‘Gilmore Girls’: Why Does Everyone Hate April Nardini?
Gilmore Girls fans are loyal, but that doesn’t mean they like everything that happened in the show. One season 6 storyline is almost universally disliked. No, we aren’t talking about Lorelai and Rory’s separation. Fans have long been displeased with the addition of April Nardini to the show. April, the daughter of Luke Danes, is one reason Luke and Lorelai didn’t get married in season 6. Is that the only reason for all the April hate, though? Probably not.
April only existed to break up Luke and Lorelai
To many fans, Luke and Lorelai were relationship goals. It would make sense that anyone who got in the way of the pair being together would be hated by fans who had ‘shipped the couple for years. April’s entire purpose seemed to be to throw an obstacle in Luke and Lorelai’s way. The timing of her arrival did little to suggest she existed for any other reason. April appeared just after Rory and Lorelai reconciled in season 6, and the wedding plans seemed to be underway.
April wasn’t the only character who was created to keep Luke and Lorelai apart, though. So, why so much hate for April? She is the only character who was an obstacle for the pair after they finally got together. Jess Mariano was created for the sole purpose of keeping Luke and Lorelai apart, but his appearance in season 2 occurred long before Luke and Lorelai were an actual couple.
Even the actor who portrayed April Nardini didn’t like the character
Reddit users point out that April could have been an interesting addition to the show if only she hadn’t been so annoying. Reddit users aren’t the only ones who feel that way. Vanessa Marano, the actor who portrayed April for two seasons, didn’t particularly care for the character either. Marano sat down with Teen Vogue to share her thoughts on the character shortly before the revival aired on Netflix.
Marano told the publication that as soon as she heard about the role, she knew she would hate the character. Even with her preconceived notions about the part, Marano said she needed to play her anyway. While Marano knew fans would hate the character, she insisted she was quirky and weird in a good way. Fans don’t feel the same. Most found April’s personality annoying, and her lack of tact didn’t sit well with many viewers.
In the end, she just wasn’t an interesting character
One of the biggest gripes about April is how the writers put little thought into her character. Not only was the way she found Luke largely unbelievable, but fans have accused Amy Sherman-Palladino of lazy writing when she created the character. One Reddit user points out that April was, essentially, supposed to be just like Rory, just with an interest in a different subject matter.
When fans met Rory in season 1, she was super smart, extremely focused on school, and had limited social interactions with her peers. When fans met April in season 6, she was also presented as super smart, very focused on school, and she didn’t seem particularly interested in socializing with her peers. The only real difference between the two was their chosen subject matter. Rory was a voracious reader with a preference for the humanities, while April was obsessed with science.
