The episode of Lane and Zach's wedding starts strong, offering a heartfelt exploration of family, culture, and the hidden layers of Mrs. Kim's character. The parallel between her fear of her own mother and the two weddings-one traditional and one more true to Lane and Zach's personalities-is beautifully done. Mrs. Kim's "secret rock and roll" is her Christianity, and her unexpected duality adds depth to an often rigid character.
Lane shines throughout the episode, carrying the emotional weight as one of the few characters who hasn't been dragged into absurd plotlines. However, the focus often strays from her, undermining what could have been an even better showcase of her journey.
Missed opportunities for Lane --
The bachelorette party is a glaring example of this. While Babette and Miss Patty are iconic, their involvement here feels misplaced. This should have been Lane's moment, shared with Rory and a few other young women, even if some were just extras. A party centered around Lane's identity and relationships would have felt far more authentic than the Lorelai-centric tone the scene adopts.
There's a moment when Lorelai looks at Rory's camera and finds a photo of April taken at Jess's place in Philadelphia. This made me revisit the sequence: the encounter between Rory and April happens apparently in real-time. There's no moment like, "Let's capture this memory with a photo!" The girls meet, exchange a few words, and then Luke and April leave. So, this isn't absurd humor or a playful reinterpretation-it's just sloppy writing. The episodes are too close together for retroactive details that don't fit.
Lorelai's misstep: A drama bomb from nowhere --
The episode maintains its balance-almost-until the very end, when Lorelai delivers an uncharacteristically self-centered and incoherent speech. Out of nowhere, at Lane's wedding, Lorelai decides to announce to the world that her wedding to Luke won't happen as planned. While it's been clear for a while that their relationship is on shaky ground, this dramatic revelation feels rushed and undeserved.
The moment is a far cry from Lorelai's earlier dramatic choices, like when she ran away from her wedding with Max and embarked on a cathartic road trip with Rory. That was a journey of self-discovery, with absurd yet meaningful moments that made perfect sense within the context of her character. Here, her drunken, out-of-place monologue derails an otherwise lovely episode and adds unnecessary chaos.
A tangled mess of storylines --
Not only is Lorelai's romantic arc with Luke suffocating under the weight of poorly executed drama, but Rory's relationship with Logan is also floundering. Characters are saying and doing things, but these moments don't connect organically. It's like scattering beads across a table rather than threading them into a coherent necklace.
So, in my opinion, Lane and Zach's wedding episode had the potential to be one of the standout moments of Gilmore Girls' later seasons. The cultural nuances, the parallels with Mrs. Kim's past, and Lane's long-overdue spotlight all laid a solid foundation. But the episode falters when it shifts focus away from Lane to deliver an ill-conceived dramatic twist with Lorelai.
While Lane remains one of the few characters still grounded in meaningful storytelling, the main romantic arcs of the series are drowning in disarray, leaving the audience adrift with them. This episode reminds us of Gilmore Girls' brilliance, but also of how much it's lost its way.
