‘Gilmore Girls’: 4 Characters Who Were Wronged by Rory Gilmore

Rory Gilmore was the sweetheart of the small town of Stars Hollow. The overachieving, shy teen with a very close relationship with her mother often got a pass no matter what she did. Rory was a mostly likable character in the first four seasons of Gilmore Girls.

However, as time passed, she didn’t care about those close to her, including her mother, and often treated them poorly — and didn’t always take accountability for her actions.

Here are four characters who Rory Gilmore wronged.

Paris Gellar

Paris Gellar has always gotten a bad rap. Rory’s adversary turned best friend had a very abrasive and intense personality that might have rubbed some people the wrong way. Despite her flaws, the character grew, and fans saw her softer side, especially toward Rory.

However, Rory wasn’t always a good friend to Paris and sometimes was downright dismissive. Paris and Rory got off on the wrong foot, but as time passed, Paris became what Rory needed to excel at Chilton. She often pushed Rory to be and do better and taught her friend that good grades weren’t enough to help her get into an Ivy League school.

However, when Rory learned that she and Paris would be roommates, she lost it. She, understandably, wanted to strike out on her own, but knowing how hard of a time Paris (and Rory herself!) had making new friends, Rory should have been happy to have an old friend with her.

Additionally, when the Yale Daily News wanted to oust Paris due to her tyrannical ways, Rory tried to downplay their friendship so she could relate with other Daily News staffers and their frustrations with Paris.

Lindsay Lister

Rory’s relationship with Dean was a major storyline in Gilmore Girls. The pair always had an on-again-off-again romance, but Dean moved on and married Lindsay Lister after graduation. Rory and Dean shortly afterward begin an affair which sets off a series of disastrous consequences.

Dean gaslights Lindsay into believing their affair was her fault for being difficult. When Lorelai confronts her about the affair, Rory tries brushing it off, saying, “He’s my Dean.” Rory further attempts to justify the affair saying Dean and Lindsay are unhappy in their marriage. Thankfully, Lorelai sets her straight, and eventually, she starts to see the error in her ways.

Lucy

When Rory first set foot at Chilton, she was practically unable to make friends and always stuck to herself. Yale wasn’t too different for Rory, as the only new friend she made early in her college career was Marty, who she later had a falling out with.

Aside from Marty, most of Rory’s social connections were limited to Paris, Logan, and friends of his. By Rory’s senior year, she becomes friends with two girls, Lucy and Olivia. They hit it off and became good friends. Then Rory learned that Lucy, at the time, was seeing Marty.

Marty pretended not to know Rory when they were introduced, because Marty still had feelings for her, and instead of being honest with Lucy, Rory went along with Marty’s deception and pretended they had never met.

To make matters worse, when Logan, Rory’s boyfriend, outed her secret with Marty, Rory acted as if Logan was wrong for saying something, despite the fact that she was the one to lie to her friend.

Shane

Shane was a Stars Hollow resident who worked at the town’s beauty shop. She Jess when Rory wanted to but was still with Dean, and Shane and Jess weren’t shy about excessive PDA. Although Jess later reveals that he has no feelings for Rory and made it clear he wasn’t serious about Shane, Rory wasn’t kind to the girl at all.

Rory and her mother constantly judged Shane and shot her dirty looks. Rory was also downright mean to Shane when she was jealous, insinuating that Shane was dumb and shallow and that “girls like Shane” are a concern to all women. While Shane did have some animosity toward Rory, it was mostly a reaction to the coldness the young Gilmore was putting off.