‘Gilmore Girls’ Theory: Anna Nardini Was Supposed to Be Luke Danes’ Love Interest
Anna Nardini appeared for the first time in season 6 of Gilmore Girls. Along with her daughter, April Nardini, she served as a perfect foil to Luke Danes and Lorelai Gilmore’s relationship. If it weren’t for April and Anna, Luke and Lorelai likely would have married as planned. Still, some Gilmore Girls fans think Amy Sherman-Palladino had more in store for Luke and Anna; it just never came to fruition.
Who was Anna Nardini?
Anna Nardini first appeared in “The Perfect Dress,” the eleventh episode of season 6. She and Luke Danes dated roughly seven years before the start of Gilmore Girls. Anna is the mother of April Nardini, Luke’s daughter.
After learning that he was a father, Luke visited Anna to figure out why she didn’t bother to tell him about April. Anna explained that Luke “hated kids” while they were dating, so she opted to keep the pregnancy a secret. Once April found Luke, Anna was open to the idea of the two forming a relationship, but only on her terms. Some fans believe Anna is the sole reason that Luke and Lorelai called off their engagement in the final episode of season 6.
Were Luke Danes and Anna Nardini supposed to be love interests in ‘Gilmore Girls’?
A Reddit user theorized that Amy Sherman-Palladino intended for Anna to be more than just April’s mother. They believe Anna was supposed to be a potential love interest for Luke. If that was the plan, the series abandoned the storyline when showrunner Amy Sherman-Palladino left the series.
There is some evidence to support the theory. Luke and Anna’s first meeting after Luke learned that he was a father wasn’t all that intense. Still, there was some chemistry between the two characters. Later, Anna freaked out over Lorelai’s involvement with April’s birthday party. She went out of her way to downplay the seriousness of Luke and Lorelai’s relationship, too. She even suggested that “engagements end,” which, fans point out, is a strange thing to say.
Fans largely agree that Anna Nardini was one of the most disliked side characters
Fans likely didn’t want to see what may have been planned for Luke and Anna if love was supposed to be in the air. Anna turned out to be one of the most hated side characters on Gilmore Girls. Fans largely agree that she was unreasonable and difficult. She also caused way too much drama between Luke and Lorelai for fans to like her.
Anna was also completely unrealistic about Luke’s involvement in his daughter’s life and failed to take what she had done, by not mentioning her pregnancy, seriously. Thankfully, a love story never developed. It likely would have been just as hated as Lorelai’s marriage to Christopher Hayden.
