Gilmore Girls: Luke And Lorelai's Relationship Timeline, Season By ...

Though Gilmore Girls may center on the core mother-daughter relationship between Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, Lorelai's will-they, won't-they romantic dynamic with Luke is one of the series' most beloved storylines. They fully embody the classic grumpy-sunshine romance trope, as she's bubbly, upbeat, and overcaffeinated while he's gruff and curmudgeonly.

However, beneath the diner owner's hardened exterior is a heart of gold, one that especially shines for Lorelai. Of course, it would be boring if the pair got together right away, and Gilmore Girls sees Lorelai stumbling through her fair share of boyfriends first. And even when Luke and Lorelai do finally get together, there are plenty of bumps along the road to happily ever after.

Before The Events Of Gilmore Girls

Luke and Lorelai First Meet In 1996

Though it's not revealed until much later in the series, Luke and Lorelai's relationship timeline begins years before the show. When the two finally have their first date, Luke provides the details in the episode.

Luke and Lorelai first meet when she moves to Stars Hollow and needs a serious coffee fix in 1996. Luke reveals on their date that he kept the fake horoscope she wrote and gave him at the diner.

In that fake horoscope, she foretold that Luke would meet a very annoying woman, and he would need to keep her supplied with coffee to get her to go away.

That became the foundation of their friendship: every morning, she would stop at the diner for coffee, and sometimes, she would even come by multiple times a day. Lorelai becoming a regular at Luke's diner is how the two got to know one another so well before the show begins.

Season 1: Just Good Friends

Season 1 is full of iconic Gilmore Girls moments, from Rory first dating Dean, to Rory and Lorelai working on their relationship with Emily and Richard. It's also a big season for Luke and Lorelai. They slowly become more than just a diner owner and a loyal customer, and it's clear that they've got a nice friendship.

As the season progresses, they begin flirting more and more, andLorelai starts looking at Luke differently and thinking that he's attractive.

At Rory's 16th birthday party, Emily comments on the sparks flying between these characters, and when Richard has a heart attack, Luke drives Lorelai to the hospital and stays to offer support. However, things didn't happen instantaneously between them. Lorelai falls for Max, but when Luke's ex-girlfriend Rachel comes to town, she can tell that Luke likes Lorelai.

Luke & Lorelai's Gilmore Girls Season 1 Relationship Timeline
Season 1, Episode 1 "Pilot"	Luke and Lorelai debate how much coffee she's allowed to have in Luke's first series appearance
Season 1, Episode 6 "Rory's Birthday Parties"	Emily Gilmore comments on the sparks flying between Luke and Lorelai
Season 1, Episode 10 "Forgiveness and Stuff"	Luke is the one to take Lorelai to the hospital to see her father
Season 1, Episode 14 "That Damn Donna Reed"	Lorelai is the one to convince Luke to repaint the diner
Season 1, Episode 16 "Star-Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers"	Luke's ex comes to town, causing tension between him and Lorelai
Season 1, Episode 17 "The Breakup Part 2"	Luke has a physical altercation with Dean while defending Rory and Lorelai
Season 1, Episode 19 "Emily In Wonderland"	Lorelai tries to build a friendship with Luke's girlfriend
Season 1, Episode 21 "Love, Daisies, and Troubadours"	Luke and Rachel break up while Max and Lorelai give a relationship a try

From early on in the show, Gilmore Girls clearly showed that Luke and Lorelai were endgame. Luke also advised Lorelai not to worry so much about Rory and Dean's relationship, and she leaned on him constantly throughout the first season. While just friends here, the seeds were planted.

Season 2: Jess Comes To Stars Hollow

Gilmore Girls season 2 marks the introduction of Luke's nephew, Jess, which puts a damper on Luke and Lorelai's relationship. After Jess moves in with him, Luke and Lorelai's friendship becomes full of conflict.

Lorelai thinks Jess is trouble, and Luke doesn't want to hear it, leading to several arguments throughout the season. Luke wants what's best for his nephew and sees the good underneath all the rebellion, and Lorelai wants to protect her daughter from this new bad boy.

Luke & Lorelai's Gilmore Girls Season 2 Relationship Timeline
Season 2, Episode 1 "Sadie, Sadie"	Lorelai struggles to decide whether she should marry Max
Season 2, Episode 4 "Road Trip to Harvard"	Lorelai calls off her wedding
Season 2, Episode 5 "Nick & Nora/Sid & Nancy"	Lorelai meets Jess and tries to give Luke parenting advice
Season 2, Episode 13 "A-Tisket, A-Tasket"	Luke bids on Lorelai's picnic basket at a charity auction
Season 2, Episode 17 "Dead Uncles and Vegetables"	Lorelai and Rory help Luke at the diner after his uncle dies
Season 2, Episode 19 "Teach Me Tonight"	Luke and Lorelai have an argument about him that makes things tense into season 3

Things between Luke and Lorelai become even more strained when Jess's presence affects Rory and Dean's relationship as the season progresses, and Lorelai prefers the safer Dean. This strife is sad to see because, after Lorelai breaks off her engagement with Max, Luke seems happy, and it looks like the perfect time for these two to start dating.

Unfortunately, this doesn't happen yet, and the two struggle to get along, leading to a huge argument in episode 19, "Teach Me Tonight," which carries over into season 3.

Season 3: Luke Has A New Relationship

Gilmore Girls season 3 sees Luke and Lorelai as good friends who work through their tension over Jess. Part of that is because Luke still treats Rory like his own daughter. This positive energy shift comes in episode 8, "Let the Games Begin," when Luke creates some ground rules for Jess to live by if he wants to be with Rory, something Lorelai appreciates.

Luke & Lorelai's Gilmore Girls Season 3 Relationship Timeline
Season 3, Episode 8 "Let the Games Begin"	Luke creates ground rules for Jess's relationship with Rory, which Lorelai appreciates
Season 3, Episode 9 "A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving"	Lorelai agrees to attend Luke's Thanksgiving dinner despite already being committed to three other dinners
Season 3, Episode 12 "Lorelai Out of Water"	Lorelai asks Luke for help learning about fishing to impress a date; Luke asks Nicole out
Season 3, Episode 22 "Those Are Strings, Pinnochio"	While Lorelai is focused on Rory's future, Luke decides to take a fateful cruise with Nicole

Luke and Lorelai pursue other relationships during the season. It's a surprise when Luke marries Nicole, as it happens fast, and when Nicole cheats on Luke in season 4, it breaks his heart.

The show reveals that Lorelai doesn't love that Luke is with Nicole, just like he hated when she was engaged to Max. However, Lorelai focuses on Rory's last year of high school and makes plans to open the Dragonfly Inn. The relationship has to wait.

Season 4: Luke Realizes He's In Love With Lorelai

Though ultimately, Luke and Lorelai admit their feelings for one another at the end of season 4, this Gilmore Girls season still has plenty of bumps in the road for the pair.

Nicole is still a hurdle at the start of the season, and Lorelai also spends much of season 4 dating Jason. It takes the two of them having a heart-to-heart about things that aren't romantic to tell one another how they really feel.

Luke lending Lorelai the money to renovate the inn proves how much he cares about her. Unlike her mother, Luke doesn't expect to get anything out of the loan, just that Lorelai pays him back when she can.

It's one of the many times in the show that Luke takes care of Lorelai, and it's a moment that allows her to see him for more than just the grumpy guy who pours her coffee.

Luke & Lorelai's Gilmore Girls Season 4 Relationship Timeline
Season 4, Episode 1 "Ballrooms and Biscotti"	Luke reveals to Lorelai that he and Nicole got married over the summer
Season 4, Episode 5 "The Fundamental Things Apply"	Luke attends his first Gilmore Girls movie night
Season 4, Episode 8 "Die, Jerk"	Lorelai attempts to confront Luke about his relationship with Nicole
Season 4, Episode 11 "In The Clamor and the Clangor"	Lorelai finds out Luke and Nicole are living together
Season 4, Episode 17 "Girls In Bikinis, Boys Doin' The Twist"	Luke discovers Nicole has been cheating on him while Lorelai dates Jason in secret
Season 4, Episode 19 "Afterbloom"	Luke finalizes his divorce, and Jason and Lorelai break up
Season 4, Episode 20 "Luke Can See Her Face"	Luke realizes that he's in love with Lorelai
Season 4, Episode 21 "Last Week Fights, This Week Tights"	Luke asks Lorelai out
Season 4, Episode 22 "Raincoats and Recipes"	Luke and Lorelai have their first kiss

The turning point comes in "Afterboom" when Luke finalizes his divorce from Nicole, and Lorelai breaks up with Jason. In the next episode, "Last Week Fights, This Week Tights," Luke and Lorelai dance together, and Luke realizes that he's in love.Luke knows Lorelai is the one for him and asks her out in the next episode. This moment leads to their first kiss in "Raincoats and Recipes."

It's relatable that Luke has felt strongly about Lorelai for a long time, and it's nice to see him finally working up the courage to ask her out. This moment has been building since the first season, and it seems like nothing can get in their way, but Gilmore Girls never made things that easy.

Season 5: A Magical First Date And Finally In A Relationship

Gilmore Girls season 5 sees Luke and Lorelai share a magical first date at a restaurant in episode 3, "Written in the Stars," and it is here that Luke reveals that he kept the fake horoscope Lorelai wrote him when they met.

In a sweet Luke and Lorelai scene, he tells her, "I am all in." She realizes their flirty friendship is becoming something more.After this date, the two beloved characters are finally in a relationship, and their banter continues, which is great to see.

Luke & Lorelai's Gilmore Girls Season 5 Relationship Timeline
Season 5, Episode 3 "Written In The Stars"	Lorelai and Luke have their first official date
Season 5, Episode 5 "We Got Us a Pippi Virgin"	Lorelai invites Rory and Dean to double date with her and Luke
Season 5, Episode 10 "But Not As Cute As Pushkin"	Luke allows Lorelai to know the secrets of his "dark day"
Season 5, Episode 13 "Wedding Bell Blues"	Luke argues with Rory's father and finds out that Lorelai's mother believes she and Christopher still belong together
Season 5, Episode 14 "Say Something"	Lorelai and Luke break up
Season 5, Episode 15 "Jews and Chinese Food"	Luke builds sets for a community play because he misses Lorelai
Season 5, Episode 19 "But I'm a Gilmore!"	Lorelai asks Luke for help in the inn's kitchen when Sookie is on bed rest
Season 5, Episode 22 "A House Is Not A Home"	Lorelai proposes to Luke

Luke has had to watch Lorelai come into the diner thrilled about many love interests, so it's satisfying that these two soulmates have finally found their way to each other. However, things are not always easy for them.

Luke breaks down his darkest days to Lorelai, and that strengthens things, but then he struggles to get along with her parents, as her mom still feels that she should be with Christopher. This disagreement leads to Luke and Lorelai's first breakup in episode 14, "Say Something."

However, Luke misses Lorelai and throws himself into his work. Shockingly, it is Lorelai who comes around, and in "A House Is Not a Home," she proposes to Luke. Luke and Lorelai might have a bumpy relationship, but they find happiness.

Season 6: Luke And Lorelai Are Engaged

Gilmore Girls season 6 is tough for Luke and Lorelai. While they are in a loving relationship at the start of the season, there are even more hurdles in their path to happiness, this time from another character's introduction. Luke's daughter, April Nardini (Vanessa Marano), debuts in season 6. After learning about April's existence, Luke wants to put his wedding to Lorelai on hold.

Luke & Lorelai's Gilmore Girls Season 6 Relationship Timeline
Season 6, Episode 1 "New and Improved Lorelai"	Luke agrees to marry Lorelai
Season 6, Episode 12 "Just Like Gwen and Gavin"	Luke puts off telling Lorelai about April
Season 6, Episode 13 "Friday Night's Alright for Fighting"	Luke neglects Lorelai while getting to know April
Season 6, Episode 17 "I'm OK, You're OK"	Lorelai learns Luke is going to chaperone one of April's field trips
Season 6, Episode 20 "Super Cool Party People"	Luke has to call Lorelai for help with a party for April and her friends
Season 6, Episode 22 "Partings"	Lorelai is tired of postponing their wedding and gives Luke an ultimatum; when Luke doesn't answer Lorelai, she sleeps with Christopher

She agrees to the postponement but realizes he doesn't seem interested in getting married and keeps making excuses. While everyone always wanted Lorelai to marry the cute and grumpy diner owner in Stars Hollow, it seems like it won't happen.

Things get even worse at the end of the season in "Partings." Lorelai is tired of Luke postponing the wedding and gives him an ultimatum. Luke doesn't answer, and this seemingly ends their relationship. Lorelai runs to Christopher for support and comfort, which leads to them sleeping together. It looks like the end of the road for Luke and Lorelai.

Season 7: Broken Up... And Back Together

Gilmore Girls season 7 doesn't start off well for Luke and Lorelai. Luke is heartbroken after realizing that Lorelai and Christopher still have unfinished business. While he wasn't willing to marry Lorelai then, he didn't want to lose her completely.

By this time, he doesn't think that his romance with Lorelai can withstand her connection to Christopher. Gilmore Girls made this couple seem like the endgame, as Luke's cynicism and Lorelai's zest for life work so well, and they are truly a perfect match. Luke helps calm Lorelai down, and she helps him become more optimistic and social.

Luke & Lorelai's Gilmore Girls Season 7 Relationship Timeline
Season 7, Episode 1 "The Long Morrow"	Lorelai believes her engagement to Luke is over after sleeping with Christopher, Luke breaks up with Lorelai
Season 7, Episode 4 "'S Wonderful, 'S Marvelous"	While Luke focuses on taking care of April, Lorelai starts dating Christopher
Season 7, Episode 7 "French Twist"	Lorelai and Christopher get married in Paris
Season 7, Episode 8 "Introducing Lorelai Planetarium"	Luke calls Lorelai for help when April is sick
Season 7, Episode 11 "Santa's Secret Stuff"	Luke asks her for help in getting custody of April
Season 7, Episode 14 "Farewell, My Pet"	Lorelai and Christopher have a real talk about her feelings for Luke and they split up
Season 7, Episode 20 "Lorelai? Lorelai?"	Lorelai invites Luke out for the day with her and Rory; Lorelai sings "I Will Always Love You" during karaoke for Luke
Season 7, Episode 22 "Bon Voyage"	Luke and Lorelai get back together

After they split, Lorelai keeps dating Christopher, eventually marrying him, and Luke focuses on caring for his April. However, they find ways to reconnect, such as in "Introducing Lorelai Planetarium," when Luke asks Lorelai for help when April gets sick.

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While Christopher realizes Lorelai isn't over Luke and the two divorce, it takes Luke and Lorelai until the end of the show for them to finally find each other again.

In "Lorelai? Lorelai?," they spend the day together with Rory, and in a karaoke moment, Lorelai sings "I Will Always Love You" to Luke, and they realize they are truly meant for one another. In the season 7 finale, they finally talk and decide to start dating again, and after a romantic kiss, Luke and Lorelai have their happy ending.

A Year In The Life: Luke And Lorelai Are In A Mature Relationship

In the revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, Luke and Lorelai are having trouble as they start talking about why they didn't have a child. This is a topic they both felt strongly about, yet they just pushed it aside.

While Luke has April, he hasn't been able to be a big part of her life, and Lorelai has Rory, but she's now an adult. This drives a wedge between them for part of the revival as they don't address their real issues.

Luke & Lorelai's Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life Relationship Timeline
Episode 2 "Spring"	Luke finds out that Lorelai has secretly been attending therapy and argues with her about trust issues
Episode 3 "Summer"	Lorelai tells Luke that she needs to go on a hike in the wild to think about her future
Episode 4 "Fall"	Lorelai and Luke finally get married

Lorelai attempts to work out her issues on her own, not telling Luke she's been attending therapy with her mother and trying to isolate herself on a Wild-inspired hike. He believes she is dishonest with him and questions her trust issues. In the end, she realizes that her relationship with Luke isn't one of the problems in her life, and she still wants to marry him.

Gilmore Girls finally sees the endgame, as Luke and Lorelai tie the knot in the episode, "Fall." They come to terms with their choices and mistakes, and they know that it's time to make this commitment to each other. Luke and Lorelai's relationship timeline finally has its happy ending in A Year in the Life.

Were Luke And Lorelai The Best Couple In Gilmore Girls?

As we've seen throughout Gilmore Girls, despite Luke and Lorelai's electric chemistry, witty banter, and deep love for one another, they have their share of rocky times, many of which are brought on by communication issues from both parties. So, despite being a fan-favorite pairing, are they truly Gilmore Girls' best couple?

Compared to Rory's Gilmore Girls relationships, they certainly are. Whether you're Team Dean, Team Jess, or Team Logan, all of the youngest Gilmore girl's romances are certainly flawed. Dean is possessive and wants a small, quiet life, Jess loves Rory but is a terrible boyfriend when they do get together, and Logan influences her to take too much advantage of her privilege.

At the other end of the spectrum is the enduring love between Richard and Emily. Though they've been married for a long time, when we're first introduced to them, and while we never got to see them meet, it's clear they fell hard for each other — enough that Richard broke off his engagement with Pennilynn Lott to be with Emily.

Richard and Emily's marriage isn't perfect, as they separate for a period of time in Gilmore Girls. But they easily find their way back to each other because of the solid foundation they've built. While Luke and Lorelai are endgame, they're still building that foundation in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, and Luke still fears she'll run in the final episode.

Ultimately, yes, Luke and Lorelai are Gilmore Girls' most entertaining romantic pair to watch, thanks to their charming grumpy-sunshine dynamic. Maybe if we get another Gilmore Girls sequel, they'll establish themselves as the best couple, having worked on their issues. But until then, that honor goes to Richard and Emily.

146 8.8/10 9/10

Gilmore Girls

10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed Comedy Drama Release Date 2000 - 2007-00-00 Network The WB Writers Amy Sherman-Palladino

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• Lauren Graham
• Scott Patterson

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Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life

10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-14 Comedy Drama Release Date 2016 - 2016-00-00 Showrunner Amy Sherman-Palladino Directors Amy Sherman-Palladino, Daniel Palladino Writers Amy Sherman-Palladino, Daniel Palladino

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• Lauren Graham
• Alexis Bledel

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