The early 2000s television classic “Gilmore Girls” is considered among many fans to be the ultimate fall TV show. With its homey feel and aesthetic fall atmosphere, for many, it is a fall favorite.
The show follows the iconic mother-daughter duo of Rory and Lorelai Gilmore. In the quaint, little town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, these main characters can be seen sipping on coffee at the local diner and soaking up all the small-town gossip.
The show never experienced any breakout success during its seven-year run. However, it is still adored and praised by many today.
“It was that dynamic of watching two best friends who had the closeness that only a mother and daughter can that made ‘Gilmore Girls’ unlike anything else on television at the time,” said Entertainment Weekly.
Although many people have a strong passion for the show, others have a major problem with the show’s portrayal of the mother-daughter relationship between Rory and Lorelai.
“I feel indifferent to it,” said Ruby Hull, a junior English major. “I don’t love it or hate it. I think Rory and Lorelai’s relationship is good, but I think it wasn’t a real parent-to-daughter relationship.”
Some viewers of the show would consider the relationship between this dynamic duo to be an unhealthy one. On the other hand, some viewers crave their closeness. Lorelai gave birth to Rory at the age of 16. She raised her on her own, and together, they made a life in their little town.
“I love Rory and her relationship with her mom,” said Lexie Anderson, a staff member at Campus Outreach at GC. “They tell each other everything, feel comfortable being themselves and grew up together. Their relationship is very special.”
They are extremely close and spend a lot of quality time together. However, some would argue it is not the typical parent-and-child relationship.
“Rory and I are best friends, om,” Lorelai said to her mother Emily Gilmore in season 2, episode 16. “We’re best friends first and mother and daughter second. And you and I are mother and daughter always.”
Lorelai herself admits that her and Rory’s connection is not the average mother-daughter relationship. This could be a result of Lorelai’s relationship with her own mother. She wanted Rory to not feel dominated by her mother and like they were friends. Since Lorelai had Rory at such a young age, they grew up together.
Despite their relationship not being a typical one between a mother and daughter. Rory grew up to be very goal-driven, and she is known for her intelligence and great love for books. As some would say, she has a good head on her shoulders, and that came solely from having Lorelai as the main parental figure in her life.
The two characters would do anything for the other, which is an admirable quality between any two people in a relationship. Where one leads, the other follows.
“I love the show,” Anderson said. “It’s funny, and the setting is beautiful and comforting.”
