‘Gilmore Girls’: 1 Thing About Zack Van Gerbig That Really Bugs Us (It’s Not What You Think)
Lane Kim’s Gilmore Girls storyline ended in the most anti-climatic way possible. The rebellious musician married her second boyfriend, Zack Van Gerbig, and got pregnant on her honeymoon with twins. Zack was no one’s first choice for Lane Kim; not even showrunner Amy Sherman-Palladino planned their pairing. While most fans hate Zack because he’s not Dave Rygalski, Lane’s first real boyfriend, we have a completely different gripe with Zack.
Zack Van Gerbig stepped in as Lane Kim’s boyfriend after Dave Rygalski left Stars Hollow
Zack and Lane got together in season 5 of Gilmore Girls after Lane’s first serious boyfriend, Dave Rygalski, went to college in California and seemingly dropped off the face of the earth. Gilmore Girls fans never got to see Lane and Dave break up, and there is a good reason for that. They weren’t supposed to, it seems.
The character of Lane Kim was modeled after showrunner Amy Sherman-Palladinos’ friend, Helen Pai, and Dave was inspired by Pai’s husband, who is also named Dave Rygalski. Based on that information, one can presume that Dave and Lane were supposed to be an endgame couple. When Adam Brody, the actor who took on the role of Dave, took a part in The O.C., Sherman-Palladino had to go back to the drawing board. Zack was a logical, albeit not particularly exciting, stand-in.
Our real problem with Zack is that he never explained why he ruined the band’s showcase
Lane and Zack’s relationship was simple, but it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. The couple broke up once when Zack, overcome with jealousy, destroyed Hep Alien’s chance at being signed to a label. After the absolutely disastrous showcase, Hep Alien broke up, as did Lane and Zack.
The couple and the band got back together when Zack proposed to Lane at Luke’s Diner. While it was clear that Zack understood what he had done wrong, there was very little on-screen discussion about his jealousy, his issues with Brian, and everything that transpired. We hate Zack for ruining Lane Kim and the band’s shot at fame and failing to explain himself. In our eyes, he will never be good enough for Lane because of it.
Zack stifled Lane Kim’s revival storyline
Amy Sherman-Palladino never got a chance to pen the final season of Gilmore Girls. She left the show after a contract dispute, and Lane and Zack’s final storyline ruined any chance of more for Lane. In an interview with TV Line, Sherman-Palladino revealed that Lane’s storyline was pretty disappointing. She said it threw a bit of a curveball into her plans.
When fans reconnected with Lane Kim in the Netflix revival, she was still living in Stars Hollow, raising her family, and dealing with mundane domestic tasks. That wasn’t how Lane was supposed to end up. There is always a chance that things could change, though. A second season of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life has not been announced. There is still a possibility that it could happen, though. By now, Lane and Zack’s kids would be more self-sufficient, allowing Lane to, perhaps, get back to her music dreams.
