The typical stereotype of a grandfather tends to be a curmudgeonly old man who sits in a corner with bitterness radiating from his persona as he occasionally mutters unintentionally hilarious isms. The recently deceased Edward Herrmann‘s character on Gilmore Girls, Richard Gilmore, was antithetical to this grandfatherly archetype. Looking dapper
As the stern, yet teddy bear-like grandfather of Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) and the taciturn father of Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham), Richard served a dual role as protagonist and antagonist. His knowledgeability, sophisticated taste and general waspiness were in direct contrast to your average schlub of a grandfather. An unstoppable tour de force with his wife, Emily (Kelly Bishop)
Although it was his wife, Emily (Kelly Bishop), who often had the reputation for being the outspoken, overly judgmental grandparent, Richard, too, had his fair share of opinions, including, “Only prostitutes have two glasses of wine at lunch.” Yes, Richard had his own battles with subtlety, vacillating between the properness required by his wealth and the desire to express himself with a daughter like Lorelai. To the point
But no matter how much he got on both Lorelai and Rory’s nerves (see: the awkward Yale period), he always did it with a charming twinkle in his eyes that could make you forgive him anything. So perhaps, in this respect, he was a traditional grandfather.
