Coffee and Controversial ‘Gilmore Girls’ Hot Takes

As autumn approaches, like most other girls, I begin my annual Gilmore Girls binge-watching session. I first started the series when I was 12. Since then, my opinions have continued to evolve as I’ve grown, and I am now the age Rory was in the fourth season. As time passed and the show’s online fanbase underwent a lively resurrection, I quickly realized some of my strongest opinions on the show differed from those of many fans on social media. Here are three of my Gilmore Girls hot takes that I feel go against the grain the most.

1. Jess was the worst boyfriend

In my opinion, the introduction of Jess Mariano completely alters the pace of the show. It adds a new layer to Rory as she struggles to choose between Dean, the boyfriend that everyone in town is rooting for, and Jess, the new kid with the “bad boy” image. A lot of people seem smitten by his character and unanimously agree that he is Rory’s best boyfriend. I wholeheartedly disagree. 

Jess was extremely arrogant and unpleasant. His life had many hardships, so it makes sense how his demeanor reflects this. However, this doesn’t change the fact that he was never that nice to Rory. Jess was constantly messing with her life — like stealing the bracelet Dean gave her — just to be a mediocre boyfriend when they were officially together. I’d say this began the streak of serial cheater Rory. 

For their very short-lived relationship, it seems like Rory is constantly waiting by the phone for Jess. They have very poor communication, and it always feels like a guessing game between the two of them. He was constantly rude to Lorelai and even got upset at Rory for telling him she wasn’t ready for a physical relationship yet. Not to mention, Jess would always disappear randomly without reaching out to her, just to pop back into town later. 

I truly believe that his being a fan favorite pick has to do with the fact that he is the most attractive of her three boyfriends. He only shows character growth in the later seasons when he tells Rory to go back to Yale. Team Logan all the way. 

2. Lorelai and rory were too close

Many fans seem to express how they envy the bond between the mother-daughter duo, but I feel like the two have a total lack of boundaries. In my opinion, Rory’s being the more mature one is what inevitably leads to her downfall. While their best friend dynamic is sweet, it also leads to many different issues. 

In earlier seasons, Lorelai is constantly pushing her head into Rory’s love life. When she speaks up about how it makes her uncomfortable that she invited Dean to their house without asking her first, Lorelai begins to guilt trip Rory with her rambling. These moments in the show make it clear that their closeness is simply too intense.

Also, their codependency leads to Lorelai feeling jealous whenever Rory spends time with her father, even going as far as hiding letters he has written to her. While he has been an absent and neglectful father, Rory still seems to enjoy spending time with him when he is available. I think it’s selfish and unfair to keep her from that or make her feel guilty for wanting to see him. 

In my opinion, Rory’s life goes completely off the rails after her big fight with Lorelai where they don’t speak to one another for a long time. She is so used to having someone who supports her in every way that once Lorelai puts her foot down as a mother and demands that she returns to university, Rory does not respect her wishes. Instead of being open to motherly advice, Rory views Lorelai’s opinions as if they were advice from a peer since there is no distinctive power dynamic between the two of them. 

3. Lorelai and rory downplayed their privilege

Throughout the series, I feel like Lorelai doesn’t acknowledge the privilege of having affluent parents. Despite starting her career by herself and working her way up, she always brushes over the fact that Emily and Richard are the pillars of Rory’s academic success. Had her grandparents said “no” to loaning Lorelai money, Rory would’ve never been able to go to such a prestigious school like Chilton and most likely would not have gotten into Yale. 

Lorelai’s parents continue to pay for Rory’s extremely expensive education at Yale. It’s almost annoying to watch Lorelai complain about the Friday night dinners she agreed to when it’s such a small commitment. Many hardworking students are forced to turn down opportunities at Ivy League universities due to financial conflicts, yet all Rory has to do is give up a few hours every Friday to have her dreams fully funded. This aspect isn’t talked about a lot, but for me personally, I feel like it has aged poorly. 

Despite the negative hot takes that I have regarding Gilmore Girls, it still constantly plays in the background for me. I’ve probably rewatched it 100 times, but trust me, this time won’t be the last one.

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