On Gilmore Girls, it's hard to find a sweeter character than Rory. But sometimes Lorelai's daughter makes awful choices that don't make sense.
Rory Gilmore is one of the most complex teens on TV. The Gilmore Girls character doesn't want to throw house parties and she definitely doesn't slam her bedroom door after yelling that she hates her mother. Rory's close friendship with her mom Lorelai is one reason the show is so beloved, and their dynamic is funny and genuine.
It's not hard to like Rory Gilmore, and while there are moments on the series when she isn't afraid to be exactly who she is, there are many times when she seems to lose sight of the right thing to do.
Jess Mariano isn't always the most well-drawn character, but he is one of Rory's most long-term love interests, so there will always be fans firmly on Team Jess.
When Lorelai went to business school, Rory should have been a supportive kid who went to her graduation. Instead, she went to see Jess in NYC. Rory is a bit of a goody-two-shoes, so this was strange. She also ran away a lot, like the time she escaped to her grandparents' house during a snowstorm.
Paris and Rory have an odd, confusing friendship and at the beginning of the show, Paris isn't wasn't very nice to Rory. She was annoyed by Rory's very existence at Chilton and would love nothing more than for her to leave so she could be the smartest person there once again.
Even though Paris didn't really deserve it, Rory did her best to be a nice and cordial person. She even helped Paris go on a date with Tristan, lending her Lorelai's clothing and giving her advice. This proved how sweet Rory is.
Logan Huntzberger is basically Lorelai's worst nightmare when it comes to love interests for Rory. He's wealthy, conceited, and from a totally different universe.
Rory doesn't really act like herself when she dates Logan. At first, she pretends that casual dating is fine with her when it's clear that she's much more comfortable in solid relationships. She never seems at ease in the romance, and she's much happier and confident with Jess and Dean.
Because of Rory's close relationship with Lorelai, who is mostly a great friend, Rory has the confidence to go through life and do exactly what feels right to her.
When Lorelai and Sookie take Rory, Paris, Louise and Madeline to see the Bangles, Louise and Madeline sneak off to see some older guys. Rory stays true to herself by sticking to the plan of staying at the concert. She never gives into peer pressure, which is admirable.
Those on Team Dean had to admit that it was bad when Rory slept with him in season 4. This didn't seem like something she would do.
Instead of losing her virginity to someone she was in a loving, serious relationship with, Rory slept with someone who was already married. As a person who planned out every aspect of her life and was always careful to do the right thing, it seems like such an odd decision.
Team Logan fans were definitely devastated when Rory turned down his proposal near the end of the series. But this made a lot of sense for the character.
She stayed true to herself because she knew that she was too young and not ready for the big step of getting married. She could also tell that she wanted a different life than Logan did, as she wanted to travel and explore the world and start her journalism career, and he really had no idea what his next move was.
Rory and Lane have been close for so many years and yet when Rory and Dean start seeing each other and get more serious, she has no time for Lane anymore.
Lane gets understandably frustrated and stands up for herself. Once Rory realizes what she's done, she feels horrible, but it's hard to believe that she would let their friendship get on thin ice like that. If Lane dropped Rory for a guy, Rory would feel awful.
Rory's time in journalism is problematic, but besides trying to enter this field, she has a good attitude when trying new things.
Whether getting some extracurriculars in for college or playing golf with her grandfather Richard, Rory can approach new situations with a smile and friendly banter. Even if she's nervous or shy, she never loses sight of herself, and she's always kind.
In the third season episode "Application Anxiety," Rory worries about getting into college and she thinks that her Ivy League dreams might be too far out of reach. It's mostly a funny episode as Lorelai and Emily worry, too.
But is this really how Rory would act? She has been a great student since was young and she is definitely prepared for college. It doesn't make sense for her to get so worked up.
Besides dealing with the difficult Paris Geller, who has some good and bad plotlines on the show, Rory has a tough time fitting in socially when she starts attending Chilton.
She doesn't mind, though, and happily spends her lunch hour eating alone with a good book. Although the school pressures her to get more involved and make friends, she knows that she has a good friend in Lane and that it's okay not to like everyone. She stays true to herself as she can always spend time alone.
