In ‘The Prodigal Daughter Returns‘, Rory has decided to take positive steps towards her future. And that first one – moving in with Lane. Weird, right? After Rory had her big revelation in the last episode, I really expected her to run right back to Lorelai and apologize. But maybe the stubborn Gilmore genes are kicking in and Rory needs to prove to herself – and her mom – that she’s got her plans in order. That would be a very Rory-way of thinking. But I’m getting off-topic – what I want to talk about here is honesty.
To me, this episode is all about honesty and trust. About Rory being honest with herself about who she is and what she wants to do. About Emily confronting her own self-worth, when Rory leaves the life that was just like Emily’s because it wasn’t good enough for her. About Lorelai being honest with Luke about Christopher calling – something he becomes irrational about, thinking Lorelai is hiding more contact with him. This jealousy, this mistrust, between Luke and Lorelai ends up in a big fight, one that results in Luke saying they need to be honest with each other all the time, no matter how uncomfortable it may be.
So, while Rory is pursuing her future, trying to get a job at a paper, firmly convinced she can do it, Luke might begin to fight his own internal struggle. He learns that he may have a daughter when a girl comes to him for some DNA testing for her science fair, to find out “Who’s My Daddy.” And yes, that girl, April Nardini, is his daughter.
And out comes just how honest Luke is able to be with Lorelai – he doesn’t tell her about April. Instead, when Rory returns home – with a job, and plans to return to school – and Lorelai tell shim they can get married now, he simply looks stunned. Luke now has a lot to be honest with himself about – about being a father, being a husband, and about finding out who he is again in all this.
After seeing the rest of the season play out, it makes more sense to me now why Luke wasn’t able to cope with any of this. It wasn’t just about a new person in his life, but about a fundamental change to who he was as a person. It just took him a long time to realize that. What do you think?
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I think it was a totally wrong move from Luke, that he was hiding April from Lorelai. It’s not a sin and not his fault that he finds out after twelve years that he’s got a daughter, he should tell the whole story to Lorelai. He had no reason to keep that in secret for months. If he had told that to his fiancee earlier, wouldn’t end their relationship so sadly. He was probably afraid, that this new “April-thing” will ruin their finally steady relationship, but he could’nt see, that with the waiting, hiding and not trusting in Lorelai, he only make the thing much worse.
If he had Lorelai on his side , he could much easier process that’ he is a parent, and Lorelai wouldn’t get hurt, being lied for months from his fiance.
Rory not returning home – maybe she just wanted to play grown ups as no one else was living with parents any more?
Luke – I always found this odd. If Lorelai hadnt had kids it may have been different as he may have worried it would have impacted their relationship but given she had rory I dont get it. The other thought I had was that lukes world had just been turned up side down, to start with i thougth may be he was unsure if he wanted a daughter in his life, but then he gets involved with her straight away and is a hands on dad, so I really have no idea why the secrecy.
Maybe if the didn’t have April come into Luke’s Life, Half of Season 6 & Season 7 wouldn’t have sucked, But no April came & Jacked up Gilmore Girls, So In Return April is to blame for Season 7 being the final season, April should have never came,
That not right for Luke did not tell April before he find out that he had a daughter and He keep hide Lorelai.
Rory-she kinda acting immature,when she move out to Emily’s house and move in Lane’s apt,when Lane told Lorelai at diner and that hurt Lorelai when she find out from Rory,who stay at best friend’s apt
“…when Rory leaves the life that was just like Emily’s because it wasn’t good enough for her.”
I think it is more that that life wasn’t right for Rory, not that it wasn’t good enough. Rory wanted to do different things with her life than Emily did (or maybe had an opportunity to do) with her life.
I can understand Luke waiting a day or so after he finds out he has a daughter before telling Lorelai – he needs to get his own mind around this new information. After that it makes no sense. I feel his failure to tell Lorelai is less about his character than the writers looking for a way to cause trouble with L&R.
I hate this episode ! Luke saying that they have to be honest with each other no matter what and do the exact opposite minutes later!
That doesn’t make any sense and is completely out of character.
Luke has always run to Lorelai when he had problems (about Jess, etc.) They were just friends then and now that they are engaged he doesn’t tell her anything about this big change in his life, their life?!!!
I don’t think it has much to do with Luke’s character but more with the writers totally screwing the second half of season 6 and the first part of season 7.
The introduction of April could have been a good thing if it had been properly handled.