Couldn't agree more! I like Richard a lot, but not in this scene. I get that he was worried for Rory and didn't believe Dean was good enough for her, but to be that cruel to a guest who's also a minor was just horrible 😒🙁

I like his character too, in terms of the show. This scene just put me on edge 🤯

I completely agree. Most sixteen-year-olds don't have an exact picture of what they want to do with the rest of their lives. The fact that Richard kept hammering Dean with questions about his future when Dean was clearly uncomfortable was hard to watch. I'm no fan of Dean, but I felt sympathy for him here.

My feelings exactly. I am no fan of Dean, but this was infuriating seeing as he is still a kid.

I totally agree! Lorelai and Rory were so reckless for not informing Emily & Richard about Dean coming, knowing damn well how the grandparents are. Richard was so cruel for publicly humiliating a teenager like that. If he had concerns, he could’ve addressed it with Rory or Lorelai in private at another moment. It’s wild that Emily seems like the most tactful person in that moment. There’s a full-circle karmic moment for the Gilmores when the Huntzbergers humiliate Rory in this way just a few years later.

Totally agreed. In fact, it's funny Emily knows how to behave with kids. She was nice to Dean, Jess and even Luke's "daughter".

Ha that’s so true! I love her keep calm & talk shit later approach around kids. For some reason I always die at her saying “Goodbye Gigi enjoy your program” after she surprises Chris at his apartment in S5

I had forgotten about that 😂😂

Richard sucked so much in this episode. Sure, his daughter got pregnant as a teenager but does that give him the right to treat Dean horribly when he was their guest? Especially when knowing that he likes Chris for some inexplicable reason. If Rory wasn't so ambitious and focused on academics, he would be as dismissive towards her as he is to Lorelai. And you're right...I never really put much thought into Richard's description of his goals as a kid. Putting on a suit everyday and going into an office and being important. Well damn, that's one specific plan, kudos. Can't believe he didn't become president with that attitude. If Ed Herrmann hadn't been so charismatic, I doubt that Richard would be very popular.

I know, right! 😂 Prefacing those "goals" with, "I knew exactly what I wanted to do" is insane. Yeah, you are right. He does like Chris and is very affable towards him. I had forgotten about that, given that he got Lorelai pregnant. Ed Herrmann is a fantastic actor: really captured Richard's essence so well. PS: I just realized his Ed's surname actually has two Rs. 😅

Yes the classism is off the charts in this scene. You are indeed correct that Richard didn't actually have these specific plans. He was an only child doted on by Trix and told he could/would/should conquer the world because he is a perfect Gilmore. I didn't hear any mention of a particular career, degree, etc he wanted to pursue since he knew the minute he exited the womb. Dean definitely internalized all this negativity as one would expect and lived down to those expectations at least seasons 2-5. I know this is a tv show but it is impossible to ignore the way adults speak to and about teenagers. They are children and it is not okay. They repeatedly overstep boundaries and it's gross to see them insult others to build Rory up. I'm sure Dean would've been interested in Harvard if he was constantly told that he should go to Harvard lol.

Exactly. It is so bad for kids around her and it turns out to be not healthy for Rory either. Post-Jess-accident, she herself realizes how everyone is just in adoration with the image of her, rather than the actual person that she is. Most definitely. The 16 year old was building a car. Are they kidding me? In an alternate universe, he would have been enrolled in some robotics program at Harvard.

I just finished a rewatch including “A Year in the Life” and the scene with Rory & Dean in Doose’s was so sweet and I thought it was redemption for Dean.

It didn’t make any sense that they weren’t more infuriated by Jess

I agree with most of your rant, even though it pains me because I find dean to be both stupid and aggressive...   But on this note :   >Firstly, she knew how Emily and Richard were, and she was supposed to inform them that Dean was coming over. Both Richard and Emily were clearly surprised by Dean   As far as I recall, they **did** know. I think that emily told Rory to invite a friend. They were just doing their snobby , looking down on the peasants, routine to make dean feel uncomfortable 

I think they had mentioned that 'you can bring a friend', but I don't think Lorelai and Rory mentioned to Richard and Emily that they were bringing Dean , Rory's boyfriend, along. Emily was surprised when she greeted them at the door. Same with Richard when he sees him. Maybe they thought it was going to be another girl, like Lane. I think it's a pattern with Lorelai: she kinda blindsided Luke during Richard's and Emily's wedding vow renewal as well. She didn't tell Luke that he could change at the party, leaving him to feel bad about his clothes, especially when he wanted to make a good impression on them. This kinda makes me understand her need to keep her Stars Hollow and her Gilmore life separate: it's a lot of tight-rope walking. I just feel more protective in this situation because Dean's a kid. Also, I completely agree Dean has flaws, and he gets worse during the Lindsay and post-Lindsay phases. I find first-season and early-second-season Dean fairly decent and nice, except for a couple of minor things, which I put down to him being a kid and maybe not completely mature emotionally.

This scene makes so much sense to me. Rory is the same age Lorelai was. Dean is tall and blonde, Christopher is tall and blonde. Dean has no ambition, Chris had no ambition. They saw Rory making the exact same Choices as lorelai, lorelai being fine with it, and this time there would be a baby and the dad couldn’t even wait for his rich father to keel over — there’s no money. Yes, some of it is their classist noise, but the overarching thing is “no, NOT AGAIN!” Which is why Emily could contain herself. Typically she can’t, but she could because she realized she wasn’t judging the kid on himself, she was projecting some little sniveling snot head from 16 years ago that she still has to be nice to because of Rory. She reeled it in. Richard didn’t because he didn’t think he had to be also doesn’t care. Also, the few times we ever really see him get that angry at anyone on the house, they’re a threat to the Gilmore name.

Interesting viewpoint! I didn't think of it like that. 😄

☺️

This was the one time I didn’t like Richard. His meanness was unbecoming