‘Gilmore Girls’ Unpopular Opinion: Richard and Emily Gilmore’s Separation Didn’t Last Nearly Long Enough

Emily and Richard Gilmore played an important role in Gilmore Girls. Still, their relationship was rarely in the spotlight. That doesn’t mean everything was always perfect. Their season 5 separation was a long time in the making. Showrunner, Amy Sherman-Palladino, used the second half of season 4 to set up Emily and Richard’s season 5 troubles. By the middle of season 5, they were over it and celebrated a vow renewal. While the conclusion of the rift made for good TV, they could have stayed separated for a bit longer, or at the very least, there should have been some resolution to their problems.  

Season 4 of ‘Gilmore Girls’ had plenty of drama 

Season 4 of Gilmore Girls largely focused on Rory Gilmore’s freshman year at Yale. Rory’s first year was largely uneventful. There was a fair bit of drama and strife in the other Gilmores’ lives, though. 

Richard Gilmore started a new company and took on a partner in Jason Stiles. Emily Gilmore found herself utterly exhausted by Jason and the sudden reappearance of people from the past. Lorelai started a secret relationship with Jason and was unexpectedly bothered by Luke Danes’ relationship with Nicole. Rory might not have had drama at Yale, but she found some tension in Stars Hollow. She found herself suddenly interested in her married ex-boyfriend once again. 

What led to Emily and Richard Gilmore’s marital troubles? 

Richard and Emily Gilmore’s marital troubles started when Richard and Jason canceled the party Emily planned for their company’s launch. As the season progressed, Emily’s distaste for Jason grew, as did her resentment toward Richard. 

Emily was further put off when she discovered Richard had a yearly lunch with his ex and never bothered to tell her. Trix Gilmore’s long-hidden telegram, begging Richard not to marry Emily, only worsened things. Eventually, Richard’s rash decision to destroy Jason’s career after he learned of his relationship with Lorelai and his lack of concern for Emily’s feelings led to the separation. 

Emily and Richard Gilmore shouldn’t have gotten back together so quickly

Emily and Richard’s separation made for great television. While fans of the series largely wanted to see the couple get back together, the way their marital strife ended was a bit underwhelming. After Emily dated Simon McLane, she realized she wanted to be with Richard. Richard was coming to the same conclusion. When he learned that Emily and Simon dated, he dealt with serious jealousy. They reconciled that night. 

While it was sweet, showrunner Amy Sherman-Palladino failed to resolve any issues that led to the pair’s marital problems. Pennilyn Lott was never mentioned again. The couple didn’t work through Richard’s grueling work schedule and lack of concern for Emily’s social schedule. Their troubles just evaporated. While it was nice to see them together again, stretching out the separation and showing them working through the Pennilyn Lott situation would have been a bit more satisfying. Gilmore Girls fans never even got to see Emily dump Simon.