Christopher Hayden / David Sutcliffe Appreciation

[Dani257]

Okay, I checked and there is no thread specifically for Christopher appreciation.  There's a loathers thread, but that's it.  And, I think Christopher is too important a character to the history of the show to not have his own thread, and the loathe thread wouldn't cut it for me.

Okay, I agree Christopher is a very flawed character, but I don't think he's nearly as bad as most people think he is.  I'm going to give my defense of Christopher, but right now, I'll deal with just him as a dad.

Christopher wasn't ever going to win Father of the Year awards when Rory was growing up.  I agree.  There was a lot he could have done better.  But, I don't think he was a horrible father to the extent (limited though it was) that he was a father.  Even before he came to Stars Hollow, it seemed he was calling Rory on a regular basis, and she saw him on holidays.  Now, I'm not saying that was enough or a stable relationship, but he didn't completely ignore her.  (although, I do have to say, reading the transcripts of Christopher Returns, it seems weird that he says, "so, I hear you like books."  I would think weekly phone calls would have given him that info at least) Plus, he never blamed Rory for him not having his life together.  And, while it would have been completely unfair of him to do so, that doesn't mean that he couldn't have.  His dad certainly felt that Christopher not going to Princeton was due to the existance of Rory.  Christopher never said that he couldn't get his life together because of her.  He even said that he wouldn't have gotten through Princeton even if Lorelai had never gotten pregnant.  Plus, I think the fact that he made some attempt to have more of a relationship with Rory counts.  The fact that he did come for Rory's debutante ball, that he did come to Stars Hollow when Rory got hurt in the car accident, that he came to the Chilton debate (with Sherry), all that says something.  You can't change the past.  You can only deal with the present.  And, I think Christopher has made a lot of strides.  Does he still stumble?  Yes.  But, he made the effort and he continues to make the effort. 

I don't think Christopher is a horrible guy.  I really like him.  I think he has some serious flaws, but he's never deliberately cruel, and while there have been references to him not calling or disappearing for periods of time, I don't think there's ever been a time since the show started where Rory specifically asked for Christopher to show up somewhere or to do something where he refused. 

So, are there any other people who like Christopher?

[thelostgilmoregirl]

I think Christopher really is a nice guy deep down.  Afterall he is Rory's father and as far as I can tell Lorelai's first love.  I dont dislike him.  I think he has had to grow up really fast just like Lorelai because they had Rory when they were so young.  He is a really important part of the whole Gilmore Girls story.

[gilmore-girl]

Dispite not being there when Rory really needed him I like the way Christopher is turning out. i like that he and Lorelai are still friends and that he is trying to better his life. Now he just needs to work on getting a handle on Gigi. Otehrwise she's gunna end up a spoiled brat.

[thelostgilmoregirl]

In season 6 how old is GiGi? Because where I live we are not up to that season yet.  Does she show up at all.  I agree about Chris.  I think he really just needed to grow up.  But I think Luke and Lorelai are really good together and Chris missed out which in a way is really sad

[blaqamex]

I agree. Christopher is kind of wonderful in his own way. I think if he wasn't, Lorelai would never have associated with him. In all honestly I would prefer it more if Lorelai and Christopher got together and Jess and Rory got together. I'd be happy if Season 7 ended that way.

[Midnight]

I ditto all of the above. I always though there was a bit more chemistry between Lorelai and Chris, vs Luke. I know it won't happen, but I'd love to see them together. He *is* a good guy deep down, and definitely cares about his Lorelais.

[mellOJellOHer4ya]

chris
is okiie
hes getting better with all the money && responsiblity stuufff
sooo yeahh
but he started out as a reallly bad father to ROry

[thelostgilmoregirl]

chris
is okiie
hes getting better with all the money && responsiblity stuufff
sooo yeahh
but he started out as a reallly bad father to ROry

Yeah I agree.  But having said that I think Luke is better suited to Lorelai.  They just mesh well together if you know what I mean.  But of course Christopher will always be in Rory and Lorelai's lives. 

[lore+chris_4eva]

im a huge chris and lorelai fan dont get me wrong luke is great but sumtimes he is too moody and lately it kinda annoys me like in the epi a vineyards valentine he was so rude...but then i guess he made up for it when he told her how much he loved her. i thind david suitcliffe is great as christopher even if him and lorelai arent together i still love him in the whole series!

[emily14N]

i agree with you about luke, i don't always like him, especially this season. What I like about Christopher and Lorelai is that they've been through so much together. They really know each other.
Christopher, kinda goes up and down, sometimes he's responsible etc.. and other times hes not!

[Kukalaka]

I totally agree with what Dani wrote in the opening post. Christopher was not a bad father for Rory when you see the circumstances (not living in the same town). Chris had his good moments in the show, but also some bad, and there were actually two moments when I really disliked him. One was in season 3 when he showed up at Emily's house to talk to Lorelai and Rory and didn't understand that they didn't want to. And he blamed Lorelai that Rory wouldn't talk to him. And the other one was in season 5 when he really did what Emily wanted him to do. Besides that, he's okay. And he seems to have serious problems with Gigi. But it's understandable that he can't say no to her, because she's the only one he has. So I think, it's okay, that Lorelai tries to help him.

[Dani257]

I totally agree with what Dani wrote in the opening post. Christopher was not a bad father for Rory when you see the circumstances (not living in the same town). Chris had his good moments in the show, but also some bad, and there were actually two moments when I really disliked him. One was in season 3 when he showed up at Emily's house to talk to Lorelai and Rory and didn't understand that they didn't want to. And he blamed Lorelai that Rory wouldn't talk to him. And the other one was in season 5 when he really did what Emily wanted him to do. Besides that, he's okay. And he seems to have serious problems with Gigi. But it's understandable that he can't say no to her, because she's the only one he has. So I think, it's okay, that Lorelai tries to help him.

Those are also the two moments that I didn't like Christopher.  He was thinking more of himself than of Lorelai's happiness.

The thing with Christopher as a dad is, I'll say he has been irresponsible.  However, I can't stagnate the character.  When he came on the scene on the show, he was beginning to change.  Like in Presenting Lorelai Gilmore.  When Lorelai and Rory talked about how his promise to come to the debutante ball meant that there was a 50/50 chance he'd actually show, well, that could make someone say that he's horrible and he can't even be trusted to keep a promise to his own daughter.  But, I think that showed how he was, and now they're showing him being more reliable. Is he never going to slip?  No.  But, he's been steadily moving forward.  With the exception of season 5.  That was really out there.  Even him coming over to talk to Lorelai in season 3, as painful and out of line as it was made more sense than him doing Emily's bidding.  And, like I said, Christopher has always accepted Rory for who she is.  Granted, the fact that he hasn't been the primary caretaker and did have more of a role as a friend helped, but still, I don't think he's ever felt that Rory had to change anything about herself. 

The only problem I have with the Gigi situation is that it's been implied that Christopher relies a lot on nannies.  Now, I don't know if this is just in situations like him going to visit his dad's grave, or like when he as to work.  Those situations make sense.  But, if they're trying to imply that he foists her off on other people for the majority of her care, it kind of makes the whole point of him going back to Sherry moot.  Because he wanted to be there for Gigi growing up, like he hadn't been with Rory.  Hmm, conspiracy theory here.  Maybe they don't let him grow in that area, because if he's really there for Gigi, it'll just draw on the fact that he wasn't there for Rory in her early years. 

And, as far as Lorelai helping, I think a lot of times, people see Christopher's main function on the show as being an obstacle for Lorelai/Luke.  So the image of Lorelai/Christopher/Gigi just brings up too many happy family scenarios.  But, I believe that when the show ends Lorelai and Luke will end up together.  That and the fact that I really don't care makes me view her interactions with Christopher differently.  I don't see him as an ultimate threat.  And, I think Lorelai first of all wouldn't want to see an innocent (even if she is a brat) child suffer in any way, if she can help.  And, Christopher is a part of Lorelai's life. He's going to be, and she cares about him, so she would want to help him out.  No more or less.

[Kukalaka]

The only problem I have with the Gigi situation is that it's been implied that Christopher relies a lot on nannies.  Now, I don't know if this is just in situations like him going to visit his dad's grave, or like when he as to work.  Those situations make sense.  But, if they're trying to imply that he foists her off on other people for the majority of her care, it kind of makes the whole point of him going back to Sherry moot.  Because he wanted to be there for Gigi growing up, like he hadn't been with Rory.  Hmm, conspiracy theory here.  Maybe they don't let him grow in that area, because if he's really there for Gigi, it'll just draw on the fact that he wasn't there for Rory in her early years. 

Since Christopher has so much money now, he can always be there for Gigi. But he never really had much experience with a child, that's probably why he needs a nanny.

And, as far as Lorelai helping, I think a lot of times, people see Christopher's main function on the show as being an obstacle for Lorelai/Luke.  So the image of Lorelai/Christopher/Gigi just brings up too many happy family scenarios.  But, I believe that when the show ends Lorelai and Luke will end up together.  That and the fact that I really don't care makes me view her interactions with Christopher differently.  I don't see him as an ultimate threat.  And, I think Lorelai first of all wouldn't want to see an innocent (even if she is a brat) child suffer in any way, if she can help.  And, Christopher is a part of Lorelai's life. He's going to be, and she cares about him, so she would want to help him out.  No more or less.

In this season, I don't see Christopher as a threat. In season 5, he definitely was one, but now anymore. I think he got it, that there is no future for him and Lorelai after the desaster in season 5. And I don't see the whole thing with Christopher and Gigi and Lorelai as a happy family scenario. It was just Lorelai helping out a friend, like she would help out with Sookie's kids. And I think, Luke finally got it too, that Christopher will always be a part of Lorelai's life and that he shouldn't be jealous.

[EstherGreenwood]

I kinda liked that episode where he shows up in Emily's house and has that "fight" with Lorelai about Rory. I don't see it as a selfish act or anything; he was as broken as Lorelai was with the whole Sherry being pregnant situation. I saw it as him wanting to see her one more time, and showing her how helpless he felt for the whole situation... and letting her know that she still was the one. But that it just couldn't be, it was bad timing all over again. I think Rory was just a pretext for him being there. I loved when Lor said "Can't you see that it's killing me to stand here?"  About what he did on Season 5, then yes, I have to agree that I hated it. Doing what Emily said behind Lor's back was just... so unlike him. You know, there are some episodes where I get the feeling that they're trying to ruin Christopher's character. The writers, I mean. In that episode, it was so unlike him to go and do what Emily told him to do and act so child-like towards Luke. And then in that episode in Season 6 when he comes back with the money and everything and he just talked and talked in a silly way... it was unlike what we saw of him too. I got the feeling the writers were modifying his character to give fans an absolute wrong impression and make them support Lorelai and Luke even more than they do (which seems impossible).

About the whole Lorelai and Chris ending up together, I do hope it happens. It's not that I don't like Luke. I just don't give a toss about him. It's not that he's not good for Lorelai either; he is. But they just don't match as well as Lorelai and Chris do. Remember the episode when Chris and Sherry showed up to Rory and Paris' debate at Chilton, when Lorelai called Rory from the kitchen and told her to say it was a guy named Leonard and Chris got it all? "Goodbye, Leonard." Luke just doesn't have it, doesn't understand the whole Lorelai concept, the jokes, the sense of humour. And Chris does. They just... connect. And the past they had together is something that moves me everytime it's mentioned, because it could've been so perfect weren't the bad timing situations. But now they're both free, it's obvious that Lorelai's getting disappointed with Luke more and more (started on A Vineyard Valentine), and I think it's just a matter of episodes until the past starts messing up her mind again. I heard that Christopher will appear again (besides, we get to see him on the trailer like a premise that something will happen), and maybe... just maybe. Plus, it would be a beautiful turn-off for the L&L fans if they got together in the end. But I'm all for it.

[Kukalaka]

I kinda liked that episode where he shows up in Emily's house and has that "fight" with Lorelai about Rory. I don't see it as a selfish act or anything; he was as broken as Lorelai was with the whole Sherry being pregnant situation. I saw it as him wanting to see her one more time, and showing her how helpless he felt for the whole situation... and letting her know that she still was the one. But that it just couldn't be, it was bad timing all over again. I think Rory was just a pretext for him being there. I loved when Lor said "Can't you see that it's killing me to stand here?" 

I see your point here. But the one thing that really made me so mad was that he accused Lorelai of telling Rory not wanting to talk to him.