10 times Lane Kim was secretly Lorelai Gilmore
One of the best things about Gilmore Girls is it really shows that no one is all the way “bad” or “good,” and that life can get messy and complicated in ways we don’t expect. Shades of gray, people! Two of our favorite complicated characters are Lorelai Gilmore and Lane Kim. And while you may not think of the two as being the same, the similarities are striking. Lane’s storyline really echoes Lorelai’s. So buckle up fellow Gilmore Girls conspiracy theorists: Here are all the reasons we came up with that Lane is secretly a young Lorelai! These two are so alike.
1. They each had strict upbringings
Lorelai and Lane both came from very strict families. Lorelai came from high society in Connecticut, with a life of fancy dinners and debutante balls. Lane came from a super Christian upbringing in a household full of rules. Regardless of the differences in the details, both women grew up feeling incredible stifled. Everywhere they turned there were expectations of conduct that they simply couldn’t live up to. Loreali and Lane were both given the impossible choice of conforming to the rules of their childhoods and feeling like they lost themselves or cutting ties and rebelling. When faced with that important choice, both of them opted to cut ties and strike out on their own.
2. They both had a secret life because of their strict upbringings.
Due to growing up in really stifling environments, the two created completely secret lives within the rules of their households. Lorelai grew up knowing every exit from her house in case she needed to sneak out (including a dubious drain pipe from a second floor window), and would do things like drink with her high school boyfriend Christopher when her parents weren’t home. Lane had a secret stash beneath her floorboards filled with her CD collection and rock n’ roll accessories. Lane even eventually manages her band Hep Alien secretly from Lorelai’s house, using her phone and her garage to call band meetings and practice. While crafty, the problem with both cases is it creates an environment where Lorelai and Lane feel as if they can’t tell their parents the truth, and the parent feels betrayed once the truth is revealed.
3. They both can be very stubborn.
Lorelai and Lane both have an incredible stubborn streak. Lorelai almost never does anything she doesn’t want to do (with the exception of Friday night dinners). When Lorelai doesn’t get her way, she always tries to anyway. She’s often resorted to begging, pleading, and chasing people down the street to get an answer she wants. While Lane does plenty of stuff she doesn’t want to do, she’s incredibly stubborn about the things that she feels the strongest about. If Lane wants to date a guy or play a show with her band, she’ll do everything within her power to make it happen. This stubborn streak in both of them presumably comes from growing up in households where they had to do what other people told them all the time. Therefore, when it comes to their own lives and decisions they fight super hard for what they want.
4. Both had dreams that their parents didn’t approve of.
Both Lane and Lorelai had dreams and aspirations that their parents seriously didn’t approve of. Lorelai always wanted to travel and have adventures, and to get as far away from her parent’s high society world as possible. Lane always wanted to play drums, go on tour, and be a rockstar. Both instances are a little sad in the end, because when the truth is revealed their parents realize that they don’t know their children as well as they thought they did.
5. Both had periods of not talking with parents.
Lorelai and Lane both had major falling outs with their parents that ended in extended periods of not speaking. Lorelai’s began when she became pregnant with Rory at 16. Instead of marrying her boyfriend Christopher like her parents wanted, Lorelai ran away from home and began living and working at the Independence Inn to raise Rory. During this time she went several years without speaking to her parents. Lane had a similar situation happen when her mom found out that she was in a band and had kept lots of “contraband” hidden in her room for ages. Lane’s mother Mrs. Kim said that she could only continue living in the house if she lived by her rules, so Lane decided to move out and live with her band. They too went through a period of not speaking, though it only ended up lasting about a year.
6. Both of them had children young.
Both Lorelai and Lane had to deal with early, unexpected pregnancies. Lorelai’s was of course the earliest and the most unexpected since she had Rory at 16 years old and it completely turned her life upside down. Lane also had a fairly early pregnancy, but in her early 20s. Though Lane was 22, married, and pregnant with twins, it was still a surprise that seriously changed the course of her life. Though both pregnancies turned out to be blessings in disguises, they both came at really rocky parts of Lorelai and Lane’s lives when they were young and figuring things out on their own for the first time.
7. Both had children with guys who couldn’t completely step up as dads.
This might be kind of a controversial opinion, but as great as Rory’s dad Christopher could be, he was not always present. He was always nice when he was around, but he wasn’t around all that often. As they got older and he tried to become a bigger part of their lives, it always felt a little too little too late. Although he initially offered to marry Lorelai when she was pregnant, he was clearly not ready to be a dad. Based on his past behavior it probably wouldn’t have turned out well for them as a couple. Though Lane loves her husband Zack, he can be (for lack of a better word), kind of a dud. He had a tendency to not pull his weight in the marriage, which is not surprising since he does everything to avoid conflict and responsibility. This is especially true toward the end of the series when he opts to go on tour with the band, and Lane is left at home to look after the kids. Although Lane as a character doesn’t show much worry about her relationship with Zack, to viewers (this viewer in particular) it never felt like he was quite right for her.
8. They both still need their parents, even if they think they don’t.
As much as Lorelai and Lane think that they don’t need their parents, they both totally do. Lorelai does everything in her power to avoid help from her parents, but they end up helping her out with everything from Rory’s education, a loan for her house, insurance for her inn, and (because of her dad’s past investments) the money to open her own inn with Sookie. Lane tries to be independent from her mom, but frequently needs to come home, and she uses Mrs. Kim’s church contacts to go on tour. They both prove that it’s hard to be completely independent from your family, and no one is really ever off the hook.
9. The both have complicated adult relationships with parents.
Both Lorelai and Lane had insanely complicated relationships with their parents that continued into adulthood. Because of their strict upbringings they both have a lot of resentment toward them for not letting them live the lives that they wanted to lead. However, more often than not, their parents just wanted what they thought was best for them. They also both fall into wanting to please their parents despite their complicated relationships, and often find themselves in situations they regret because of their conflicted feelings toward staying away and yet wanting approval from their parents.
10. They both still love their parents.
Despite all these complications, at the end of the day Lorelai and Lane both love their parents very much. Though they may not agree with the environments they were raised in, they both care for them a lot and ultimately want to try to be on good terms with them, despite their differences and the odds.
What’s incredibly interesting about all of this is the story isn’t completely over. With Gilmore Girls coming back on Netflix on November 25th, we get to see the end of both of their story arcs. Will Lane get back to her music and chase her dreams later in life, like Lorelai did? Will Lorelai marry her longtime friend Luke, like Lane and Zach did in the series? Only time will tell, so tune in!
