had no “strings attached”, yet it took a great toll on her. i was thinking, y/n as rory is really sad about seeing mattheo (as logan) with some other girl so she confines with her best friend pansy. happy ending where mattheo says he could learn to be a good boyfriend? thank youu!

I FOUND MY PEOPLE OMG MATTHEO PLUS GILMORE GIRLS UGHH also there is a lot of dialogue I pulled from Gilmore girls so mattheo is the bold :))

Mattheo and Y/n have been messing around for four weeks now, but keeping it casual. She knows they aren't official yet, but she wants them to be. Mattheo is all she can think about. So naturally she tells her best friend all about it. Y/n and Pansy are walking down the street of hogsmeade, and she's telling her everything.

"I just hope he doesn't get bored. I mean I'm not sleeping with him, at least not until he'll date me. Is that extra?" Pansy rips a piece of pretzel off, handing it to her. "No, it's self control, it shows that you don't just give it away." She says, stuffing a peice of pretzel in her mouth.

Y/n swats pansy to get her attention, the both of them looking over Mattheo and another girl sitting together in the three broomsticks, her playfully twirling his hair while he talks. "pans..." she says, her voice breaking. "god I'm such an idiot." she mutters, making her way down the street, back to the portkey to Hogwarts. Pansy runs after her. "babe, come on" she yells, but y/n ignores her. "Y/n..." pansy cooes, holding her hand.

They get back to their dorm, and pansy sits with her, painting her nails while Y/n rants. Then an owl pecks at the window, and Y/n stands up, opening it. A letter is dropped into her hand, and the owl flies away. "Its a letter from mattheo, he wants me to meet him at the astronomy tower." she murmurs. "Go!" pansy says, pushing her towards her closet. "and change you look like a mad woman."

Y/n walks up the stairs off the astronomy tower, her hands shaking with anxiety. "Mattheo?" she yells, looking around for him. "Hey, Y/n." he says, coming out from a corner. "Matty we need to talk..." she says, looking into his eyes.

"what's wrong?" he asks, stepping forward. "I um, I don't think I can see you anymore, or whatever we're doing." She says quickly, running a hand through her hair nervously. "Why, I thought we were fine?" he says, his voice laced with nervousness that his face doesn't show. "This casual dating thing, it's not who I am, and because I saw you today, with another girl, plus I haven't heard from you in a week." Mattheo shakes his head. "I was busy, I had some friends to catch up with and-" She cuts him off. "you know what, it doesn't matter, you're not my boyfriend you don't owe me any explanations, I just don't want to be one of the many anymore."

"Y/n come on." He says squinting slightly, seemingly examining her face. "Why are we done here?" he asks. She looks back up "I've said everything i have to say." He stuffs his hands in his pockets, looking upset. "Which is what?" "I'm a girlfriend girl, mattheo. I have boyfriends, not escorts." he paces slightly. "ah" "I thought I could be different but I can't, I'm sorry, maybe we can just go back to being friends again." Mattheo looks mad, running a hand through his hair. "or maybe we can become boyfriend and girlfriend, right?" "What?" "I get it, I get what you're doing." Y/n rolls her eyes. "I'm not doing anything." "Hey if that's what you want just come out and say it okay, but you coming in here and issuing an ultimatum?" "There's no ultimatum!" he paces before getting closer to her.

There is a few moments of silence, his breath heavy. "alright fine, I'll do it." She looks into his eyes. "Do what?" "I'll be your boyfriend." "You can't be my boyfriend." "Why not?" He raises his voice. "Because you told me you can't be my boyfriend." "If I say I can then I can..." "you have a 100 girls on speed dial. You keep your options open, very open." "That doesn't matter, you came in here saying you're unhappy with the situation right?" "Right.." "Yes, right, Ive fixed the situation." "You're not a boyfriend guy I get that it's fine!" She says, not wanting to argue. "Y/n, do you really wanna stop seeing me?" She pauses. "No but I can't-" "cause I don't wanna stop seeing you." "Okay, but" "So then except what I'm saying. I don't like trying new things, new is different, but I can do it." "Are you sure?"

He grabs her waist, her hand on the back of her head. He kisses her deeply, pulling away and looking into her eyes. "I know you can do that, but." he cuts her off with another kiss. "Then believe me." He pulls away but his hands never leave her waist. "We're starting again, new beginning." "okay." she smiles. "I'm an excellent boyfriend." he says kissing her again. "I agree, but do you wanna tell that girl you were with earlier that?" "Oh she'll figure it out soon enough." "Better not treat me like that." "oh never, you're my girlfriend now."

[sourcherryandsprinkles]

Hi!!! Can you do a Jess Mariano fic where they are a couple and she’s a Gilmore. Maybe she show Lorelei why she’s in live with Jess?? Thanks for your fics:)))

-

Lorelai’s head snapped up when you mentioned Jess and boyfriend in the same sentence, forgetting about the take out styrofoam before her.

‘’Wow wow, let’s rewind, missy. Jess as in Jess Mariano, Luke’s nephew?’’

You hummed, chewing your bite of pasta.

You had been dreading telling your mom about Jess and your’s new relationship status, knowing she would immediately disapprove. She’s always had a low opinion of him and you doubted she would ever change her mind — even if you told her you loved him.

‘’I visited him in Philadelphia with Rory last month for his book release,’’ you explained, an absentminded smile curling on your lips at the thought of Jess. ‘’We spent the whole afternoon talking and it was like we never lost contact. We caught up on life, and one thing led to another. I ended up driving to Philadelphia again the following weekend.’’

You spared her the moment he chased after you down the street because he thought it would be his last time seeing you and kissed you on the sidewalk. The rom-com moment will forever be engraved in your mind.

‘’No,’’ Lorelai interrupted. ‘’I’m not letting this happen.’’

‘’Letting what happen? Me and Jess?’’

‘’Yes.’’

‘’Sorry to break it to you, Mom, but you don’t really have a say. Maybe you could control my life when I was sixteen, but I’m an adult now and I get to choose who I date, who I give my heart to.’’

‘’He’s not right for you,’’ she said, recycling her speech from years ago. ‘’He wasn’t when he got shipped here three years ago and I doubt he had a 360 personality change. End of conversation. The food is gonna get cold.’’

It felt wrong to stand up to your mother, you hated fighting with her, but you wouldn’t let her dictate what was right or not for you. You felt like the protagonist of a romance novel — having to fight for your love. Perhaps you should see it as a compliment, all the great love stories had to fight to be together.

You put your fork down a little harder than intended. ‘’Conversation not over! He’s changed, Mom. He got his life together. He got his GAD and co-owns a publishing company—’’

''Hourra for him.’’ Her sarcasm was rude and childish. She was really hurting your feelings, yet she couldn’t see past her hatred.

Now you understood the way she felt when her parents didn’t want her to date Christopher. You were hoping wouldn’t act the same with you, that she would be on your side since she knew how it feels, but she disappointedly proved you wrong.

‘’You’re so hung up on his past and how he reminds you of Dad that you refuse to see that he’s actually a good person. Jess is not like Dad, Mom. They both wear leather jackets and have troublemaker tendencies, but they're very different.’’

‘’He’s gonna ruin your life, Y/N. That’s all guys like him do.’’

‘’He’s not! Jess wants the best for me.’’ Before Lorelai could place a word, you beat her. ‘’I bet you didn’t know that he’s the one who told Rory to go back to Yale? He exploded at her after a terrible dinner with her and Logan, calling her out on dropping out of Yale, hanging out with rich guys in fancy cars and practically turning into our grandmother. If it hadn’t been for him, she would still be living in grandma’s bungalow.’’

The look of disbelief on Lorelai’s face was one to remember. You wish you could have taken a picture to put on the fridge.

‘’What?!’’

‘’If you would just stop picking on the things that give you an itch and give him a real chance, you would see how great of a person he really is.’’

‘’But he hurt my baby…’’

‘’He did,’’ you agreed, flashes of all the tears you’ve cried because of Jess when he left town. Your first heartbreak. ‘’I appreciate that you trashed him to me when I was sad of him being gone, but the heartbreak is over and Jess and I are back together. I love you, Mom, and I don’t want my relationship to put a strain between us, but I’m also not going to leave Jess to make you happy.’’

-

[piglet26]

A Year In the Mess and the Millennial Cross Rory Bears. WINTER

Let's address the elephant in the room while I have you front and center. Rory in A Year in The Life was a commentary on millennials. Amy Sherman-Palladino, the creator, confirmed this was the inspiration for Rory's turn in AYITL. Rory was saddled with all the complaints the previous generations have of millennials such as millennials are spoiled, entitled, privileged blah blah blah. Hey now, now that we have not one but two generations under us I do understand the desire to complain (and be terrified). Gen Z and Gen Alpha general aesthetic is to be Billie Eilish lite as in angry, depressed, violent, or, antisocial. They have the lowest attention span recorded in human history and Taylor Swift is their greatest philosopher. Jesus take the wheel

The problem? None of this was in Rory Gilmore 1.0-character DNA. Matter of fact who the hell was Rory in the revival?! What the hell happened to her? We don't know. The Palladino's don't even bother expanding on it, but who does?! When it comes to Millennials we're to be mocked not understood. Most millennials came of age where there was a horrible job, house market and were in an economic recession. Our lives were being taken over by technology and social media. Rory picked a profession that was still mostly print at the time of her college graduation.... this is an entirely digital market now and one readers now pay for if they want something of substance. How lucrative is a real authentic journalism career? Not just think pieces or a seat on CNN or Fox News roundtable?

This is why A Year in the Life was a Mess

Believe me, I wanted to love it. This is my childhood we're talking about here. I loved Stars Hallow. Love my Gilmores. Yet, when I finally tuned I did so when just a hint of dread.....gradually all my fears were realized. Thus after 6.2 hours concluded somehow, we got somewhere, nowhere, found out little, nothing at all, were satisfied and just plain frustrated. So, let's break this mess down by episode. While mainly I will cover how the revival failed Rory - I will mention other frustrations because I can.

Winter

Why is Rory only in town for a day?! She's gotta leave for London soon. What has she been doing?! Ok, she's written a piece in the New Yorker, but how does that work?! Are you on staff? Do you submit freelance pieces and they choose them? She's a good writer, she's always been a good writer, and she's shown she is capable of running a paper - why is she struggling?! They doubled down on the millennial annoyance by having Rory abandoned Brooklyn as it was going condo and Lena Dunham. Subtle.

Super-Proud Luke is and always will be cute and Rory is so his kid. He's now a subscriber to The New Yorker which he reads every week just to support Rory. Also, he's attached her article to his menus so everyone can read it. Which she treats as cringe instead of sweet and supportive, but I'll let it go. Luke, Lorelai and Rory really are found family and super adorable.

Yes, the bit about everyone forgetting Paul is funny but THIS ISN'T RORY?! Paul seems genuinely sweet and thoughtful not just to Rory but her whole family so why are we doing this? Again, this is someone's depiction of a millennial. I guess we're really shitty to great guys. Rory had never been previously depicted as self-centered jerk just slightly oblivious as well all are.

It's a thrill to see all the old characters make a cameo.

The loss of Ed Herrmann was a gut punch to his cast. You can tell. It's also serves as a gut punch to the audience. We will miss you old chap. Rory following Emily around at the repast is the first hint of old Rory we've seen on this show yet.

It also serves as another wasted opportunity. No one except Emily seems to be genuinely affected by Richard's passing. The Gilmores are a small family, but a tight one. The patriarch passing surely would've affected all three gilmore girls deeply. It would've been better had we found Rory on a cooperate writing staff in London (employed by Logan) that she quit to spend more time at home to support her mother and grandmother. It would've been nice had Richard's passing compelled her into finding meaning beyond professional success. It would've been nice if they showed her pursuing something related to Richard from a journalistic perspective. They could've showed her on the road chasing a story to run into Jess or Dean or hell any of the countless characters. SOMETHING. Instead, we got spiraling millennial which is continuing to just seem misguided.

Berta and her roving family is trash and I didn't need them.

Emily starts in on Rory current state of homelessness which bring me to my next point of contention..... How is Rory broke?! She's had Trixie/Gran, her grandparents, Logan, Luke and her father?! I don't care that she's privileged unlike a lot of the privileged but not as privilege youtubers who enjoy spitefully and bitterly complaining. Despite what these grips say no, Rory's success has never come easily to her. The reality she was studying and investing her teenage years in academic pursuits while Rory's haters were partying or watching TV. Rory's always been resourceful and yet can't find a way to make a steady income in addition to writing. What's going on?

April/ Knock-off Rory is annoying, and it doesn't escape me that Luke prefers Rory. I'm glad hehehe. I mean he has a kid biologically and yet he considers going to Rory's graduation as going to his kids graduation. Side note: I know the creators would like to pretend that season 7 never happened but what are we doing here?! LnL have seriously never talked about having kids in the last 9 freakin' years?! Well at least we know why..... miscommunication and we needed a way to write medical Paris Geller into the story. Surrogacy is actually perfect for a medical student that doesn't actually like sick people.

Paris Geller ah I love this cold-hearted little psycho.

Okay Rory is writing a book with a queer drunk brit who steals food from other people, this is who she wrote her New Yorker piece on. This is the depiction of the feminist on the show.

I love Logan and I Love Rogan, but WHAT ARE WE DOING?! Why are they both having affairs with people they don't care about. Rory cheated once? twice?......okay Rory is a cheater, but why?

Paris and Doyle but of course they did! Can't have a happy couple in Stars Hallow or anywhere near it for long. I can see them having problems though because they've always had problems and sexually resolved them. Plus, in Paris's ideal functioning world she's married to Rory and Doyle.

WHY DOES RORY GILMORE HAVE ALL OF HER SHIT ACROSS FIVE HOMES?! How much stuff does she have? Honestly. Rory was always organized. At this point we've just got a personality transplant.

Once again, this is the main problem with the revival. None of this is behavior or characteristics we've associated with Rory. It's insert millennial here from a jaded baby boomer.

This is exhausting....................................... and I'm gonna have to take this in shifts. Next up spring.

Side note: Christmas here would be amazing and so charming.

[saltygilmores]

Thoughts While Watching Gilmore Girls-Season 3, Episode 12. "Lorelai Out Of Water" Part 1

Ladies, we have more filler. I can't complain. This episode was so easy that I watched it twice.

Lorelai has offered her garage as rehearsal space to Hep Alien. But first! They have to clean out said garage, which they haven't attempted to enter in years. Then they debate whether or not Lorelai ever remembered to call the Garage Cleaner Uppers that one time a few years ago. Thrilling stuff! It's been a while since we've last had a sexually tense Luke vs Taylor showdown.

Meow!

Gilmore Girls is bought to you by our sponsors, Office Depot, Circuit City, and Blockbuster Video. Hold on. I'm getting word that Office Depot still exists. Really?

Nothing to see here folks, just Rory comparing her mother to a woman famous for having sex with rockstars...then insinuating that she should sleep with Zach. I'm sorry Rory, this MILF only has eyes for one teenage boy. One who is a lot less talented than Zach.

This is weird, but hoo boy, it's about to get weirder.

Well well well. Who would have ever thunk that the deeply repressed Christian girl has a submssion kink? Soggy Rygalski is her Daddy ordering her around and reminding her that her drumming is inadequate. Lane personally requested that Dave verbally berate her in front of the other band members in order to...distract them? The plan is that if they see Dave treating Lane like a kicked dog, they won't realize they're crushing on each other? That's kinda messed up? This presumes that Dave and Lane are both confident that Brian and Zach will see Dave treating her like crap and have no thoughts about it except "I guess they're not smooching." Although we've yet to see if this plan, once put in motion, actually works. Anyway. Sure Lane's Dom Daddy is a lispy geek in a patterned sweater, but SaltyGilmores does not judge. It’s always the quiet ones am I right?

Seems like they’ve found a creative way to get off while staying in God's good graces. Have fun you kids.

"Rory, this is all I have" Thanks to Rory I can cross off the "cockblocking" square from my End of Episode Bingo Card.

Rory tries to come to Lane’s defense, but since it was all just part of Lane and Soggy’s sex games it wasn’t actually necessary.

Oh, we know why.

From the messed up mind of AmyShermanPalladino.

"Yes Daddy"

SAME. Oh. She's talking about the place. The place with all the coffee. Alex's kids are named Hilary and Jeff, 6 and 9.

Once again, Lorelai is no Miss Cleo.

Of course she said yes. Alex is totally worth waking up at 5 am for. Back in The Hollow, Lane is chipping away at Mama to obtain permission to go to the prom and hatching another harebrained scheme to bring Soggy Rygalski into Mama's good graces, it involves a Korean wedding and Rory is invited apparently. Whatever.

Well well well. Look who took the place of Stars Hollow Beauty Supply's worst (dead) employee. No respect for the dead, huh. Not even a little shrine or memorial plaque or photocopy of her obituary displayed on the counter. Tragic. #Honk

Where did Lane get 40 bucks? At the Inn, Lorelai is speaking to Sookie regarding her Fishing Date Regrets.

He sounds dreamy. Tell me more.

And the Mid Season Temporary Love Interests just keep on comin! Now we just have to wait for Lindsay. Oh dear God. I just remembered Max comes back in this season too. And maybe even soon. Help. While Lorelai seems to have terrific chemistry with her new temporary Luke substitute (Alex), Luke's Lorelai substitutes (Rachel, Nicole) have always fallen flat and seemed dreadfully boring to me. That's probably on purpose. We're stuck with her for a while. Whatever.

Hey look everyone. There's the baby. Where have you been, young man? I've hit my 30 screenshot maximum. Stay tuned for part 2. (As always, your comments, feedback, reblogs and tags make my day)

[thefirst3chapters]

Who do you think is the most tragic character in gg canon?

This has been an intriguing question to mull over! There's lots of characters who go through experiences that aren't ideal and whose circumstances turned out differently than they hoped, but some of them end up in a more optimistic place than others. Here, I interpreted a "tragic character" as one whose arc ends pessimistically at least partially due to their own flaws. It gets tricky to analyze character arcs as a whole because Season 7 had different writers, so I went with an answer for just Seasons 1-6 and an answer that takes Season 7 and AYITL into account.

For Seasons 1-6, I think the most tragic character might be Dean. In the very beginning of Season 1, he's friendly, conscientious, and open-minded about relocating. As a newcomer to the world of the show, he's learning about Stars Hollow and Lorelai and Rory's unique relationship alongside the audience, and he's content with what the town has to offer. In another version of the story, he could've had a happy life as a dependable Stars Hollow local. Instead, out of all the cheating and cheating-adjacent situations that happen on this show, Dean is one of the only people who betrays a spouse, and in addition to that he's dishonest with the person he cheats with. After he and Rory give their relationship one last try, he realizes once and for all that they want different things out of life and breaks up with her in a really inconsiderate way. This would already be a tragic end to his story, but then he's brought back a final time to lament that his association with Stars Hollow has caused him and Rory to drift apart and to insist that Luke will share the same fate with Lorelai, which propels Luke into feeling insecure. After that, Dean is mentioned a few times, but no one talks about what's happened to him since.

For the complete OS + AYITL story, I'd go with Christopher. By the time AYITL rolls around, Dean has married someone else, has several children, and seems to have a good life. He doesn't appear to resent Rory or anyone else for their relationship not working out. As for Christopher, throughout the OS, he keeps failing to be a responsible father to Rory but at least has the potential to improve. Gigi makes him realize just how negligent he was, and he expresses regret in Seasons 6 and 7 and makes an effort to spend time with Rory and offer financial support. For everything that he did wrong leading up to marrying Lorelai, I still do feel sad for him when he does his best to gracefully accept Lorelai realizing she doesn't want to stay married and says, "I guess I should've known, huh? It took me twenty years to get you to say yes." Then, unlike with Rory's high school graduation, he goes to her Yale graduation and manages to be cordial with Lorelai. There's still a possibility that he can have a good relationship with Rory even though being with Lorelai is off the table for good, but AYITL is much less optimistic. He's back at his family business and isn't happy about it, Gigi lives in Paris, and he's with his significant other, Lana, because "why not?" All he has to offer Rory is money, vague answers, and emotional distance. The last line Rory says to him is, "I think the office is nice," which encapsulates what's happened here: Rory has stopped hoping for more from him and wishes him well where he is. Then the camera pans to Christopher sighing defeatedly, and that's it.

Thank you for the ask!

[zalrb]

Do you think lorelai was a bad mom, most of my flaws with how she raised Rory has less to do with her, but how the narrative treated Rory like she shat rainbows and sunshine. I see some people say she’s a bad mom and she def wouldn’t have been so lenient raising Rory if Rory was a more rebellious kid but idk

I flip-flop on this tbh.

But, Rory not being a rebellious kid is kind of the point, Lorelai can be that lenient because Rory is Rory but even with that, as I've said in the past, it's almost like Lorelai was a passenger

[...] even when they talk about Rory growing up, it’s like Rory raised herself, she came out as this book-smart, curious kid and Lorelai just happened to luck out

because when confronted with teens and kids who aren't "low maintenance", and who require more active parenting/guiding i.e. Gigi and Jess, Lorelai is out of her depth. Like, she may "get" Jess i.e. know that Jess is hiding a girl in his closet, or know that Jess and Rory are sneaking off, because Lorelai's the Cool Mom, but when she actually has to talk to Jess, when she actually has to confront a rebellious teenager after her initial Cool Mom Lorelai shtick doesn't work, she doesn't know how to act

and with the whole bracelet incident, she decides to go with sarcasm and hostility

Like I get that Gigi in season 6 was meant to be out of control so no one is able to handle her, and it's not Lorelai's job to parent her, but their time together, while framed as Lorelai Knows Best and therefore gets Christopher to realize he's raising a spoiled nightmare of a child, she also doesn't know how to establish and maintain proper boundaries with Gigi when she's in her care, she just makes quips

so, while the show gives Lorelai moments where she's meant to basically gentle parent Rory like with suggesting she go to the formal

or suggesting she do the speech

because Rory is "done"

and we didn't see what Lorelai did in the years that she was bringing Rory up, it feels like, to me, we never really see her parent, we see her do this

without seeing how she raised Rory to have this type of relationship with.

What I will say, is that in an effort not to be like Emily and Richard, Lorelai allowed Rory to cut and run a lot.

so like, after she breaks up with Dean and she’s being rude to everyone and she and Lorelai have that fight, she runs away to Emily and Richard’s and doesn’t say anything and Lorelai is just like, OK cool next time just leave a note, and then she sleeps with Dean while he’s married and she runs away to Europe because she doesn’t want to deal with it and Lorelai is like, yeah OK, and then when she cuts and runs from Yale again after what Mitchum said, it, like, takes her by surprise that this is her reaction when it’s been a pattern that she’s helped enable

Of course, the writing would have us believe that Rory learns through all of these things, but she doesn't so that's another issue.

[stellaluna33]

in a scenario when christopher and lorelai did end up getting married at 16, and raised rory in the high society of hartford, how do you think her relationship with jess would have been?

Ooh, interesting question! Well, first I need to talk about Rory. If Lorelai and Christopher got married at 16 it would have only been because of the pregnancy. I would be willing to bet money that the marriage would probably have been an unhappy one, and given how things were on the show, I'm guessing that Rory would STILL feel like a "mistake," and would feel like her parents might have been happier if they hadn't gotten pregnant with her. No one would say this to her face, of course, but everyone would know why her parents got married at 16, I'm sure Emily and Richard would continue to bring it up from time to time, and Rory might have even overheard her parents fighting about the reason they got married instead of leading different lives. With all of this, I absolutely still think she'd be a people-pleaser who feels compelled to excell in order to "make up for" her own existence (Paris also grew up in a rich family and felt a tremendous deal of pressure to perform well academically). I still think she'd love to escape into the world of books (and it's something she shares with her grandfather), but travel would have been more accessible to her (less of a far-off dream) and she'd obviously be more polished and sophisticated (though Lorelai IS still her mother).

Where would Jess fit into all this? I'm not sure! The biggest question here is how would they even MEET? And how would Jess's life have changed without her in Stars Hollow? Would he have crashed and burned and run away from Luke much sooner? I don't know. I've read a few fanfics that explored different possibilities... In one, Jess was hired as a pool boy and they became acquainted that way (chatting about books if she happened to be around when he was cleaning the pool. He's not supposed to talk to her, but when is Jess good at following the rules? She's beautiful and is reading something he likes! She's a little shocked by his impertinence at first, but also intrigued, and a forbidden friendship forms pretty quickly). In another fic I read, Jess became friends with Lane and the band in Rory's absence, and in that story, he's working as Hep Alien's manager (while ALSO working at Luke's and working on his novel on the side, because boy's a workaholic) and he and Rory meet when Hep Alien is hired to play at Logan Huntzberger's big 21st birthday party, haha (that one is here, and I really recommend it! It's good!). Most versions I've seen of this scenario involve some sort of secrecy or scandal or "forbidden romance" element at some point, because of the definite cross-class situation, but my favorite game as a child was making my Barbies run away with the stableboy in the middle of the night, so I have to confess I don't hate that! 😂

[eurekavalley]

I fell into a little Gilmore Girls hole when I wasn't sure if I had COVID a few weeks ago and rather than make it everybody's problem, I'm going to make exactly one (1) post about it.

Tone aside, the show has so much in common with prestige drama family dynamics (like maybe this is my Succession). Everything is motivated by trauma responses and family cycles. Every family that gets any focus at all - the Gilmores, the Danes, the Kims, the Haydens, the Huntzbergers, the Gellars, the Stiles - is incredibly fucked up. No one really escapes.

I have zero patience for 'Mitchum Huntzberger was right about Rory'. First of all, how brave to agree with alpha male corporate capitalist figure! But also, he is obviously transferring his fears for his son onto Rory, who he set up in a subservient role to take his abuse. And we never talk about how Rory was right about Mitchum when she called him out for how he treated his son.

AYITL was in desperate need of another edit for taste and length, but it has good bones. Rory's burnout and career low point, Lorelai basically happy but also stuck in some ways, Emily finally changing in ways no one would have expected - it's all so good. I love the theme of change in the face of others' expectations - Emily wants Lorelai to change in specific ways and expresses that at therapy, and they both want that from Rory, even though Emily can say it and Lorelai really can't. But none of them can change for each other, even though they are all undergoing great change.

Seriously, the way Lorelai finds something that makes her feel secure (a house, a car, a relationship stasis) and then tries to maintain it exactly as it is, even replacing the guts of her car and keeping the shell of it, is so fascinating.

I never really cared about Rory's relationships, but I do think the future the revival is pointing toward is interesting And Luke and Lorelai aren't a huge pairing for me, but I like the way that they love matches up. Luke has a need to make grand gestures and do more than anyone even wants from him - except Lorelai, who needs exactly that. It's a little toxic and it's why they are the right match for each other. And it also reflects Emily's need to maintain a role in Lorelai's life with financial entanglements.

Lane's lifepath is great. So many comments are about why Lane never got her big break, but she could have left Stars Hollow multiple times, she could have tried to find another band to play with, and she always chose to stay and play with *her* band (more family enmeshment!). She is where she wants to be, and in the revival she seems happy and grounded, and she is still living an artist's life. Lane is better than fine. And like Rory, the ways she imagines breaking the cycle (becoming a rockstar and getting out from her mother's thumb) and the ways she actually ends up doing it (having a marriage where she enjoys sex and running her mother's business) may not align, and it's still okay.

The pro-birth agenda is real, there are so many unplanned pregnancies, and the only one who says, "I cannot have this baby" is Lane, but it is never mentioned again. The pro-choice poster in Rory's dorm room is a red herring.