Gilmore Girls: 10 Plot Twists Fans Are Still Talking About

While surprises make up the fabric of every mystery or thriller, a light-hearted drama like Gilmore Girls doesn’t seem to feature many plot twists. But when fans think about it, there are many moments in the characters’ lives that are totally shocking and definitely fit into that category.

From big changes in Rory and Lorelai’s romantic lives to the experiences that some of their friends have, these Gilmore Girls moments still beg to be discussed over and over again, no matter how much time has passed since the season 7 finale or the four revival episodes.

10 When Lorelai Cancelled Her Wedding To Max

Lorelai and Max met in season 1 of Gilmore Girls and got engaged fairly fast. Rory accepted that her mom would marry her English teacher, and everyone was excited about the wedding. Sookie even made multiple cakes.

While many fans always thought that Lorelai was meant to be with Luke, it was still a shock when Lorelai canceled her wedding and told Rory that they would go on a road trip in a season 2 episode. This is a big moment that still gets talked about now, as viewers wondered if Lorelai was terrified of commitment, in general.

9 When Lane Got Pregnant At A Young Age

Lane’s season 7 pregnancy was another wild storyline that not everyone was on board with. Lane and Zack got married young and after disappointing sex that they didn’t enjoy at all, they found out they were having twins.

While Lane and Zack did love each other, fans wanted a world where Lane was all about her music instead of being tied down to her small town. This plot had ripple effects, as in the Netflix revival A Year In The Life, Lane was still hanging around Stars Hollow, running her mom’s antique shop. It’s a reminder that Lane could have done a lot more.

8 When Paris Didn’t Actually Get Into Harvard

In season 3, Paris got overwhelmed by her rejection from Harvard, and she ended up letting everyone at Chilton know what happened. Fans will always remember when she said that she lost her virginity and was being punished for that choice.

It was definitely a huge plot twist that Paris didn’t get into Harvard, as Rory was accepted to three Ivy Leagues, including Harvard and Yale. This was one of the saddest things about Paris’s life, as she felt totally crushed and like she wasn’t good enough. Everyone expected her to go to Harvard, as she had always put school before anything else in her life.

7 April Tracked Down Luke

In the season 6 episode, “The Prodigal Daughter Returns,” Luke met his daughter, April, realizing that his ex, Anna Nardini, hadn’t told him about their child. Luke couldn’t have been more shocked about this information.

This is a plot twist that fans are still amazed by, as this storyline affected the next two seasons. Luke didn’t want to get married, at least not for a long time, and Lorelai felt that she wasn’t a key part of his world anymore. It didn’t help that many viewers found April a frustrating character.

6 When Lorelai Gave Luke An Ultimatum And He Said No

At the end of season 6, Lorelai told Luke that he had to marry her or they would split up, and he wasn’t able to say that they could get married.

This moment changed the final season for the worse, as fans didn’t enjoy watching Lorelai fall into Christopher’s arms, and many would say that this popular couple was apart for too long. Fans still wonder why Lorelai asked Luke this, as he felt that she was asking him to let go of his daughter, and he couldn’t choose between them. Wasn’t there another way that Lorelai could have approached this?

5 When Emily And Richard Broke Up

It’s fair to say that Emily and Richard’s breakup was one of the most shocking moments in all of Gilmore Girls. After countless episodes focusing on this couple’s love story, they shared with Lorelai and Rory that they were taking time apart.

The pair fought and their misery was super obvious, but thankfully, they realized that they couldn’t stay apart any longer and viewers loved watching them renew their vows in “Wedding Bell Blues.”

4 When Rory And Dean Had An Affair

Fans might have expected Rory to lose her virginity to Dean, but that would have been while they were in a serious relationship, not in season 4 when he was married to Lindsay. Unfortunately, the characters started an affair and then tried to have a relationship again, which didn’t work out.

No one thought that Rory would make this decision, and this moment took the show in a tricky direction. Rory and Dean fell apart almost as soon as they began dating again, and Rory realized that she couldn’t live in the past. Things got much better once she said goodbye to Dean and threw herself into being a Yale student.

3 When Rory And Logan Had An Affair

Rory made the decision to start another affair when she began sleeping with Logan in A Year In The Life, and it was surprising to see these two together again. When fans first saw Rory in Logan’s London apartment, they might have been thrilled, assuming that they were in a good place. But unfortunately, Logan was engaged to Odette, and viewers were left wondering about this story choice.

Fans saw Rory as a different, lost person in these new episodes, and she didn’t seem to take anything as seriously as she should have.

2 When Rory Shared That She Was Pregnant

When viewers discovered that the “final four words” Amy Sherman-Palladino had often mentioned in interviews were “Mom?” and “Yeah?” and “I’m pregnant,” it was both surprising and expected.

If a plot twist alters a story or shares new information about characters, this storyline definitely did both of those things. Fans are still wondering if Logan is the dad or if it was the “Wookie” who Rory slept with, and either way, it would make for a fascinating second season if Netflix made more episodes of A Year In The Life. It was a big deal for Rory to be expecting a baby, as she was still very lost in terms of her career dreams and future plans.

1 When Rory Stole A Yacht

When looking at the mistakes Rory made over the years, fans still bring up the season 5 finale when she stole a yacht. This is a pretty wild plot twist as far as Rory goes. She was always a law-abiding citizen who loved school, her family, Stars Hollow, and doing the right thing. Suddenly, she was upset over Mitchum’s negative impression of her as a reporter, and it was like she became a totally different person.

Rory would have to recover from this moment for a while, as she dropped out of Yale and then had to scramble to make sure that she could still have the future she wanted.

About The Author

Aya Tsintziras
(1757 Articles Published)

Aya Tsintziras is a freelance writer who writes about pop culture and TV. She has a Political Science degree from the University of Toronto and a Masters of Journalism from Ryerson University. She loves coffee, reading, working out, and watching TV. She lives in Toronto with her husband.

More From Aya Tsintziras