Now that we've watched the Gilmore Girls revival for the first time or 50th time, we should revive our love for Lane Kim. Lane was an underrated character on Gilmore Girls, forced to play second banana to Rory though she had things going on in her own life. Lane didn't hold any resentment for that, but instead continued to be a good friend and someone Rory could lean on. Despite never getting her due either then or now (seriously, if there are more Gilmore Girls episodes, we need more Lane Kim), she was always more than just Rory's best friend. She was the cool girl in town who rebelled against her parents and marched to the beat of her own drum. (Quite literally, since she is the one on the skins for Hep Alien.) Like Lorelai, Lane didn't take the straight and narrow path, which is what made her someone worth paying attention to — not to mention someone who could teach us all a few things.
Lane didn't always make the right decisions. Hiding your life under floorboards to keep it from your strict mother certainly isn't a great idea. But her story was all about growing and changing, and we saw her do that right before our eyes. She was figuring out her own way, and in that, she taught us all a lot about being an adult.
In honor of the best friend we all wish we all had in high school and beyond, it's time to look at the lessons Lane Kim taught a whole generation of girls who didn't identify with Rory, but with her music-loving BFF.
1. Band Shirts Can Be Very Misleading
Lane learned this the hard way after going out with a guy named Todd, who wore a Fugazi shirt but had no idea what the band actually was. As it turns out, the shirt was his much cooler sister's, and this was a dealbreaker in Lane's book. While she teaches us that we shouldn't judge a boy by his band shirt, she also makes it clear that you shouldn't settle for anything less than what you want — in boys and in life.
2. Rock 'N Roll Is Worth Risking Eternal Damnation For
Mrs. Kim would much prefer her daughter was reading the Bible rather than playing the drums, but Lane knew what she wanted and went for it. It wasn't easy; she knew her mom wasn't going to be happy with her choice. That's why she did it anyway — because she was her own person and would deal with the consequences later.
3. A Double Life Isn't Practical
Lane found it easier to hide her CDs under the floorboards, outfit her closet as a disco hideaway, and pretend not to have a boyfriend by coming up with absurd plans. Of course, it would have been much easier to talk to her mom about how she was feeling instead of lying to her, but those lies allowed Lane to keep the facade that she was her mom's little girl. Lane was trying to protect her mom, but it was hard for her mom to see that. After sneaking out of her house in the wee hours of the night to play a gig at CBGB, her mom finds her stowaway spots. That was the lesson Lane had to learn on her own, so she would stop hiding and have a real heart-to-heart with her mom.
4. Talk Is Not Cheap
Which leads us to the most important lesson Lane may have imparted: Communication is important. When you and your mom don't see eye to eye, or your friend is too busy with her boyfriend to pay any attention to you (cough, Rory, cough), you may want to ignore them or pretend it doesn't bother you. But as Lane learned so often, talking it out is the way to go.
5. Be Honest About What You Want
When Lane realizes that she likes Zack, she wastes no time telling him, which throws him a bit off guard. Then, when he doesn't give her an answer, she lets him know how she's feeling. If he doesn't want her, then fine, but she's not going to just wait around. Lane is a woman who knows what she wants, and she isn't afraid to admit it. It took some time to get to this point, but, after years of hiding who she is, she's not interested in ever doing it again.
6. Bible Kiss Bible Will Always Be A Great Band Name
Sure, Hep Alien's pretty good, especially since it's Amy Sherman-Palladino's clever anagram for Helen Pai, who was Sherman-Palladino's best friend and the real inspiration for Lane. But Bible Kiss Bible, the text Lane sends after getting her first kiss from Dave Rygalski, would have also been pretty great.
Lane may have sometimes been an afterthought to Rory, but she was always on my mind, leading by example to show us that life is about living, learning, and the importance of rock and roll.
