WARNING: THIS POST DISCUSSES MAJOR SPOILERS FROM ALL SEASONS OF GILMORE GIRLS
On Oct. 5, 2000, the first episode of Gilmore Girls premiered in the US! To celebrate 20 years since the release of one of my favorite shows, I rewatched all episodes of its seven seasons, plus the four specials released on Netflix in 2016.
It was a very interesting experience for many reasons. The first thing that caught my attention is that I didn’t remember how frequently Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel) argued! Sure, there are the major fights that are unforgettable in seasons 5 and 6, but I had no recollection that they had big arguments in almost every episode during the first season.
Interesting also to notice some continuity errors. For starters, there’s a character whose name changed early on: Kirk (Sean Gunn) was originally named Mick in the early episodes. Also, Rory’s age is not very accurate: in the pilot, we learn she’s 16, but a few episodes later it’s her birthday and she’s turning… 16! Another interesting fact I hadn’t noticed before: Caesar, Luke’s employee at the diner, is played by different actors throughout the show! The most confusing one, however, is related to Lorelai’s grandmother: the first time she’s mentioned in the show (season 1, episode 3), it’s implied that she has passed away, with all of the verbs in the past tense (“She was quite a woman, my mother”, Richard says at one point). So it’s shocking to see that she’s very much alive later in the season!
Another characteristic I noticed is that we rarely see Lorelai and Rory actually eating. We see them orderding frequently, but most of the time they never finish their meals: they’re always late to catch a bus or meet someone, so they end up taking the food with them. The exception is probably the Friday night dinners, which last longer.
A positive thing of watching it when you’re older is the fact that you’ll probably get more of the cultural references the characters make during the show. I was positively surprised with the amount of names of people, movies, books, songs, etc., that I didn’t necessarily know back then and that I understood now!
The main aspect of the show that stood out this time is how much all of the characters’ storylines are based on lack of communication. Everyone either lies or withholds information and much of the plot revolves around others finding out the secrets too late and getting mad about it. I understand the need to do this, since it ran for 7 seasons, with 22 episodes each season, so there must be something happening to keep things moving and interesting. I don’t think I noticed that when I watched it 20 years ago, one episode per week. However, when you watch them back-to-back, it becomes very clear that the characters talk a lot (and very fast), but they don’t say the things that really matter, jeopardizing many relationships along the way.
I could go on and expand on each of the main characters, but I thought it would be easier and nicer to make a list of my favorite episodes of the show! Obviously, spoilers ahead!
15 – “Let Me Hear Your Balalaikas Ringing Out” (Season 6, episode 8)
After spending months away from her mother and from her student life, Rory realizes in this episode that she needs to get her life back on track. Both scenes featuring Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) are enlightening and the audience can see how he has finally grown up while she is the one that lost her way.
14 – “I’d Rather Be in Philadelphia” (Season 7, episode 13)
Even though this episode has a striking resemblance to episode “Forgiveness and Stuff” (season 1, episode 10), with Richard (Edward Herrmann) in the hospital and the family rushing to be by his side, this time feels different because both Lorelai and Rory have a deeper relationship with Richard. It’s also during this episode that we can see that Logan (Matt Czuchry) has matured and is ready to be there for Rory, whereas Christopher (David Sutcliffe) is not there to support Lorelai. To no one’s surprise, however, Luke (Scott Patterson) is there to help the Gilmores.
13 – “Lorelai’s Graduation Day” (Season 2, Episode 21)
Lorelai graduates from her community college and Emily (Kelly Bishop) and Richard attend! Rory, however, doesn’t make it because she had decided to go to New York to see Jess. This episode is a rollercoaster of emotions, since it’s heartwarming to see the pride in Emily and Richard’s eyes when Lorelai gets her diploma and heartbreaking when she realizes Rory wasn’t there.
12 – “Raincoats and Recipes” (Season 4, episode 22)
After spending the whole season focused on opening their own inn, Lorelai and Sookie (Melissa McCarthy) finally do it! The run-through they organize makes it possible for all characters to be together, so we can witness Emily and Richard trying to hide the fact that they have separated, Rory and Dean (Jared Padalecki) getting closer to each other (with the crucial final scene) and Luke and Lorelai getting together for the first time!
11 – “The Incredible Sinking Lorelais” (Season 4, episode 14)
I think this is the first episode up to that point in the show where Rory and Lorelai don’t share a scene together because they keep missing each other due to their schedules. They are both completely overwhelmed and thinking they’re failing. It’s interesting to see these two breaking down at the same time and realizing they are not omnipotent.
10 – Pilot (Season 1, Episode 1)
Pilot episodes are always among my favorites every time I watch a show. They provide a foundation for the journey we’re about to follow and they introduce us to the main characters and their dilemmas.
9 – “Bon Voyage” (Season 7, episode 22)
I remember watching this episode in 2007 and being incredibly sad that this show was ending. I loved seeing Christiane Amanpour and it was wonderful that Rory got to meet her! It was definitely a bittersweet ending, with a throwback to the pilot’s ending scene. However, since the show’s creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino had left the series after season 6, the fans knew deep down that it wasn’t how the show was supposed to end, which brings me to the next episode.
8 – “Fall” (Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, Episode 4)
During the show’s original run, the fans knew that Amy Sherman-Palladino had already an ending in mind and that it consisted of four words. With her departure from the show, I thought we would never find out what those words were! Thankfully, that has been ratified and we now have a full circle, with Rory ending the show pregnant. Having said that, I really wish there were more episodes, so we could see what happens next… However, at least Emily and Lorelai have found themselves and made peace with the things that were bothering them in their lives.
7 – “Those Are Strings, Pinocchio” (Season 3, Episode 22)
I just love Rory’s graduation and her speech! It’s also very sweet to see Luke attending it and it’s eye-opening to notice Christopher’s absence, albeit not surprising.
6 – “You Jump, I Jump, Jack” (Season 5, episode 7)
Luke has dinner with Emily and goes golfing with Richard! What could possibly go wrong, right? Rory attending her first “Life and Death Brigade” event is the highlight of the episode for me, especially the jump with Logan at the end.
5 – “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” (Season 2, Episode 13)
All of the storylines in this episode are very entertaining, from Lane (Keiko Agena) coming up with a very detailed plan to meet her secret crush to Kirk outbidding Jackson (Jackson Douglas) for Sookie’s basket. It’s also great to see Lorelai and Luke eating together, but the main event is the conflict between Jess and Dean, with Rory eating with Jess and losing her bracelet without realizing it.
4 – “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving” (Season 3, Episode 9)
The whole concept of attending four Thanksgiving dinners is hilarious to me and each of them has something different going on. It’s when we first learn that Rory applied to Yale and that she hadn’t told Lorelai.
3 – “Friday Night’s Alright for Fighting” (Season 6, episode 13)
Paris (Liza Weil) breaking down at the Yale Daily News is absolutely hilarious! It’s also nice to see Logan stepping up and helping the whole team to publish the paper. The highlight, of course, as the title alludes, is the Friday night dinner – the first one since Rory left her grandparents’ house. That whole sequence is shot in a very dynamic way, with cameras moving fast among the four characters at the table and everyone is ready to fight.
2 – “Wedding Bell Blues” (season 5, episode 13)
Richard and Emily’s wedding renewal takes a turn from sweet to catastrophic when Christopher shows up and gets into an argument with Luke while Rory and Logan are finally getting together for the first time! Lorelai had to deal with a lot during this episode and her decision to end things with her mother left me anxious to see what would happen next.
1 – “They Shoot Gilmores, Don’t They?” (Season 3, Episode 7)
The Stars Hollow Dance Marathon was my favorite event! Lane and Dave (Adam Brody) finally decide to meet! Jackson tells Sookie that he wants “four in four” (four children in four years)! Lorelai and Kirk compete against each other to win the marathon! And Rory and Dean break up (after hours of Jess staring at them and making Rory jealous)! The pacing of this episode is great, with a lot going on and thematic costumes to make it even more interesting.
Honorable mentions include “The Big One” (season 3), “A Vineyard Valentine” (season 6), “The Bracebridge Dinner” (season 2), and “There’s the Rub” (season 2).
All seasons of Gilmore Girls are available on Netflix.
