Gilmore Girls: Rory's 5 Best (& 5 Worst) Story Arcs | ScreenRant
Gilmore Girls is the story of Rory growing up - but not all the storylines along the way add to her character.
Rory's growth seems like it should be a straight line at the start of Gilmore Girls. She's a straight-A student, has a great mother, great friends, and great opportunities. For a while, it all makes sense, as she goes to an Ivy League school and learns a lot along the way, always chasing her dreams. There are a few bumps in the road, but Gilmore Girls is, at heart, a story of Rory growing up.
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However, of all the smaller storylines that center on Rory, there are a few that are truly brilliant, showing the character in a relatable, accurate light... and a few that just don't make sense. Whether they are included just to create drama, or because this is a fictional world, there are definitely a few that fans could have done without.
10 Best: Friendship With Paris
Paris is a difficult character, and even through A Year In The Life, she's difficult to really love. She's pushy, mean, and overbearing - but seeing Rory start to understand and appreciate Paris is a wonderful story for her. In the first place, it's good to see Rory deal with someone else as smart as she is (after years of being the big fish of Stars Hollow), but it's also good to see Paris open up to her, and the two of them develop a real (if often complicated) friendship.
9 Worst: Her Relationship With Marty
Overall, Marty was a forgettable addition to Gilmore Girls, and one that the show could have either dumped entirely, or put the time into really exploring. The idea that Rory would make some new friends at Yale, and that she may not pick up on a friend's feelings, is a solid one. But Marty is never really developed or explored, except when it helps to further Rory's story with other people (like Marty's girlfriend, later on, or meeting Logan).
8 Best: Dean/Jess Love Triangle
While Rory didn't exactly act her best during this love triangle, it was an important part of her development - and she certainly acted like an unsure teenage girl.
Seeing her struggle with her feelings, and fail to choose between two partners who both suited very different sides of her, was deeply relatable. And, of course, who doesn't love watching a well-written love triangle with plenty of tension?
7 Worst: The Ice Cream Queen
In between her summer in Europe and starting Yale, Rory has this bizarre storyline where Taylor is angry at her for not being able to play the part of the town ice-cream queen. Like her storyline with Marty, this feels like a plot that could have been interesting had it been fully developed. Instead, this just seems unnecessary, and shows Taylor at his most unreasonable (which is saying something). It's played for a mix between comic relief and a way to show Rory struggling with growing up ("I don't want to change") - and while the fear of growing up when moving away is a legitimate one, this was a terrible way to deal with it.
6 Best: Struggling At Yale
Given that Rory is first introduced as a golden child, who gets seemingly effortless straight-As, has the cutest boys in town falling over her, and essentially lives a charmed life, it's refreshing to see her struggle when she gets to Yale. This is relatable, interesting, and shows her really growing up and realizing that maybe she can't continue to skate through life on her good luck. This is also something that many college students experience, and it makes her more human.
5 Worst: The DAR
Rory's decision to take a break from Yale isn't, on the surface, the terrible choice it is made out to be in the show. She's struggling, questioning herself, and taking some time off, all of which makes sense. However, the decision to have her move in with grandparents and start working for the DAR is just odd. Surely a brilliant young woman like Rory would want to actually go live in the world, and not become wrapped up in her grandmother's hobbies? This is what took the leaving-Yale storyline from believable to ridiculous.
4 Best: Asking Her Grandparents To Pay For Yale
Lorelai's finances are fairly confusing throughout Gilmore Girls, but one thing is consistently clear: her parents are ridiculously rich. Rory's decision to ask her grandparents to pay for Yale for her is a wonderful one, though. It shows her growth, and her realization that she actually wants to have a connection with her family - and it shows her recognition of everything that Lorelai has given her, and her decision to take on the cost of her schooling in a way that still lets her mother live her dream. And, of course, without it, the continued exploration of the Gilmore family dynamic just wouldn't have happened.
3 Worst: Having An Affair
Long after their initial breakup, Gilmore Girls made the decision to have Dean become a pretty awful husband, while Rory decides to start an affair with him - even sleeping with him spontaneously in her old room.
The basic idea for the storyline - that Rory may start to look back on her first love a little too fondly and question her decisions - is a solid one. However, the execution left a lot to be desired, and seemed to be played largely for added (unnecessary) drama.
2 Best: Dealing With Logan's Parents
Logan's family were, arguably, horrible to Rory - telling her that she essentially wasn't good enough for Logan. However, this was a fantastic storyline for Rory in several ways. For one thing, it was the first time that Rory wasn't the golden girl. She was from a good family in Logan's world, as well as being beloved in Stars Hollow. Having someone actually look down at her was jarring, but it was an important way for Rory to grow. It was nice to see her start to stand up for herself, too.
1 Worst: Stealing A Boat
Hands down, this is one of the most hated storylines in Gilmore Girls, for a whole range of reasons. It's wildly, completely out of character for Rory (and Logan's willingness to go along with it hardly shows him in the best light, either), and it's intended as a huge rebellion - but is one with almost no consequence. Despite the severity of her crime, she essentially does some community service and then the whole thing is forgotten. There were better ways to show her in crisis that would be more realistic, and less soap-opera-esque.