Don't let the plaid and backwards baseball hat fool you: Luke Danes was more than an every-man. In fact, Gilmore Girls ' Luke was the king of grand gestures. Apart from Max Medina when he sent Lorelai 1000 yellow daisies, Luke was the go-to guy when it came to making swoon-worthy romantic gestures. He wore his heart on his plaid sleeve for Lorelai, whether she realized it or not. Think about it: Over the course of seven seasons, the man built Lorelai a chuppah for her wedding to Max, he dropped everything for her family on multiple occasions, and he built her an ice skating rink so she would fall back in love with snow. Was Luke perfect? No, but he knew how to steal hearts.
When it came to wooing, the gruff Luke went straight to the head of the class. He liked to pretend he had no game, but he knew Lorelai so well, every gesture hit the right mark. Luke knew how to tailor a gesture specifically for Lorelai, but what made his quiet confessions of love feel so huge is that many of them didn't involve elaborate planning. For every ice rink there was a drive to the hospital — a gesture that was romantic and grand, but as humble as the man behind it.
These are Luke's best grand gestures ranked from the well-intentioned to the "if-Lorelai-doesn't-marry-this-man-I-will."
10. Luke Buys Lorelai The Twickham House
Luke had the best of intentions when he bought the Twickham House. He wanted the two of them to get married, have kids, and grow old with each other there. All super sweet reasons to buy a house — but buying a house without consulting Lorelai was a mistake. That's a huge decision that a couple should make together... especially since Lorelai was already pretty fond of her house. So, while it was romantic, it was also a little misguided.
9. Luke Makes Lorelai A Santa Burger
It was such a small thing, but when a sad Lorelai asked Luke if he had anything festive on the menu, and he made her a cute (but disgusting-looking) Santa burger, it was a moment worthy of all the "awwws."
8. Luke And The Never-Ending Mattress Moving
Luke was married to another woman, but he still helped Lorelai move Rory into her dorm, let her borrow his truck for nearly two full days, and moved the stinky dorm mattress over and over again. If that's not love, I don't know what is.
7. Luke Buys Lorelai's Picnic Basket
Luke saved Lorelai from Miss Patty's matchmaking attempts by buying Lorelai's picnic basket, and then he brought her edible food. He's almost too perfect to exist, right?
6. Luke Can Waltz
When Luke set his phasers to woo, he went all out. He took Lorelai to his sister's wedding, bought her flowers, and revealed that he could waltz. For a man who hated participating in anything, volunteering to dance was a huge deal.
5. Luke Closes The Diner To Drive Lorelai To The Hospital
When Richard had an episode during the Christmas dinner in Season 1, Luke closed the entire diner to not only drive Lorelai to the hospital, but also to stay with her as she waited for news about her dad. He does all of this in spite of his fear of all things hospital related. This gesture proved definitively that Luke and Lorelai were meant to be, because it was so completely selfless.
4. Luke Helps Lorelai Make Up With Snow
The man built Lorelai an ice rink in her front yard because her beloved snow seemed to have turned against her. It's a hugely sweet moment that wowed Lorelai — and me.
3. Luke Builds Lorelai A Chuppah
OK, now I'm getting to the big ones. Luke building Lorelai a chuppah for her wedding to Max is both heartbreaking and terribly romantic. There was so much detail and thought put into the chuppah, and it was done with the intention of making Lorelai happy even though Luke was sure he had lost any shot at a future with her.
2. Luke Rushes To The Hospital To Be With Lorelai Even Though They've Broken Up
When Richard ended up in the hospital again in Season 7, Luke rushed to make sure Lorelai was OK — even though she was married to Christopher. His gesture proved that, even when they were over, they weren't really over.
1. Luke And The Horoscope
No gesture can ever top Luke keeping the horoscope Lorelai gave him in his wallet every single day since the moment they met. He didn't have to say he was all in at that point, it was pretty apparent to anyone with a heart.
There are so many other romantic gestures Luke made over the years, but these moments prove there really was no greater Gilmore Girls gentleman than Luke.
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