Summary
- The funniest scene in Gilmore Girls is when Luke pushes Jess into the lake.
- Luke pushing Jess into the lake showcases the physical comedy of the show and surprises viewers and Jess alike.
- The scene symbolizes Jess' growth throughout the series, as he goes from being a troublesome bad boy to a mature and fully-rounded character.
It may be extremely hard to narrow down, but the funniest scene in Gilmore Girls comes with a brief-yet-hilarious moment that only lasts around 10 seconds. Gilmore Girls is the ultimate comfort blanket TV show: warm, sweet, and heartfelt, it lends itself well to endless binge-watches. A big reason for that, of course, is just how funny the show is, including leads Lorelai and Rory Gilmore but extending far beyond them too.
Much of that can be attributed to creator Amy Sherman-Palladino's incredibly witty, fast-paced dialogue. Indeed, many of Gilmore Girls' funniest scenes come from that, such as Lorelai's iconic "Oy with the poodles, already" or Emily Gilmore's "Well then, buy me a boa and drive me to Reno because I am open for business." However, what is the single funniest scene in Gilmore Girls doesn't even need a great one-liner to be instantly memorable.
Why Luke Pushing Jess In The Lake Is Gilmore Girls' Funniest Scene
Luke Danes pushing nephew Jess Mariano into a Stars Hollow lake makes up for the funniest 10-20 seconds in all of Gilmore Girls. The moment comes in Gilmore Girls season 2, episode 5, "Nick and Nora/Sid and Nancy," shortly after Jess has just arrived in town and immediately earned himself a bad reputation. Luke confronts his nephew about him allegedly stealing money for a bridge repair and, with the two bickering, Luke abruptly pushes him off the bridge and into the lake below, much to Jess' shock and the audience's awe.
Luke pushing Jess into the lake is hilarious, and Gilmore Girls' funniest moments, for multiple reasons. Part of that comes from Jess himself: although he becomes a fan-favorite, he does nothing to endear himself to Stars Hollows' residents nor viewers in this introductory episode, and almost certainly has it coming (indeed, it's a cathartic and well-earned payoff, with Lorelai earlier in the episode wanting to hit him with a cream pie). It's also funny for Luke, so often grumpy and frustrated, allowing those things to boil over in such a small and almost petty moment of exasperated relief.
Gilmore Girls was notable for its writing, but it had plenty of physical comedy too, and this is a stellar example. The push into the lake isn't at all telegraphed, and so brilliantly comes as a surprise to viewers and Jess alike. Jess' stunned reaction adds to it, as does Lorelai's own when Luke expresses that what he did was bad, with her saying it depends on whether or not he can swim. Luke actor Scott Patterson, in a video for Elle, said this was his favorite Luke moment from the show too, adding: "Number one moment, probably in my life."
Luke Pushing Jess In The Lake Just Proves Jess' Gilmore Girls' Development
It's fitting that Jess' first Gilmore Girls episode involved him being pushed in the lake by his uncle, Luke, because it shows just how much he grew over the course of the show (and how much their own relationship changed). Jess started off as Stars Hollow's resident bad buy, who no one considered "good enough" to date Rory. While their own relationship developed a lot through Jess' time as a main character on the show and became popular with audiences, he did little to change the minds of most in the town.
By the time Jess briefly came back into Rory's life, though, he'd changed a lot (and had done before then, too). Jess matured, losing some of the edge of his early years but keeping the intelligence, wit, and good nature that had been there all along, even if he'd tried to bury it. In Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, Jess had his life together, a complete reversal of fortunes and stark contrast to Rory. Jess ultimately became one of Gilmore Girls' best and most fully-rounded characters, even if it never got funnier than being pushed in the lake by Luke.