Although Luke’s long-lost daughter, April Nardini, is often listed among the worst characters in Gilmore Girls’ cast of characters all have their flaws, but most of the show’s characters also have their defenders. For every viewer who thinks that Lorelai Gilmore is self-centered, some fans adore her self-sufficient approach to life. For everyone who thinks Jess is too good for Rory, there is someone who thinks that he doesn’t deserve her. The show’s characters are multi-faceted enough to various seemingly contradicting interpretations.

Or at least, they are in the best seasons of Gilmore Girls. By the time Gilmore Girls revival A Year in the Life lacked the show’s unique tone and both of these were created by the original showrunner.

Why April Nardini Is So Disliked By Gilmore Girls Fans

April’s Indirect Involvement In Luke and Lorelei’s Breakup Explains Her Unpopularity

In the arguments over when the show fell off in of quality, there are a few things that many Gilmore Girls can agree on. One is that Luke’s daughter, April Nardini, is universally viewed as one of the show’s worst characters, owing in part to her precocious attitude and in part to her resemblance to a younger Rory. April can be a little irritating as her character leans into some of the most played-out tropes about child geniuses who are wise beyond their years. However, that is not the real reason that April is so hated.

April is primarily reviled among the fandom because her existence indirectly led to Luke and Lorelei’s breakup and, by extension, Lorelei’s short-lived marriage to Christopher. When Luke learned about his daughter’s existence, he spent an inexcusable amount of time hiding her from Lorelai for no real reason. When Lorelai finally finds out about April, the strain this puts the relationship under leads to a breakup and her unlikely reunion with Christopher. The thing is, none of this is April’s fault, and, on a rewatch, it is clear that the child is the least annoying character involved in this interminable drama.

Luke Is Much Worse Than April In Gilmore Girls Season 6

Luke Is At Fault In April’s Storyline, Not April

The moment Luke found out about April and decided to hide her from Lorelai, he unwittingly became this storyline’s villain. Luke is the one at fault in April’s Gilmore Girls season 6 story, not April, and the fact that April can be a little annoying is hardly an excuse to blame her for her father’s frustrating, inexplicable actions. Much like Mitchum’s lecture proved Rory wasn’t perfect long before A Year in the Life, April’s presence forced viewers to recognize that Luke was immature, thoughtless, and untrustworthy. As a result, viewers hated his daughter because of what she revealed about him.

When Luke eventually did introduce Lorelai to April, it was too little, too late.

Luke could have told Lorelai about April earlier and, although it would have been tricky for him to balance parenthood and his engagement, this would have been immeasurably more constructive than hiding her. Lorelai’s established fear of commitment meant that it might have been tough for her to adjust, but hiding April from his fiancée was always going to result in an unavoidable catastrophe. When Luke eventually did introduce Lorelai to April while desperately attempting to salvage his daughter’s birthday party, it was too little, too late. However, April was the last person to blame.

Anna Nardini Is Also Worse Than April In Gilmore Girls

April’s Mother Also Acts Unreasonably In Gilmore Girls Season 6

To be fair to Luke, he is not the only one at fault in April’s storyline. April's mother, Anna Nardini, is also pretty terrible at times, whether she was attempting to take full custody of April or forbidding Luke from introducing her to Lorelai. Although A Year in the Life’s story revealed that April turned out comparatively alright, her mother’s mistreatment of her throughout seasons 6 and 7 was almost as bad as Luke’s handling of their relationship. Anna telling Luke not to introduce April to his fiancée was a ludicrous demand that only served to keep the plot dramatic.

Gilmore Girls and A Year in the Life are available to stream on Netflix.

Similarly, April’s sudden about-face in season 7 felt forced and designed to raise the stakes. There was nothing organic about the timing of April moving to New Mexico to care for her ailing mother, and the fact that this forced Luke to court only months after learning about April’s existence felt silly. April had no issues with Luke but suddenly wanted sole custody of April overnight, once again proving that Luke’s daughter was about the most reasonable person involved in this Gilmore Girls storyline.