When it comes to Gilmore Girls, Lorelai and Rory rightly occupy the spotlight, but the beloved comedy-drama series wouldn't be the same without its characteristic cast of quirky supporting characters, from Stars Hollow residents to acquaintances Rory meets at Yale.
Paris Geller is one of the best of these; a hilariously dour and scarily motivated foil to Rory's usually gentle, sweet demeanor, she's a loyal friend whose wits match the quippy Gilmore girl's. Across the show's seven seasons, Paris is a consistent presence in Rory's school and social lives, and, much of this time, she finds her acting just as petty and insecure as many teens. But, sometimes, Paris demonstrates precociousness and wisdom that the people around her are all the better for.
10 Typical Teenager: Her Public Meltdown
Paris's dream to represent Chilton with a speech broadcast live on C-Span comes true, but it's undercut by having to share the stage with Rory. In preparing for the speech, she spills to Rory that she slept with Jamie.
But, when she's rejected from Harvard, a sullen and unkempt Paris shows up late for the speech and shares her bad news with the audience, as well as speculates that her brand-new sex life is to blame for the rejection. When she starts going on about Chilton's fault in her stalled ambitions, Rory has to push her offstage. No adolescence is complete without a total meltdown, and Paris's is no different.
9 Wise Beyond Her Years: Helping Rory Get Into Ivy Leagues
Applications to post-secondary institutions can be a stressful experience for teens during the final years of high school, and Paris not only handles this overwhelming experience with aplomb but also greatly assists Rory in her dream of acceptance into an elite college.
She teaches Rory that good grades need to be supplemented with extracurriculars, gives her volunteer opportunities, gives her a transcript-boosting student body VP opportunity, and helps Rory overcome rookie mistakes in her applications. Even more generally, Paris's status as an academic and social competitor to Rory pushes the latter to succeed in ways she might not have otherwise.
8 Typical Teenager: Playing With Jamie's Heart
Paris meets her first love Jamie at a student government summer program in Washington, D.C., and she quickly falls for him. After a few rocky months of fighting, Paris begins an unfortunate relationship with Asher Fleming, a Yale professor, all the while stringing Jamie along.
Although she desperately tries to avoid Jamie, even when he shows up at her doorstep, Rory forces her to tell him the truth and break up with him. Unsurprisingly, Paris's first relationship is one where the then-immature student makes many mistakes.
7 Wise Beyond Her Years: Managing Asher's Estate
When her boyfriend—and senior of many years—Asher Fleming dies of a heart attack, Paris is forced to pick up the pieces. Though far too young to be saddled with sorting out the finances and will of a middle-aged man, Paris somehow rises to the challenge of organizing his estate and funeral arrangements.
In addition to that, she mediates family arguments regarding inheritance, all while processing her own grief over his death. While it's ridiculous that she must take on these responsibilities, her ability to do so reveals that she can take on a lot more than many college-age kids.
6 Typical Teenager: Desperately Wanting To Join The Puffs
Wanting to belong, and doing whatever you can to do so, is a rite of passage for many teens. In Paris's case, her time at Chilton finds her longing to join the Puffs, an exclusive secret sorority of which her relatives have been members for generations.
To her bewilderment, Rory is readily invited in when she happens to sit with the clique at lunch and begs her friend to snag her a spot in the coveted group. Only, when Rory implies that Paris is looking into joining other sororities does Francie, the Puffs head honcho, fear the bad PR of a "voluntary defector" and let Paris in.
5 Wise Beyond Her Years: Covering For Rory When She Didn't Have To
When Paris pressures Rory to invite her over to study, things quickly get complicated. Jess inserts himself into the study date, and, although Rory had previously told Dean she'd planned a night to herself, he then walks in on the trio hanging out.
Even though she and Rory aren't exactly friends at this point, Paris senses tension and convinces Dean that she was the one who convinced Jess to come over because she has a crush on him. It's a moment where Paris demonstrates a remarkable level of maturity, recognizing that she pushed Rory to hang out in the first place and should take the fall for the messy situation that resulted.
4 Typical Teenager: Punishing Rory For Becoming Editor-In-Chief
After driving the whole Yale Daily News staff up the wall with her ludicrous rules and abrasive leadership style, Paris is ousted from the position, and Rory is chosen to break the news to her friend.
After an onerous selection process, the team finally selects Rory as the new editor, but, when Paris finds out, she immediately assumes a coup has been staged. But, instead of talking to Rory, she changes the locks and throws all of her roommate's belongings in the hallway. It's a remarkably petty and preemptive response to a development that's difficult to swallow.
3 Wise Beyond Her Years: Her World-Weariness
When she stops being able to rely on her parents for money, Paris is forced to accept a job under Rory serving food at a posh D.A.R. event. This new experience for the highly-privileged young woman turns out to be a political awakening.
She tells Rory how obvious it now appears to her that those who control capital shouldn't make their fortunes off of the backs of the working class and decries the evils of the rich. It's a hilarious but apt moment that finds Paris coming into a world-weariness that many of her peers would lack.
2 Typical Teenager: Bullying Rory On The Chilton Paper
Before they become close friends, Rory and Paris are embittered rivals at Chilton and are caught up in all kinds of childish drama. When Paris is perturbed that Rory will be joining the staff of the Chilton paper, she gives Rory a bogus story on a repaved parking lot.
But, after Rory kills the piece and Paris is forced to assign her more substantive work, she deviously saddles Rory with an in-depth interview of the most popular teacher—her mom's ex-fiancé Max Medina. While Paris wasn't exactly a queen bee, she could definitely be a manipulator.
1 Wise Beyond Her Years: Channeling Her Stress Into Crafting
When Rory learns Paris will be her Yale roommate, she meets a different version of the high-strung high schooler she knows so well. Paris is peppy and upbeat and is trailed by an unflappably serene life coach, Terrence, whom she found after consulting a rabbi, a therapist, and a hypnotist.
She claims to be able to cope with annoyances that once drove her nuts using new tools such as the iconic craft corner in the Yale dorm room into which she pours her frustrations. It's a remarkable display of growth and maturity for Paris.
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