From first dates to heartbreak, long-term romance and flirty banter, Gilmore Girls shows a whole range of dating experiences. Whether watching Rory's three serious boyfriends or the epic love story between Lorelai and Luke, fans know that this mother-daughter duo deals with matters of the heart on a regular basis.
While sometimes the characters make some wrong choices in their love lives, there is also some good relationship advice to take from Rory and Dean's young love, or Luke and Lorelai's long road to marriage. Sookie and Jackson's quirky romance also has some wisdom within it. These characters have gone through the high highs and low lows of love, and have grown as a result.
Take Time To Properly Process A Break-Up
Dean broke off his relationship with Rory in the first season of the show, and Rory thought that grieving what she lost was a silly idea. She woke up early with a to-do list and tried to focus on errands.
Lorelai kept trying to tell Rory that "wallowing" is a crucial part of this experience. Finally, Rory broke down, and Lorelai was there for her. Taking the time to properly process and mourn the end of a relationship is important, as it allows the person to take stock and then move on to find a better situation.
A Foundation Of Friendship Is Always A Good Thing
While Lorelai could have ended up with Christoper, she knew that Luke was her person, and fans were so excited to see these characters again in the Netflix revival A Year In The Life.
Lorelai and Luke prove that a foundation of friendship is always a good thing. It's true that they struggled a lot, as Luke didn't want Lorelai to be part of his new family with his daughter April, and it took them forever to get married. But they had known each other for years, and since they were pals, they were ultimately able to get through these tough times. Lorelai knew Luke was a naturally nervous, loner type of guy and Luke knew that Lorelai was much friendlier and bubblier than he was.
Don't Be Afraid To Ask Someone Out
Lorelai's best friend Sookie was single until she fell in love with Jackson, and after flirting with him while he sold her produce, she asked him out.
Fans can learn a lot from Sookie and not be scared to ask their crush out. Sookie was nervous and wasn't sure if the date would go well, and at first it didn't because they were too freaked out to really have fun until Lorelai saved the day and suggested a more casual date. Sometimes being brave and asking someone to grab coffee or a drink will lead to something amazing.
A Couple Should Have New Experiences
It wasn't exactly Rory's scene to attend Chilton's dance, let alone many school events. But she wanted to have this experience with Dean, as she was caught up in their brand new romance and she thought it could be fun to leave her comfort zone behind.
This is another great piece of dating advice on Gilmore Girls: a couple should always try new things and have new experiences. Sure, Rory and Dean weren't big ers who wanted to be involved with a million school activities, but they did have a good time at this dance.
Take A Risk On Someone And Don't Judge Them
While Lane and Zack got married and had kids on Gilmore Girls, their romance had some flaws. Not every fan liked that this was where Lane's life went, as she settled down so young.
But this couple teaches fans this important dating tip: take a risk on someone and don't judge them before getting to know them. While she liked being in her band with Zack, Lane wasn't certain that she should date him as she thought he was a player. But he ended up being a much kinder partner than she anticipated.
Opposites Do Attract
Rory was always the good kid in Stars Hollow and someone who had a neon-bright future.
When Rory started seeing Logan at Yale, her life became a mess and there are many reasons why they weren't right for each other. But fans of Gilmore Girls can still take some dating tips from this romance, most notably that opposites do attract. Rory was studious and serious and from a small town, and Logan was a rich kid who never wanted for anything. They did get along well and Logan respected Rory's brain, even if they had many problems as a couple.
Always Be Confident And Practice Self-Love
It might sound a bit cheesy, and yet it's so true; self-love is key to being able to have a healthy relationship. When Paris started dating Jamie, she was nervous and unsure that someone could really care about her. She was so insecure that she even missed him asking her out. While this was relayed in a funny scene between Paris and Rory, the truth was pretty rough: Paris might have been intimidating, but she didn't think very much of herself.
Paris can share this advice with viewers: be confident and certain that love is possible. Without the belief that love is out there, it's not going to happen.
Listen To Your Gut And Walk Away When Something Is Wrong
In some ways, Lorelai and Max were a wonderful pair, but Lorelai just couldn't marry him.
Some couples know that their marriage won't work out and go through with the ceremony anyway, figuring that they've come this far and it's not possible to walk away. Lorelai's actions are a great reminder that people should always listen to their gut. If something feels off, that means that it's not meant to be, and it doesn't matter if the wedding invitations have been mailed and all of the plans are in place. Lorelai wanted more for herself than a marriage that didn't feel good or right, and she was brave.
Even The Strongest Marriage Has Its Ups And Downs
When fans were introduced to Lorelai's parents, they seemed like they had a perfect marriage. Richard and Emily were rich, comfortable, and had been together since forever.
A crack started showing in their marriage, though, and a few seasons into the show, they separated. Richard and Emily prove that even an incredibly strong relationship will have some tough moments and that it doesn't mean giving up on the person and thinking that the marriage is doomed.
You Could Meet The Right Person Anywhere
Things didn't work out between Lorelai and Jason, but this relationship was important to Lorelai and very entertaining for fans since he ended up suing her dad, which was pretty juicy to watch.
Lorelai might not have wanted to date someone who worked with Richard, but she let go of her preconceived notions and opened her mind to the idea. This is a great dating tip from Gilmore Girls: it's possible to meet the right person anywhere. Lorelai proved this a few times, whether with Jason or Max, whom she met because he taught Rory English at Chilton.