Even after so many years, Gilmore Girls maintains a significant following, and it’s easy to see why. Full of charm, unique characters, and humor, there’s a lot to enjoy about the series. The story follows Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and her daughter Rory (Alexis Bledel), showing off their idealized relationship where they are friends as well as mother and daughter. However, Gilmore Girls highlights different dynamics between parents and children. Besides Lorelai and Rory’s “best friends” arrangement, there is Lorelai and Emily’s (Kelly Bishop) challenging interactions, Mrs. Kim’s (Emily Kuroda) overly strict rules for Lane (Keiko Agena), and even Luke (Scott Patterson) and April’s (Vanessa Marano) attempt to connect after being kept apart. Yet one of the most intriguing and often under-explored is Lorelai’s relationship with her father, Richard (Edward Herrmann).
It’s fair to say that Lorelai doesn’t have an easy relationship with either of her parents, especially after thoroughly rejecting their way of life, but they still care about each other. While Lorelai and Emily are constantly arguing and making up, Lorelai’s interactions with Richard are different. Her relationship with her father never gets the focus it deserves, in part because Richard and Rory have more in common and become so close throughout the series. But despite the complexities, Lorelai and Richard ultimately have a sweet dynamic, which the series showcases on occasion. Yet Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life made a poor choice that hurt it by having Lorelai unable to think of a good memory of him to share at his funeral. While fans of the series can think of several things Lorelai could have said to satisfy Emily, Lorelai misses the opportunity, making it seem like she and Richard were not close when that is far from the case.
‘Gilmore Girls’ Has Several Touching Moments Between Lorelai and Richard
Though most of Richard’s storylines revolve around his marriage to Emily or relationship with Rory, whenever he and Lorelai have a scene together, it’s memorable. Lorelai and Richard may not have a lot in common, but he shows how much he cares for her time and time again. He is always willing to lend her money or handle insurance needs. Fiercely protective of his family, Richard is quick to defend Lorelai even though he disagrees with almost every choice she makes, like when the Haydens come to dinner and the old argument about Lorelai’s pregnancy resurfaces. Richard jumps to Lorelai’s defense despite believing she mishandled the situation all those years ago. He and Lorelai argue about it later, but, at the moment, he will not hear a bad word against her. And that is only in Season 1.
As the series goes on, Richard can be seen covering for her when she climbs out the window to escape a bad set-up from Emily and laughing with her about the image of his mother kissing a man in a tracksuit. Richard and Lorelai’s relationship gets highlighted again when she helps him set up his new business. Upset over the loss of his former assistant, Lorelai becomes the only replacement Richard wants. While she can only be there for a few days, the time together shows Richard recognizing and appreciating Lorelai as the businesswoman she has become. And, of course, in the series finale, Richard puts into words his admiration for the life she made for herself. While the day is about Rory, Richard acknowledges that Lorelai made it possible, showing how highly he thinks of his daughter. Considering these beautiful moments they share in the series, the fact that Lorelai can’t come up with a single story as she mourns him is strange.
‘Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life’ Shows Lorelai Failing To Honor Richard at his Funeral
In Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life‘s first episode, “Winter,” Lorelai admits to Rory that she messed up at Richard’s funeral, recounting the time after Rory left. Emily surprised the remaining guests by asking them to share a story about Richard and Lorelai’s unwilling contribution, which wasn’t what anyone expected. She talks about him abandoning her for a work trip while she hides in his trunk and an unfortunate story of him catching her with a boy. The scene is meant to create drama between Lorelai and Emily, who is understandably angry at the incident. When they argue about it, Emily gives suggestions, and Lorelai implies that Richard didn’t take her to many places or spend time with her, but anyone who saw the original series knows that they shared several loving moments, even if Lorelai was older when they happened.
Later in the series, Lorelai calls Emily to share the story she wishes she had shared about playing hooky from school and him taking her to a movie while covering her mistake from Emily. It is exactly what Emily wanted at the funeral and further proves that Richard and Lorelai had a close connection. However, by the time she makes the call in the finale, the damage is already done. Because of the need for drama between Emily and Lorelai, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life makes it seem like Lorelai and Richard had a more distant relationship than they did, rewriting their history.
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Lauren Graham’s Idea for a ‘Gilmore Girls’ Revival Absolutely Works, But It Has To Address This Major Storyline
We’re going to need an answer to that cliffhanger, Lauren.
‘Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life’ Retroactively Damages Lorelai and Richard’s Relationship
Lorelai’s mistake at the funeral makes it seem like she and her father are not close when they actually have one of the best parent/child relationships in the series. It’s true that they argue, with Richard trying to enforce his ideals and Lorelai lumping him in with Emily when she is mad. Richard occasionally oversteps, interfering with Lorelai’s role as a parent, like when he tries to keep Rory from accepting a car from Dean (Jared Padalecki) or arranges a meeting at Yale behind Rory’s back, but he’s always there when Lorelai needs him. Though imperfect, Lorelai and Richard have a great dynamic where they may not understand each other but care about each other. While Emily tries to change Lorelai, Richard, confused as he is, accepts and admires her.
It’s a beautiful relationship, but Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life changed the audience’s perception of it with one unfortunate scene. Gilmore Girls let them go out on a high note, with one of the sweetest moments between the two occurring in the finale. But by having Lorelai panic and ramble at Richard’s funeral, the revival tells a different story. Unfortunately, Richard couldn’t appear in the revival because of the death of actor Edward Herrmann, limiting his involvement, but the relationship between Richard and Lorelai would have been better served if it were left with the original series’ ending rather than Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life‘s addition.
Gilmore Girls and Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life are streaming on Netflix in the U.S.
