The hit Netflix romance show Nobody Wants This shares something fascinating in common with Gilmore Girls, the cozy series that also featured Adam Brody. It’s funny and heartwarming watching Joanne (Kristen Bell) and Noah (Brody) fall in love despite being afraid of commitment and a big work and religious conflict that could tear them apart.

We love both shows thanks to their cozy tones and Bell and Brody’s impressive comedic work. It’s also fun seeing Brody play another love interest after he appeared as Lane Kim’s (Keiko Agena) brief boyfriend Dave Rygalski on Gilmore Girls season 3. But as it turns out, there’s another reason to compare Nobody Wants This and Gilmore Girls.

Before Nobody Wants This Season 1’s “The Ick,” Gilmore Girls Had An Excellent Meet The Parents Episode

The popular Nobody Wants This season 1 episode “The Ick” sees Noah meeting Joanne’s parents, which scares Joanne and makes her wonder if their relationship has any staying power. 19 years before that 2024 episode, a perfect Gilmore Girls episode aired in 2005 with a similar storyline, and it was even better.

Season 5, season 19, “But I’m a Gilmore!” tells the dramatic, emotional, and harsh story of Rory (Alexis Bledel) meeting Logan Huntzberger’s (Matt Czuchry) parents, and it goes terribly. His family doesn’t think she’s good enough for him and is cruel, which devastates Rory, who thought that her romance with Logan was finally going somewhere.

“The Ick” is funny since Joanne hates that Noah gets sunflowers for the family get-together and gets turned off, but that’s the main takeaway of this plotline. In contrast, “But I’m a Gilmore!” perfectly captures the anxiety-inducing and emotional experience of meeting your partner’s parents and realizing they don’t approve of you.

Sure, Rory is a bit conceited when she suggests to Logan that they shouldn’t have acted that way because she comes from a fancy family and says, “I’m a Gilmore! Do they know that? My ancestors came over on the Mayflower!” Besides this rough dialogue, the episode is a powerful exploration of the privilege both characters have always enjoyed.

While Logan is thankfully upset with his family, which proves he has a good heart, his immature behavior and, up until this point, refusal to commit to Rory can’t be ignored. “But I’m a Gilmore!” is the most significant Rory and Logan episode since he realizes he wants to be with Rory instead of relying on his family for approval.

But while that’s a crucial part of Logan’s experience of growing up, it doesn’t change the fact that he gets money from his parents and, therefore, can’t rebel at this time. Rory is also shocked that some people don’t love her since she’s been the golden child of Stars Hollow and is used to her life going smoothly.

We’re also reminded of how lucky Rory is to be a Gilmore since her grandparents pay for Chilton and Yale. This episode sheds light on how important family is to Rory and how wrong Logan is for her. It’s hard not to think this would become an even bigger problem if they stayed together or even got married.

So, it’s not a huge surprise that Logan is engaged to someone else in the Netflix revival Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. The characters may have family money on their side, but Logan isn’t right for Rory, and she deserves someone whose family can be much kinder. This episode sets their future breakup in motion and matters a lot.

Nobody Wants This And Gilmore Girls Have Something Else In Common

These Nobody Wants This and Gilmore Girls episodes also both explore the idea of “the ick,” and it’s fun to compare these storylines. “But I’m a Gilmore!” is also about the dry and hilarious Paris Geller’s (Liza Weil) emotional experience of helping her boyfriend Doyle (Danny Strong) when he gets sick.

Since Paris has “the ick” because she doesn’t like sick people, despite being a Yale pre-med student, she hilariously asks her Nanny (Soledad St. Hilaire) to take care of him. Paris shows a lot of growth when she helps Doyle and realizes that she cares about him so much that she doesn’t mind being there.

While Paris might not have used the same language that Joanne does since it was a different time, it’s funny and cool that Gilmore Girls had such a similar plotline, proving that this is a relatable experience that many people go through.

Why Nobody Wants This Should Last As Long As Gilmore Girls

Nobody Wants This season 2 is as fun and compelling as season 1, and it’s the perfect cozy show for Gilmore Girls fans looking for something currently streaming. There’s no doubt that it should get as many seasons as the 2000s drama. Thankfully, it looks like Nobody Wants This season 3 is possible.

“But I’m a Gilmore!” might be a better version of a “meet the parents” episode than “The Ick,” but the recent Netflix series is superior in one way. Sure, Rory’s three love interests are examined throughout Gilmore Girls, and the show would be very different without Lorelai’s (Lauren Graham) long-term, complicated love story with Luke Danes (Scott Patterson).

But ultimately, the Netflix show explores relationships in a much smarter and engaging way. We love the witty jokes and observations on the Netflix show, but we also keep watching Nobody Wants This because when Noah and Joanne are honest with each other, it’s beautiful. And that kind of energy would be great to see for several more seasons.