Opinion | The victimization of Rory Gilmore
Gilmore Girls is a comfort to many, including myself, but it can be difficult to watch at certain points because Rory Gilmore’s character gets worse and worse. This is a problem with many TV series, where a once beloved character will take a trajectory that is not satisfying to the viewers and can ruin the viewing experience for many. Illustration by YANA SAMOYLOVA, Illustrator
This article contains spoilers for “Gilmore Girls.”
Romi Blackstone, freshman strategic and corporate communications major
Between the quaint town, quirky characters and the iconic La La La’s, “Gilmore Girls” is the perfect fall show. I have the fondest memories of cozying up on my couch, with a hot cup of apple cider, watching my favorite episodes with my mom and sister.
That being said, as my rewatch transitions into the later seasons, I find it increasingly more difficult to watch. This is mainly due to one of the main characters, Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel), the academic, charismatic counterpart to her mom, Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham), who goes from the most rational and caring young woman to the most self-centered and entitled character.
There are a few arcs Rory has that lead her to become one of the most unlikeable characters in the show, and many fans, myself included, were disappointed by the turn Rory took.
In the first three seasons, Rory was a generally nice and sympathetic individual who had a good head on her shoulders. She was the town's sweetheart and always one to help out the townspeople in any way she could. She focused heavily on her studies while also being an attentive daughter and friend.
However, because everyone adored Rory and praised her for her high academic caliber, she was coddled her whole life. This led to her feeling entitled to do whatever she wanted and believe she was always right. Even in the seasons where she’s most likable, she was being conditioned to develop a superiority complex.
This feeling of self-righteousness started to become more prominent throughout season 4, when she attended Yale University. She’s constantly doing wrong towards others but making herself the victim. A defining moment of Rory Gilmore’s victimhood is when she body-shames a ballet dancer in an article she wrote for the Yale Daily News.
Rory compares the ballet performer to a hippo and insinuates that she needed a larger leotard. Rory gets upset when the dancer confronts her and comes crying to her mom as if she didn’t do anything wrong. Rory is constantly acting in a way that only benefits herself and expects to receive no consequences.
The turning point in my relationship with Rory Gilmore, and what started to change my view of her, was when she slept with her married ex-boyfriend, Dean (Jared Padalecki). Rory and Dean dated the first couple of seasons in the show, before she ultimately left him for Jess Mariano (Milo Ventimiglia), the bad boy who had just moved to town. However, there was always a lingering spark between Rory and Dean, even after he got married to another woman.
When Rory comes home from college for the weekend to help Loraeli open her new Inn, she and Dean end up in her house alone. One thing leads to another, and Lorelai eventually finds them in bed together. Rory lashes out at her mom after she reprimands Rory for sleeping with a married man.
This strains Rory and Lorelai’s relationship, and Rory never fully accepts that what she did was wrong. She justifies it by saying that she loves Dean and is meant to be with him because she grew up believing that her wants and needs matter over everyone else’s.
Rory's trajectory completely changes in season 5, episode 10 when she decides to drop out of Yale with no plan for her life. Dropping out of college doesn’t make someone a bad person and can often help people find their true calling, but Rory dropping out without knowing what she is going to do is very unlike her. Her decision is very rash and leads her to making unhealthy choices, like stealing a yacht with her boyfriend Logan (Matt Czuchry) in season 5, episode 21. This erratic behavior is very unlike the Rory Gilmore that fans fell in love with.
Rory eventually goes back to school and starts her career as a journalist. She eventually becomes a better daughter, friend, student and girlfriend. However, her negative trajectory definitely put a damper on the viewing experience. I can never just think of Gilmore Girls as one of my comfort shows. I can’t binge the series, as I often enjoy doing with my favorite TV shows, because of Rory's behavior.
The writers of Gilmore Girls should have never shifted Rory’s character as drastically as they did. I feel that the drastic trajectory of Rory Gilmore is a reflection of the writer's feeling as though they had to roughen Rory up and add complexity to her character.
In my opinion, her character was already complex. She was the daughter of a single mother who got stuck in the middle of her mother and her grandparents' feud. She was an academic anomaly who had to live up to her and everyone's expectations of getting into the top schools in the country. She had to navigate difficult relationships and friendships.
Regardless of how I feel about Rory Gilmore, her character does allow for interesting thought and conversation around character development and how far is too far in terms of characters changing and committing actions that are not true to themselves.