Gilmore Girls: 10 Best Non-Verbal Scenes

One of the things Gilmore Girls is known for is how fast Lorelai and Rory speak. They don’t miss a beat and understand every reference the other one throws. And as entertaining as their banter is, there are silent moments that garner just as much attention.

Some of the best scenes in the series contain nothing but looks. From Lorelai’s gentle eyes on Rory to a disgruntled argument between Luke and Christopher, Gilmore Girls proves that scenes can be just as powerful without dialogue.

10 When Lane Sneaks Into Mrs. Kim’s Room To Kiss Her Goodnight

When Lane had to choose between following her mother’s rules and living at home or moving out and pursuing her music, she chose the latter. As much as she loved her “mama,” she was suffocating in that house and needed to branch out. For years, Lane kept big secrets from her mom and she no longer wanted to do that.

After finding out that Mrs. Kim began hosting a Korean exchange student to stay in Lane’s room, Lane became homesick. One night, she snuck into her (former) home and silently checked out her old bedroom before walking into her mom’s. Without saying a word, Lane watched her mom as she slept and kissed her on the forehead before silently leaving. This was an emotional scene but spoke volumes.

9 Luke & Jess’s Silent Freakout

In season 3’s ‘Dear Emily and Richard,’ Luke begins dating a woman named Nicole. After their first date, they went back to Luke’s Diner for a cup of coffee. However, their cheerful night became tainted when Jess told Luke he was heading out for the night. Knowing that nothing could end well with Jess roaming Stars Hollow at night, Luke took Jess out front to give him a stern talking to.

As Nicole and Kirk looked on in confusion, Luke and Jess silently yelled at each other on the sidewalk, As many sad things occurred to Jess in his life, Luke made sure that he was the adult figure in his life who put him on the right path. Watching these two bicker in silence was hilarious.

8 Lorelai And Emily Are More Alike Than They Realize

After the Bracebridge Dinner, Emily found out that Richard retired without telling her. This, sadly, was the start of their painful breakup. She was so upset that she tried spending the night with Lorelai and Rory. As much as Lorelai and Emily bickered, this moment proved they were more alike than they realized.

As Rory watched from the bed, Emily and Lorelai had the same nightly routine while looking in the mirror. They both reached for the same product and did the left side of their face first — all non-silently. Rory watched in amazement knowing she too was a Gilmore Girl.

7 When Everyone At Luke’s Diner Finds Out Lorelai & Luke Slept Together

After one of Luke and Lorelai’s first nights together at the start of their romantic relationship, Lorelai woke up famished for coffee. Being at Luke’s place, she put on one of his larger plaid shirts and walked down the steps into the diner for a big cup.

Unbeknownst to her, the diner was already open and the town saw her pantsless, in Luke’s shirt, early in the morning. The entire diner became quiet when they connected the dots. Likewise, Lorelai was so mortified that she couldn’t say anything. It was straight silence and shock by both parties until Lorelai left the kitchen.

6 Mornings Without Words

Every person in a family has their own morning routine, but there’s always been something special about Lorelai and Rory’s bond. And the start of ‘Double Date’ shows that beautifully.

The scene kicks off with Lorelai and Rory getting ready to leave their home for a full day of work and school. As Lorelai starts the coffee, Rory puts the Pop-Tarts in the toaster. They then switch places and Rory fills up their coffee cups while Lorelai grabs her Pop-Tarts from the toaster. The two worked simultaneously together without saying a word — it was as if they’ve done the same thing 100 times before. It’s one of their best quiet moments together.

5 Paris & Doyle’s At-Home Dance Lesson

In season 7, Rory invites Paris to Lucy’s 2000s party. To prepare for a night of celebratory dancing, Paris and Doyle decided they should practice some moves for the big night.

While Rory is on the phone, Paris and Doyle are seen in the background not saying a word to each other as they practice their choreography. The way they moved with each other was actually good and their relationship was one of the reasons why Paris got better and better as the series went on.

4 Lorelai’s Face Said It All

Lorelai was at a loss for words when she found out her parents went against her wishes and allowed Rory to drop out of Yale and move in with them. The look on her face while Richard was telling her their plan was hard to watch. She was in so much pain. But the scene that was even harder was when Lorelai wordlessly watched Rory unpack her things in the poolhouse while she watched from the window.

A lot changed between Rory and Lorelai when Rory began dating Logan, and there was nothing Lorelai could do to get Rory back on track because she was now an adult.

3 Luke, Jess, And A Lake

When Jess first moves to Stars Hollow, Luke becomes incensed when he starts acting out. One day after school, Luke asked Jess if it was true that he stole money from Taylor Doose. Jess denied it of course but Luke questioned Jess all the way down to the lake.

As the two men are on the dock, they walk quickly—yet silently—in anger. After a few seconds of contemplation, Luke pushes Jess into the water without saying a word. Even Jess stayed completely silent as he fell into the lake and jumped out.

2 Lorelai And Richard’s Silent Heart To Heart

When Richard had his first heart episode, Lorelai was uncomfortable in every way possible. She didn’t have the best relationship with her dad but she wanted more than anything for him to be okay and pull through. Luckily for the Gilmore ladies, Richard was fine after surgery, but Lorelai was scared to see her dad in such a state.

When she finally did, she stood there in silence staring at her tall, strong dad in a rather depressed position. Most fans rave about the relationship between Richard and Rory, but this moment was big for the father and daughter.

1 The Fight To End All Fights

One of the most important Luke vs. Christopher moments in the series was when they saw each other late at night with no one around. Without saying a word, Christopher and Luke storm towards each other and begin hitting each other. There is no dialogue between the two, just punches and facial expressions of agony.

Although it was a rather dark scene (they were two grown men fighting over a woman after all), it proved there were no winners in this fight over Lorelai and that they were both in love with the same woman.

About The Author

Lynn Gibbs
(1652 Articles Published)

Lynn is a nomad who travels the globe on the hunt for her next adventure with her husband. A lover of being outside (and finding the best latte in town), Lynn is typically hiking, walking, or jogging when she’s not focusing on her love of writing. When it comes to shows streaming on Netflix or anything Bravo-related, Lynn’s your gal.

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