Luke Danes is one of the most compelling people living in Stars Hollow. The Gilmore Girls character won fans over right away with his backwards baseball cap, grumpy charm, and comfortable diner with great coffee and food. While he didn't seem interested in having a social life at first, he warmed up and became friendlier with more town residents as time went on. And, of course, his relationship with Lorelai is the most popular in the series.
Luke wasn't always perfect at running his business but he loved what he did and fans enjoyed seeing him in his element. Whether Luke was dealing with a big change in his personal life, dating Lorelai, or talking to other characters, fans equally supported him while questioning his actions.
Rooted For: Finally Confessed His Love For Lorelai
Season 4 of Gilmore Girls had hilarious and tragic scenes and at the end of the season, Luke finally asked Lorelai out on a date. They danced at Liz and T.J.'s wedding, which was super romantic, and this beloved couple officially began the love story that fans had been waiting for.
When Luke finally confessed that he wanted to be with Lorelai, fans definitely rooted for him. They knew how he felt from the moment they bantered about coffee in the pilot, and in every scene since, he proved how much he cared.
Confused Fans: Kept Lorelai On The Outside Of His Relationship With April
Feeling torn about April Nardini is definitely part of the experience of watching Gilmore Girls. It was sweet watching Luke learn more about his daughter and make her part of his life.
But unfortunately, Luke felt that Lorelai needed to keep her distance, and he was really worried about letting Lorelai and April spend too much time together. He kept Lorelai on the outside of this new relationship, and fans were confused about this choice, as it felt mean. Lorelai is a warm and loving parent and could have helped Luke more.
Rooted For: Was Kind To Kirk On Many Occasions
Kirk might not be a main character on the show, but he was never far from the action in Stars Hollow. Known for his sweet romance with Lulu and constantly changing jobs, Kirk loved to eat at Luke's Diner as much as Lorelai and Rory did.
Luke was always nice to Kirk and would offer him coffee on the house or a chat with him. This isn't something that fans would have expected from him, as Luke often acted too gruff and busy to make small talk, but he was compassionate toward Kirk and that was endearing.
Confused Fans: Married Nicole, Who Wasn't Right For Him
Besides his long-term relationships with Lorelai and Rachel, Luke began dating Nicole and even married her.
Some viewers were confused that Luke would marry someone who wasn't Lorelai, and since Nicole was a tough lawyer, she and Luke just didn't seem to have anything in common. It would have made more sense if they had decided to break up before making too big of a commitment to each other. When Nicole cheated, it was a sad and painful reminder that they weren't right for each other.
Rooted For: Was Intimidated By Emily And Richard But Stood His Ground
Anytime Luke was around Lorelai's parents, it was clear that he felt out of place and that he would love to be anywhere else.
Luke deserves a lot of credit because even though he was intimidated, he stood his ground and didn't let them boss him around. When Richard and Emily wanted him to turn his diner into a franchise, it would have been easy for him to go along with it and end up miserable, but he made sure to do what he wanted. He was always polite, answered their questions as best he could, and tried to be there for Lorelai.
Confused Fans: Always Saw Christopher As An Obstacle
Lorelai loved Christopher and Luke, and Luke was very aware of Lorelai's feelings for Rory's father.
One of the biggest problems in Lorelai and Luke's relationship was how envious Luke was of Christopher. He saw him as an obstacle and always wondered if Lorelai actually loved Christopher more than him. No one could blame Luke for wondering but why couldn't he see how devoted Lorelai was to him?
Rooted For: Did Everything For Jess, Including Fixing Up His Apartment
Luke took on the challenge of his life when he agreed to let his nephew come stay with him. Liz and Jess were struggling to get along and she was out of ideas.
Since Luke didn't know how to be a parent yet, he deserves a lot of credit for how hard he tried. He fixed up his apartment and did everything that he could to be a good parental figure for Jess. Fans supported him the entire time, especially when Jess was rude and negative and didn't seem to appreciate any of it.
Confused Fans: Kept Postponing His Wedding To Lorelai
Lorelai and Luke got married in the revival but it took them so many years to get to that place.
Fans were upset and confused with Luke that he kept postponing their big day. It didn't make any sense that he wouldn't just agree to a wedding date. If he was that stressed out about having April in his life, couldn't he and Lorelai have had a small ceremony or even eloped? It doesn't seem like a big celebration is Luke's style, anyway, so this was one of the strangest parts of his story on the show.
Rooted For: Talked To Stars Hollow High About His Business
In season 3, Luke and Lorelai went to Stars Hollow High to give professional advice. It was great that Luke was viewed as a smart businessman who could share wisdom.
Fans rooted for Luke here and wanted him to keep succeeding. It was always satisfying to watch him in action as he truly cared about his customers and loved running his diner.
Confused Fans: Didn't Understand Surrogacy
In A Year In The Life, fans learned that Luke and Lorelai would have been happy to have a child together but they didn't end up starting a family.
When they met with Paris at her fertility and surrogacy clinic, Luke had no clue how surrogacy worked. This was a time when fans were confused by his behavior and words, as it seems unlikely that an adult wouldn't understand this process. Wouldn't he have ever heard about surrogacy and how it worked?