Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) may consider her mom Lorelai (Lauren Graham) her best friend on Gilmore Girls, but she does have some other important friendships in her life. From her best childhood pal to some new people she meets along her academic journey, from Chilton to Yale, there are some key people who Rory hangs out with regularly.
Some of the Gilmore Girls friendships are pretty toxic, and while there were times when Rory was an ideal person to hang out, she made some mistakes with the people who she cared about the most. Sometimes fans cheered Rory on because she was so kind and caring, and other times, she was definitely in the wrong.
Good Friend: Included Paris In Social Plans Even When They Were Feuding
Paris Geller has some hilarious moments on the show, and her tough, spirited personality can be a little intimidating. It's no wonder that Rory had trouble getting along with this character, played by Liza Weil, from the start.
Rory was always a good friend to Paris, as she included her in social plans even when they were feuding. This included The Bangles concert in the first season. She even tried to help her date Tristan (Chad Michael Murray). Rory didn't have to be nice to Paris at all, and yet she kept at it.
Wasn't: Didn't Mind Leaving Lane At Stars Hollow High
One of the biggest parts of season one of Gilmore Girls is when Rory left Stars Hollow High to go to Chilton, the prestigious private school that could put her on the Ivy League track.
This meant leaving her best friend Lane Kim (Keiko Agena) behind, and yet Rory didn't mind at all. She was so focused on her new crush on Dean Forester (Jared Padalecki) and on adjusting to her scary new school that she didn't pay attention to Lane's disappointment, at least not at first.
Good Friend: Shared Lorelai With Lane And Paris
On the other hand, Rory was a great friend to both Lane and Paris because she had no problem sharing her mom Lorelai with them.
She knew that neither one had a good relationship with their own parents, and she was cool with inviting them over or with Lorelai giving them life advice. Not everyone would feel that way.
Wasn't: Ignored Lane A Lot Of The Time
Rory isn't perfect by any means and she often would ignore Lane, acting like her own life was a lot more important.
There were so many moments, especially in the first season, when Rory seemed to barely even remember that Lane existed or was even her best friend at all. That's just not the way that best friends are supposed to treat each other, and it was impossible not to feel bad for Lane in those early episodes.
Good Friend: Stayed Patient And Calm When Paris Would Freak Out
It's easy to say that Paris and Rory have a strange friendship, and there are definitely moments that lead fans to question how close they really are.
But whenever Paris freaked out on the show, like when she famously became a tyrant at the Yale newspaper, Rory would stay patient, calm, and understanding. She always knew that Paris had good intentions and that her heart was in the right place, and she was always there for her.
Wasn't: Didn't Invite Lane To Help Her Move In At Yale
Gilmore Girls fans know that Rory was always going to go to Harvard, but then she decided to go to Yale. Fans will remember that at the beginning of the fourth season, Lorelai and Rory have a sleepover at the school, but Lane is absent from these episodes.
Why didn't Rory invite Lane to help her move in? It would have been fun for both of them to spend some more time together, and since Lorelai was staying anyway, it wouldn't have cramped Rory's style. It would have been nice for her to include Lane more.
Good Friend: Made New Friends At Yale Who Were Different From Her
After setting in at Yale, Rory befriended Lucy (Krysten Ritter) and Olivia (Michelle Ongkingco).
These girls were much louder, more confident, and dramatic than Rory, as Lucy majored in acting and was much more comfortable being in the spotlight than Rory. It was a big deal for Rory to make some new friends, especially people who were so different from her, as in high school, she kept to herself a lot more.
Wasn't: Lied To Lucy About Marty
Rory had her moments of acting like a spoiled kid, and one of her worst displays of that comes through her friendship with Marty. She also lied to her new friend Lucy and acted like she and Marty (Wayne Wilcox) had no idea who the other person was.
Rory was a bad friend to both of them, and she shouldn't have lied to someone she considered a pal.
Good Friend: Supported Lane Dating Zack, Getting Married And Having Kids Young
Even though Rory could have been worried that Lane was getting married or having kids too young, she was always pretty supportive of Lane and Zack (Todd Lowe).
This was really nice for Lane, who needed Rory to be on her side. There were so many changes going on in her life, and it would have been awful if Rory had refused to be there for her.
Wasn't: Got Caught Up In Her Own Problems Or Schoolwork Too Often
Even though Rory had many moments of being a good friend, she also failed on quite a few counts. She would often get really caught up in her own problems, worrying about her break-up with Dean or wanting to do well on a school exam.
While of course she would care about those things, she would sometimes become self-centered and forget about her friendships, and that's not the kind of pal that anyone wants to see.