With t-minus 18 days to the Netflix Gilmore Girls revival release date, I decided to re-watch the first few seasons of one of my all-time favorite television shows, and I have come to the conclusion that Christopher Hayden really wasn’t such a bad guy. Now, before you get out the torches and pitchforks, know that I am not promoting the Lorelai-Christopher relationship/ failed marriage, nor am I ignoring the fact that he is immature, easily manipulated, and irresponsible. However, after watching the series multiple times during multiple stages of my young life, I have decided that Christopher isn’t the deplorable monster that he is originally made out to be. Yes, it took him sixteen years to become a part of Rory’s life, and yes, he still has a lot of growing up to do for a man in his forties, but there were still many times throughout the series when he was there for the Gilmore Girls.
1. Presenting Lorelai Gilmore
Early in the second season, Rory was coerced by Emily into becoming a debutante, and even though Christopher said cotillions aren’t his thing, he promised Rory and Lorelai he would be there to escort her… and he did with a smile, white gloves, and a spectacular waltz sequence.
2. Rory's Broken Wrist
Towards the end of the second season, Luke asks Rory to tutor Jess after finding out that his nephew is failing out of Stars Hollow High, and she, due to her growing attraction to Jess and her genuine niceness, agrees. However, the session ends in a bang and a whimper after Jess accidentally totals Rory’s car (yes, the car that Dean made Rory), and she is sent to the hospital with a fractured wrist. After hearing the news, Christopher rushes to Stars Hollow to comfort both of the Gilmore girls, and he effectively patches things up with Lorelai.
*Bonus, he was even there a few episodes later when Rory went to go get her cast off.
3. Lorelai's Graduation Day
Okay, Christopher didn’t exactly attend Lorelai’s graduation in the second to last episode of season two, but then again, neither did Rory, which is a much bigger crime in my personal opinion. He did, however, send her a sweet gift basket filled with gag gifts and a beautiful pearl necklace, a gesture which I thought was pretty big of him, especially since he’s kind of the reason Lorelai wasn’t able to walk at her own high school graduation.
4. Paying for Yale
Regardless of how plausible this particular plotline is, Christopher really comes through for Rory and helps her get out from underneath her grandparent’s thumb. When Christopher’s rich grandfather dies, he inherits a large sum of money and offers to shower both of the Gilmore girls with presents, each idea more ridiculous than the last. Even though this gesture shows how materialistic and shallow Christopher can be, paying for Yale was, nevertheless, an appropriate way to reenter Rory’s life after the whole Emily-Christopher-Luke debacle.
5. Wedding Day
We all know and love Mrs. Kim, but sometimes her ultra-conservative Christian views are a little out there (Devil’s starchy fingers, anyone?). When Luke was out of town for Lane’s wedding, Lorelai, having no male escort and past the age where it’s acceptable to not have a male escort, would not have been able to attend unless Christopher was there to be her date. And although he wasn’t 100% able to save her from an embarrassing, alcohol-induced toast, he was there to comfort her and make sure she got home safely.
6. 'S Wonderful 'S Marvelous
Christopher has always understood Lorelai, was able to keep up with her witticisms, and thoroughly understood her constant stream of pop-culture references. Therefore, he was able to plan probably the most romantic date of the entire series: a private drive-in showing of Happy Face, enough snacks to keep even Lorelai satisfied, and, on an unrelated note, the pair got to pick up Emily Gilmore from prison.
7. Graduating from Yale
Christopher finally grows up at the end of season seven when he realizes that if it took Lorelai twenty years to agree to marry him, she really wasn’t meant to be with him in the first place. That being said, he is able to put his differences with Lorelai aside and attends Rory’s graduation from Yale, parting with the Gilmore Girls on good terms.
