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Kirk Gleason was one of the most eccentric residents of Stars Hollow during Gilmore Girls’ seven-season run. While some fans found Kirk’s antics endearing, others saw him as irritating and downright creepy. Fans know plenty about Kirk’s eccentricities, but little is known about his family. Sure, Kirk mentions his mother regularly, but he rarely spoke of his father. Fans have theorized that Taylor Doose, the Stars Hollow selectman, might have actually fathered Kirk. The evidence is pretty compelling.

Taylor continues to hire Kirk, even though he’s completely incompetent

Gilmore Girls fans have noted that Taylor seemed to have a soft spot for Kirk. This is evidence by the fact that Taylor hired Kirk to complete important town tasks, over and over again, regardless of the fact that Kirk almost always messed up whatever task he was assigned. It’s not like Kirk was the only person in all of Stars Hollow who was willing to get involved in town activities. Town meetings were packed with seemingly competent adults. Still, somehow, Kirk always managed to be Taylor’s first choice.

Now, it’s possible that Taylor gave Kirk jobs knowing he would mess them up, thus proving how important he was to keep the town running, but it seems equally likely that Taylor hired Kirk because he felt a responsibility to him. Perhaps, he felt responsible for him because he was actually his father.

Kirk and Taylor share a medical condition

Kirk suffered from night terrors so severe that he would often find himself waking up naked on the roof. Night terrors, which are not uncommon in childhood, are much rarer in adulthood, although they can still happen. Taylor, coincidentally, also suffered from night terrors, as does the majority of his family.

While it might seem like just an odd coincidence, Mayo Clinic notes that night terrors appear to have a hereditary component. A child is more likely to suffer from night terrors if an immediate family member also suffered from them. One Reddit fans surmised that Kirk might have night terrors because he is a Doose, after all.

Kirk’s father is rarely mentioned

While Gilmore Girls fans know all about Kirk’s mother, although she is never seen, Kirk’s father is rarely, if ever mentioned. In fact, there is really only a handful of mentions of Kirk’s family aside from his mother and only one mention of his father. In season 2, episode 13, Kirk mentions that he had 12 brothers and sisters, although it appears as though every one of them left the town.  

In season 4, episode 18, Kirk bungled Stars Hollow’s Easter egg hunt, and in a delirious, sleep-deprived state, he suggests that Taylor was his father. Luke Danes corrected him, insisting that Taylor was not, in fact, Kirk’s father, but the fact remains, maybe, Kirk was right. Taylor was also overly invested in Luke and Lorelai’s relationship going sour. Perhaps he had firsthand experience of a town romance going south.

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