More than twenty years after its 2000 premiere, Gilmore Girls continues to delight audiences who watched the show in its first run or came to it later through reruns. The entire series can still be streamed on Netflix, which enables fans all over the world to rewatch the show over and over again.
Gilmore Girls is tantalizing because it's a well-written drama with a side of quick-witted comedy. The characters begin to feel like real people after a while, but that doesn't make the series perfect. Fans have to ignore quite a few flaws to continue loving the Gilmores as they do.
Unrealistic Amount Of Pop Culture References
It's normal for multiple characters on the show, not just Rory and Lorelai, to drop many, many popular culture references in one episode. Bands, movies, TV shows, works of literature, and cultural events are just a few of the topics that slip into a conversation quicker than the average person might notice.
The pop culture bits have often been regarded as a crowning jewel of the quality writing on the series, and it's true that the writing is great. At the same time, viewers don't always find it realistic to pepper a conversation with so many detailed references so consistently. Also, only Lorelai would name a dog after Paul Anka.
The Town's Obsession With Rory & Lorelai
It's obvious that storylines are going to revolve around Lorelai and Rory when they are the title characters of the series. However, no one ever talks about Stars Hollow residents' weird obsession with the Gilmore girls.
Rory is like their golden child, and Lorelai is the self-made woman they have always championed. In a way, the town's affection can be sweet, but the obsession is flawed. There are so many other local students and hard-working parents, but townspeople aren't concerned with them.
Hollywood's Incomplete Portrayal Of New England
Plenty of things about Stars Hollow make no sense to people who have lived in New England or know the region well. It's not just the comparison between imagined Stars Hollow and real Washington, Connecticut that bothers viewers.
It's also the obvious fact that New England isn't actually what fans are seeing onscreen - they're seeing the Warner Brothers lot in sunny California. As convincing as some of the fall decorations and snowy scenes are, they're still Hollywood creations. Fans have clearly gotten past that, though.
Christopher's Constricting Role As The Absentee Dad
Christopher is the dad that fans love to hate throughout the series' run. He's fickle in terms of his relationships with Rory and with Lorelai. He fails to show up when it matters most, and his promises to come around more often fall flat. Christopher is a character who was written to fall short in the world of his daughter and her mother. This can be seen as a big drawback. What would Christopher have been like if he'd been given a different arc in the story, a real chance to support Rory and not mess up? At least the father and daughter have a good relationship in the reboot.
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back With Richard & Emily
Fans of the Gilmores are aware that the wealthy grandparents and their Friday night dinners are full of problems. Still, some viewers tend to spend more time laughing at Richard and Emily than critically examining them. It's easy to find these two funny, but their growth as Lorelai's parents and Rory's grandparents is frustrating to watch.
They take a couple of steps forward in supporting their daughter, but they tear her down more than they build her up. They want Rory to be successful and achieve her dreams, but they also enable her when she is at her worst.
The Toxicity Of Luke & Lorelai's Relationship
So many people "ship" Luke and Lorelai that it feels funny to critique their relationship. In many ways, Luke is a far better mate than Christopher can be. In other ways, Luke and Lorelai are terrible for each other. Their heated fights leave both of them hurt and confused.
They struggle to commit to one another and seem to have trust issues, especially when it comes to past relationships. That being said, when things are good, they're really good. That is precisely why fans choose to ignore the uglier sides of the relationship.
The Person Rory Has Become By The Time She Finishes Yale
From an affair with Dean to a run-in with the law, Rory's behavior for a good chunk of the series is atrocious. She's a smart girl whom fans would like to believe has a good heart. That's why it is so hard to see her fail and hurt others in the process.
By the time Rory resumes her studies and finishes her Yale education, some viewers might be tempted to wipe the slate clean. Rory has still changed so much, though. Everyone makes bad decisions in life, so maybe it's good that fans cut her some slack.
The Unhealthy Overconsumption Of Coffee
There are a lot of coffee-lovers in the world and on television. Luckily for the people of Stars Hollow, Luke Danes makes the perfect cup of joe. There is no overstating how much the Gilmore girls love coffee, especially Lorelai.
Lorelai often has several cups of coffee by the time most people finish their first or second. While Lorelai and Rory endear themselves to viewers with this record coffee habit, the addiction is really over-the-top.
The Privileged World The Show Inhabits
On a more serious note, fans often ignore how privileged the world of Gilmore Girls is. Opulence belongs to Richard and Emily Gilmore, to some of Rory's Chilton classmates, and to the elite social scene of Logan Huntzberger.
In reality, Hartford, Connecticut is filled with residents of varying wealth and privilege. Stars Hollow doesn't represent a lavish lifestyle by any means, but its people aren't struggling to make ends meet, either.
Overall Lack Of Diversity
In addition to its lack of socioeconomic representation, Gilmore Girls is not a diverse show when it comes to other aspects of human identity, like race and sexual orientation.
Lane Kim, Mrs. Kim, and Michel Gerard are the only regular characters who are not white or white-passing. In that respect, Stars Hollow reflects the makeup of some of Connecticut's small towns. Likewise, almost every romantic reference or relationship is heterosexual.