The 'Gilmore Girls' Chose Themselves Over Boys

We’re getting closer and closer Gilmore Girls Netflix revival, and with that comes ample reminders of why the original series was so great. Namely: Feminism. The show was about so much more than drama and romance; it was about a mother and daughter living in a small down and growing up together. For instance, the show's starring duo, Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel, dismissed the idea that the show was all about a game of who-will-end up with who during a recent Entertainment Weekly interview. “It’s why we sometimes bristle at: 'What team are you on?'” Graham said. That’s such a validating thing to hear, because, in the series, Rory and Lorelai were constantly choosing themselves over their boyfriends... making Team Gilmore the only Team that matters.

Making Team Gilmore a priority over the course of the show really showcased the pair’s strength and love for one another. According to Graham, “I would be remiss if I didn’t say that [Rory and Lorelai’s] main strength, even if they believe in true love, is that they have themselves and they have each other The show is sneakily feminist in that it’s always been great for them to have love, but they’re also okay when they don’t.” Ugh, who else wants a rewatch right this instant?

Don’t believe me? Let’s reminisce about some of the best Team Gilmore moments.

1. When Rory Decided To Go To Chilton Despite Her Crush On Dean

Lest we forget how Rory was temporarily ready to give up Chilton when she met Dean in the pilot episode of the series. The second Lorelai recognizes this adolescent infatuation, she's quick to fight, relate, and finally convince her daughter that there will always be guys, but there won't always be this opportunity. And with that, we see Rory slay the next few seasons as the ultimate schoolgirl.

2. When Lorelai Rejected Max Medina's Advances

She eventually caved to him and it caused no shortage of tension between her and Rory. However, in the beginning, Lorelai was very cautious about getting involved with any man, let alone Rory's teacher, because she's concerned about her daughter getting attached and then disappointed.

3. When Rory Refuses To Tell Dean "I Love You" Back

Maybe it was simply because she was spooked out, which is reasonable because they only dated for like, what, three months? That's a lot of pressure for Dean to put on his girlfriend, and she was totally in the right to not reciprocate if she didn't feel it, too.

4. When Lorelai Fears Telling Rory About Max's Proposal In The Wake Of Rory's Break-Up

The post-Dean wounds were still fresh, so Lorelai was cautious yet again. Once again, this fell more in the "well-intentioned" box versus anything else, and everything eventually worked out great in their love lives... for a while, anyway.

5. When Lorelai And Rory Went On Their Impromptu Harvard Road Trip

This was more of a panic move on Lorelai's part, as she was wigged out by the reality that she was going to actually marry Max Medina. But, when Lorelai proposed to Rory that they should just get in the car and go, Rory fell right in line.

6. When Lorelai Holds Rory On The Dance Floor After A Whole Dean Meltdown

You know what, technically this was about Lorelai choosing her daughter over a guy because winning the dance-off was all about besting that smug Kirk and preventing another victory lap. However, a sobbing Rory takes precedent.

7. When Rory Glosses Over Her Two Unworthy Exes In Her Graduation Speech And Gives All The Praise To Lorelai

Now to be fair, I don't think it's commonplace for Valedictorians to give a shout-out to their boyfriends during commencement. I was busy texting my summer crush during my own ceremony, so I'll never know for sure. Even still, I just want us to all remember how Rory drove the entire gang to tears when she talked about how her mother was her "ultimate inspiration."

8. And When Rory Tells Jess (Or The Telephone Phantom of Jess) That She's Moving On With Her Life

The triumph in this one is also debatable because Jess had already left town at this point, he was solidly in Venice, and can't even find the words to defend himself. Still, I'm glad that Rory didn't weep over his leaving and instead is like, "I may have loved you but I'm over it, I'm going to Yale now, bye forever."

9. When Rory Comes Home To Stars Hollow To Comfort Her Mother After A Potential Luke Break-Up

Things were heating up between her and Logan post-Emily and Richard's vow renewal, but Lorelai's also devastated that it may be over between her and Luke. Rory legit limo-ed home to take care of Lorelai, which is true love.

10. When Rory Returns To Yale And Ignores The Creature Comforts Of Being A Kept Granddaughter/Girlfriend

After an ugly Logan-Jess blow-up, Rory decided that being out of school floating around isn't who she is. And, OK, Jess is the one who tells her that, and she was still dating Logan for a time, whatever. What's important is that she doesn't stagnate forever and runs back into the arms of her mother.

11. When Lorelai Finally Had To Put Her Needs Ahead Of Luke's And Force His Hand When It Came To Marriage... Even Though It Backfired Remarkably

The April Nardini thing seriously soured Luke and Lorelai's engagement, and finally she had to go into ultimatum mode and practically demand an elopement. It did not go well, like, Lorelai-ends-up-in-bed-with-Christopher didn't go well. Still, what's important to note is that Lorelai had a breaking point where she had to have Luke recognize her needs. This was probably not the way to do it, but I deserves a nod.

12. When Rory Rejects Logan's Proposal

Again, I'm sure there are some of you rooting for Logan and you think this was a big mistake, huge. Whatever, guys, Rory was literally 22 and fresh out of college, striving to become the next Christiane Amanpour. Settling down with Logan at that age would've only marooned her as a society wife.

Fingers crossed that, while this revival gives us some resolution on Rory's love life (ugh, and that Lorelai and Luke finally make it work), it does not neglect Team Gilmore.

Images: Warner Bros. Television; Giphy (12)