There is no end to the debate about the men in Gilmore Girls, but no one can deny that Lorelai (Lauren Graham) ended up with the right one. Lorelai’s relationship with Luke Danes (Scott Patterson) takes its sweet time, but they really are the perfect couple. From the first episode of Gilmore Girls, Luke and Lorelai have an ongoing flirtation that culminates in a series-long will-they-won’t-they dynamic. In fact, once they start dating, Luke reveals he’s been in love with her for a long time, holding on to the horoscope she gave him when they first met eight years earlier. Over the course of the series, they face plenty of obstacles, like their breakup, Luke’s surprise child, and Lorelai’s marriage to Christopher (David Sutcliffe), but, especially once they make it through all of that, there is no denying that Luke and Lorelai are endgame.
It takes a long time to get there, but the audience can guess that the characters will go in that direction from their first interaction. However, considering Luke is the only single man in the main cast at the beginning of the series, it doesn’t take much to jump to that assumption, and there’s no guarantee that they are right for each other. However, one early scene seals the deal by showing how great they could be together several seasons before they date. In the Season 1 episode, “That Damn Donna Reed,” Lorelai and Luke share a few minutes that prove they are perfect for each other.
This ‘Gilmore Girls’ Episode Shows How Much Luke Trusts Lorelai
In the episode, Luke agrees to give his diner a “spruce,” accidentally thrilling Taylor Doose (Michael Winters), and Lorelai promises to help him paint, leading to this faithful scene. The fact that they are there at all shows what Luke is willing to do for her. After years of refusing to spruce up his diner, he agrees to it because Lorelai suggests it. In fact, he claims to hate painting until Lorelai says she loves it, and then he gives in, saying he would do it if he had help. And, when Lorelai is there with him to pick out paint colors, Luke doesn’t seem upset about the task ahead. Luke is willing to do a lot for Lorelai, and in this case, he is painting his entire diner to spend some time with her at the risk of pleasing Taylor, which shows how much he likes her. Though things don’t exactly go as intended, the scene where Luke and Lorelai pick out colors is proof that they belong together.
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Beyond that, he puts his trust in her, allowing her to pick the colors and explaining how he has no idea what to choose. When Lorelai picks something out, he asks if she likes it, and that is enough for him. It’s worth noting that his trust in her is not misplaced, as Lorelai takes his comfort into account with her suggestion. Luke dislikes change, and even though she teases him about his options earlier, Lorelai intentionally picks colors that are similar to the diner’s current color scheme. Plus, when Taylor brings the people of Stars Hollow to try to get into the diner, Luke believes Lorelai when she says they will go away, avoiding a fight with Taylor, which he rarely does. They may still just be friends at this point, but Luke and Lorelai have a deep trust in each other that hints at what they will become.
Luke and Lorelai Tease Each Other in “That Damn Donna Reed”
Lorelai and Luke are so fun to watch because they are opposites. Lorelai is energetic and outgoing, and Luke is reserved. When they are together, the quick verbal battles that are so classic in Amy Sherman-Palladino‘s writing come out because there is always something for them to disagree on. Their witty banter leads to some of the show’s most memorable lines. In fact, this is such an important part of their dynamic that no Luke and Lorelai scene is complete without their good-natured teasing, and “That Damn Donna Reed” has plenty of it. Lorelai teases Luke about the ambiance, which Luke says he doesn’t do.
Lorelai doesn’t engage, saying, “One argument at a time,” suggesting the discussion isn’t over as she confidently intends to get her way. She also has something to say about his decor, trying to get him to change things further, specifically getting rid of a plastic dancing pork chop, but Luke will not budge. When Luke admits to opening a diner because he thought it would be fun, Lorelai laughs and comments, “That’s a hard word for you to say.”
Yes, their back-and-forth is part of their friendly dynamic throughout the show, making them a good duo even when they are not romantically involved. However, it also shows the ease that exists between them. They are close, teasing, and bickering with each other good-naturedly. Throughout this interaction, Luke and Lorelai are totally comfortable together, which is proof of how perfectly they work.
“That Damn Donna Reed” Allows Luke and Lorelai To Be Vulnerable
There are many great scenes between Luke and Lorelai, but what makes this scene so special isn’t just that it takes place so early in the show, but that the conversation becomes so vulnerable and open, which is not common for them (leading to constant issues in their relationship). Luke is a private guy, but he opens up to Lorelai here, giving them a deeper connection. As they plan to repaint the building that once belonged to his father, Luke gets sentimental, telling Lorelai about his dad and the connection that working in the same place gives him. Lorelai admits that she’s jealous of that relationship, alluding to the issues she has with her own father. Luke even points out a note his dad made on the wall that he memorized, and Lorelai is quick to cut that section out of the repainting plan.
This five-minute scene shows several sides of their relationship, ranging from light-hearted joking to deep, emotional conversations, and all the while, Luke and Lorelai are perfectly comfortable together. Way back in Season 1, “That Damn Donna Reed” proves the potential Luke and Lorelai could have as a couple, which Gilmore Girls doesn’t explore until much later. While fans always knew that these two dating was inevitable, this scene allows them to imagine the possibility, getting them invested in the love story that follows.
