In the comedy-drama Gilmore Girls, we enter Lorealai, an extroverted mom who has the same fashion and music taste as her 16-year-old daughter, and Rory, an introverted daughter who is an academic weapon; their unique mother-daughter relationship is like no other. Usually, Lorelai and Rory Gilmore are the show’s stars, but in episode 15 of season 1, Christopher has returned, changing our focus to his presence. Christopher, the father of Rory and the ex to Lorelai, makes an appearance in Stars Hollow, Connecticut. Although he is the father of Rory, he isn’t seen much throughout the show, and when he shows up, the visits are very short, and he is bound to conceal his exit. His surprise visit is a shock to the two protagonists, but when Christopher comes around, Lorelai feels the connection she used to have, wondering if that spark is still between them. Christopher is welcomed to Stars Hollow by the small town mingling. He learns he must get through the small town’s protection over Lorelai to be with her. Amongst the chaos Christopher has brought, Lorelai forgot that she had promised to help Luke, the owner of the local diner, leaving him alone waiting for her presence. Luke and Lorelai have always had an indescribable relationship; no one can honestly tell if their friendship is more than just “friends.” But whenever Christopher is here, Lorelai focuses on him instead of Luke. 

The humorous episode “Christopher Returns” was taken to the screen by Danial Palladino and directed by Michael Katleman. With Christopher returning, Lorelai and Christopher are forced to a family dinner with their parents. Now, they aren’t too fond of their parents, making this family dinner extremely uncomfortable. The household feud leaves Rory right in the middle of the madness. The two families are making comments that are infuriating to Christopher and Lorelai. The comments are getting more personal, driving Lorelai to gesture Rory out of the room. Christopher’s parents comment on Lorelai’s past experiences; she had Rory at 16 years old, and they blame Rory’s existence at the fault of Lorelai. They said Christopher was destined for an Ivy League, but, to them, Lorelai ruined that. This altercation between the families ends the night in exasperation.

This episode of Gilmore Girls dramatizes the family. It shows how Rory is a happy medium for both sides of the family. She is a joy brought by what Christopher’s parents described as a “mistake.” Rory is genuinely the intelligent, beautiful dreamdaughter. So, her character provides peace in such chaos. Lorelai, however, is a character I’ve never seen before. She shows that disarray can be a lifestyle; she runs a family and does that amongst all the havoc in her world. 

So far, this episode has been very complex; it has shown the characters’ different characteristics and how they react in certain circumstances. Luke has admitted to himself that Lorelai won’t be coming to help him at the diner, leaving him feeling betrayed. Lorelai and Christopher are getting closer, and it feels like that spark they once had is lit again. The following day, Lorelai remembers she stood up Luke. She feels terrible for her actions, but Luke continues holding his grudge against her, making her uncomfortable. After all that has gone down between Christopher and Lorelai’s families, Lorelai feels highly overwhelmed. As she tries to calm down after her night, Christopher drops the “Will you marry me?” bomb. Lorelai immediately rejects his request, saying they aren’t ready to start a family; she says they don’t even know each other as adults. Their main chemistry was when they were young and didn’t know their future. After Lorelais refuses to get married at that moment, Christopher does what he’s learned to do: he gets up and leaves. Rory is in deep anguish because of her dad’s departure; she wants her parents to be happy together, and she knows her mother’s rejection means that her parents probably won’t be together in this lifetime.

Lorelai feels terrible for what she did to Luke, so she breaks into his diner and does what she promised him she’d do: paint the restaurant for him. This act allows Luke to drop his grudge on her, and since Christopher is gone, Luke and Lorelai are back to laughing at stupid jokes together, leaving the town wondering again if they’re genuinely only friends. Lorealis’ friendly personality left me in awe. She has such a light-hearted persona, a personality trait the audience aspires to have. Her actions are typical in TV shows; she is a character never before seen, making her unique. Luke and Lorelai are back to their normal friendships. Lorelai still returns to Luke’s diner, where she eats almost every meal. 

This episode of Gilmore Girls has the perfect levels of both comedy and drama. Some scenes had me sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting for what happened next, while other scenes allowed me to laugh at the out-of-pocket jokes Lorelai makes. I enjoyed the dynamic between Lorelai and Christopher; their foolish personalities connect, making it seem like no time was lost between them. The episode reveals Rory’s ability to keep the peace, even ensuring such disorder in Lorelai and Christopher’s families. Rory’s upbeat personality always keeps a smile on her face. Luke’s emotions about Lorelai canceling on him show Luke’s feelings towards Loreli and how much he secretly cares about her. Lorelai is oblivious to his feelings towards her, but she might feel the same about Luke. I thought Christopher should have stayed; he brought in sound for the family, but his leaving allowed Lorelai and Rory to continue thriving.