In recent years, a social media trend has seen millennial women contemplating what they now see as the curse of being a gifted child. “If you were a gifted child in the 90s, how’s your ADHD, high-functioning anxiety, and perfectionist-based procrastination going?” one viral clip says. Essentially, there’s a theory that young women who were seen as academic prodigies as children in the ’90s are now struggling to actually get stuff done.

Rory fits the description perfectly. She was the smartest kid in her town — so smart, she got to go to a fancy private school. After being valedictorian, she got into every college she applied for. After sailing through school getting nothing but encouragement and praise (along with what was essentially a free money tree, courtesy of her grandparents) it’s no wonder she couldn’t handle failure when it came — it’s no wonder the first sign of criticism from her editor on the Yale student paper sent her spiralling into stealing a yacht, dropping out of school, and taking refuge with her grandparents.

This brings us to the infamous 2016 reboot, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. Here, we got to see Rory’s natural progression from gifted kid to dysfunctional adult. At 32, none of Rory’s plans had come to fruition — but her sense of entitlement was still just as strong as ever. She had a bad relationship with a guy named Paul, on whom she was casually cheating with Logan. She had no job, no motivation, no direction, and, seemingly, no home. She was practically unrecognisable from the hopeful girl at her 16th birthday party. But looking back, it’s a journey that makes sense.

So, yes, Rory may have been the “worst” in Gilmore Girls. But while her fall from grace may make our favourite autumnal cosy show a little less cosy, it’s also what makes the show so rich, so nuanced, and so good.

When we last saw Rory, she was dealing with a surprise pregnancy. It’s now her 40th birthday, eight years later. By now, Rory has presumably had her child (another Gilmore Girl, naturally). I like to think she has learned a thing or two after becoming a mother during her low point back in 2016. Perhaps, she’s done a little self-reflection and faced up to the fact that whatever she wants from life, it’s ultimately up to her to get it. And us millennials who idolised her way back in 2000 might learn a thing or two from her journey, too.

Rory made mistakes. She could be selfish. She was certainly entitled. In a word, she was flawed. But maybe that’s actually a reason to love her. Because guess what: we’ve all grown up to have our own flaws, too. Maybe it’s time we embraced female characters like her in all of their messy, unappealing complexity.

No, Rory is not perfect. And yes, Gilmore Girls is a better show for it. So with that… happy 40th birthday, Rory, the relatable, flawed queen of Stars Hollow.