Unpopular ‘Gilmore Girls’ Opinion: Rory Gilmore Did Not Overreact When She Dropped out of Yale

Rory Gilmore and Lorelai Gilmore’s dramatic estrangement late in the run of Gilmore Girls is among the most divisive storylines of the entire series. Fans are split about their feelings on the rift. Still, most agree that Rory Gilmore overreacted to Mitchum Huntzberger’s criticism of her journalistic abilities. That reaction led to the separation between Rory and Lorelai, but was taking a leave of absence from Yale really an overreaction? If you think about it, her unraveling was a long time in the making and actually completely relateable, save for the whole stealing a yacht thing. 

Rory Gilmore stole a boat and dropped out of Yale after Mitchum Huntzberger criticized her journalistic abilities 

Several pretty odd happenings precipitated Rory and Lorelai’s big fight. For the first time in her life, Rory was criticized by a superior. Mitchum Huntzberger, her boyfriend’s father and a media mogul, told Rory that she didn’t have what it took to be a journalist. His assessment came after she worked as an intern at a small Connecticut paper he owned. in response to his review, Rory enlisted Logan Huntzberger to help her get away for a while. Instead of driving somewhere, as Logan suggested, Rory opted to steal a yacht. 

After spending several hours in jail and having some time to think about things, Rory revealed that she planned to drop out of Yale because she no longer intended to go into journalism. Lorelai, against the idea, informed Rory that she couldn’t return to Stars Hollow. She stayed with Richard and Emily Gilmore for several months before returning to school and patching things up with Lorelai. Rory ultimately does go into journalism but hardly has the success that her family expected of her. 

Rory’s decision to take a step back from her education makes sense 

While Rory’s decision to steal a boat with her boyfriend didn’t make much sense, her decision to take a step back from her education is relatable. While it was presented as if Mitchum’s declaration drove Rory to drop out, there were plenty of hints that Rory was suffering from burnout and crumbling under her family’s expectations long before Mitchum said a word to her. 

Rory spent her entire childhood being praised for her intellect. Once she reconnected with her grandparents, they viewed her as someone who could right Lorelai’s wrongs. Her decision to attend Yale instead of Harvard, specifically, delighted them. Once she started at Yale, she was careful to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps. She even attempted to carry the same workload as he did when he was a student. 

Rory wanted to please her mother, and she wanted to please her grandparents. Unfortunately for Rory, it was a complicated task to please two conflicting groups. Considering her family’s expectations and how everyone praised her all her life, it’s no surprise that Rory Gilmore buckled under the pressure. It’s true that Mitchum’s declaration might have tipped Rory into her emotional spiral. She was circling the drain several months before, though. 

While some fans argue that it was totally out of character for Rory to give up, it’s completely on-brand. You could even argue that its a reaction many people likely would have had, given the circumstances. Except for stealing a yacht. Most people wouldn’t steal a ship.