Ranking Amy Sherman-Palladino's Fast-Talking Women By Likability

I'm not saying April Nardini ruined Gilmore Girls, but I'm not NOT saying that.

Alexa Fishman / BuzzFeed, Everett Collection: WB / Ron Batzdorf, Carin Baer / ABC Family, Adam Taylor / ABC Family, The CW, Nicole Rivelli / Amazon, WB / Patrick Eccelsine

Amy Sherman-Palladino is well known for her fast-talking female protagonists who take their world by storm, and as a teenager I was enthralled by them. But after watching the most recent season of The Marverlous Mrs. Maisel, and getting a few years of distance from Gilmore Girls, I began to wonder: Do I like any of these characters? In hindsight, many of these rough-edged women are flawed beyond repair. Some of them even downright suck. And the ones who ARE worthy of our love and adoration wind up with some of the worst plot lines (shoutout to Lane Kim). So because I love to complain and appreciate a little controversy, here is my ranking of Amy Sherman-Palladino’s female characters by likability (or complete lack thereof). 

Note: I excluded any character who only appears in one episode of a show, and once again will be ignoring Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life in this list (and in my daily life). I also cut anyone who didn't give us enough character to even form an impression, negative or not. My sincerest apologies if your obscure favorite ended up on the chopping block!

Spoilers below. 

48. Penny Pann (Holly Curran),The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

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What can be said for Penny Pann that Midge didn't already say during her very first stand-up performance? Not to pin the wrecking of Midge’s home on Penny, because Joel needed absolutely no help tossing his marriage aside like day old bread (still probably pretty good???), but Penny pretty much purely sucks. If her fate wasn't sealed before she showed up at Midge’s work to confront her for briefly stealing (back?) her own husband, it certainly was after her little scene caused Midge to be demoted.

Watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video. 

47. Nicole Leahy (Tricia O'Kelley), Gilmore Girls

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I would love to be a fly on the wall in the writer’s room that pitched Nicole’s character arc. I mean, seriously, someone tell me what the point of her presence was beyond dissuading Lorelai (briefly) from pursuing anything with Luke. She’s… polite I guess? We don't know if she’s kind or funny or smart beyond her being Taylor’s lawyer, and she impulse-marries Luke despite all their issues, so there's no way she’s that smart. The only reason she isn't lower on this list is due to her not being relevant enough to dislike as much as others with more screen time. But I'm sure my distaste for her would only increase with her presence. 

Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix. 

46. Lorelai "Trix" Gilmore (Marion Ross), Gilmore Girls

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You know I have to defend my girl Emily here: Why is Lorelai’s namesake so genuinely mean? There isn’t even a tragic backstory or underlying dramatic rift to justify her behavior, and while her cruelty, and habit of kissing track-suit toting men in the middle of Emily’s living room is often very funny, that doesn’t excuse her lengthy list of transgressions. And then when Richard finally stands up for himself against his mother (where was he when Trix was repeatedly bullying his wife right in front of him???) what does she go off and do? Die! The audacity...it clearly runs in the family.  

Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix. 

45. Sherry Tinsdale (Mädchen Amick), Gilmore Girls

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Look, there are a lot of reasons to feel ill will toward Sherry. Her pregnancy spoils the one and only time I felt I could root for a Lorelai/Christopher reunion, her abandonment of Gigi and Chris a few years later spurs the first-love goggled couple’s cursed union in marriage, there’s a lot we could pin on Sherry. But should we? Is it really her fault that Chris is so terrible and impulsive and downright gross at times? And sure, her overzealousness toward Rory is weird and awkward and semi-unsettling, but she’s trying, something Chris almost never managed to do. I’ll attribute her low placement on this list almost solely to her hard-to-swallow personality, and forgive her for the unfortunate plot points her presence caused. 

Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix. 

44. Shira Huntzberger (Leann Hunley), Gilmore Girls

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I know Shira is repeatedly rude to Rory and I enjoy Emily’s vicious public attack on her at the DAR party as much as any Gilmore Girls fan does, but honestly, Rory does suck, so she’s not totally wrong in dissing the relationship. I’m not going to put any more effort into defending her, but the poor woman is married to Mitchum, so I probably don’t need to add my criticism into the mix at all here. 

Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix. 

43. Anna Nardini (Sherilyn Fenn), Gilmore Girls

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Listen, I feel for Anna Nardini. I’m sure it was tough to be a single mother (especially to a child as irritating as April) and run her weird kitschy clothing boutique at the same time. Whatever. How do you have a secret baby with the sweet diner owner in town, move like one town away and proceed to never mention it to him? Just because he didn’t love kids in his youth? Justice for Luke. And justice for Lorelai who gets treated like a criminal for trying to be an appropriately fun presence in her fiancé’s sudden-child’s life! I see where April gets it from. 

Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix. 

42. Sasha Torres (Julia Goldani Telles), Bunheads

ABC Family

I know Sasha has that whole poor-little-rich-girl-home-life thing going for her, but two self-centered parents can only get you so much of a pass to be cruel, and this girl is just insufferable. No matter how many times she makes it up to her (without ever formally apologizing, I might add) any Bunheads character who can be mean to Boo Jordan is questionable at best in my book. Sasha is basically the way less cool Bunheads version of Jess, only Roman is NOT a Rory, and if she’d had some significant character development plotted out to evolve her into a less awful person and friend, Bunheads' swift cancellation kept us from ever seeing it.

Watch Bunheads on Hulu.

41. April Nardini (Vanessa Marano), Gilmore Girls

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Look, I don't want to misdirect my anger toward those final seasons of Gilmore Girls at a child…but I will. I'll just say it: April sucks. I imagine she sucks in the same exact fashion that Rory potentially sucked as a kid — you know, the whole gifted kid vibe (I was one, too, so don't come for me) but we don't really get to see Rory in that stage, so April is going to have to bear the brunt of my criticism here. And it's not just that she has terrible timing and disrupts what was otherwise a great Luke/Lorelai marriage plot (really, it's not). It’s mainly her terrible personality that lands her here. Sure, she's just a kid, but her character was written by adults, and whoever those adults were should have done better, the girl is just plain unlikable. 

Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix. 

40. Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel), Gilmore Girls

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I left writing about Rory for last, because really, what can be said that hasn’t already been said a thousand times? Rory Gilmore may be one of the most divisive television characters of all time. And I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about her. Did my budding crush on her growing up watching the show complicate my ability to see her objectively? Yes. But with my age comes wisdom (and better taste in fictional women) and now I can see Rory for who she clearly is: an almost-manic pixie-pick-me girl. I think Rory’s character arc across seven seasons of Gilmore Girls is what one would call a flop. Starting out as a precocious gifted kid prototype and blossoming into a messy, morally gray combo of her mother and grandmother. My struggle to completely condemn Rory as a character mainly stems from the fact that most of her problems are inherited ones, so I’m uncertain how much blame to pin on her, hence her not resting even further down this list. So chime in here, how much does Rory Gilmore truly suck? 

Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix. 

39. Michelle Simms (Sutton Foster), Bunheads

ABC Family / Courtesy Everett Collection

Oh, Michelle. You weren't the first aggressively unlikable leading lady in the ASP universe, and we know you certainly won’t be the last. Everything about Michelle is averagely bad — which is the worst kind, really. With absolutely none of the vixen-like charm Lorelai Gilmore wielded effortlessly, and all of the unfounded confidence that Midge Maisel can summon at a moment’s notice, but without any of Midge’s talent(?), I found myself actively rooting against Michelle for much of Bunheads. She’s inconsiderate, flighty, and lacks some much-needed self-awareness — you know, the famous ASP protagonist staples. But that’s about it, there's nothing to make me (albeit begrudgingly) care about her despite her prominent unlikability. Plus, imagine you're Fanny Flowers and the girl your now-suddenly-deceased-son has just impulse married attempts to take over planning his funeral? It'd be on sight. 

Watch Bunheads on Hulu.

38. Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham), Gilmore Girls

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Eight years ago during my first venture into the world of Gilmore Girls, Lorelai would've sat at the very top of this list. But now that I'm older, and subsequently wiser I guess, I now understand how unfortunately toxic she is. The “cool mom” character with pretty much no boundaries is bound to let you down in a lot of ways, but the more you rewatch it, the less charming the “my daughter basically raised me!” bit gets. Couple that with her constant affirmations that she’s totally bootstrapping her way through life despite her incredibly privileged upbringing and the safety net that is two (albeit imperfect) parents ready to swoop in and write a check at a moment’s notice, and she becomes pretty insufferable. Sorry to anyone who still harbors strong pro-Lorelai sentiment. 

Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix. 

37. Francie Jarvis (Emily Bergl), Gilmore Girls

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I understand Francie was just a teenage girl trying to make her way through high school just like everyone else, but really, did she need to be so rotten while doing it? Head of The Puffs, super top secret Chilton sorority that Rory somehow stumbles her way into, you’d think Francie would feel, in her top doggedness, like she didn’t need to make Paris feel even more insecure about herself, or later on in senior year, attempt to totally tank Paris and Rory’s partnership. Ultimately, Francie is petty, often cruel, and offers no redeemable characteristics to justify her presence in the story. 

Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix. 

36. Imogene Cleary (Bailey De Young), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

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I want to like Imogene, really I do. I think we are meant to like Midge’s plucky, gentile sidekick from…college? We don’t get a whole lot of these two besties' friendship backstory to be honest, and do we even need it? Imogene is frankly a bit annoying. When she’s not working overtime to feel more a part of the in-crowd amongst the Weissmans, she’s getting mad at Midge for not paying enough attention to her, meanwhile there just isn’t much to pay attention to. While I am loving her current secretarial arc, and I think her and Abe’s working relationship is a fun new development, I, much like Abe, can’t really bring myself to invest in Imogene. 

Watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video. 

35. Lindsay Lister (Arielle Kebbel), Gilmore Girls

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I fully understand that I should be directing 90% of my anger re: Dean’s impulsive marriage and weird character arc, at Dean himself. He got himself into that mess, I get that. But the other 10% of my anger is still a lot, and Lindsay isn’t entirely innocent. Did she deserve better than losing her marriage to her teenage husband’s ex-girlfriend from high school? Yes. Does that mean I like her? Definitely not. 

Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix. 

34. Astrid Weissman (Justine Lupe), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

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Poor Astrid, we don’t know enough about her to determine how much of the Weissman clan’s indifference toward her is justified, but man, she really can’t hold any of their attention, not even her husband’s. Maybe one of the only moments where we get to see Midge be selflessly kind is when a newly pregnant Astrid arrives and just wants someone, anyone to touch her belly. And after all those herbs she took, too. Poor Astrid. Unfortunately I, much like the rest of the Weissman family, have a hard time paying any attention to her, hence her mid-level ranking.  

Watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video. 

33. Shirley Maisel (Caroline Aaron), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

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I have a hard time pinning down a vibe beyond “vaguely irritating” with Shirley Maisel, but that’s kind of the whole point of her character, so really, what is there to say? She’s loud, often obnoxious and frequently oblivious, but she seems like an actually great grandma (and perhaps the only adult in the Weissman-Maisel family who cares about the kids at all). How she handles welcoming Mei to the family in the upcoming final season will be make or break my opinion of her character, because, although I have my own qualms about Mei, she’d undoubtedly be a delightful and much-needed addition to that mess of a family. 

Watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video. 

32. Midge Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Amazon Studios / Via Giphy

I think one of Amy Sherman-Palladino’s greatest talents is crafting a protagonist so flashy and fast-talking you mistake sheer awe for adoration upon your first viewing. But this was my fourth rewatch of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and I’m here to burst your bubble. Midge kind of sucks. Now, there are a lot of circumstances contributing to her sucking that are simply out of her control. It’s not Midge’s fault that her husband decided to blow up their whole life, and in the first two seasons I definitely feel like Midge is at least trying to be her best self, but when Shy Baldwin calls, boy does it all go downhill! I’m not going to slam Midge for her perceived parenting skills — she exhibits just about as much effort as Joel, and that’s all I’d like to ask for from my fictional co-parents — but I will slam her for the thing she proclaims she’s great at: stand-up comedy. Professionally, Midge is a mess. I totally get and support the whole trailblazing female comic in a male-saturated entertainment world — great, cool. But Midge fully believes she shouldn't have to do any ladder climbing at all to get to the top. And when she does get a great opportunity, practically handed to her for being the pretty, white, thin female comic tossing out cheap laughs, or purely monologuing with no punchline in sight, she blows it. Every time. She makes Jackie Kennedy cry at her own fundraiser! She outs a Black, gay man in the early '60s because she’s mad the other female comic is going to outshine her! It takes Lenny Bruce of all people to convince Midge to get off her career high horse, and we don’t even know if it’s worked yet! Look, you have to love her at least a little to even make it through The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, but to love a character fully, you have to admit when they really suck (see: Rory Gilmore). Fingers crossed for some major character developments in Midge’s final chapter. 

Watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video. 

31. Sophie Lennon (Jane Lynch), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Nicole Rivelli / Amazon Studios

Sophie Lennon admittedly is semi-awful. She’s rich and snobby in the meanest way and she very intentionally tries to ruin Midge’s career, but Midge did go onstage and blow Sophie's entire private life — one she’d paid to keep out of the press for years — wide open after Sophie was only like a medium level of mean to her. Sophie and Midge are practically the same professionally, Sophie just had a bigger pocketbook and more influence to back up her dramatic meltdowns. And she’s clearly talented judging by her long and illustrious career, with a fanbase that's only growing now that she's transitioned to TV host. She’s definitely not a great person, but at least she pays Susie well! She's certainly got some growing to do, but it appears she's more eager and capable of change than Season 4's Midge is...

Watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video. 

30. Ginny Thompson (Bailey De Young), Bunheads

ABC Family / Courtesy Everett Collection

Ginny is sunny, sparkly and bubbly just like the actor’s portrayal of Imogene, only toned down to be less grating. I think any and almost all of Ginny’s unlikable characteristics are a product of her circumstance, but boy, there sure are a lot of them. Namely, Ginny goes through at least three love interests in the solo season of Bunheads, and leaves disaster in her wake every time. I simply can’t trust a character who feels fine pursuing her best friend’s brother who is also her other best friend’s crush? Talk about messy! That being said, Ginny is no Sasha, and in contrast, feels like a just fine character. Plus, in her defense, her parents really suck. 

Watch Bunheads on Hulu.

29. The Matchmaker Mafia (Kelly Bishop, Jackie Hoffman, Patrice Johnson, and Marceline Hugot), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Amazon Studios

When I heard Kelly Bishop was making her way onto The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and joining Liza Weil and Alex Borstein among others who have managed to make their way into all of ASP’s projects, I had high hopes. Unfortunately, the former Emily Gilmore was tossed into the matchmaking mafia group, which, while fun and exciting for Rose Weissman’s plotline, felt like a major waste. I have high hopes for this quad of career women in Season 5, but I also know better than to hold my breath for anything in the final season of a Sherman-Palladino project. 

Watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video. 

28. Milly Stone (Liza Weil), Bunheads

ABC Family

Milly almost didn’t make it onto this list, because despite appearing in six Bunheads episodes, it felt like she hardly ever graced the screen. Couldn’t ASP have found a more significant role for the actor that brought us Paris Geller? Poor Milly is forgettable, landing her right in the middle of this list… Sorry, Liza Weil. 

Watch Bunheads on Hulu.

27. The B. Altman Girls (Erin Darke, Lilli Stein, Wakeema Hollis, and Colby Minifie), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Nicole Rivelli / Amazon Studios

Midge’s B. Altman buddies basically only exist to prove that for some reason, everyone in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel universe is incompetent in comparison to Midge, despite them all working there far longer than she has, and managing to keep their jobs long past Midge (who gets demoted before quitting). But I like the B. Altman girls, from the makeup counter to the phone operator’s room, I think they add a level of reality to Midge’s otherwise lofty world, and it’s a shame we don’t see more of them. 

Watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video. 

26. Tanna and Janet (Olivia Hack and Katie Walder), Gilmore Girls

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Poor Janet and Tanna, neither one of them stood a chance at having any character development the second Paris and her (live in?) life coach arrive on move-in day. And then Emily goes and furnishes the whole common area? Their fate was sealed the second they got their room assignment. I would have loved to know more about Tanna, the 15-year-old Yale freshman who probably would've put Rory to shame if they ever let her say more than one sentence at a time. The girls are pretty cool about Lorelai completely crashing their move-in weekend and even tolerate Lane fully moving in for an extended period of time later in the year, and Janet has to deal with Paris’ unbridled rage over her boyfriend’s presence in their dorm, which on the one hand I get, but then literally less than a year later Rory can’t get Doyle out of their dorm…all in all, both these girls deserved better.

Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix.

25. Carole Keen (Liza Weil), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Amazon Studios

Yet another Liza Weil role that nearly doesn’t qualify as a full-fledged character. Why is ASP letting our beloved former-Paris Geller waste away in bit parts? Carol is good for Midge, she’s firm and knowledgeable and brutally honest, and she puts up with little to none of Shy Baldwin’s nonsense. In another life where Midge was more professional and could actually hold down a job, the pair would’ve made an adorable duo touring around Europe together. Regardless, I like Carole, even if her presence is tragically brief. 

Watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video. 

24. Tessie Myerson (Emily Bergl), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Amazon Studios

When we finally get a peek into Susie’s history, Tessie is there to basically sum it up for us. Not one for expressing her feelings, we probably get the most emotional vulnerability from Susie (apart from her and Midge’s occasional joint crying/sharing bouts), whenever Tessie comes around. Tessie really comes through for Susie, first with the arson and then with the covering up of the arson/securing their insurance check from said arson. Like most of the character’s in Susie’s life, she’s operating in the moral gray, but I think considering all the circumstances, I’m okay with that. Hopefully Tessie gets what she deserves in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s final season: a divorce. 

Watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video. 

23. Lucy and Olivia (Krysten Ritter and Michelle Ongkingco), Gilmore Girls

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At what point in Gilmore Girls did the writers realize they’d only ever let Rory have two real friends and experience like 1% of college outside of that hyper-focused social life? Season 7, Episode 4. Lucy and Olivia are the weirdest band-aid solution to Rory’s lack of growth over four(ish) years at Yale. Arts majors just winging their way through life, they’re the perfect manic-pixie-best-friends for Rory at a time where her plot is practically pointless. They dye their hair together, they throw fun theme parties, and Lucy eventually brings back Boyfriend — sorry, I mean Marty — for like three (in my opinion, useless) episodes. Rory is a typical Rory-style bad friend to both of them, and then puts a weirdly large amount of effort into apologizing to Lucy after participating in a suspicious and awkward charade with her now ex-boyfriend. This pair definitely have other meaningful college connections beyond Rory, but they’re kind enough to pretend, Samantha Jones style, like they’re equally invested in this final-hour friendship, which earns them a relatively-high-for-their-significance spot on this list. 

Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix. 

22. Fanny Flowers (Kelly Bishop), Bunheads

ABC Family / Courtesy Everett Collection

If Emily Gilmore could meet Fanny Flowers, what do you think they'd talk about? I think after some brief tension due to Emily hearing the word “Buddhist” and seeing what Fanny was wearing, they'd set aside their differences and be best pals. I wanted to like Fanny on the same level that I love and respect Emily, and maybe once again in Bunheads we can attribute the much lesser characters to the lack of time they had to develop, but Fanny just doesn't do it for me. The whole, I-play-bridge-with-the-chief-of-police attitude is fun, but when it comes down to it, Fanny is all showmanship with no real command to back it up; She’s all of Emily’s bark with none of her bite and only a fraction of her heart. She does however handle the whole “my son married this woman he barely knows and now she owns my house and everything in it” situation very well considering, earning her a middle spot on this list. What can I say? Kelly Bishop is a wonderful actor, but in Bunheads she’s practically competing against herself, and you simply cannot beat Emily Gilmore. 

Watch Bunheads on Hulu.

21. Mei Lin (Stephanie Hsu), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Amazon Studios

I’m going to be upfront and vulnerable here (unlike Mei) and share with you that I unfortunately am a believer in Joel and Midge’s meant-to-be-edness and that this admittedly toxic belief is part of why I harbor very mixed feelings toward Mei. From an objective standpoint, she is far too good for the Maisels. She’s going to be a doctor, y’all. Her non-committal, mysterious schtick is perfect for Joel who immediately runs from any real commitment or hardship, so it makes sense that he and Mei would shack up at least briefly. But as Nicky and Frank informed Midge this season, Mei comes from an incredibly powerful family, and again, she’s going to be a doctor. So what is she doing with Joel? I just can’t bring myself to trust that she’s in the relationship for far more complicated reasons than just “My family wanted me to help make sure your business failed so we’d keep our illegal gambling ring under the radar.” And I, like many Maisel fans, can’t shake the feeling she’s going to bolt very, very soon. I wouldn’t blame her. 

Watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video. 

20. Truly Stone (Stacey Oristano), Bunheads

ABC Family

Truly, Truly deserved better. The heartbroken ex-girlfriend of Hubbell who works at (runs/owns maybe?) Sparkles and magically seems to know exactly what everyone else wants and needs never really gets her shining moment. Sure, she maybe stole Hubbell from her now-estranged sister, but now they’re both heartbroken and grieving so it’s really just water under the bridge. To help Michelle even after she shows up married to the love of your life and is basically flaunting the fact that she never has or will care about him, that was big of her. Truly, I think she may be one of the only characters in the Bunheads universe that feels uniquely likable. 

Watch Bunheads on Hulu.

19. Madeline and Louise (Shelly Cole and Teal Redmann), Gilmore Girls

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Sure, they can be a bit harsh to Paris, but the mixed hatred/friendship feeling between all three girls always seemed solidly mutual. Madeline and Louise are consistently together (save for the Madeline/Rory spinoff friendship that almost and most definitely should’ve come to fruition). I think most of this dynamic duo’s likability comes from their arrival in Florida during Rory and Paris' ill-fated spontaneous spring break trip. They’re the girls that you’d never call true friends in high school, but are always a great time when you bump into them out in the real world. They aren’t perfect or even consistently kind, and they don’t pretend to be. And the fact that they put up with the ultra high maintenance High School Paris earns them major brownie points in my book. 

Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix.  

18. Rose Weissman (Marin Hinkle), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

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I spent the first season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel pretty much loathing Rose Weissman, with her snide comments and small, petty attempts to put down her daughter or control her incredibly chaotic life. Telling a recently abandoned Midge to go win her cheating husband back basically just for appearances certainly doesn’t leave a warm impression. But at the start of Season 2, when she leaves everything to go back to Paris and live out her study abroad dreams all over again, Rose earned my respect. It’s a lot harder to blame her completely for her cruel view of Midge’s marriage when you realize Rose feels she has no agency in her own. Rose works hard to secure her family’s future, and even though her views on comedy are a bit harsh and she holds her daughter to a much higher standard than others, I can see where she’s coming from in nearly every instance now. And I agree with her about Benjamin, Midge treated him terribly and he deserved better…Also, did they really have to leave the dog in France? It seemed unnecessary to me. 

Watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video. 

17. Mia Bass (Elizabeth Franz and Kathy Baker), Gilmore Girls

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Mia almost didn’t make the cut, appearing in only two episodes throughout Gilmore Girls, but her presence looms so large in the show even when she’s away (location often unclear) that she demands to be included on this list. Mia may be one of ASP’s most likable characters, which is probably why of course, she gets so little screen time. Ever the elegant, classy and kind woman, it seems we only ever see Mia apologizing on behalf of one of the Gilmores, inspiring and lifting up Lorelai, or marrying some random man in North Carolina. Maybe we like her so much because we get so little (and often contradictory) information about her personal life, but I’m right there next to Rory and Lorelai on the Mia bandwagon (sorry, Emily). 

Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix.   

16. Liz Danes (Kathleen Wilhoite), Gilmore Girls

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You gotta love Liz, you just can't help it. The sweet, simple, and sometimes scatterbrained Danes sibling got all of Luke’s charm and not of the gruff exterior to balance it. Sure, she's married to a dummy, and she most definitely screwed up Jess to a certain extent. But hey, TJ has his moments, and we know now that Jess turns out just fine beyond his ceaseless penchant for Rory Gilmore. Cut the little Renaissance lover a break, if Luke can let all of her unlikable little quirks slide, so can I. 

Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix. 

15. Nanette Jordan (Jennifer Hasty), Bunheads

ABC Family

Nanette is just a solidly good mom. She’s kind, caring, funny and all around a shining example of a healthy approach to motherhood that doesn’t involve her being BFFs with Boo. Shocking. Beyond running late frequently (she’s seemingly a single mother of two who winds up with a third on the way, so cut her some slack here) there’s nothing to dislike about Nanette. She even does her best to combat Boo’s rapidly developing body image and food issues. ASP universe mom of the year. 

Watch Bunheads on Hulu.

14. Melanie Segal (Emma Dumont), Bunheads

ABC Family

Melanie is the only girl in the Bunheads friend circle that doesn’t put up with any of Sasha’s nonsense, and we love her for it. She’s a free spirit and it’s pretty unclear why she’d decided to dedicate so much time to dance when she has other hobbies and an actually good personality, She was entirely justified in attempting to keep Ginny and Charlie apart (look what happened) and is consistently the voice of reason among the Bunheads teens. Next to Boo, she’s the most likable of the bunch. 

Watch Bunheads on Hulu.

13. Boo Jordan (Kaitlyn Jenkins), Bunheads

ABC Family / Courtesy Everett Collection

I love Boo. She’s in the camp of ASP’s almost unbearably kind characters that never get the storyline attention they deserve, except Boo thankfully does get some major development. Do I have a soft spot for her being a former “big-boned” aspiring ballerina in my youth as well? Maybe. But the girl’s got empathy, and in the Sherman-Palladino world, that’s huge. She’s one-half of one of the healthiest mother-daughter relationships out of all three ASP shows, even as a teen who’s really going through it (So Lorelai, what’s your excuse?). Also, I know not all the actors on Bunheads had the same dance experience, but Boo frequently puts Sasha to shame onstage. 

Watch Bunheads on Hulu.

12. Lulu Kuschner (Rini Bell), Gilmore girls

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Lulu deserves so much credit for the amount of patience she has for Kirk (one of my most personally beloved ASP men). She’s chronically underused in the show and perhaps the only unlikable thing about her is that she dated Kirk’s brother before him, which, while weird, doesn’t seem to bother Kirk too much, so we'll just let it go. Her role in successfully pulling off a third grade (plus Kirk) production of Fiddler on the Roof  firmly cements her as an overall capable, kind and truly funny character. 

Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix. 

11. Babette Dell (Sally Struthers), Gilmore Girls

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First of all, shout-out to Babette for always being willing to watch Paul Anka when Lorelai decides to have a crisis that involves sleeping somewhere besides her house (which is a frequent enough occurrence that Babette should maybe be charging). Brash and fun and always well-intentioned, Babette is the kind of lady I imagine would be a joy to live next door to, and yet Lorelai and Rory just treat her like a nuisance until her proximity is convenient for them. Sure, she’s a bit of a gossip, but who here wouldn’t love a bit of Stars Hollow tea, served piping hot by your scratchy-voiced neighbor? 

Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix. 

10. Miss Patty (Liz Torres), Gilmore Girls

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Sex-positive queen and downright diva, Miss Patty is practically the heart and soul of Stars Hollow. Babette’s bestie, and often Lorelai’s unsolicited advice giver, Miss Patty seems to wield a certain level of social influence in Stars Hollow that even Taylor can’t match. Maybe it’s because, since her phone intercepts other people’s calls in town, she gets all the best gossip first. So what if that power was consolidated under the threat of blackmail? This name-dropping, cougar-blueprint dance instructor deserves all the love in the Gilmore Girls world.

Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix. 

9. Mrs. Kim (Emily Kuroda), Gilmore Girls

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In my youth, and especially in the early seasons of Gilmore Girls, I looked upon Mrs. Kim with much harsher eyes. So Mrs. Kim, this is my apology to you: Lane Kim’s mother is out here always going the extra mile for her. Despite having her own strict moral code, when she finally realizes she can't force her own values upon Lane without costing her daughter’s happiness, she totally changes gear. When Lane and her band are on the verge of breaking up? Mrs. Kim throws together that entire tour for them, calling in favors on their behalf and doing all the hard work of a manager without ever seeing a cent (not that Lane’s lame band could ever turn a real profit, especially not with Zack as the front man, let's be real, you guys). Not to mention she's a successful business woman and — despite some questions about the status of Lane’s father especially due to Gilmore Girls: A Year In the Life, which for the purposes of this list we shall be ignoring — she’s basically a single mother, just like Lorelai. So if, like me, you previously had any qualms about Mrs. Kim’s likability based on those early seasons, just remember Lorelai was letting all her values govern the way she raised Rory too… Oh, and she’s funny too, and her hatred of Zach is totally justified, Lane could’ve (should’ve) done better. 

Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix. 

8. Emily Gilmore (Kelly Bishop), Gilmore Girls

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Speaking of complex mothers: My feelings toward Emily Gilmore are incredibly complicated, but the older I get the more I can’t help but love, respect, and frequently agree with her. We don’t get a whole lot of Emily and Lorelai’s history from Emily’s perspective, and Lorelai’s Peter-Pan-syndrome-shrouded perspective provides a truly unfair view of Emily’s mothering skills. I’m sure their relationship is the result of both women making all sorts of mistakes, but the Emily we do get to see in Gilmore Girls deserved so much better from Lorelai, and frankly from Rory too. Maybe her intentions are muddled at times and her methods more often than not are flat out wrong, but Emily just wants to be included in the Gilmore girls’ life, and after so many years of being shut out by a petty and unforgiving Lorelai, it’s not hard to understand why she’s become so intensely manipulative and controlling. Also, Lorelai never directs the same resentment she harbors toward her mother at her father, despite Richard also being responsible for Lorelai’s negative experiences in childhood. I love Emily Gilmore and all her imperfections, and I’m no longer ashamed to admit it. 

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7. Zelda (Matilda Szydagis), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

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Who in the Maisel/Weissman world has more patience than Zelda? She's the rock of the Weissman clan, and without her, as we briefly discovered, the family pretty much crumbles. Does she have a family of her own? A personal life? Who knows. But regardless, we don’t just like Zelda, we LOVE her.

Watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video. 

6. Dinah Rutledge (Alfie Fuller), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

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Next to that wildly talented and vaguely scary magician (and maybe Midge), Dinah is the best thing to ever walk through Susie Myerson's door (and then proceed to wait four hours). As confusing and semi-unprofessional as she may come across in her first few episodes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, she’s pretty much exactly who Susie needs. Between her advanced multitasking skills and her talent-scouting capabilities, Dinah is set up to be one of my favorite characters in the coming season. 

Watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video. 

5. Mrs. Moscowitz (Cynthia Darlow), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

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Depending on which day/episode/season we’re talking here, Midge/Mei may be the woman Joel wants in his life, but Mrs. Moscowitz is who Joel needs. The tough, wisecracking secretary willing to go rogue with Joel, helping him first run his father’s business and then his own, even working the front door at the club when need be, she’s certainly got some serious chutzpah. 

Watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video. 

4. Paris Geller (Liza Weil), Gilmore Girls

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If not for ASP’s vast collection of spunky, lovable sidekicks, Paris Geller might've been #1 on this list. Sure, she's one of the most intense and over-the-top characters in ASP’s world jam-packed with intense, over-the-top-characters, but under that hard, biting exterior is one of the sweetest friends to ever move their dead professor boyfriend’s bequeathed printing press into her and her best friend’s cramped little Yale dorm room. The girl’s got pizazz and you just can't deny it. She's likable in spite of all her written characteristics pushing you to feel otherwise, and she's got more main character energy in her pinky finger than Rory Gilmore had in her entire sweater-clad, book-toting body. 

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3. Lane Kim (Keiko Agena), Gilmore Girls

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We would all be lucky to have a friend as great as Lane. Kind, compassionate, sweet, funny, talented! The list could go on forever. If we ditched the entire Lane/Zack love story and sent her off to a real college or just to a bigger city to play music, Lane could’ve gone so far in life (I’d definitely watch that spinoff). And that’s not to say that I’m not happy for her with the two kids and Zack, except, wait, yes it is. Justice for Lane Kim, the majority of Stars Hollow did NOT deserve you.     

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2. Susie Myerson (Alex Borstein), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

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Susie Myerson is not without major flaws. She’s frequently unprofessional, rude, and casually embezzles all of her first client and best friend’s semi-hard-earned money. But she’s also fiercely loyal, fully committed and incredibly talented. And she isn’t ever trying to appear perfect. Susie is boldly honest about who she is and what she wants, something other character’s in the Maisel world really struggle with. Sure, she committed arson to cover up the whole embezzlement thing and now she’s most certainly in bed with (very sweet and charming) mobsters, but there’s something about Susie. She's not just likable, she's lovable. 

Watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video. 

1. Sookie St. James (Melissa McCarthy), Gilmore Girls

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Sookie Saint James may be the most wonderful resident in all of Stars Hollow. Seriously, Lorelai got so lucky to have Sookie as a friend, and don’t even get me started on Jackson’s luck. The bleeding heart of the bunch, no one could better tend to all of Lorelai’s personal drama and be the star chef (and Luke's culinary arch nemesis) of the town. She's made Lorelai over two dozen wedding cakes from her very first last-minute broken engagement (Max) to her multiple wedding lead-ups with Luke, and never once skimped on the buttercream frosting. That's a true friend. Even in her more "meddling" moments, like when she uses her two babies' baptism she's swindled into throwing as an excuse to force Lorelai and Rory back together during their most epic feud, Sookie's thinking of others, namely Lorelai, before herself. It’s no wonder nearly 22 years later, Sookie is still one of Melissa McCarthy’s most beloved roles. She’s the most likable character in all of the ASPU (Amy Sherman-Palladino Universe) and I’ll go to the mat for her in this comment section if I must. 

Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix. 

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