Gilmore Girls

Christopher Hayden, Rory's father, first appears in season one in "Christopher Returns". He has never visited the girls in Stars Hollow, but surprises them. Rory is thrilled, but Lorelai is reserved. He lies that his business is doing well, but cannot buy an Oxford English Dictionary for Rory. The tension and chemistry between Lorelai and Christopher is apparent throughout Chris' visit and Rory begins to hope that her parents might get back together. Things go fine until Lorelai's mother, Emily, finds out that Christopher is staying with the girls and decideds to throw a dinner party with Christopher's parents. After a verbal argument occurs between the grandparents, Lorelai and Chris seek seclusion from their families on the balcony (supposedly the site of Rory's conception), they sleep together, an act which Lorelai almost instantly regrets. The next morning Chris asks Lorelai to marry him, but she says "no" thinking that he is not ready for the responsibilities of being part of a family.

Christopher reappears during Season 2 when he is invited to escort Rory at her coming out party, and brings her a copy of the book he tried to buy before as a gift. While in town, he proves that he is more capable of settling down than before, having found a steady job as a consultant for a computer company in Boston and a Volvo. Lorelai begins to think that now is the time for them to pursue a relationship, but, Chris states that his girlfriend, Sherry (Mädchen Amick), is the reason for his stability. Sherry and Christopher come to a debate of Rory's and the girls, a little blind-sided, decide that Sherry and Rory should spend some time together bonding, while Christopher joins Lorelai at their Friday night dinner. Emily is mad that Christopher gets his life together for someone other than Lorelai and treats him rather coldly at dinner. Christopher then appears when Rory breaks her arm and is the support Lorelai needs. At that point, Chris and Sherry have broken up as have Lorelai and Max, so Christopher and Lorelai agree to try to be a couple. Their happiness is cut short when Christopher gets a call from Sherry, saying that she is pregnant. Lorelai and Rory are mad at Christopher and estrange themselves from him. Rory begins to secretly converse with her father after a few months have passed and both are present at the birth of his daughter "Gigi". Christopher misses Rory's high school graduation because of work.

Christopher is not around in season 4. In season 5, Lorelai comes to the rescue when Christopher calls, needing help with his baby daughter, Gigi, after Sherry has left him for a job in Paris. Lorelai is in a happy relationship with Luke at this time and Rory does not want Christopher messing that relationship up, so she tells Chris to stay away from Lorelai. When Christopher's father dies, both Lorelai and Rory realize that he is lonely and that he needs contact with both of them. At Richard and Emily's vow renewal, after being manipulated by Emily before hand, a drunken Chris lashes out at Luke, saying that Lorelai belongs with him and not Luke. Christopher causes drama between Luke and Lorelai as Rory had feared. Luke did not know that she was still in contact with him and becomes very hostile. Lorelai and Luke split temporarily because of this.

In Season 6, Christopher has inherited much money from his recently deceased paternal grandfather and asks the Gilmore girls if there is anything he can do as something of an apology for all his years of neglect. An episode deals with how much Christopher spoiled Gigi. Chris goes with Lorelai to Lane's wedding. The two drink, but Lorelai gets very drunk and makes an embarrassing speech about not getting married to Luke. In the Season Six finale, Lorelai and Luke's relationship hits some turbulence and then explodes. In the last scene, a distraught Lorelai goes to Christopher for comfort and in the season-ending cliffhanger, is seen waking up, naked, in Christopher's bed. Christopher and Lorelai begin dating. When Sherry sends a letter saying she has changed her ways and would like Gigi to visit her in France, Christopher invites Lorelai to accompany him. In Paris they have a romantic time and Christopher impulsively proposes to Lorelai, and they get married in Paris. Christopher and Lorelai's relationship becomes strained again when Christopher says that he wants to have children, but Lorelai said she isn't ready for that now. One night on his way home, Chris gets into a fist fight with Luke, from which neither one emerges the victor. In the end, Lorelai realises that she has never stopped loving Luke and cannot remain married to Christopher. Christopher makes a final appearance at Rory's college graduation, where he and Lorelai appear to be on good terms.