25 Thoughts I Had While Watching Netflix’s ‘A Christmas Prince’ for the First Time

Lane deserved better after a life of seeking independence

Throughout Lane's formative teenage years, she was forced to hide her true identity and interests in order to appease her mother. From hiding CDs in her floorboards and changing her clothes when she got to school, Lane was under a lot of pressure to keep her mom happy, while still trying to figure out who she was. Her mother even kicked her out after finding out about her "secret life," causing Lane to have to move into Rory's dorm. Rory, on the other hand, had a mother who supported her every dream and who she could be fully herself with.

I'm not sure why only one of these two besties got to live out their dreams, but if it did have to play out this way, it should have been Lane Kim. Given how difficult her upbringing was, couldn't the show have given her a win by having *her* be the one who gets to follow her dreams?

Lane's love life is lackluster

Once again, the show propped up Rory and gave her not one, not two, but three love interests. Whether or not you love all three of them, we can all admit that each boyfriend was compatible with Rory in their own way, and helped her learn and grow. Lane, however, did not get this. Her first boyfriend, Dave, is great. He's kind and sweet and understanding of her family situation, but the show breaks them up because they can't handle being long-distance. (Technically, we know actor Adam Brody had to leave for The O.C. but where is the justice??!)

After Dave, it all goes downhill from there for poor Lane. She ends up with Zack, who isn't bad but isn't great. And, as soon as Lane is finally getting to pursue her passion by going on tour with her band, she finds out she and Zack are pregnant. Considering how long Lane dreamed of getting to be her authentic herself and openly express her interests, it feels cruel that this twist of fate took it away from her at this exact moment.

Lane made the best of her situation

Despite Rory having almost every opportunity available to her, we find out in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life that she is making bad decisions (like, er, sleeping with an engaged man) and is struggling to find her way. Lane, on the other hand, has made the best out of the cards she's been dealt. She's still married to Zack, is taking care of her twins, and has even kept music in her life by joining a band. I can't help but think if Lane can forge ahead despite all of her unfortunate circumstances, how fantastic could her life have been if the writers had served her just a little bit more good fortune?

Lane could have served as the role model so many girls needed

Lane's experience mirrors many Asian-American girls' lives. She had a strict upbringing and struggled to strike a balance between fitting in with her American peers and forming her own identity, while still trying to manage her mother's expectations of who she should be. As an Asian-American, Lane's experiences mirrored many of my own, and, at a time when there was such little Asian representation, this was extremely impactful.

With the lack of representation at the time, it was even more important that Lane was dealt an ending that she and her viewers could be proud of. Instead of turning her into somewhat of a cautionary tale, her story could have been utilized to empower an audience of individuals who saw themselves in her. For that reason, Lane's treatment on Gilmore Girls will never quite sit right with me.

She misses her mother’s graduation to hang out with Jess.

All Rory had to do was attend this one event for Lorelai — the single mom who raised her and aside her pride to get her the best education — and she failed to show up when it mattered most. Did she really need to see Jess in New York that day? I don’t think so.

She's not a very good friend to Lane.

Rory treats Lane as dispensable, like a side character in her life who's sole job is to support her through each up and down of life. Even when Lane mentions that she doesn't like feeling second to Rory's latest BF, not much changes — even well into the reboot.

​She doesn't seem to respect other people's relationships, including those who are literal married.

Obviously, it takes two to tango — but that doesn’t excuse Rory's role in sleeping with Dean, a married man. Said affair is certainly the start to her downward spiral, one that unfortunately takes many others down the hole with her. It's bad enough that she's complicit in the affair with her high school ex, Dean, but it's her attitude after that that really solidifies her skewed moral compass.

Thought that was enough adultery? Not for Rory — she sleeps with the soon-to-be-married Logan!

Rory clearly has a thing for taken men — especially ones she used to be in a relationship with. Forgetting your current BF is bad enough, but cheating on him with the man whose proposal you turned down is a new low. We'll never forget you, Paul!

She literally stole a yacht just because someone said something she didn't like.

OK — it makes sense to be angry if someone (especially your boyfriend's dad) tells you that you're not cut out for your life's goal in a professional setting. But dang! You don't have to steal a yacht! Come on, Rory.

She straight up fat-shamed a dancer in a newspaper article.

Do we even need to say more? Do better, dude.

​Her white privilege reaaaaaally jumped out in the later seasons.

Yale got a little hard, and boom! She moved into the pool house at her grandparents' house and joins the DAR. And when Paris shows up after finding out all her parents' money is gone, Rory just sheds a tear for her own misfortune. First Lane, now Paris? This girl really needs to learn how to be a friend.

Her professionalism and overall perspective on work is..............questionable.

Remember that white privilege we mentioned? Instead of accepting a job that would pay for her needs and support her, Rory decides she'd rather take a chance on a fellowship at the New York Times. Rory does not receive the fellowship, and returns to the original offer to see if the old job is available. It's not.

​Her career-based self-entitlement in the reboot.

It’s shocking that this woman has had a decade-long career in journalism, and still doesn’t know how it works. Not only does Rory compromise her integrity by sleeping with a source, but she (somehow) believes she’s entitled to a job after writing one article, arrives at a job interview completely unprepared, freaks out when she doesn’t get the job she wants, and for some reason thinks Condé Nast should seek her out for a job? It's delusion at it's finest.

Blake Lively's The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Co-Stars

Most upsetting is the unabashed exploitation of domestic violence survivors' stories to silence a woman who asked for safety. The hypocrisy is astounding.

We are struck by the reality that even if a woman is as strong, celebrated, and resourced as our friend Blake, she can still face forceful retaliation for daring to ask for a safe work environment. We are inspired by our sister's courage to stand up for herself and others.

For anyone seeking more information or engaging in this important conversation online, please read the full legal complaint in the investigative reporting by Megan Twohey, Mike McIntire, and Julie Tate for the New York Times.

Colleen Hoover, Author of It Ends With Us

Paul Feig, Director of A Simple Favor

Director Paul Feig also shared his thoughts about what it's like to work with Blake on X. He said, "I’ve now made two movies with Blake and all I can say is she’s one of the most professional, creative, collaborative, talented and kind people I’ve ever worked with. She truly did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her. I think it’s awful she was put through this."

Robyn Lively, Blake Lively's Sister

The sisterly energy is real and we're so glad Blake is surrounded by it. Robyn, Blake's big sister, shared her full thoughts in a lengthy Instagram caption just 10 hours!

While encouraging people to do research for themselves by reading The New York Times article that details the devious plot to publicly destroy Blake, she had other things to say. "We live in an age where we have access to people’s personal lives like never before — especially actors. It makes us feel like we know them. We see them on social media, watch clips of them, and make snap decisions about their character," she wrote. This reminds me of the parasocial relationships author Amanda Montell detailed in The Age of Magical Overthinking — definitely something for us all to keep in mind.

She also called out how easy it is for the media to warp the public's perception of the truth. "The 'truth' in the tabloids is hardly ever what you think," she added before eventually expressing how "proud" she is that her sister "didn't allow herself to be silenced in the face of adversity and lies."

Bart Johnson, Blake Lively's Brother-in-law

According to Page Six, Blake's brother-in-law Bart Johnson didn't hesitate to share his thoughts about the behavior of Baldoni and his team. He reportedly wrote, "Her complaints were filed during the filming. On record. Long before the public conflict. The cast unfollowed him [Baldoni] for a reason." in the comment section of the NYT Instagram post about the lengthy deep dive into what happened.

He continued by writing, "His PR team was stellar. Gross and disgusting but highly effective. Read the article, their text message exchanges and his PR campaign strategy to bury her by any means necessary. No one is with out [sic] faults. But the public got played."