Emily Gilmore is a character that generates a lot of strong opinions. Contrary to popular belief, I think Emily Gilmore was correct most of the time. Rewatching the show as an adult gives you a new perspective on Lorelai’s relationship with her parents.
Emily’s character is the driving point of so many essential plots throughout the show. Although I have a greater appreciation for her perspective now, I do think she had some pretty awful moments as well.
So, why not take the good with the bad? Here are Emily Gilmore’s best and worst moments on Gilmore Girls.
BEST MOMENTS:
1. Buying a House for Lorelai and Luke
After Lorelai and Luke are engaged, Richard and Emily start their search for a very special wedding gift for the two of them.
When Lorelai sees her parents hunting for houses around Stars Hollow, she assumes they want to move closer there themselves. Little does she know, her mother has put careful thought and consideration into a home for Lorelai and Luke.
Emily notes that she picked a property on the border of Stars Hollow, with property for horses. She points out all of Lorelai’s personal tastes in decor, and the neighborhood environment, and explains that her motivation for purchasing the home is to help Lorelai and Luke have a successful marriage.
This was one of the sweetest moments we see between Lorelai and her mother, in my opinion.
2. When Emily Tells Off Shira Huntzberger (Logan’s Mother)
One of the most iconic moments Emily has on screen is when she rips apart Shira Huntzberger. After she learns about the awful dinner Rory had to sit through at the Huntzberger’s house in which she was told she was not good enough to marry Logan, Emily takes a stand.
At a DAR event Rory is coordinating, Richard and Emily learn about how poorly Rory was treated by Logan’s family and confirms that Mitchum Huntzberger told her she did not have what it takes to be a journalist effectively derailing her college career.
Emily then strategically approaches Shira Huntzberger (Mitchum’s wife) and tells her that she is “nothing but a two-bit gold digger,” comments on Mitchum’s “playing around,” revealing they know all about Logan’s scandalous history, and then proclaims that everyone will be staying out of Rory and Logan’s relationship so that they may stay together as long as they like.
This was such a powerhouse moment for Emily and shows how fiercely she defends her family.
3. The Spa Weekend with Emily and Lorelai
Lorelai and Emily spend a weekend together at a glamorous spa resort with the certificates Emily purchases at an auction. Although Lorelai acts like a brat for the first half of their stay, throughout the entirety of the trip Emily makes an honest effort to make the weekend enjoyable and to bond with Lorelai.
She organizes their appointments so they can spend the day together. She has a positive attitude about each treatment, amenity, and experience the spa offers. While at times her character can be cynical and have “Karen-like” qualities, she put her best foot forward for this unique weekend with her daughter.
Once Lorelai stopped behaving like a spoiled child, they bonded over sharing lipstick, going out for a steak dinner, and getting tipsy at a “60–40 bar.” It was a refreshingly fun way to see Lorelai and Emily chatting and bonding in a casual way. This episode shows how they strengthen their understanding of each other. Of course, the evening ends in disaster…but all is not lost when Lorelai and Emily decide they will bond over stealing their fabulous bath robes from the resort.
WORST MOMENTS:
1. Emily Causing Lorelai and Luke to Break Up
In one of the most infamous episodes, Emily invites Chris (Rory’s father) to her and Richard’s vowel renewal. Emily pays Chris a personal visit and persuades him to go after Lorelai, this is his “last chance” to be with Lorelai. She reveals that she disapproves of her relationship with Luke and says Chris is more suitable because he comes from money and “good breeding.”
Chris makes an embarrassing scene, challenging Luke throughout the evening, making backhanded comments, and intentionally sharing personal stories between himself and Lorelai.
In an attempt to save Luke from embarrassment, Lorelai confesses that she spent an evening with Chris drinking and mourning the loss of his father. Soon after, Chris loses it and shouts that everyone knows he and Lorelai and meant to be together, including Emily.
After processing this information Luke says the relationship is “too much” for him and breaks it off with Lorelai.
Weeks later, Emily arrogantly expects Rory to be unaffected by her meddling and acts like nothing is when they reunite for Friday night dinner. It isn’t until she realizes she will ruin her relationship with both Lorelai and Rory that she goes to Luke and claims she will stay out of their relationship for good.
2. Emily Causing Rory and Dean to Break Up
This may be a lesser-known moment, but I just rewatched this episode a couple of days ago and truly felt that Emily and Richard were the reason college-aged Rory and recently divorced Dean broke up.
Emily takes it upon herself to orchestrate a gathering that is made up of eligible young men at Yale. She decides to do this after learning of Lorelai’s serious relationship with Luke and after learning about Rory’s rekindled relationship with Dean.
Dean is meant to pick Rory up the evening of the “Male Yale” party. After seeing the fancy affair and wealthy bachelors, he feels inferior and decides to remove himself from the relationship.
When Lorelai calls her parents to ask about the bizarre nature of the party she refers to as a “mating ritual,” Emily explains to Lorelai that they “want more for [Rory] period.” The underlying message here is that they did not want to see Rory choose a relationship similar to the one Lorelai chose.
Oddly enough, Rory never circles back to blaming her grandparents for her relationship ending. Of course, her relationship with Dean was not healthy or sustainable to begin with, but regardless, Emily’s meddling is what brought it to an end.
This moment pushes Rory into Logan’s arms creating a major plot shift in the show.
3. Emily Blaming Lorelai for Her Finding Out About Richard’s Secret Lunches with Pennilyn Lott
Remember the episode where Emily learns that Richard has been having lunch with his ex from college every year since they were married? Yes? Well, do you also remember her somehow blaming this revelation on Lorelai?
In this episode, the Gilmores all attend the Yale vs Harvard football game. At the tailgate, they run into Richard’s ex-college sweetheart Pennilyn Lott. When Lorelai speaks to Pennilyn for a second time outside the women’s bathrooms, it is revealed that Pennilyn knows about Lorelai’s new Inn. Emily then concludes that Richard has been in contact with his ex in secret.
Emily takes her anger, shock, and feelings of betrayal out on Lorelai, claiming that if she had never engaged in conversation with Pennilyn, she never would have learned about Richard’s lying, and “everything would have been fine.”
This argument encourages Lorelai to go on a date with her father’s partner, Jason, out of spite. This creates several new plot points including business drama and additions to Lorelai’s dating history.
Thank you all so much for reading my Gilmore Girls series! Please feel free to comment your favorite or least favorite moments of the show!
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