Lessons from ‘Gilmore Girls’ characters that make the show relevant 21 years later

Bet only one picture comes to mind, the Gilmore Girls’ morning routine. 

Here are lessons from the characters that make the show relatable and timeless.

Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham)

You do not need to figure it all out now

Lorelai is a down-to-earth person who tries to figure out life. She had to endure most of her struggles alone—her early pregnancy, moving away from her wealthy family, raising a child, getting a job, finishing her studies, and the list goes on from here. Truth is, there are no formulae for these life-changing moments and it may not be other people’s version of “making it” but Lorelai succeeded, taking one step at a time.

Kirk Gleason (Sean Gunn)

Be available for others and most especially, yourself

Kirk is a person who has done it all and at times, a little too much. He is your neighbor-on-call whom you can ask a favor of all the time (sometimes, at a cost) and is always present in community matters. In his home, he is a loving child who wants to offer the world to his mom. A needed change to the character, Kirk invested more in himself toward the end of the show, which made him nourish and foster his relationships—allowing more growth and depth to his character while still keeping the good things about him. Keiko Agena (Lane) said the character of Kirk was supposed to appear for only a day, perhaps the purpose of his stay is to bring lots of laughter and lessons.

Sookie St. James (Melissa McCarthy)

Take pride in your work but know when to 

Sometimes it may be hard to believe that you are actually good at something... but not chef Sookie, friend and business partner of Lorelai. Knowing her capabilities, Sookie dominates the culinary scene in her town. This, however, came with strong control over her territory. When she was put on bed rest, Luke, as per Lorelai’s request, fills in for the Dragonfly Inn’s kitchen but Sookie did not initially like someone taking over her space and not following the perfectionist methods of the chef. But these things aside, is it not nice to work around someone with the contagious attitude of being proud of themselves and their work?

Luke Danes (Scott Paterson)

Changes will always be scary, even positive ones

The diner owner who mostly wears a hat and flannel, Luke clung to the past which hindered him from moving forward. He cannot fully free himself from his relationships, such as with his late father and ex-girlfriend. Even with his relationship with Lorelai, Luke’s attitude toward change manifested in small and big ways. When Luke found out about April, it made him feel uneasy, too... well that is the kind of revelation from your past that will really surprise you (and the audience), but with everything he was skeptical of, being a father to April was something he was certain of. Naturally, not knowing what the future holds makes people feel slightly comforted by their past but similar to Luke, unless you take the chance, you will never know how much you are capable of.

Jess Mariano (Milo Ventimiglia)

Someday, you will be where your heart truly belongs so hold on a little tighter

Nope, this is not to push the Team Jess agenda. Being Rory’s lover aside, the character took actions that are not easy to understand, but had one of the best character development throughout the show and revival. Jess moved job to job, house to house, state to state, trying to survive and figure out his life. Definitely, one of Jess’ best scenes was when he visited Rory to casually tell her that he wrote a book. His love for books made him a published author. Jess is a smart man but he definitely needed improvements in his attitude which he portrayed at the end of the revival.

Emily Gilmore (Kelly Bishop)

There is no such thing as “too late” in knowing yourself and finding happiness

Often at home with businessman husband Richard Gilmore, or at the Daughters of the American Revolution meetings, Emily puts other people in the center of her life. In a very tough way—losing her husband Richard Gilmore (portrayed by the late Edward Herrmann)—Emily had a big reality check. It pushed her to review her values and relationships, including that of her helpers, but most especially with her daughter, Lorelai. In the end, Emily had finally, deeply, and genuinely taken care of herself.

Michel Gerard (Yanic Truesdale)

You decide for yourself

Behind the sarcastic and grumpy concierge of the Independence Inn and Dragonfly Inn, Michel was the most loyal character. Michel's personal life is not as explored as it should have been. For instance, how he chooses to stay in Stars Hollow and the Dragonfly Inn when he could make it elsewhere. For sure, there is a deeper explanation to it; perhaps it is because he values the people in his life and the community a lot. Still, in his personal life, it could have been better to at least talk about being a black gay man in one of the episodes. The intersectionality of the character’s identity could have contributed more to the show and the audience with it.

Paris Geller (Liza Weil)

You do not have to compete with others

Paris is a smart and competitive character in the show who has a strong personality. Given her questionable decisions and actions, Paris is not the most likable character. She first appeared as the student-leader in Chilton who sees Rory as her rival before they became friends and eventually roommates. Throughout the show, Paris is seen becoming looser, and given her personality, it was also nice to see her seek professional help. There could have been other versions of the ending Paris had, but ultimately, she is a character to remember. Paris’ story teaches that the moment you realize that your biggest competition is yourself is the moment you free yourself from crippling pressures in life. 

Lane Kim (Keiko Agena)

It will not be easy but fight for what you believe in and for your dreams

Lane is probably the most self-actualized young character in the show. Growing up Asian in the United States, Lane dealt with toxic social systems and restrictions in her household by her mom, Mrs. Kim. For the most part, Lane had to keep her aspirations and emotions to herself, forced to follow a path different from where she wants to go, and fight for her own mom’s acceptance. Lane braves up to defy the problematic practices and beliefs that pave the way for changes in her life and others. After long years of struggles, losses, and eventually wins, Lane fulfilled her dream to be a drummer. However, fans rallied for a better ending for the character. At some point, Lane had to put down her drumsticks due to a pregnancy with twins. 

Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel)

Value the people and the things you have in your life 

Rory comes from a privileged family, she had the resources and the support to pursue her longtime plan to become the next Christiane Amanpour after she graduates from Harvard University which ended up being Yale University. Like others, Rory’s way of feeling secure in her future is to plan, assessing every choice possible through a pros and cons list, among others, but she stumbled in the dark as she navigated her life. Rory has made careless decisions that affected her and others. Despite all that, Rory never walked alone. She has her family—especially her mom, Lorelai—friends, community, and significant other with her. This, however, does not mean to take credit away from Rory for her hard work, but more a lesson to appreciate and take care of what you have. 

Gilmore Girls is all about relationships—to oneself, one’s family, friends, significant other, community, and society. The lessons from the show are what makes global audiences stay and keep rewatching.

When the show returned in 2016 for its four-part revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, it had gained a new generation of fans—and certainly, there are more to come. 

Gilmore Girls first aired in October 2000, all seven seasons and all four episodes of the revival are available on Netflix Philippines—be prepared to be Gilmored! 

(Images from Gilmore Girls’ Facebook)