Written by Gabrielle Wilkinson
Gilmore Girls is a comedy-drama series by Amy Sherman-Palladino. The series follows single mother Lorelai and her teenage daughter Rory as they navigate the trials and tribulations of their lives and their seemingly perfect relationship. Set in the charming fictional town of Stars Hollow, the show ran for 7 successful seasons (2000-2007) and became one of the most streamed shows after its addition to Netflix in 2014.
Rory specifically encapsulates the spirit of autumn through her sweet and often naive nature. More than 10 years since its finale, Rory has become a social media trend-setter with floods of reels dedicated to students channeling her work ethic in the back-to-school season. She was a walking Pinterest Board before anyone ever strung that sentence together.
‘How can a person know everything at 18 but nothing at 22?’ If there was one song to describe the difference between the earlier and later seasons, ‘Nothing New’ by Taylor Swift would take the crown; this represents a shift from Debut Taylor, light and innocent, to Red, where complications of adult life are prominent themes. You can find autumn in every season of Gilmore Girls, but one of the reasons people obsess over the show in autumn is the cliche of the earlier seasons. Small town with a cosy dinner, picturesque houses and two best friends that happen to be mother and daughter? Yes please.
So, picture this: it’s a crisp autumn evening and you want to transcend into another world. Maybe 21-year-old Rory and her realism is not for you tonight – what episodes should you watch?
The Pilot – Season 1, Episode 1
The beginning is a very good place to start. From the moment you click play, you will be greeted with a scenic backdrop of Stars Hollow, before following Lorelai to Luke’s Diner whilst ‘There She Goes’ by the La’s teases the background. It is the perfect autumn setting. Everything about it screams cosy, and you might feel some resentment that you are not walking those streets yourself. The first episode is also where Rory meets her first boyfriend, Dean. Very few people work through the series and remain Team Dean, but in the first episode he is simply introduced as the classic small-town boy love interest – their interactions practically burst with innocence.
Rory’s Birthday Parties – Season 1, Episode 6
‘I am an autumn’ is plastered over videos of leaves falling and cosy fall decor on Instagram and TikTok. Even if you have never watched Gilmore Girls, you will have likely heard the famous phrase from this episode. Following the festivities of Rory turning 16, two contrasting parties by her grandparents and mother take place. One is poised, polite and littered with classmates she does not know; the other is cake and feather boas, surrounded by the townsfolk who raised her. During the latter party, Rory hands her grandfather a trashy magazine, and he later declares he is an autumn after discovering his colour pallet in the magazine quiz. Cheap cake, a birthday in October and Rory’s grandfather reading a magazine? If that doesn’t sell it, nothing will.
They Shoot Gilmores, Don’t They? – Season 3, Episode 7
The iconic dance marathon. 50s hairdos and a challenge you will only find in a small town. Rory and Lorelai partake in a 24-hour danceathon, and viewers are treated to awe-inducing autumnal shots of the town, before trouble in paradise when Dean breaks up with Rory at the dance after bearing witness to her feelings towards another boy. Stars Hollow dressed with autumn colours, drama and dancing – grab the popcorn.
***
So, what are you waiting for ?! Go grab some ‘coffee coffee coffee’ as Lorelai would demand, and transcend into the world of Gilmore Girls.
Discover more from SeaGlass Literary
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
