Gilmore Girls’ 10 Most Controversial Episodes

Though Gilmore Girls is perhaps the coziest comfort show of all time, even the beloved series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino has a few episodes that were met with backlash. The series that introduced the world to television’s finest banterers, Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, ran from 2000 to 2007, with Gilmore Girls spanning seven seasons and 157 episodes, along with a four-episode revival series, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, released on Netflix in 2016.

Whether it contains one of Gilmore Girls‘ many autumnal storylines, a quirky Stars Hollow festival, or a major milestone like Rory graduating Chilton or Lorelai opening the Independence Inn, the show has many beloved episodes that fans eagerly rewatch. However, Gilmore Girls ​​​​​​also has its share of controversial moments, particularly in the universally detested season 7, the only one not to have Sherman-Palladino at the helm.

From divisive flashbacks to inexplicably unlikable behavior from fan-favorite characters to the Christopher of it all, there are more than a few Gilmore Girls episodes fans skip on a rewatch. Though these episodes could never damage Gilmore Girls‘ legacy, they certainly complicate it.

“Dear Emily And Richard”

Season 3, Episode 13

Though season 3’s “Dear Emily and Richard” hardly hurt Gilmore Girls in the long run, it does feature the infamous flashbacks to Lorelai’s teenage years when Christopher gets her pregnant, they deal with the fallout of telling her parents, and she gives birth to Rory.

Much of the criticism was aimed at the casting choices for the young Lorelai (Chelsea Brummet) and Christopher (Phillip Van Dyke), who bear little resemblance to their adult counterparts — teenage Lorelai even has brown eyes instead of blue. Christopher comes across as much more of a dorky rich kid than the dashing bad boy the show built him up to be, and the actors’ chemistry isn’t on the same level as Lauren Graham and David Sutcliffe’s.

The worst part is that the flashbacks are just unnecessary filler. Gilmore Girls‘ writing is so strong that the show already painted enough of a picture of Lorelai’s teenage circumstances without needing to grind the present-day storyline to a halt in favor of more backstory.

“Keg! Max!”

Season 3, Episode 19

In the still-raging debate between Team Dean, Team Jess, and Team Logan fans, Jess remains the favorite, as the complicated rebel of Stars Hollow connected with Rory on an intellectual and literary level that the others couldn’t come close to matching. However, “Keg! Max!” is hardly Jess Mariano’s finest hour, and the episode remains contentious in the fandom.

In it, Jess and Rory attend a house party where he becomes sexually aggressive with her, and the night ends with him and Dean coming to blows. Though Jess was hardly a perfect boyfriend when he was with Rory, this behavior was still out of character for him. With Rory looking ahead to Yale, and Gilmore Girls setting Jess up as the star of an undeveloped spinoff, Windward Circle, the events of “Keg! Max” felt like a cheap way to develop cracks in their relationship.

“Say Goodbye To Daisy Miller”

Season 5, Episode 1

Rory’s affair with the married Dean remains one of Gilmore Girls‘ most hated storylines. Though the season 4 finale, “Raincoats and Recipes,” is when Rory and Dean actually sleep together, and Rory has her noxious “He’s Dean. MY Dean!” line, it’s also the episode where Luke and Lorelai kiss for the first time, so for some, it’s a fan favorite.

On the other hand, the season 5 premiere, “Say Goodbye to Daisy Miller,” features the stomach-churning scene of a guilt-ridden and defensive Dean snapping at Lindsay — his wife — for answering his phone, fearing the caller may have been Rory. Lindsay got a totally raw deal in Gilmore Girls, and Dean and Rory getting back together in season 5 was a low point for both characters and, arguably, the beginning of her downward spiral.

“A House Is Not A Home”

Season 5, Episode 22

There is likely no Gilmore Girls storyline more divisive than Rory’s leaving Yale. The youngest Gilmore girl came to this decision on the heels of Mitchum Huntzberger telling her that she doesn’t have what it takes to become a serious journalist, with many fans arguing that this, and her prior theft of a yacht, is not in keeping with her character. However, on the flip side, it could be argued that acting this rashly is precisely what a young person who’s spent their life being placed on a pedestal would do at the first sign of difficulty.

Either way, it’s an unpleasant episode to watch, particularly Richard’s betrayal of Lorelai, allowing Rory to move into his and Emily’s pool house after explicitly telling his daughter he backed her in not supporting Rory leaving school. What’s worse is that the outcome of the season 5 finale led to Lorelai and Rory’s feud, which took place over the miserable first half of Gilmore Girls season 6.

“The Prodigal Daughter Returns”

Season 6, Episode 9

The only person who could give Christopher a run for his money for the title of “most hated Gilmore Girls character” is not the aforementioned snobbish Mitchum, nor is it Lane’s immature husband Zack. Instead, it’s a child: April Nardini.

Luke gets the massive bombshell that he has a daughter in season 6’s “The Prodigal Daughter Returns,” and the show is never the same after. Not only does he inexplicably hide the news from Lorelai, his fiancée, for several episodes, but this storyline seemingly only existed to drive a wedge between Luke and Lorelai before their wedding.

It’s a classic problem with will-they, won’t-they couples on TV because once they have their happily ever after, the audience wants them to stay that way while also resenting their boring storylines. Alas, April was not the way to go.

“A Vineyard Valentine”

Season 6, Episode 15

Season 6 as a whole is not a good one for Luke, and he’s a particular piece of work in “A Vineyard Valentine”. Though Luke’s curmudgeonness is part of his charm, there’s a fine line between that and rudeness, which he leaps over when he and Lorelai take a Valentine’s Day trip to the Huntzbergers’ home in Martha’s Vineyard with Rory and Logan.

When he’s not complaining the entire time, Luke is completely rude to Logan, who is nothing but a consummate host. This only makes Luke look worse when he’s forced to buy jewelry from Logan to give Lorelai for Valentine’s Day because he didn’t get her a gift. But what’s really the most upsetting is Luke assuring Lorelai that everything is fine, and that despite postponing the wedding, it’ll still happen — even though he’s essentially checked out of the relationship at this point.

“That’s What You Get, Folks, For Makin’ Whoopee”

Season 7, Episode 2

Gilmore Girls season 7 was quick to show its cards as a major low point for the show with episode 2, “That’s What You Get, Folks, for Makin’ Whoopee”. It was bad enough having Lane marry Zack after she and Dave Rygalski were the ultimate Gilmore Girls couple, but what the show did to her after the honeymoon was unforgivable.

It’s one thing for Lane to hate sex after her first time — most people’s first sexual experiences are hardly fireworks — but instead of Gilmore Girls season 7 seeing her develop her sexuality and learn how to enjoy intimacy with her husband, the show just… had her get pregnant with twins? This felt like a slap in the face to the small-town girl with rock star dreams of the Amy Sherman-Palladino years, and it was a tragic reminder that Gilmore Girls‘ creator was certainly off the show.

“French Twist”

Season 7, Episode 7

The absolute worst episode of Gilmore Girls, according to IMDb, is season 7’s “French Twist”. In the Gilmore Girls fandom, Christopher Hayden is despised across the board, so it was an especially unpopular decision for Lorelai to date him for so long in the show’s final season.

Dating, however, was one thing, but marriage was another, and that’s exactly what happened in this episode. While on a trip to Paris, Christopher awkwardly pressures Lorelai to marry him, and she actually goes through with it. Not only was this the opposite of what fans wanted, but it also made zero sense that Lorelai would take such a big step without Rory by her side. At this point, Gilmore Girls totally lost the plot regarding its titular heroines.

“To Whom It May Concern”

Season 7, Episode 12

With many fans throwing the blame for Luke and Lorelai’s breakup at April’s feet, the last thing they wanted was to see more of her. Thus, to say the least, it was an unwelcome storyline in season 7 when Luke had to fight for parental rights. The only upside was that Luke could have lost, and April would have been out of the show. However, the trial is not only a focal point of “To Whom It May Concern,” but it also ends with Luke winning his case.

That’s not even the most controversial part of the episode, as Sookie learns she’s pregnant after Jackson lies to her about getting a vasectomy. Jackson does a lot of questionable things in Gilmore Girls, but a betrayal of this magnitude takes the cake. The fact that it’s treated with Gilmore Girls‘ signature breeziness feels especially off-putting.

“Fall”

Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life, Episode 4

As much as fans wanted more Gilmore Girls after the show’s unsatisfactory season 7 ending, the sequel series, A Year in the Life, fell short of expectations, with “Fall” being a particular disappointment. Though neither the bizarre Life & Death Brigade steampunk sequence nor Luke and Lorelai’s rush to the altar do the final episode any favors, it’s the show’s very last scene that is perhaps the most controversial moment in Gilmore Girls history.

“Mom?” “Yeah?” “I’m pregnant.” was a cliffhanger nobody wanted. It was bad enough watching an adrift Rory fumble through life in the previous three episodes, but to give her a pregnancy storyline after she finally had some semblance of a plan ultimately felt more like a betrayal than a tribute to Gilmore Girls‘ theme of “Where you lead, I will follow.”

Release Date

2000 – 2007-00-00

Directors

Jamie Babbit, Amy Sherman-Palladino, Lee Shallat Chemel, Kenny Ortega, Michael Katleman, Matthew Diamond, Michael Zinberg, Gail Mancuso, Lesli Linka Glatter, Steve Clancy, Bethany Rooney, Jackson Douglas, Robert Berlinger, Steven Robman, Alan Myerson, Lev L. Spiro, Rodman Flender, Adam Nimoy, Arlene Sanford, Bruce Seth Green, Danny Leiner, David Paymer, David Petrarca, Eric Laneuville