‘Gilmore Girls’: Lane and Dave’s Long-Distance Relationship Was Explained in a Deleted Scene
Poor Lane Kim. As Gilmore Girls’ most unappreciated rebel, Lane really deserved more than her disappearing boyfriend, Dave Rygalski. Little was said about Dave’s sudden departure from the series, but a deleted scene from Gilmore Girls season 4 reveals that Lane and Dave were trying to make it work long-distance. So, what happened?
Dave was definitely Lane’s best ‘Gilmore Girls’ boyfriend
After spending three seasons under her mother’s tyrannical reign, it seemed like things were really turning around for Gilmore Girls’ Lane (Keiko Agena). She was in a band and in love with the incredibly cute and utterly devoted Dave (played by Adam Brody), who had even won over Lane’s overbearing mother, the formidable Mrs. Kim.
But then, all of a sudden, Dave vanished. After playing hours of bible hymns and eating Mrs. Kim’s Tofurkey, Dave is last seen in Gilmore Girls season 3, episode 20, titled “Say Goodnight, Gracie.”
Dave arrives at the Kim house and delivers a swoon-worthy monologue to Mrs. Kim proclaiming his feelings for Lane. Mrs. Kim responds cryptically, and Dave proceeds to read the entire Bible in one night. This impresses Mrs. Kim, and she agrees to allow Dave and Lane to go to the prom (an achievement on par with Beowulf defeating Grendel).
It appears that Lane’s prison-like existence may be improving in big ways, but, alas, Lane gets stuck going to a strict religious college Mrs. Kim approved of. What’s more, she loses her boyfriend entirely.
Lane and Dave’s long-distance love on ‘Gilmore Girls’
A little more explanation is offered in a deleted scene (via YouTube) from Gilmore Girls season 4. In the season’s first episode, “Ballrooms and Biscotti,” Rory and Lorelai have just returned from backpacking through Europe and are busily delivering their gifts around Stars Hollow.
In the aired version of the episode, Lorelai drops Rory off in front of the Kim residence and sets off to give Luke faux-French jam, and Rory and Lane’s reunion is not seen. However, a scene was filmed between Rory and Lane that was later deleted.
In the scene, Lane rushes out to greet Rory, ever happy to see her friend. After telling Rory that she is going to attend the strict college her mom wants her to while continuing to live at home for another four years, Lane also delivers news on Dave: He’s gone to California for college. He’ll be returning for the holidays, and Lane says, “we’re working on a plan to get me out to California.”
But none of that was destined to happen. Whether Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino was leaving the door open for Brody to return or not, Brody was truly gone to California.
Adam Brody left ‘Gilmore Girls’ for his role as Seth on The O.C.
After his final episode on Gilmore Girls in 2003, Brody began the role that he is still best known for: Seth Cohen on The O.C. As Gilmore Girls was a WB show (what is now the CW), it is likely that Brody’s sudden transition was condoned by the studio, and slam, bam, thank you, ma’am, farewell to Lane’s best boyfriend.
By Gilmore Girls season 4, episode 7, Dave was replaced in the band by real-life rocker Sebastian Bach and a romance began brewing between Lane and the band’s womanizing lead singer, Zack. Lane and Zack eventually get married and have children. Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life paints a fairly happy picture of her later life, but one still wonders what could have been had Dave not ridden off into the California sunset.
