Out Of Every Breakup On Gilmore Girls, This One Stands Above The Rest

In the final scene of Netflix's "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life," Rory (played by Alexis Bledel) drops a bombshell on mom on Lorelai (Lauren Graham), who just married her long-time love Luke Danes (Scott Patterson), uttering the three words, "Mom, I'm pregnant." Nine years after the original series ended, the show's creator Amy Sherman-Palladino was finally able to give the mother and daughter the send-off she'd always wanted.

"Gilmore Girls" ran for six seasons (2000-2005) on The WB and ended with Season 7, which aired on The CW (2006-2007). The show centered around the titular tight-knit mother and daughter who called Stars Hollow home. Fans of the fast-talking, coffee-swilling mother-daughter duo became emotionally invested in their love lives to the point of obsession, offering passionate opinions on social media and in countless articles about their hookups and heartaches. There was no shortage of coupling and uncoupling among the central characters throughout the series.

Fourteen years after the season finale and almost five years after the revival, the debate rages on among fans about the show's most memorable breakups with countless Reddit threads devoted to the relationship woes of the fictitious characters of "Gilmore Girls," particularly Rory and Lorelai. However, out of all the show's memorable breakups, there's one that stands out among all the rest.

Viewers began shipping Luke and Lorelai from the jump. In Season 5, Luke and Lorelai's relationship was tested by the interference of Lorelai's mother, Emily (played by Kelly Bishop), and Christopher (David Sutcliffe), Rory's father. It all came to a head at Richard (Edward Hermann) and Emily's vow renewal, and Luke ended things with Lorelai in the episode "Say Something." In the aftermath, Lorelai stayed in bed, and Rory took care of her heartbroken mother. One Reddit feed was jam-packed with condolences for Lorelai.

Redditor u/saumya_tg wrote, "I'm watching the show for the first time, and Luke just broke up with Lorelai after the whole thing at her parents' vow renewal. It's heartbreaking to see her cry, truly. Everything Lorelai does is super relatable."

"It's amazing to me how NONE of her other breakups do we see her cry, but with Luke, she's sobbing, in bed, can't move, can't eat. They were truly made for each other and losing him just broke her like it never did with anyone else!" wrote WWBlairWaldorddo. SailorMarieCurie stated, "I love this breakup, it's so real. And how Rory helps her to wallow with all the junk food and TV."

Although Luke and Lorelai's Season 6 finale breakup changed the show's trajectory when Lorelai rebounded with Christopher, it lacked the emotional punch of their Season 5 parting. The end of their engagement was a long time coming, with Luke's daughter making a sudden appearance and him using her as an excuse to push Lorelai away and delay their nuptials. Some fans believe that Lorelai's rash decision to wed Christopher and their short-lived turbulent marriage was necessary to prove to Team Christopher devotees that the two weren't meant to be.

" ... I am one of the few fans that is glad Lorelai and Chris marry just to prove it isn't the fairytale we think it might be, and it doesn't work. Then Luke and Lorelai reunite and it is 'right.' And I LOVE the final episode when they meet and kiss at Rory's Bon Voyage party and I cry every time I see it!" wrote Booyah_7 on another Reddit thread.

The Season 5 breakup resonated with viewers because it took four seasons for Lorelai and Luke to get together, and on their first date, he admitted he'd been pining for Lorelai for years. He also promised he was "all in" before breaking things off at the first sign of real conflict. It's the first time viewers see Lorelai completely lose it over a guy, proving just how much she loved Luke. 

Rory and Dean's (played by Jared Padalecki) second split was the only other breakup on "Gilmore Girls" that set viewers tongues wagging almost as much as Luke and Lorelai's Season 5 time out. It was evident to Dean early on that Jess posed a threat to his relationship with Rory. By Season 3, Episode 7, "They Shoot Gilmores, Don't They?" Dean and Jess' rivalry and Rory's obvious attraction to the bad boy resulted in Dean dumping Rory in front of most of the town.

"I can't speak for others, only for myself, but I think it's the fact that he could have taken her aside to do it instead of blowing up and not only taking her by surprise, but humiliating her in front of the town (or whoever was left)," stated Redditor jdessy. "I think he should have done it after the dance and not in front of everyone. Dean knew it would intentionally hurt her," stated NoApollonia on the same Reddit thread.

Although many viewers aren't fans of Dean, in this instance several had his back. "Rory showed no consideration towards him at all, so why should he consider her feelings? She was the one who went around town and publicly flirted with Jess, over and over again," stated golden_rose_garden. Still, many fans chalk up their dramatic breakup to typical teenage angst.