Emily Gilmore's Parents and Richard Gilmore's Father: Ghosts of Parents Past

[TwirlyGirly]

I find it fascinating there is little or no mention in the series of either of Emily Gilmore's parents (we don't even know Emily's maiden name!), or Richard's father, Charles (except that Trix and Charles were second cousins, and Charles passed away well before the series began). Trix, Richard's mother, is presumed dead at the beginning of the series (S1/E3), but is mysteriously resurrected to visit Richard and Emily in S1/E18 ("The Third Lorelai"), and makes appearances in several subsequent episodes (S3/E10 "That'll Do, Pig", S3/E15 "Face-Off", S4/E14 "The Incredible Shrinking Lorelais").

Because parents have a profound influence on the people their children become (for better or worse), can we look at Emily and Richard with a critical eye and create a profile of the type of people Emily's parents and Richard's father were? What were their names, educational backgrounds, place in society? How did they parent Emily and Richard?

This is your thread to share their imagined backstories!
                               

Edited January 27, 2017 by TwirlyGirly

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

Emily's uncle founded the hospital where Richard was taken in "Forgiveness and Stuff" in S1, which leads me to believe she's old money at least on one side, but one of her parents was less than desirable, hence Trix's disapproval. 

[TwirlyGirly]

Actually, Emily said "great uncle," so it would be the brother of one of Emily's four grandparents.

It seems to me Richard would have been taken to the same hospital for both heart attacks. For the second, when Lorelai is trying to reach Christopher, she leaves Chris a voicemail saying they're at John Skinner. John Skinner was one of the very first "founders" (if you can call him that) of Yale-New Haven Hospital back in 1833. My research indicates those who donated money for the building of the hospital were issued certificates "making them members for life of the General Hospital Society of Connecticut" (http://doc1.med.yale.edu/news/exhibits/hospitals/ ).

John Skinner made a $20.00 donation (roughly $600.00 in value to today's currency).

That would be too far back in time, though, to be the era of Emily's grandparents, wouldn't it? (OTOH, this may just be yet another case of ASP & Co. playing fast and loose with logic in terms of timelines, so there's that.....)

[moonb]

Well, we know that Charles died when Richard was young, leaving him and Trix to have the close mother-son relationship. If he came from enough money that he and Trix could travel the world and donate enough money for a hospital wing, I'm going to guess that Richard was formed more by his absence than the kind of father he was.  We also know from Marilyn's story at Trix's funeral that Trix was the more energetic travel-lover of the two, so perhaps Charles was a bit more of a homebody.

It's interesting that Lorelai doesn't even know much about either Gilmore grandparent, including Trix. We know that she rarely visited Richard and Emily when Lorelai was little, but either Richard only told the same few stories about Trix, or Lorelai didn't listen (totally possible). 

We know Emily went to Smith and expected to get married, and traveled through Europe either during or right after college, and her never-again-mentioned-after-season-1 sister Hope lives in Paris. Imo, that all points to a similar background to Richard's. But again, it's notable that Emily and Richard, for all their traveling, never visited her. So she either stopped existing because the writers forgot, or Emily and Richard prefer to keep all extended family at a distance, lol. Yeah, I'm guessing it's the first one. 

ETA: Emily talks about her mother putting pearls on her 21st birthday party invitation. More evidence that Emily's mother is more Shira Huntzberger than Trix Gilmore? 

Edited January 27, 2017 by moonb

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

AS-P played waaaaaay too fast and loose with geography. Richard had his first heart attack at the Gilmore manse in Hartford and his second at Yale's campus in New Haven. Hours apart, no way he'd go to the same place for both. 

I imagine Emily's mother to be a Debbie Reynolds-ish figure (in my head I picture Shirley MacLaine in Postcards from the Edge ). So she had a well-bred pedigree from her father and money was never an issue, but made a point to be the anti-Victoria (in my head Lorelai is named after both her grandmothers), which is why even in her elite circle she had a reputation for being stringent and obsessed with protocol. I think she butts heads with Lorelai because Lorelai is so much like her [Emily's] mother, despite Emily's best efforts. 

The Emily we saw during the Trix's funeral episode (lounging in that fabulous sheer robe, guzzling gimlets, chain smoking, reading "tawdry" novels) suggests to me she suppresses a LOT to be Mrs. Richard Gilmore. 

[TwirlyGirly]

1 hour ago, ZuluQueenOfDwarves said:

AS-P played waaaaaay too fast and loose with geography. Richard had his first heart attack at the Gilmore manse in Hartford and his second at Yale's campus in New Haven. Hours apart, no way he'd go to the same place for both. 

Not hours. I grew up in Woodbridge, about a 15 minute drive to New Haven and Yale-New Haven Hospital (YNHH). Woodbridge is about 8 miles northwest of New Haven.

I worked in downtown Hartford while still living with my parents for two years before getting my own apartment. It was exactly 35 miles from my parent's driveway to my office on Main St. in Hartford, a 45-minute drive (it would take less time from YNHH - as opposed to Woodbridge - to Hartford, because you can hop on the highway, I-91, right by the hospital). The first 10-12 minutes of my daily commute was driving through Woodbridge to get to the highway (Merritt Parkway, and then I-91).

Yale-New Haven is one of the best hospitals in the country - certainly the best in Connecticut. Of course, Richard might have gone to Hartford Hospital following the first heart attack, but knowing Hartford Hospital and their reputation, and knowing Emily, I would not be a bit surprised had she demanded he be taken to YNHH. I can almost hear Emily shouting to the EMT's wanting to take Richard to Hartford Hospital instead of YNHH because it's closer:

 "Well then get him a damn helicopter!"

[Guest]

@TwirlyGirly, did you know Hank? 

[junienmomo]

Don't forget that there a bunch of cousins and other relatives, as evidenced by Lorelai's need to call a bunch of people, for whom she had valid phone numbers in her book, to ask about the ice cream machine. That's part of the Emily and Richard backstory, especially since these people were never invited to the two weeks before Christmas dinner.

[Kohola3]

And there was the nameless relative that died but for whom Emily felt the need to have a family presence at the funeral.

EMILY: She was your father's grandmother's sister's girl. So to you, that would make her --
LORELAI: Nothing?
EMILY: Regardless the funeral's on Thursday. I thought we'd all go together.

[moonb]

And of course, the almost full Gilmore family mausoleum and Aunt Cecile, teller of terrible jokes. 

[Kohola3]

And Aunt Totsie, bearer of noxious fumes.

[TwirlyGirly]

5 hours ago, deaja said:

@TwirlyGirly, did you know Hank? 

No. Should I? Who is Hank (or, more to the point, who is the "Hank" you're referring to, considering there are probably thousands of residents of CT named "Hank"). Now I'm really curious!

1 hour ago, junienmomo said:

Don't forget that there a bunch of cousins and other relatives, as evidenced by Lorelai's need to call a bunch of people, for whom she had valid phone numbers in her book, to ask about the ice cream machine. That's part of the Emily and Richard backstory, especially since these people were never invited to the two weeks before Christmas dinner.

 

42 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

And there was the nameless relative that died but for whom Emily felt the need to have a family presence at the funeral.

EMILY: She was your father's grandmother's sister's girl. So to you, that would make her --
LORELAI: Nothing?
EMILY: Regardless the funeral's on Thursday. I thought we'd all go together.

 

36 minutes ago, moonb said:

And of course, the almost full Gilmore family mausoleum and Aunt Cecile, teller of terrible jokes.

 

35 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

And Aunt Totsie, bearer of noxious fumes.

OMG, you guys! Your memories are SO much better than mine! I had forgotten all these references, but you're absolutely right.

Suddenly, the backstories of Emily and Richard's parents has become infinitely more complicated....

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

1 hour ago, Kohola3 said:

And there was the nameless relative that died but for whom Emily felt the need to have a family presence at the funeral.

EMILY: She was your father's grandmother's sister's girl. So to you, that would make her --
LORELAI: Nothing?
EMILY: Regardless the funeral's on Thursday. I thought we'd all go together.

Claudia. They watched either the moon launch or landing at her house (granted, Lorelai would've been a toddler), and, despite Lorelai's busy schedule, had no plans to die a second time. Rude. 

@TwirlyGirly thanks for pointing out the mistake re: hospital travel times. I watched a YouTube video about how travel in GG was impossible to replicate in the real world and must've confused the info about the distance between Hartford and New Haven with another location. 

[TwirlyGirly]

1 hour ago, ZuluQueenOfDwarves said:

@TwirlyGirly thanks for pointing out the mistake re: hospital travel times. I watched a YouTube video about how travel in GG was impossible to replicate in the real world and must've confused the info about the distance between Hartford and New Haven with another location. 

It really didn't help that in "Let the Games Begin" (S3/E8) the discussion about and the packing for a daytrip involving a 30-45 minute drive from Stars Hollow to New Haven made it seem like Connecticut was closer in size to Texas than the 4th smallest state in the U.S. (including D.C.). Bear in mind Stars Hollow is modeled after Washington Depot, CT - which is 36 miles from New Haven.

"Let the Games Begin" is one of my least favorite episodes, BTW, for that very reason - even if I ignore the plot! (I guess it never occurred to ASP & Co. to ever actually look at a map).

[Guest]

@TwirlyGirly, fictional Hank. Taylor's arch rival. Silly attempt at a joke. :)

[Pam Poovey]

1 hour ago, TwirlyGirly said:

It really didn't help that in "Let the Games Begin" (S3/E8) the discussion about and the packing for a daytrip involving a 30-45 minute drive from Stars Hollow to New Haven made it seem like Connecticut was closer in size to Texas than the 4th smallest state in the U.S. (including D.C.). Bear in mind Stars Hollow is modeled after Washington Depot, CT - which is 36 miles from New Haven.

Yet characters drive to Manhattan for a night on the town as if it's about twice as long as the drive to Hartford - when Google Maps says it would take almost three hours without any traffic! That makes those New York trips seem like really long nights, not just to get there but to drive home again afterwards. At least Babette and Morey stayed overnight when he had to work at a jazz club in Greenwich Village. 

(I live about three hours drive from a major city, and would NEVER drive there for a concert/hen's night etc and then drive home the same night). 

[TwirlyGirly]

48 minutes ago, deaja said:

@TwirlyGirly, fictional Hank. Taylor's arch rival. Silly attempt at a joke. :)

Oh YEAH! See, I am HORRIBLE at remembering names. (Honestly, thank God for the people that put all the GG transcripts online, or I would be totally lost posting in the GG threads). But yes, Hank! Now I remember!

But to answer your question, no. Never had the pleasure <snicker> of meeting Hank.

Good one!

[JaggedLilPill]

On 1/27/2017 at 7:30 AM, TwirlyGirly said:

Richard's father, Charles (except that Trix and Charles were second cousins, and Charles passed away well before the series began).

So this would mean Richard and his father were technically third cousins as well? Or is it second cousins once removed? 

LOL. Whenever I want to confuse my mom, I bring up the once/twice removed thing. We once tried to figure it out for like an hour. Not in relation to Gilmore Girls; just in general. But it got too confusing.

4 hours ago, junienmomo said:

Don't forget that there a bunch of cousins and other relatives, as evidenced by Lorelai's need to call a bunch of people, for whom she had valid phone numbers in her book, to ask about the ice cream machine. That's part of the Emily and Richard backstory, especially since these people were never invited to the two weeks before Christmas dinner.

I remember some poor deceased relative named Bunny.

Aha. Found part of a transcript. From Run Away Little Boy:

Quote

LORELAI: Uh huh, uh huh, really? The Bible said all that, huh? Did it, did it mention me by name? I'm just. . .okay, I'm just kidding. So, um, judging by your Billy Graham impression, I am guessing that you didn't send me an ice cream maker, so maybe you could just give me Aunt Clarissa's phone number? Oh no, I hadn't heard. That's terrible. Uh huh. Well, then I guess she had it coming, didn't she? Hey, listen, I'd love to chat about who else is the family is currently or soon to be headed for hell, but I've gotta run, so I promise to call in the next twenty years, okay? Bye bye. [hangs up] How scary is it that my parents are turning our to be the normal ones in the family?

RORY: No luck?

LORELAI: Well, I still have the, uh, Pennsylvania Gilmores, but how was your day?

RORY: If you think that will set you apart from the other applicants, yes. Hey, I didn't know that there was someone in our family named Bunny.

LORELAI: Oh, cross her off the list.

RORY: Poor Bunny. 

[TwirlyGirly]

42 minutes ago, JaggedLilPill said:

So this would mean Richard and his father were technically third cousins as well? Or is it second cousins once removed? 

LOL. Whenever I want to confuse my mom, I bring up the once/twice removed thing. We once tried to figure it out for like an hour. Not in relation to Gilmore Girls; just in general. But it got too confusing.

Frankly, we don't even know if ASP & Co. got it right in calling Triz and Charles second cousins. You see, I always considered the children of my first cousins to be my second cousins. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure ALL of my family members think that. But, I found a handy-dandy chart, and according to it, the children of my first cousins are my first cousins once removed:

http://lifehacker.com/second-cousins-once-removed-and-more-explained-in-1661572056

Second cousins, according to that page, share great-grandparents, not grandparents (and considering how many states allow first cousins to marry,  Connecticut being one of them!), Lorelai's reaction to the news Trix and Charles were second-cousins seems a bit over-the-top). Trix and Charles were second cousins to each other, not second cousins to Richard. So, when looking at the chart, if you put Trix in the "Self" box (because we're trying to figure out Trix's second cousins), you can see just how distantly related Charles, her second cousin, was to Trix. 

[Pam Poovey]

20 hours ago, TwirlyGirly said:

Second cousins, according to that page, share great-grandparents, not grandparents (and considering how many states allow first cousins to marry,  Connecticut being one of them!), Lorelai's reaction to the news Trix and Charles were second-cousins seems a bit over-the-top).

I remember learning somewhere that marrying a third cousin is no different genetically from marrying a stranger (which is a bit of a take that to genealogists). So Charles and Trix were a little closer than strangers but really nothing to get worked up about, Lorelai! And even if they'd been first cousins it wouldn't have been that odd - most marriages in history have been between cousins, and it's still common now.

On 1/29/2017 at 6:03 AM, ZuluQueenOfDwarves said:

EMILY: She was your father's grandmother's sister's girl. So to you, that would make her --
LORELAI: Nothing?

 It doesn't really tally with Lorelai describing a distant relative Claudia (is she her third cousin?) as "nothing" to her, family-wise to then get freaked out about second cousins marrying.

[AllyB]

Claudia would be Lorelai's first cousin twice removed. If Claudia had grandchildren, they would be Lorelai's third cousins. I know a few of my third cousins and I know lots of my second cousins and our children who are each other's third cousins play together at various family gatherings. And while I know that a third cousin is barely related if at all, it still does seem a bit icky as it's a degree of family that feels like family because I grew up knowing people of that genetic relationship as cousins. My late grandmother was so into oral genealogy that she once questioned one of my boyfriends for 10 minutes and worked out that he was my 4th cousin once removed. We didn't break up because of it but when we did split up "not dating a relative" was about third on my pro list.