For many fans ofGilmore Girls,the autumnal season heralds an annual rewatch.As fallen leaves litter the streets and the scent of pumpkin spice fills the air, a familiar mother-daughter duo will pop up on Netflix accounts across the world. While Rory and Lorelai are the heart of the show, there is an unsung hero who deserves more love.
RELATED:‘Gilmore Girls’: 10 Episodes That Will Get You In The Mood For Fall
Paris Geller is by far thebest character on the show.She steals every scene she is in with her witty one-liners and ability to say what everyone else is thinking. From her brutal honesty to her driven personality, this is whyGilmore Girlsshould’ve been titled Geller Girls instead.
She is Brutally Honest
Paris has never been one to shy away from the truth, even if it hurts. She will tell it like it is, with absolutely no sugar-coating.
When she decides to become a private tutor, a mother and her daughter ask for academic help. Because of the daughter’s C average, Paris tells her that she’s “either lazy or stupid. I can work with either. Frankly, sometimes stupid is easier. I can scare the stupid out of you, but the lazy runs deep.” Ouch. That was brutal, but at least she’s honest.
She Isn’t Afraid of Tough Love
While Paris is a born leader, she doesn’t have the best social skills. In her own words, “I am not cut out to deal with people.”
During her (unwelcoming) welcome speech as editor of the Yale Daily News, Paris tells her staff, “Please remember that I am your editor. I am not your mother or your hugger. If you need some love, get a hooker… My door is not open to you ever.” She may not be the most friendly boss, but you can always count on her to get the job done.
She Has a Revenge Notebook
Spite is a great motivator, and Paris is no stranger to holding a grudge. In fact, she keeps a list of her enemies, which she “narrowed down from twenty-six to five.” Apparently that only includes the enemies in her building at Yale, not the entire school.
When Jamie doesn’t call after their date, Paris tells Rory that “I already wrote his name in my revenge notebook.” How many people are in this notebook? Do they each have tailored revenge plans? So many unanswered questions.This is why Paris deserved her own spin-off.
She Says What Everyone Else is Thinking
In almost every scene that she is in, Paris calls out someone for saying something or doing stupid. While other characters may bite their tongue out of politeness, Paris isn’t afraid to say what everyone is already thinking.
When Paris and Rory are running through Yale soaking wet, a fellow student asks them if it’s raining, to which Paris replies, “No, it’s National Baptism Day. Tie your tubes, idiot.” It may be harsh, but at least she got her point across. For Paris, a ridiculous question deserves a ridiculous response.
She Calls Out Sexism
Paris knows sexism when sees it and is never shy about holding someone accountable. She also calls out sexism in the literary world, criticizing the “typical guy response [to] worship Kerouac and Bukowski” but avoid female authors.
RELATED:From ‘Gilmore Girls’ to ‘Maid’: 9 Best Mother-Daughter Relationships on TV
When Headmaster Charleston calls Paris and Rory into his office for fighting in student council meetings, he assumes that they are arguing over the same boy. Paris fights back, sarcastically muttering, “Sure. We’re girls, so we could only be arguing about a boy, right? Sexist, white-haired…” Unfortunately, her refreshing rant is cut off too soon.
She Stands Up For Her Friends
While Rory doesn’t always notice or appreciate it, Paris is a really good friend. When Rory needs to wallow on the couch, Paris is there for her with “no men, just lots and lots of Chinese food.”
After Logan cheats on Rory, Paris gives him a piece of her mind: “You, Logan Huntzberger, are nothing but a two-bit, spoiled waste of a trust fund. You offer nothing to women or the world in general. If you were to disappear from the face of the earth tomorrow, the only person that would miss you is your Porsche dealer.” She really didn’t hold anything back.
She Doesn’t Care What People Think of Her
Paris isn’t the easiest person to love, but she refuses to apologize for who she is. While Rory is easily malleable (dressing up as Donna Reed, for example), Paris will never compromise when it comes to her personality.
When she is running for Class President at Chilton, she asks Madeline and Louise to do a poll on her chances of winning. While anxiously waiting for the results, she harshly remarks, “I’m sorry, have I ever been mistaken for a patient person?” She never has and never will, because Paris refuses to change just so other people will like her more.
She is Incredibly Determined
Paris is incredibly driven and determined. She has big goals and will go to any and all lengths to achieve them. As she repeats on several occasions, “I want to win, and I am going to win.”
RELATED:From Stars Hollow to Pawnee, The 9 Best Fictional Towns on TV
Paris’ main goal in life is to “be able to read an in-depth biography about myself in later years and not puke.” By the timeA Year in the Lifecomes around, Paris has graduated from medical school and opened her own fertility clinic. Turns out that Paris’ advice to only “sleep when you’re dead” paid off. All hail the patron saint of studying.
She Knows Her Worth
When Paris doesn’t get into Harvard, she experiences a crisis in confidence. This leads to a very chaotic speech at Chilton’s Bicentennial which culminates in the iconic line, “I had sex, but I’m not going to Harvard!”
Despite this setback, she knows her worth, asking the audience, “who in the world deserves to go to Harvard more than me?” For the next four years, she works incredibly hard at Yale. After graduation, she applies to Harvard again and this time she gets in. She knew her worth and wouldn’t give up until Harvard recognized it too.
She Has the Most Character Growth
At the beginning of season one, Paris Geller was a textbook mean girl. As the Ice Queen of Chilton Preparatory, she attempted to sabotage Rory at every turn, from telling her the wrong meeting time to spreading rumors about her mother.
However, she went through a lot of growth and eventually became one of Rory’s closest friends. When Paris hugs Rory at graduation and sincerely wishes her good luck, she is unrecognizable as the bully from season one. Although she will always be a little stubborn and spiteful, Paris grew into a pretty wonderful person and friend.
NEXT:‘Gilmore Girls’: 10 Reasons Why Jess Mariano is the Best Boyfriend
