Over seven seasons of Gilmore Girls, Lorelai Gilmore grows up almost as much as her daughter Rory does. The smart and sassy single mother always has a quick wit, but she does struggle with her personal life and dealing with her parents, who are still living in the cushy world of wealth and privilege that she left behind.
Fans don't know if a season 2 of the revival is coming, but thankfully, the original seasons are perfect for binge-watching over and over again, especially as the weather turns colder and it's time to get cozy. Lorelai Gilmore goes through many changes over the years, and it's fun to examine her growth.
Back In Season 1, Lorelai Was Fresh-Faced And Begging Luke For Coffee
There are tons of Gilmore Girls quotes that focus on coffee, and fans know that this caffeinated beverage is one of Lorelai's great loves.
In the first season of the show, Lorelai was fresh-faced and begging Luke for coffee. In the pilot's opening scene, she says she wants some caffeine, and when Luke asks how many she's had already, she said, "None plus five," which is hilarious. The character definitely looks really young here, and fans know that at the beginning of the series, Lorelai was a young single mother helping Rory transition to private school life at Chilton.
She Tried To Get Along With Emily
Sometimes Emily and Lorelai were nice to each other, but most of the time, Lorelai had a lot of tension with her mother.
In this photo from a season 1 episode, Lorelai and Emily went shopping for a birthday present for Rory, and it was clear that they had different ideas of what a 16-year-old girl would like. This was a big deal for Lorelai's character, as she had spent so many years avoiding her parents altogether and now she had to face her tough childhood.
Lorelai Almost Married Max
It's wild to think that Lorelai and Max Medina could have gotten married in season 2 and spent the next five seasons as husband and wife. That just wasn't in the cards, as Lorelai realized that she couldn't go through with it and convinced Rory to go on a road trip in the infamous episode where they go to Harvard (and a creepy inn).
Lorelai definitely went through a lot of changes here, as she had to really ask herself if she could transition from being a single mom to someone's wife. It was too much for her and she had to think about whether marriage was ever in her future.
She Graduated From Business School
Lorelai then went through a major transformation by attending business school. Her graduation day was a huge deal and she was so proud that she had accomplished something so big.
This was also an important step in Lorelai's journey to buy an inn with her best friend, Sookie St. James. Without this education, their dreams might not have come true.
In Season 3, She Stressed Out About Rory's College Applications
Rory has her immature scenes but for the most part, she was always determined to get into an Ivy League college. In the third season, Lorelai had a tough time as she stressed out about her daughter's college applications.
Sure, Rory doesn't end up being the best reporter, but back in the early days of Gilmore Girls, she showed a lot of promise. Lorelai had to deal with her daughter trying to achieve her college dreams and it was a lot for her.
In Season 4, Lorelai Became The Dragonfly Inn's Owner
In the fourth season, Lorelai went through another big change as she became the owner of the Dragonfly Inn along with Sookie.
In the fantastic episode "Raincoats and Recipes," they had a test run where relatives and friends stayed at the inn to see how everything would go. Suddenly Lorelai was a business owner and it was all becoming real.
In Season 5, Luke And Lorelai Finally Got Together
While Lorelai's romance with Luke Danes had some bumps, fans definitely shipped these two characters.
Luke and Lorelai finally went on their first date in the fifth season, and Lorelai had to reconcile her view of Luke as the grumpy diner owner with his new role in her life as her romantic partner. They went through a lot as they had to become vulnerable with each other in order for the relationship to succeed, and it took them a while to figure it all out.
The Gilmore Girls Stopped Talking... Then Made Up
No one would have imagined that Rory and Lorelai would stop talking but that's exactly what happened in season 6.
This was another huge transformation for Lorelai, as the character had to face life on her own without her trusty sidekick. She realized that while it was painful, she had to let her daughter face up to her mistakes, and it was okay for her to focus on her own life for a while. Thankfully, they did make up.
Lorelai Married Christopher And Lost Herself
Christopher has a lot of issues as a character, and he and Lorelai actually got married in season 7.
This is a strange decision on both their parts, especially since Lorelai really wanted to make things work with Luke. Chris was definitely a crutch of sorts for her, and she needed to see if they were meant to be. She thankfully learned that they weren't, but it was a journey that she still had to go on.
Lorelai Said Goodbye To Rory And Reconciled With Luke
By the end of the series (before the Netflix revival, that is), Lorelai said goodbye to Rory and watched her go off into the real world.
It was also clear that Lorelai was going to make things right with Luke and that this love story would have a happy ending. Lorelai had grown up so much by the series finale and now she was a successful business owner who was ready to open her heart to her soulmate.