21 ‘Gilmore Girls’ Episodes To Watch If You Seriously Ship Paris & Rory

When Paris's parents' messy divorce becomes fodder for the Chilton gossip mill, Paris turns it around to focus on Rory after she sees Lorelai and Mr. Medina (Scott Cohen) kissing. Rory later confronts Paris, and Paris actually apologizes and gives a reasonable explanation for her actions. "I just didn't want them talking about me anymore, that's all," Paris says.

After all that, Rory doesn't totally turn on Paris for her retaliation but rather she offers to lend support if Paris needs it. Paris repeatedly says that she doesn't need it, but her body language shows that she appreciates Rory's sympathy.

Lorelai takes Rory, Madeline (Shelly Cole), Louise (Teal Redmann), and Paris to New York City to see the Bangles in concert. The night goes awry when Madeline and Louise go off with strange men, but Paris sticks with Rory and she obviously appreciates the eventful night. At the end of the episode, Paris tells Rory, "You know what? I think this is the best night I've ever had"

If you look at Gilmore Girls through the lens of shipping Rory and Paris, the whole Tristan (Chad Michael Murray) storyline starts to seem like less of a catfight and more about Tristan being used as a pawn rather, than an actual love interest. No episode suggests that more than "The Third Lorelai," in which Rory convinces Tristan to ask Paris out.

When Paris discovers the 10 Things I Hate About You-esque scheme, she becomes outraged at Rory for her act of service. Perhaps Rory convinced Tristan to ask Paris out because she actually wanted to date Paris herself but felt she couldn't, and perhaps Paris was upset to find out that Rory was behind it because she wanted Rory to ask her out instead of Tristan.

This is another episode in which Rory helps Paris out, when the former helps get Paris into the Chilton underground society, the Puffs. Ever wonder why Rory is so kind to Paris when the two of them are frequent rivals? Come on, Rory isn't that nice.

Rory has plans to spend the night alone doing laundry, but Paris shows up to study for a science test. Then, Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) shows up with what he says is a care package from Luke, but obviously was packaged by him. When Dean (Jared Padalecki) then arrives to surprise Rory, he's upset that Jess was at the house before him. Paris quickly covers for Rory, telling Dean that she'd asked Rory to invite Jess because she had a crush on her. That is definitely one of the nicest things Paris has done for Rory, and possibly for anyone, ever.

Despite the first two seasons of Gilmore Girls setting up Paris and Rory as bitter enemies, the Season 2 finale confirms that they're better as a team, when Paris asks Rory to run on the same ticket for Student Council president. The girls' hatred towards each other is starting to look a lot more like deep admiration.

This episode focuses on Paris and Rory's friendship as they room together on their summer internship in Washington D.C. When Paris gets asked out by Jamie (Brandon Barash), her nervous energy takes hold of her, and Rory is there to help Paris get ready. Not only does Rory literally brush Paris' hair — is there anything more intimate? — she also gives her advice about how to tell if someone is right for her.

Rory explains that finding someone compatible means finding someone who has the same interests and likes the same books as you. It sounds a lot like Paris and Rory, really. At the very least, that sure doesn't describe Rory and Dean, and Rory realizes that in this episode.

Paris tries to sabotage Rory by getting her impeached from Student Council after Francie (Emily Bergl) frames Rory to seem like she was plotting against Paris. The fact that Paris reacts so dramatically reflects just how much she cares about her friendship with Rory. Eventually, the headmaster has to step in to remind them that they can, and should, do better.

After discovering how well they work together at Chilton, Paris and Rory said goodbye forever at graduation. Psych! Paris decides to go to Yale and she requests to live with Rory in their college suite. Well, it's not just that Paris requests it. She tells Rory, "My dad made a call." Enter Rory and Paris: the college years.

Even though Rory disapproves of Paris's relationship with Yale professor Asher Fleming (Michael York), for obvious reasons, she still covers for Paris when she misses a newspaper ritual hazing because of her questionable romance. Even in college, Rory proves to have an enduring loyalty towards Paris.

This is undoubtedly the most important episode for Rory and Paris shippers. The two bookworms head down to Florida to experience a cliché spring break, and they partake in the usual rites of passage, including a dance floor make-out. Well, it's not quite a make-out, but Paris does kiss Rory on the dance floor, and they later they sit on the beach, cozied up to each other in a beautiful moment that spotlights their closeness.

After Asher shockingly dies, Paris is left to grieve her much senior boyfriend. Rory helps, as usual, and she caters to all of Paris' requests, despite how uncomfortable Paris and Asher's relationship made her.

Paris totally gets in the way of Rory and Marty's (Wayne Wilcox) plans together in this episode. For shippers, it's fun to think that Paris disrupts the hang, because she doesn't want to see Rory with yet another romantic interest that's not her.

At the end of Season 5, Rory decides to take a break from Yale and move into her grandparents' cushy pool house. Season 6 starts off with Paris attempting to intervene by first convincing Rory to come back to Yale and then moving on to Lorelai to try to help get Rory back on track.

Neither of her attempts work, but Paris' efforts again reinforce just how much she cares about Rory — to the point where she feels comfortable barging into Lorelai's Stars Hollow home.

In this episode, Miss Patty's (Liz Torres) spiked punch bonds Lane (Keiko Agena), Rory, and Paris together on a day they spend in Stars Hollow. The three recently-spurned women also bond over their disappointments with men and romance, and it will probably have shippers yelling at Rory and Paris to just date each other already!

Rory moves in with Paris and Doyle (Danny Strong) after breaking things off with Logan, and it seems like maybe Paris and Doyle are one fight away from a Paris-Rory relationship finally getting started. Unfortunately, the episode ends with Logan declaring his love for Rory, and the two reconciling.

Again, Paris and Rory's boyfriend problems reunite them. After breakups with Doyle and Logan, it's just the two of them yet again, and the episode ends with Paris saying, "Men suck" and Rory responding, "They do suck." Rory moves back in with Paris, this time the two are back to living together without Doyle in the house.

The misandrist energy that Episode 16 ends with continues at the top of Episode 17, which picks up with Rory and Paris eating Chinese food and cursing at men's shortcomings. At this point, it seems inevitable that Rory and Paris will turn to romance between each other eventually — they still always come back to each other.

Somehow Paris and Rory ended up not dating after their Season 6 breakups and makeups. But they still obviously love each other, even if it's just as friends. In this episode, Paris swoops in to defend Rory in a confrontation with Lucy (Krysten Ritter).

"In case you didn't know it, Rory is a great person, and she does not deserve to be treated this way. Anyone should feel lucky to call her a friend. I know I do, and you're throwing away one of the best," Paris says. That's love.

In this episode, Paris breaks up with Doyle for what seems like the hundredth time. This round it's because she wants to make sure that she doesn't allow a relationship to factor into her post-grad decisions. Rory, on the other hand, refuses to break up with Logan even though that might interfere with her plans to work for the New York Times.

Paris eventually convinces Rory to not factor Logan into her future plans. Paris is always there to push Rory to live up to her fullest potential, throughout all seven seasons. In the end, though, Paris and Doyle get back together and Rory doesn't receive her Times scholarship.

Throughout the series, Paris and Rory's close relationship goes through many different phases, from hating each other to becoming so close that fans started rooting for the two to date. Paris and Rory just might be the show's most important relationship — even over Rory and Lorelai's.