For many repeating Lorelai’s flaws, but doing things she would not approve of.

A common complaint among viewers is the apparent souring of Rory's character in the later seasons. And it’s not just Rory's cheating storyline with Dean. The once-beloved Gilmore seemed to shed her inherent sweetness, revealing a streak of baby-talking meanness and a startling lack of ability that left many questioning the trajectory of her development.

A Common Complaint About Rory Is That She's Mean In Later Seasons Of Gilmore Girls

Rory Is Not Only Mean But Doubles Down On Her Behavior And Faces Few Repercussions

Rory’s character seems to be assassinated in the later seasons. Amy Sherman-Palladino has gone on the record saying she “doesn’t do message shows” (per Vulture), so one can hardly expect Rory to stay the "Mary Sue" she is in the earlier seasons; just like Lorelai, she is entitled to make mistakes and learn from them. However, she does become dramatically less likable and even seems to regress and become less mature than she was in season 1.

One example of the times Rory seriously messed up in Gilmore Girls was when she body shamed a ballet dancer in a review for the Yale Daily News. It was out of order on so many levels. She had to rewrite her review because Doyle said it was “a bit of a yawn”, referring to the writing specifically, not the ballet. He rejects the revision, saying, “It’s not personal, it’s just not very good [...] Just write what you think. You have opinions, don’t you?”

The only way Rory can think of making her writing more interesting is to threaten a dancer’s career by making cruel comments about her in her published rewrite. The dancer calls her a “jerk”, but Rory defends her review, even claiming her use of the word “hippo” was a “humorous” comparison. She tried to pull the “it’s not personal” card, clearly showing that she is taking Doyle’s critique of her skills out on her target. Instead, she just comes off as a bad writer who doesn’t know the difference between critique and gratuitous cruelty.

This Rory Flaw Isn't Surprising When You Consider How Mean-Spirited Lorelai Can Be

Lorelai Simply Delivers Her Insults Better Than Rory

Rory’s meanness and lack of sincere ability might look like a negative development of her character, but it is arguably more the case that Rory simply hasn’t matured or changed much at all. She definitely inherits her sense of humor from Lorelai, who uses humor as a coping mechanism for the criticism she has grown up with in Emily and Richard’s household.

This is part of her quirk and charm, but she sometimes takes it too far. Even so, Lorelai’s initial discomfort about Rory’s book in A Year in the Life shows she knows the gravity of a public forum, so it is hard to imagine her condoning moments like Rory’s cruel review. It seems like the only way Rory knows how to assert herself and her point of view is to try to mimic her mother’s sharp wit, which reveals a deep underlying insecurity about being her own person.

It’s partly because of Lauren Graham’s comedic background and partly the character’s understandable flaws...

Lorelai simply delivers her jokes so much better than Rory. It’s partly because of Lauren Graham’s comedic background and partly the character’s understandable flaws and genuine love for her community.

Lorelai's Charm Makes It Easy To Overlook This Harsh Truth About Her Character

Rory Struggles At Yale Because She Is Forced To Doubt Her Inherent Specialness

Lorelai is so witty and charming (and, frankly, the dialogue is so fast-paced between Lorelai and Rory) that it is easier to view her comments as offhand. In contrast, Rory takes her habitual humor in Stars Hollow and tries to apply it in situations that are much more Emily’s world than Lorelai’s. In addition, Lorelai’s use of it as a defense mechanism is clear - it does not excuse it, but she self-deprecates in her humor just as much as mocking other people.

Rory’s character development in general in the later seasons does highlight how much she was praised by not only Lorelai, but her grandparents and the whole community at Stars Hollow. She was the golden child and took it for granted that she was the smartest and best. Although she is able to adjust to Chilton because she still has Lorelai for , things are much harder at Yale. Many of her decisions, including her mean ones, are best understood in the context of her steadily declining self-esteem. This, timed with a rift between mother and daughter, makes her lonelier.

It is easy to criticise Lorelai, and it is a harsh truth about her character that she somewhat coddles Rory and only seems to pull the “mom card” when projecting her own life regrets onto Rory. She also seems less mature than Rory in the early seasons, making the changes all the more jarring. However, Lorelai became a mother very young, and she does have her limits, like when Rory sleeps with Dean, and when she drops out of Yale.

Lorelai and Rory’s close friendship in Gilmore Girls often blurs boundaries and Lorelai is necessarily imperfect, as is Rory. It pays off when Lorelai eventually addresses her harsh realities in A Year in the Life, while Rory breaks her cycle in her own way.