While Gilmore Girls often focuses on the tough relationship between Lorelai and Emily, it's also true that Lorelai has an awful time getting along with her dad. Richard feels badly about how Lorelai left when she became pregnant with Rory, and it's tough for him to share his emotions about this time in their lives.
Although Lorelai and Richard never become close and they lead very different lives, it's possible to see that they have more in common than they might realize. These popular Gilmore Girls characters actually have very similar personalities.
Richard And Lorelai Are Both Stubborn
Just like Emily and Lorelai are friendly sometimes, Lorelai and Richard have a few moments when they can have a real conversation. But most of the time, they struggle to communicate, and it's because they're both stubborn.
When Richard shares that he thought that Lorelai was cruel for leaving him and Emily and that they didn't deserve her running away, Lorelai realizes that her actions did hurt her parents. But since Richard and Lorelai find it tough to admit when they're wrong, they don't have the honest conversation that they should.
They Have Great Business Sense
If Richard and Lorelai had a better father/daughter relationship that meant meeting up for lunches and coffee and spending more time together, maybe they would realize that they share a keen business sense and they're both doing an incredible job.
Richard has always been at the top of his insurance company, and Lorelai is able to open her own inn after years of sweat and hard work. They both share an affinity for having goals and making them happen.
They Both Dream Big When It Comes To Rory's Future
It's also interesting to compare how Richard and Lorelai treat Rory's future. They each have an idea of what school she should go to, as Lorelai supports Rory's goal of getting into Harvard and Richard wonders if Rory would have a better experience at Yale, the school that he loved attending so much.
If Richard and Lorelai got along better, they might be able to sit down with Rory and tell her that they're fine with wherever she wants to go. But since they don't spend much time together, it does seem like Rory feels pressured.
Richard And Lorelai Tease Emily And Make Jokes
Lorelai's hilarious Gilmore Girls quotes are famous, and Richard says some clever lines himself, proving that these two characters share a witty sense of humor. Lorelai and Richard also share a fondness of poking fun at situations around Emily, which sometimes stresses her out and frustrates her.
Fans know that Lorelai loves cracking jokes at Friday Night Dinner, and Richard can hold his own in the humor department, something that always lightens the mood.
Richard And Lorelai Both Stand Up For Themselves And Their Family
The season 1 episode "Christopher Returns" is an intense one. On the one hand, it's fun and sweet seeing Rory and her dad bond. On the other hand, a big argument happens at Friday Night Dinner when Christopher's father Straub insults Lorelai.
Richard does the right thing by yelling that Lorelai is intelligent and has nothing to be sorry about, showing fans that both Lorelai and her dad stand up for themselves when necessary. Although they might not think that they share many personality traits in common, they are both strong and confident.
They Both Struggle With Partners In Business
Lorelai and Sookie's Gilmore Girls friendship has suffered at times as they start a catering business and also open the Dragonfly Inn together, and they argue and wonder how they're going to make it through as it can be hard to understand each other and their respective business styles. Richard also has a tough time with his partner Jason, which ends incredibly badly when Jason sues him.
Lorelai and Richard both find working with others to be incredibly frustrating at times, and it's easy to see many parallels with how they behave when things go wrong. They both get angry instead of calmly discussing the problem and their communication skills need some work.
They're Both Super Competitive
Whether Lorelai is trying to beat Kirk in the season 3 Stars Hollow dance-a-thon or Richard is phoning friends to brag about Rory, both characters show their super competitive streak on a regular basis.
It's possible that if these characters could get past their history and have more fun together, they would be great at teaming up for a fun challenge, and maybe Lorelai would even play golf with Richard at the club or they could have fun playing a sport.
Richard And Lorelai Make Fun Of Wealthy People
When Richard takes Rory to his club in the season 1 episode "Kill Me Now," he shares that his wealthy peers have very dramatic lives. Rory is amazed by how much goes on and Richard jokes, "It's Peyton Place."
Gilmore Girls fans know that Lorelai isn't a big fan of the world that Richard and Emily live in, and Lorelai and Richard both feel different from people who focus on the superficial and complain about things that are actually fine.
They Both Break Up With Their Soulmates
Richard and Emily's vow renewal episode is a favorite for viewers as it's scary to imagine these characters never getting back together. It's also sad to watch the episodes when Lorelai and Luke have split up and are both having a terrible time.
While Richard and Lorelai have different relationships, they both break up with people who are definitely their soulmates. Although they don't talk about their love lives and don't bond over it, they do share the common experience of heartbreak.
Richard And Lorelai Have Trouble Asking For Help
From Lorelai needing $15,000 to rid her house of termites in the season 2 episode "Secrets and Loans," to Richard recovering after his heart problems in season 7, neither Gilmore Girls character has an easy time leaning on other people.
Lorelai and her dad share the tough personality trait of wanting to do everything on their own and feeling like asking for help makes them weak. It would definitely be helpful for them to realize that it's a good idea to get help, but neither character learns this lesson easily.