Emily Gilmore
Wikipedia
Gilmore Girls Character Guide
Emily Gilmore is the mother of Lorelai and grandmother to Rory. Emily had very limited contact with her daughter for most of her adult life, and though they have gotten to know each other better as adults, they still have a somewhat strained relationship. One constant source of discord between them involves the matter of Christopher Hayden, Rory's father. Despite Chris's shortcomings, Emily always pushed Lorelai to pursue a relationship with him in their adulthood, so that their family can finally be together, only to be frustrated as either Lorelai or Christopher failed to take the necessary steps to make it happen. Emily always dotes on Rory, however, and she and Richard made it financially possible for Rory to attend the exclusive Chilton Preparatory School as well as Yale University.
Emily was raised by a strict social code and graduated from Smith College with a degree in history. She has a sister named Hope, who lives in Paris. Since her marriage, she has dedicated herself to furthering her husband Richard's career. As a result, she spends much of her time arranging charity events, and she is very concerned with propriety and appearances. She is difficult to please, and is incapable of keeping a maid very long no matter how well she pays them. They quit or are fired in rapid succession for reasons like singing or walking too heavily. Many people have judged her to be a snobbish, haughty, and highly opinionated woman. There is a softer, more caring side to Emily, but it is often obscured by her aforementioned snobbish persona.
Emily is heavily involved in Hartford society. Besides being a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, she is also a member of the Symphony Fundraising Committee, the President of the Horticultural Society, and a Co-Chair of the Starlight Foundation. She is a board member on the Hartford Zoological Silent Auction, the Mark Twain House Restoration Fund Luncheon, and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Literacy Auction.
In season 4, it is revealed that Richard has been having yearly lunches with Pennilyn Lott, his ex-girlfriend, without telling Emily. This damages her relationship with Richard, and his choices to conceal information from her almost leads to divorce. Emily and Richard separate during season 5, and Emily tries dating another man. Though the date goes well, it primarily makes Emily realize how much she misses Richard. They soon reconcile and renew their vows.
In season 6, Emily and Richard take Rory in after she drops out of Yale and argues with Lorelai. This eventually leads to conflict between Emily and Rory when Rory moves out of the grandparents house, feeling she has not realized her potential and that Emily is too controlling. Emily becomes very upset and even considers buying an airplane as a form of retail therapy, comparing Rory's sudden departure to Lorelai's years earlier.
Emily becomes upset when, shortly after moving out, Rory accepts money from her father to pay for Yale. Lorelai forces Emily, Richard, and Rory to attempt to work things out in episode "Friday Night's Alright for Fighting". Somewhat comically, one fight between Emily and Rory leads to a snowball effect in which the entire family argues about years of unresolved issues, and as a result, Rory and Lorelai resume Friday night dinners to mend fences. Things remain tense for some time between Emily, Lorelai, and Rory, but they eventually reconcile. When the series ends and Rory goes off to begin a reporting career, Emily believes that their weekly dinners will end since Lorelai and Rory no longer need monetary support. However, much to her surprise, Lorelai agrees to continue going to dinner every Friday night, saying she's gotten used to it.
In the revival, she spends a year mourning Richard's death. She and Lorelai feud after a drunken Lorelai tells an unflattering story about Richard at his funeral. The two enter therapy sessions together, which Emily terminates because of her dissatisfaction with Lorelai's unchanged behavior towards her, and finally reconcile when Lorelai calls her and shares a fond memory of Richard with her. Emily experiences increasing dissatisfaction with her life in Hartford, culminating in a vicious argument with her fellow Daughters of the American Revolution members that leads to her membership being revoked. Empowered by newfound distance from her old life, Emily sells the Gilmore family house and purchases two adjoining homes in Nantucket, one for herself and her maid's family and one as a vacation home for Luke and Lorelai. She is shown working at the Whaling Museum, thrilling an audience of young children with her grandiose and gory whaling tales. She keeps a portrait of Richard in her new home and gently touches it, showing her lasting affection for him.
Emily was raised by a strict social code and graduated from Smith College with a degree in history. She has a sister named Hope, who lives in Paris. Since her marriage, she has dedicated herself to furthering her husband Richard's career. As a result, she spends much of her time arranging charity events, and she is very concerned with propriety and appearances. She is difficult to please, and is incapable of keeping a maid very long no matter how well she pays them. They quit or are fired in rapid succession for reasons like singing or walking too heavily. Many people have judged her to be a snobbish, haughty, and highly opinionated woman. There is a softer, more caring side to Emily, but it is often obscured by her aforementioned snobbish persona.
Emily is heavily involved in Hartford society. Besides being a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, she is also a member of the Symphony Fundraising Committee, the President of the Horticultural Society, and a Co-Chair of the Starlight Foundation. She is a board member on the Hartford Zoological Silent Auction, the Mark Twain House Restoration Fund Luncheon, and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Literacy Auction.
In season 4, it is revealed that Richard has been having yearly lunches with Pennilyn Lott, his ex-girlfriend, without telling Emily. This damages her relationship with Richard, and his choices to conceal information from her almost leads to divorce. Emily and Richard separate during season 5, and Emily tries dating another man. Though the date goes well, it primarily makes Emily realize how much she misses Richard. They soon reconcile and renew their vows.
In season 6, Emily and Richard take Rory in after she drops out of Yale and argues with Lorelai. This eventually leads to conflict between Emily and Rory when Rory moves out of the grandparents house, feeling she has not realized her potential and that Emily is too controlling. Emily becomes very upset and even considers buying an airplane as a form of retail therapy, comparing Rory's sudden departure to Lorelai's years earlier.
Emily becomes upset when, shortly after moving out, Rory accepts money from her father to pay for Yale. Lorelai forces Emily, Richard, and Rory to attempt to work things out in episode "Friday Night's Alright for Fighting". Somewhat comically, one fight between Emily and Rory leads to a snowball effect in which the entire family argues about years of unresolved issues, and as a result, Rory and Lorelai resume Friday night dinners to mend fences. Things remain tense for some time between Emily, Lorelai, and Rory, but they eventually reconcile. When the series ends and Rory goes off to begin a reporting career, Emily believes that their weekly dinners will end since Lorelai and Rory no longer need monetary support. However, much to her surprise, Lorelai agrees to continue going to dinner every Friday night, saying she's gotten used to it.
In the revival, she spends a year mourning Richard's death. She and Lorelai feud after a drunken Lorelai tells an unflattering story about Richard at his funeral. The two enter therapy sessions together, which Emily terminates because of her dissatisfaction with Lorelai's unchanged behavior towards her, and finally reconcile when Lorelai calls her and shares a fond memory of Richard with her. Emily experiences increasing dissatisfaction with her life in Hartford, culminating in a vicious argument with her fellow Daughters of the American Revolution members that leads to her membership being revoked. Empowered by newfound distance from her old life, Emily sells the Gilmore family house and purchases two adjoining homes in Nantucket, one for herself and her maid's family and one as a vacation home for Luke and Lorelai. She is shown working at the Whaling Museum, thrilling an audience of young children with her grandiose and gory whaling tales. She keeps a portrait of Richard in her new home and gently touches it, showing her lasting affection for him.