Lorelai "Trix" Gilmore (née Gilmore) is a recurring character on Gilmore Girls, portrayed by Marion Ross.
Character[]
Lorelai Gilmore I, nicknamed Trix by her loving son, Richard Gilmore, was born in 1917[1]. She married her paternal second cousin, Charles Gilmore, and after she was widowed, moved to London, England. As she did not like to travel (anymore, as she travelled in her youth), Richard and Emily would go visit her yearly in England. Trix returns to the States in 2001, for the first time in 20 years[2] and decides to move back to her home in Hartford in 2003, as her health deteriorates.[3]
Trix is a character, very adamant that things be a certain way (her way), and often times rude in her responses to her family – although most obviously with Emily. Like Richard, she is stubborn, unsentimental, but unlike Richard also very direct in her opinions eg. in relation to Lorelai's life, and is also not averse to bestowing compliments upon her granddaughter.[2][3] However, she and Richard do seem to have similar ways of retorting in conversation[4].
She is very fond of Richard and impressed with Lorelai, despite commenting on Lorelai's having a child 'out of wedlock'. She never liked Emily and interactions between the two are frequently riddled with snide comments from Trix towards Emily, which Emily suffer with growing contempt.
Story[]
Trix and Lorelai in 2001.
Trix is first mentioned by Emily and Richard, where they make it appear she is no longer living.[5] Trix pays a visit to the Gilmores in the spring of 2001. Her dislike for Emily is readily apparent, as she criticizes her continuously while considering her son, Lorelai, and Rory with admiration and approval. When Lorelai reveals that she is borrowing money from her parents to pay for Rory's education, Trix offers to give Rory a trust fund. Emily then interferes, making Lorelai question this decision, claiming it may destroy the relationship she has with her daughter. After witnessing an argument between Emily and Lorelai, Trix withdraws this offer, calling the two women too immature, which she says Lorelai gets from Emily, and leaves.[2]
Richard's 60th birthday in 2003.
Trix attends Richard's lowkey 60th birthday celebration in 2003, where, as with her last visit, she wastes no time criticizing her daughter-in-law. Trix makes dinner arrangements at Lorelai's inn after conducting an inspection of Lorelai's House, of which she disapproves (only implied by her reaction, but she doesn't say anything to Lorelai about this). During dinner, she announces she'll be moving back into her own home near the Gilmore Mansion, much to Emily's dismay. At this, Emily takes advice from Lorelai and uses her daughter's rebellious tactics to annoy her mother-in-law, successfully.[3] At a later Friday Night Dinner, Emily mentions that Richard is helping Trix close down her house in London.[6]
Trix and her boyfriend kissing.
When Gran settles at her old Connecticut house, Emily complains to Lorelai and Rory about having to deal with Trix's increased presence in their lives. Emily also mentions that Trix will be at Rory's graduation. Trix's faltering health sees her move in with Richard and Emily, which drives Emily crazy, with Trix even kicking Emily out of her own home so she can ready for a meeting. When Emily returns, she sees Trix making out with a man in a jogging suit. Lorelai tries to convince Emily not to reveal Trix's secret, but after Trix insults Emily again, Emily, as Lorelai tells Richard later that same evening, "snaps" and uses the information to humiliate her in front of her son and friends. Emily later, for the first time in over 35 years, has a heart to heart with Trix, and Trix decides she and Emily must have tea, but it doesn't alter their relationship. Lorelai convinces Richard to, for the first time, not take sides with his mother, who, as Lorelai states tend to be fairly rough on Emily, while she always dotes on Lorelai, Rory, and Richard.
Trix visits in 2004 and meets Richard's new partner, Jason Stiles.
- Richard – Trix, Lorelai is a grown woman
- Trix – Ridiculous. This is a family. It is a family's responsibility to make sure that this doesn't happen. We have a reputation to uphold
Trix visits again in 2004. While waiting for dinner, Trix asks Lorelai about Dragonfly Inn and quickly discerns that Lorelai is having financial difficulties. She castigates Richard for the situation, reminding him that the responsibility is to uphold the Gilmore name at every turn, ensuring they do not fail at any endeavours in the public eye. Trix relays how Richard had her financial support when he was first starting out in business, providing some background for the pride that the Gilmores present despite already being wealthy, proving any financial endeavours without much risk. Trix brings up his past mistakes, and Richard gets angry, raising his voice at Trix for the first time, much to Emily's glee. Trix is aghast and departs on bad terms with her family.[7]
Richard is destroyed by his mother's death.
Not long after her fight with her son, the family receives word that she died of a heart attack in her own home. While making funeral arrangements, Emily finds a letter from Trix to Richard, in which she begs him to not marry Emily. Realizing that Trix had never wanted her to become a member of the Gilmore family, Emily breaks entirely, starts smoking and even reads a salacious novel, shocking both Lorelai and Sookie when they come to visit. Lorelai takes over making the arrangements, and has a meltdown of her own during the process, but manages to get everything done with help from Rory. During the preparations, Lorelai and Rory also learn that Trix married her second cousin, Charles Abbot Gilmore, Richard's deceased father. Trix is 86 at the time of her death, meaning she was around 26 when Richard was born (as he is sixty going on sixty-one during this time). At the wake, her niece, Marilyn, tells mourners that Trix was very fond of Lorelai, and often showed off her picture, as well as prided herself on her granddaughter's independence as a single woman.
After her death, Trix is rarely mentioned or referenced. Richard mentions Rory receiving her trust fund when she's 25, which his mother set up for her in her first visit. She is trivially referenced, when Lorelai argues with Taylor during a town meeting about how many Lorelais he knows.
Trix's letter to Richard[]
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Quotes[]
- Gilmores don't have headaches, our heads are perfect
- —The Third Lorelai
- Raising your voice during high tea, who ever heard of such a thing. It's like Fergie all over again
- —The Third Lorelai
- He's a go-getter, your father. Not completely dissimilar to yourself
- —Trix, to Lorelai[src]
Trivia[]
- She cared for wounded soldiers during WWII[1]
- She studied at Sorbonne in Paris and at Oxford in England.[1]
- She met three presidents: Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon.[1]
- She rented out her house in Connecticut to the members of the rock band Korn.[3]
- The way Trix treats Emily is a parallel to how Emily treats Lorelai, although Emily, for all her suffering at the hands of her mother-in-law, is completely oblivious to this.
- Trix dies from a heart attack, which Richard suffers through twice in the series.
Backstage[]
- Marion Ross also portrays Trix's niece, Marilyn Gilmore. Marilyn first appears in the episode of Trix's death and funeral
Continuity[]
- Trix is first mentioned by Richard as having passed away. It seems the writers decided later on to add the character and retcon her death.
Photos[]
Stills[]
Screenshots[]
Gifs[]
Episodes[]
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Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Reigning Lorelai
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Third Lorelai
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 That'll Do, Pig
- ↑ Rory's Birthday Parties – “Well, one wrong man can always find a friend”
- ↑ Kill Me Now
- ↑ I Solemnly Swear
- ↑ The Incredible Shrinking Lorelais