With a charming pilot and nearly flawless first season, the early episodes of Gilmore Girls is one that fans can watch over and over again. Fans can't get enough of Rory (Alexis Bledel) and Lorelai (Lauren Graham) drinking coffee at Luke's Diner or trying to get through another awkward but hilarious Friday Night Dinner at Rory's grandparents' house.
While the endlessly quotable Rory and Lorelai will never get old, there are some storylines from the first season of this beloved show that don't hold up that well now. They don't seem like plots that would be written if the show aired in 2020.
Rory Is Ready To Give Up Her Future For A Boy
Lorelai and Luke's relationship has many issues and Rory doesn't fare too well after she meets Dean (Jared Padalecki).
Rory has just gotten into Chilton, which is incredible, especially since the school year has already started. But she worries about leaving school and not being with Dean, as she has a crush on him from the moment she meets him. The fact that Rory would give up the easiest path to her future for a boy doesn't make much sense, especially not in 2020. It's not a very strong or feminist act.
Rory And Dean Stay Out Too Late And Fall Asleep
Dean is a solid boyfriend for Rory but after they attend a dance at Chilton, they stay out too late and fall asleep.
This is one of the most famous season one storylines on Gilmore Girls and one that definitely wouldn't fly today. Doesn't Rory have a curfew? What about Dean? They both acted silly and immature and they should have realized that it would have caused some trouble. Teens don't have that quite of freedom today, as parents always want to know what time they'll be home after an important event like a school dance.
Rory Messes Up A Test And Yells At Her Teacher And Paris
In the season one "The Deer Hunters," Rory messes up by oversleeping and missing part of an English test. She definitely makes things worse by yelling at her teacher, Max Medina (Scott Cohen).
Why would Rory freak out so much and actually scream at a teacher? Sure, she's upset, but it's not like her at all. This was very disrepectful. Rory also screams at Paris (Liza Weil) and she's very rude and disruptive.
Rory Becomes A Housewife For The Night
"That Damn Donna Reed" is a pretty unique Gilmore Girls episode, as Rory becomes a housewife for the night to make her boyfriend Dean happy. When they get into a disagreement because he thinks that it's "nice" for a woman to make dinner for her family every night, Rory figures she should see things from his perspective.
Rory does find out that Donna Reed was more of a feminist than she thought, but this is still a tough storyline for 2020. Rory doesn't need to make her boyfriend dinner.
Emily Throws Rory A Birthday Bash But Doesn't Consult Her
Emily (Kelly Bishop) really has no idea that Rory doesn't want her to throw a birthday party and invite all of her snobby and awful classmates... and that's because she doesn't consult her about this event.
This is something that wouldn't fly today, as Emily doesn't show her granddaughter any respect at all. She even gets mad when Rory tries to express herself about it, which isn't cool. The party that Lorelai throws for her daughter is so much more her style.
Dean Breaks Up With Rory For An Unfair Reason
It's awful when Dean dumps Rory and even more so because he doesn't even let her explain herself.
Dean tells her that he loves her, and without listening to her explanation that saying those words is hard for her because of her mom's history, he just leaves. It's not the best way for him to behave and definitely a jerk move. Today, it seems like the couple would have more of a discussion, and this is one reason why Dean isn't the best boyfriend for Rory. This is the equivalent of ghosting someone or breaking up with them via text message.
Lorelai Dates (And Gets Engaged To) Rory's Teacher
It's definitely problematic and inappropriate for Lorelai to date Max, Rory's English teacher.
This isn't something that would fly today, and it's especially awkward when they get engaged in the season one finale. Even though Lorelai does her best to help Rory with this big transition, it's still uncomfortable for Rory to see her teacher outside of school. It doesn't seem like the best relationship for Lorelai.
Lorelai Dresses Inappropriately At Chilton
Lorelai has a range of hairstyles on the show, and her outfits are also, to put it mildly, interesting.
In a famous Gilmore Girls moment, Lorelai doesn't plan ahead carefully enough and shows up at Rory's first day at Chilton wearing a pink tie-dye t-shirt, jean shorts, cowboy boots, and a coat that doesn't cover everything enough. It's incredibly awkward and strange, and not something that a mother would do today.
Rory Steals Something After Dean Kisses Her
It's meant as a comedic moment, but after Dean kisses Rory for the first time, she steals some cornstarch from Doose's Market.
Rory is a favorite character, but this was definitely an immature move. It's also strange that no one thinks it's a problem that she stole something. Sure, it was a mistake, but it still counts and it's a weird moment to look back on.
Lorelai Escapes A Bad Date By Fleeing Her Parents' House
It wasn't right of Emily and Richard (Edward Herrmann) to set Lorelai up with a boring guy without even asking her, but her behavior in the season one episode "Star-Crossed Lovers And Other Strangers," isn't mature at all.
Lorelai escapes the date by fleeing her parents' house and literally leaves through her old bedroom window. Her dad sees her and agrees that it's okay, which is even weirder. Lorelai is great, but she definitely doesn't act like an adult here.