In the sixth season of Gilmore Girls, Luke was given the shock of a lifetime when he found out he had a 12-year-old daughter. Anna Nardini, his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his child failed to tell Luke about April because she didn't think he was ready to be a dad. Luke has since disagreed with Anna's actions and did everything in his power to be the father April needed.
Being a new dad to a teenager is never easy, especially when a person just met their child. Luke didn't know the first thing about being a parent but he pushed everything aside to be there for April. His loyalty, big heart, and can-do attitude allowed him to become a super dad in a short time. However, like all parents, Luke had his failures as well as his accomplishments.
Best: He Saved His Daughter From Appendicitis
When Luke had April at his house, she was excited about her first boy-girl party. Luke was oblivious to the notion that her friends would be having boys at their birthday parties, which led him to an uncomfortable conversation about kissing. However, it was a sweet exchange that needed to be had.
As the night went on, April began to feel ill and had a fever. It got to the point where Luke couldn't in good conscience send his daughter out. April was furious but Luke made the right decision. As it turned out, April had appendicitis and needed to have her appendix removed. If it weren't for Luke springing into action April could have been seriously affected.
Worst: The Birthday Party Had Its Moments
To be fair to Luke, it was sweet that he wanted to host April's birthday party and give her the day of her dreams. He closed down the diner for just her and her friends and had the whole day open for them to have fun. However, there were a few mishaps.
Luke didn't prepare any activities for the girls and everyone became bored rather quickly. He needed Lorelai's help to make the party a success. It was Lorelai who made April's birthday perfect, not Luke. And to make matters worse, he never told Anna about Lorelai's participation and it caused a fight.
Best: He Was A Hero On The School Field Trip
When April had a school field trip, Luke signed on to be a chaperone. The field trip spanned over a couple of days, which meant that Luke would be surrounded by a bunch of 12-year-olds and their parents while on the road.
Being surrounded by kids on a bus for an extended period of time doesn't sound like Luke Danes but he did it for the love of his daughter. April was excited that her dad was with her and told him that everyone liked him. This gave him great confidence in his new role.
Worst: He Made Promises He Couldn't Keep
Both Luke and April were devastated when Anna decided to move to New Mexico. Father and daughter had just gotten to know each other and had become close, forming a special bond. Anna, however, didn't seem to care about her daughter's or Luke's feelings and made the executive decision.
To make April feel better about the move, Luke suggested she could come to Stars Hollow on spring break and in the summer months. When Anna heard that Luke was making promises to April behind her back, she erupted. He was getting April's hopes up for something that might not even happen, which Anna didn't appreciate. And as cruel as Anna can be, she had a point in this argument.
Best: He Planned The Ultimate Summer Getaway
When April moved to New Mexico, Luke wanted to give her the best summer of her life when she came to visit. He figured that if he didn't make it fun for her, she wouldn't want to come back. And while they only knew each other a short while, Luke loved his daughter. He planned an entire boat trip for the two where they would sail along the coast. He had everything planned out beautifully and even bought a new boat for the trip. The vacation didn't end up happening but Luke's effort truly was irable.
Worst: He Handled The Lorelai & Rory Thing Horribly
Luke made a huge deal over the fact that Lorelai was keeping secrets from him when it came to her relationship with Christopher. He didn't like being lied to and needed a fresh start. Around the same time, he found out he had a daughter. And instead of following his own advice, he kept April's existence from Lorelai until she met April by accident. He never even told April that he was engaged to Lorelai. He kept them both in the dark.
When April and Luke were in Philadelphia to meet Jess, Rory was there and Luke introduced Rory as his friend — not his fiancée's daughter...
Best: He Tried Making His Home Friendlier For Her
Luke has a tendency to be a hermit. He likes his privacy and his space. He doesn't need a lot to be happy, but he demands loyalty and respect. Instead of buying a home in Stars Hollow, he continued to live above the dinner in a studio apartment.
A studio wasn't really enough space for him and April, so he did his best to make his man cave friendlier for her. The two went to Target together and bought some furnishings to brighten up the place. It was a sweet effort on Luke's part.
Worst: Did They Become Distant In The Reboot?
Luke was going through a lot in the Gilmore Girls reboot, A Year in the Life. He and Lorelai had some underlying issues and appeared to be stagnant. So, when April came to visit Luke while on break from MIT, things seemed tense. Their dinner conversation made it seem like April, Rory, and Lorelai never spent time together.
It's hard not to wonder if Luke lost touch with April while she was getting an education. Furthering this point, he didn't know she had a nose ring and he was unaware that she was so ionate about cannabis. It made fans wonder what had happened to them over the years.
Best: He Filed For t Custody
The best thing Luke did as a father was suing Anna Nardini for t custody. It wasn't fair that Anna hid April from him for 12 years and called all the shots. She kept calling April "her" kid, which wasn't fair to Luke. April was also his kid and he deserved a say in her upbringing.
The only way to get Anna to respond to Luke's seriousness was by suing her for t custody. And luckily for him, it ruled in his favor.
Worst: He Went On A Date With April's Swim Coach
Things were rough for Luke for a while when he and Lorelai broke up. Not only did he lose his best friend and fiancée but the entire town heard about their relationship issues and he was alone for the first time in a while. He enjoyed taking care of April because she was a happy distraction for him from his personal life.
But when Luke met April's swim coach, he decided to give another go at love and went on a date with her. This was a bad idea because the date didn't go well. If she was petty, she could have taken her anger towards Luke out on April. Luke shouldn't have mixed business with pleasure.