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With fall coming back around, Gilmore Girls is resurfacing, as fans turn back to the beloved Stars Hollow and all the cozy vibes Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory’s (Alexis Bledel) story offers. While there are many parts of the series to enjoy, it also comes with longstanding debates, like which of Rory’s boyfriends is the best, or when she stopped being the innocent girl introduced at the beginning of the series. There is no denying that the bookish high schooler underwent a dramatic transformation in the show’s seven seasons, with many fans arguing that by the end of Gilmore Girls, the character had been ruined. However, of all Rory’s low moments, her messiest era happens in Season 4, Episode 22, “Raincoats and Recipes,” when Rory sleeps with Dean (Jared Padalecki).
The crux of the issue isn’t getting back with her ex, regardless of how one feels about Dean, but the fact that Dean is married to another woman when Rory decides to take this step. While it is easy to be frustrated with the character because of this twist, there are many layers going into her actions, as Gilmore Girls fan Ingrid Jennison points out on Instagram. Neither Rory nor Dean has any excuses, but the choice, at least on Rory’s end, is a combination of many factors and not simply a selfish desire to stake a claim on her ex-boyfriend.
‘Gilmore Girls’ Season 4 Sees Rory in a Romantic Dry Spell
Though sleeping with her married ex-boyfriend is unquestionably a mistake, Season 4 shows the events that drive Rory to that point. Throughout Season 4, Rory is in a relationship drought, which is abnormal for her. Throughout the first three seasons, she consistently has a boyfriend, and often another romantic interest fighting for her attention. Between Dean, Tristan (Chad Michael Murray), and Jess (Milo Ventimiglia), there was always someone to make her feel desired, but at Yale, that is not the case.
In Season 4, Rory is rejected by the guy she asks out in the laundry room, has not one, but two terrible dates, and her roommates all point out that she hasn’t had a boyfriend in a while. As ill-advised as it is, Dean is the only one who seems interested in her at the moment, and Rory seeks comfort in that. It’s not only them sleeping together, but she calls him to rescue her when she’s stuck on an awkward date in the previous episode. Dean is there for her, and while she shouldn’t encourage him, she is desperate for that kind of affection.
When it comes to Rory’s romantic life at this point in the show, it’s impossible to ignore Jess’ impact. Jess leaves near the end of Season 3, skipping town and breaking Rory’s heart, but even while Rory struggles to get over him, Jess isn’t really gone. He reappears a few times, once in Stars Hollow, where he tells Rory that he still loves her, and, just one episode before she sleeps with Dean, he shows up at Yale, asking her to leave with him. The scene, which happens just after Dean rescues her from her uncomfortable date, is reminiscent of their earlier rivalry, and so, when she wants to prove that she is over Jess, getting back with Dean seems like a natural way to do so, while simultaneously hurting the boy who broke her heart. By rejecting Jess and choosing Dean, in many ways, Rory is returning to the past and making a different choice, but it’s too late. Rory’s relationship failures in Season 4 certainly impact her choice to reunite with Dean, but it does nothing to justify sleeping with a married man.
Rory Hits a Personal Low in ‘Gilmore Girls’ Season 4
Rory’s love life isn’t the only personal low point she reaches in Season 4, as life at Yale is not what she anticipates. Rory has been working toward an Ivy League education her entire life, but when she finally gets there, she struggles, which isn’t what she expected. Her top grades have always been part of Rory’s identity, but in college, they don’t come so easily, and she’s asked to drop a class. She even struggles at the Yale Daily News, which is why she writes such a cruel piece on the ballet, prioritizing her goals over general decorum. All of these events work together to destroy Rory’s confidence and sense of self-worth, which would set up any young adult to make a terrible decision.
The entire season proves that Rory is not as well-equipped to leave the comfort of Stars Hollow as she believed, making her past that much more appealing. Yes, what Rory does is selfish, and this is just one of many examples of such behavior throughout the show. However, it’s a realistic turn for her. It’s also important to realize that her self-interest isn’t vindictive, but an indication of where she is emotionally. By the end of Season 4, Rory has hit a low in her confidence, at least for that point in her life, which is why she seeks comfort in someone from her past (regressing to her prime), and Dean is far too willing to offer her that.
‘Gilmore Girls’ Doesn’t Give Rory Good Influences
While Rory is responsible for her own choice, she is constantly following in Lorelai’s footsteps, and her mother hasn’t set a good example for her. The mother and daughter are close enough that Rory is all too aware of Lorelai’s relationships, especially when it comes to Christopher (David Sutcliffe). By constantly returning to her high school relationship, Lorelai has normalized the idea of regression for Rory. But it goes much deeper than that, because Lorelai has been known to go back to Chris, even when he is dating someone else. In Season 2, they almost reunite before Chris chooses to stay with his pregnant girlfriend, Sherry (Mädchen Amick), and Rory is furious with him. Lorelai may not blame Chris for the choice, but Rory does, as does Emily (Kelly Bishop), who also has a major influence on Rory’s worldview. In that instance, Rory believes Lorelai is an innocent party, and later, she follows a similar pattern.
Then there’s Paris (Liza Weil), who, in Season 4, cheats on her first boyfriend with a professor, reinforcing to Rory that this is normal behavior. Rory and Paris are constantly in competition, so if Paris can be involved in a similar situation, what’s the harm for Rory? Though Rory wants no part of Paris’ situation, she watches what happens and sees her friend facing no major consequences, suggesting that it isn’t such a big deal. This warped perception is reinforced by Dean’s insistence that it’s over between him and Lindsay (Arielle Kebbel), which he hasn’t expressed to his wife. What is going on in Rory’s life, and her less-than-perfect influences do not make her sleeping with Dean okay, but it is realistic. Rory is a flawed character, and many elements work together to lead her down this path, making her messy decision not as sudden as it may seem.
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