Gilmore Girls was a classic show which aired from 2000 to 2007 and followed 16 year old Rory Gilmore through her daily life. The audience watches her grow up and mature throughout the series. She eventually attends Yale and begins a career when the audience leaves her at the season finale. Set in a small storybook town of Star’s Hollow in Connecticut, Gilmore Girls presents a classic small town community where everyone knows everyone else, gossip spreads fast, and people are always willing to lend a hand. However, the most prominent aspect of the show is the relationship between 16 year old Rory Gilmore and her 32 year old mother, Lorelai Gilmore.

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Lorelai gave birth to Rory at the age of 16 and named her after herself. She has a strained relationship with her wealthy parents, mainly because she never lived up to the standards and expectations of her parents; however, they still financially support Rory’s education at a private school and build a strong relationship with their granddaughter throughout the series. Since Lorelai does not have a healthy relationship with her own parents, on account of them being too strict, Lorelai treats Rory more as a best friend than a daughter. Often, it appears as if Rory is more mature than her mother and ends up taking care of her.

Rory often calls Lorelai her best friend, even in front of her private school classmates, attends rock concerts with her, and discusses her romantic issues with her as well. This is clearly an unconventional mother-daughter dynamic as it appears as if Lorelai and Rory are the same age. Moreover, since Lorelai seemingly never got permission for anything from her parents, she hardly ever tells Rory no, which is a factor in Rory’s downfall as a character. Although many younger audiences would envy Rory and Lorelai’s relationship, the older audience can realize how dysfunctional and damaging the relationship and dynamics between them actually are.