MsMojo Can Fix It: Rewriting Lane Kim's Story on Gilmore Girls
The Character You Know
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Lane Kim is there from our very first day in Stars Hollow, as Rory’s lifelong best friend. But she was never just a sidekick. Lane always had a lot of layers. Sometimes literally. Raised in a strict Seventh Day Adventist household by a formidable mother, Lane spent her early life hiding her Americanized habits, especially her passion for rock music. She couldn’t keep up the facade forever, though. By the time she got to college the situation had become untenable. Lane couldn’t follow her own path and conform to her mother’s expectations, so she made the brave choice to strike out on her own. With the help and support of her friends, she landed on her feet, and was able to give all her energy to her band, Hep Alien. After so many years of hiding herself, it was gratifying to see Lane free to define her life on her own terms, and making progress towards her dreams. Then it all went off the rails.
Where It Went Wrong
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In a word: Zack. Don’t get us wrong, we love Todd Lowe, and when he was playing Lane’s friend and bandmate, we were happy to have him around. But when Lane suddenly developed a crush on him it was as much a surprise to us watching as it was to her. From the beginning this relationship didn’t make any sense. There was never any romantic chemistry until we were told there was, and the pair never seemed to be on the same wavelength about anything. Even Lane admitted that the attraction was more physical than anything else. Frankly, it always felt like the writers threw Lane and Zack together because they didn’t have any better ideas for her character. As comic relief, Zack adds a fun dynamic, but the slow-witted, uncommunicative slacker is a poor match for smart, motivated Lane. Even their band isn’t exactly common ground. Zack loves music, but Lane is the one doing the work to keep Hep Alien on track as well as on beat. Whether it’s upholding standards, pushing them out of their creative slump and onto the road, or planning their first album recording, Lane always has her eyes on the prize. Zack is just along for the ride, unless he’s actively thwarting her efforts. It would have been one thing if their relationship had been a rebound from dream boyfriend, Dave Rygalski, or a case of proximity being mistaken for attraction. Instead, Zack quickly became Lane’s OTP. The two paired off, got married, and conceived twins while on their honeymoon. As the characters reeled from the rapid changes in their own lives, Lane fans seethed. Not that being married and having children isn’t a perfectly valid life path, it’s just not one that felt right for Lane. Or not at that moment, anyway. Having Lane voice these sentiments is kind of like pouring salt in the wound. Because she’s right. After fighting so hard and so long to make her own life, she only got to do it for a minute before she was responsible for a family, and it doesn’t feel wrong to say that Lane Kim was cheated.
How We Fix It
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There is one hiccup in Lane and Zack’s whirlwind transition from bandmates to settled nuclear family unit, and it’s a brief breakup. All of Lane’s hard work managing Hep Alien finally pays off in an opportunity to play for a label. They’re prepared for this shot on every level…and then Zack gets insecure and torpedoes the gig. Lane is devastated and furious, and rightly so. But when Zack makes a big romantic scene and proposes by way of apology, she somehow forgives him instantly, as if he didn’t just dash years of effort in one petulant, jealous impulse. It’s the last we’ll ever really see of her musical ambitions, or of any Lane-related plot that isn’t about her relationship. Sorry, but we’re not here for that. The first thing that needs to happen in this re-cut is for Lane to tell Zack no. A permanent, unequivocal no. Not only has the relationship run its course, but Zack nuking the band’s chances has put Lane in the perfect place for a new chapter. Where though? Sure, Lane could probably hang with Rory at Yale for a minute, but as we have seen, that can only ever be a temporary solution. Lane is totally smart enough, but what she really needs here is a totally blank slate. To get out of Rory’s shadow and the small town rut. And that can only mean one thing. “Gilmore Girls” explored the idea of a west coast spin off when it sent Jess to Venice Beach in search of his estranged father. Ultimately, it’s not surprising that that was a dead end. Jess was always going to have to end up back east to annoy members of Team Logan. But that doesn’t mean the concept wasn’t good in principle. And ultimately, Lane could be a far more compelling vessel for a California plot line. Lane’s family network is vast, and from what we see of the American Kims, she’s always been a bit of a black sheep. But we do know from her trip to South Korea that she really liked some of her overseas relatives. In our head cannon one of those cousins is now studying in Los Angeles, and that’s the door Lane goes knocking on in her moment of need. We imagine a cool older sister type for Lane to bond with, someone killing it in grad school, but who shares Lane’s tastes and knows where the best underground clubs are. Think a younger Karen O. That’s gonna come in handy when it comes to getting a job. At a charmingly grungy spot with the best undiscovered acts in town, Lane and her cousin have spent the night talking music with the bartender. When his waitress doesn’t show up, Lane’s go getter attitude is quick to kick in. She picks up a tray and seamlessly goes to work, leaving that night with a job and maybe a number from the cute bassist in one of the bands. Things are looking bright for Lane Kim. Of course, to keep things interesting, life will have to throw her some curve balls. LA will be an adventure for Lane. She’ll side hustle with some other music related jobs, like writing freelance reviews. She’ll struggle to figure out her identity as an artist outside Hep Alien as she tries and to find a fit with a new band. She’ll get experience really dating for the first time and it will be exactly as much fun as it was for any Millennial in their 20s. Balancing music, work, and life will have ups and downs, and she’ll wonder if she made the right choice. But Lane isn’t a quitter, and eventually it will start to fall into place. Naturally there will be plenty of quirky Amy Sherman Palladino side characters to help her along. Like a club booker who is obviously in love with her cousin. Or a sound tech whose adventurous spirit is a blessing and a curse to their friend Lane. Or the lowkey regular who never misses the chance to talk with her about bands playing the club. It is eventually revealed that the regular is themself is an A&R rep for a music management company. But they’re not satisfied doing that anymore, and when they decide it's time to start their own label, they’ll ask Lane to come with them as a scout. Her encyclopedic music knowledge, flawless taste, and work ethic have finally earned her the recognition she always deserved. Her mother cries when Lane tells her, though she’d never let Lane know as much. She does tell her daughter that she’s proud of her though. So it’s happily ever after, right? Probably. When we time jump ten years into the future, the indie label is thriving, and Lane is running the A&R department. She loves her job, especially that she gets to share it with her producer husband, Dave. Did we forget to mention Dave? In the canon series, Lane’s first boyfriend moved to California to go to college, presumably at an Orange County school like UC Irvine or Chapman. We imagine that at some point in Lane’s journey they’ll cross paths again, maybe when their respective bands play the same venue. And they might not get back together right away, but these soulmates won’t be able to stay apart forever. When they do rekindle their romance, it’ll be for good. They go on to enjoy their musical life together, living in a cute Venice bungalow with a couple dogs, and they’re just starting to talk about adding some kids. Mrs. Kim is, of course, considering moving cross country, but overall everyone is very happy. And that’s it. That’s a rough idea of how we see the story of Lane Kim unfolding in a world where this character gets an ending worthy of her. What do you think? How would you change Lane’s story? Let’s talk about it in the comments.
