There was one pivotal moment thatGilmore Girlsnever recovered from, and it happened way before Lorelai married Christopher. Now, don’t get us wrong,Lorelai and Christopher’s ill-fated nuptialsare indisputably the worst storyline of the show, and they’re the cherry on top of the disappointing sundae that isGilmore Girlsseason 7.
There’s no denying thatGilmore Girls' final season lost a ton of the series' spark, and much of this has to do with the departure of showrunners Amy Sherman-Palladino (who is alsoGilmore Girls' creator) and Daniel Palladino. But the truth is that the final installment ofGilmore Girlswas set up to fail an entire season earlier.
Gilmore Girls Went Downhill When Lorelai & Rory Stopped Speaking
Their Feud Took Up Almost Half Of Season 6
Up until the end of season 5,Lorelai and Rory are thick as thieves and have a seemingly unbreakable bond. But all that is put to the test after Rory has a meltdown, steals a yacht, gets arrested, and announces to her mother that she’s dropping out of Yale.
Lorelai is understandably thrown for a loop, and initially finds an alliance with her parents, who wholeheartedly support Rory getting an education. But when Rory runs crying to Richard, he betrays Lorelai, and he and Emily allow Rory to move in with them.
This storyline started out as great drama, and touched upon some ofGilmore Girls' core themes.Lorelai has tried to raise Roryas an independent woman like herself, who would never think of hiding behind a wall of privilege, and she’s been largely successful, even with Richard and Emily desperately trying to pull their daughter into high society.
Up until this point, Rory had managed to walk that line nicely, dipping her toe into her grandparents' world while remaining true to her Stars Hollow roots. Butthe second that things got tough, Rory abandoned Lorelai and ranto the world that Lorelai ran away from.
Keeping the Gilmore girls apart for such a huge amount of time made no sense.
Lorelai and Rory needed to have a big fightat some point in the show, or else their relationship would have run the risk of falling into twee territory.The problem was with how long their feud lasted, which was almost half ofGilmore Girlsseason 6.
Given the show’s title, keeping the Gilmore girls apart for such a huge amount of time made no sense. AndGilmore Girlsnever found its footing after they reunited.
Lorelai & Rory’s Storylines Suffered When They Weren’t Together
The Gilmore Girls Are Lost Without Each Other
Besides separating the Gilmore girls for an ungodly amount of time, another huge problem is how much Lorelai and Rory’s season 6 storylines suffered when they were apart. Though we were thrilled atLorelai and Luke’s engagement,the couple’s happiness was marred by Lorelai missing her daughter.
Rory’s storylines were even worse. This bright and ambitious young woman turned into a languorous socialite before our very eyes. When she wasn’t lazing around the pool house with Logan or out partying with him and his insufferable friends,Rorywas becoming a mini lady who lunches, getting way too involved with the DAR, and throwing away her dreams in the process.
Ultimately, Lorelai and Rory are built for banter, not arguing. Their love for each other is the strongest of any relationship in the entire show. Cutting off almost all communication with each other for that amount of time is incongruous with what they mean to each other.
Gilmore Girls Season 6 Was A Harder Watch Than Season 7
Lorelai Couldn’t Catch A Break
Things definitely picked up when Lorelai and Rory reunited, but the damage to the show was already done. It wasn’t long after their makeup thatLorelai found out about April, which completely sent her relationship with Luke into a tailspin. This led to her season 6 finale ultimatum, seeking refuge in Christopher’s bed, and launching us into the maligned season 7.
To keep kicking our upbeat, bubbly heroine when she was down, over and over, took all the joy out ofGilmore Girls.
To be clear,Gilmore Girlsseason 7is by far the worst in terms of overall quality. But at least there was a levity in those sub-par episodes that was completely absent from the season that preceded it.
As a whole,Gilmore Girlsseason 6 was a total downer, largely because Lorelai was miserable almost the entire time— first because of her feud with Rory, and second because of Luke and April.
Of course, every show needs conflict and to put their protagonists through the ringer. But to keep kicking our upbeat, bubbly heroine when she was down, over and over, took all the joy out ofGilmore Girls. Having her marry Christopher on top of that was just extra cruel, but the show’s insistence on crushing Lorelai’s spirit — starting with the Rory fight — is what ruined it.
