‘Gilmore Girls’: 2 Characters That Were a Better Fit for Lane Kim Than Zack
Gilmore Girls showrunner, Amy Sherman-Palladino, didn’t originally intend for Lane Kim to end up with Zack Van Gerbig. Their marriage storyline, which unfolded during the show’s much-disputed seventh season, is one of the most hated by the show’s fans. Lane, the rebellious best friend of Rory Gilmore, deserved better, they argue. In fact, there were two characters on Gilmore Girls that were probably a better fit for Lane.
Zack Van Gerbig wasn’t supposed to be Lane Kim’s love interest
Lane Kim was based on Sherman-Palladino’s real-life friend, Helen Pei. Dave Rygalski, Lane’s original boyfriend, was based on Pei’s real-life husband. In short, Lane was supposed to end up with Dave, but the actor who portrayed the character, Adam Brody, left Gilmore Girls for a larger role. With the sudden departure of Dave, Lane needed a new love interest.
Sherman-Palladino pushed Lane and Zack together and upped the ante when Zack proposed to Lane toward the end of season 6. Sherman-Palladino departed Gilmore Girls at the end of the sixth season, leaving a new team of writers to finish off Lane’s storyline. Fans largely agree that the writers did Lane dirty with her final arc. Instead of ending up with Zack, they think Lane would have been better off with a different Gilmore Girls character.
Lane Kim would have been better off with Brian
When Dave left Connecticut to attend college in California, Lane took responsibility for the band. She found a new member, helped book gigs, and found the apartment she lived in with Zack and Brian. In short, Lane grew up when Dave left the band. Fans note that her maturity level made her seem like an odd match for Zack, but not an odd match for Brian.
Brian was sweet, a little awkward, and smart enough to challenge Lane. He seemed to like her and was seemingly inexperienced, just like Lane. A Reddit user argues that Brian was the dorkier version of Dave, making him Lane’s perfect match.
Lane Kim and Jess Mariano’s rebellious spirits could have meshed
When Jess Mariano showed up in Stars Hollow, he instantly set his sights on Rory. If he had just looked a little further, he might have found a much better match. Some fans argue that Jess and Lane would have been a good couple, and the reasoning is pretty sounds. Lane and Jess were both creative. They both had nontraditional upbringings, and they both had rebellious spirits. Like Jess, Lane wasn’t married to the idea of traditional education and seemed to want to live out an adventure.
Lane was just as quick-witted as Jess and just as street smart. Overall, she was a much better match for him than Rory. Rory was sheltered, overly cautious, and had an incredibly difficult time going off-script. While there are plenty of Gilmore Girls fans who still ship Rory and Jess, it’s possible Lane was his perfect match.
