The first orange leaf on the floor means fall is officially here. There’s no better way to start off the new season than by bundling up with a pumpkin-spiced latte and watching (or re-watching) Gilmore Girls.
Gilmore Girls is a television show that originally aired on Oct. 5, 2000. The comedy-drama series follows a mother-and-daughter duo, Rory Gilmore (played by Alexis Bledel) and Lorelai Gilmore (played by Lauren Graham) as they go about their life in the small town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut.
After watching Gilmore Girls, it’s impossible not to dream of visiting the Gilmore’s cozy fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. Although Stars Hollow seems picture-perfect, Amy Sherman-Palladino, the creator of the show, came up with the idea of the town after being inspired by her trip to Connecticut.
Elements from areas including Washington Depot, Connecticut, West Hartford, Connecticut, and the town of New Milford were used as a reference to create Stars Hollow. Even the hotel Sherman-Palladino stayed at in Connecticut, called the Mayflower Inn, was a reference for the DragonFly Inn, which is the inn that Lorelai runs in the show. Sherman-Palladino was successful in creating a family show that is enjoyable for people of all ages while still being very relatable to its younger viewers.
The show begins with 16-year-old Rory, who also happens to be the age that her mother, Lorelai Gilmore, became pregnant with her. At that age, Lorelai decided to disconnect from her wealthy, disapproving parents and raise her daughter, Lorelai “Rory” Gilmore, as a single mother.
Eventually, Lorelai is forced to rekindle her relationship with her parents after having some financial troubles in paying for Rory’s prep school tuition, by meeting for weekly family dinners at their place. This allows Rory to build a new relationship with her grandparents, whom she never met prior.
As the show progresses the same themes of growing up, relationships, and school remain constant. Between the two main characters, Rory seems to act more maturely than her mother on several occasions. Rory is an avid reader and studious with a goal of attending Harvard while Lorelai is the free-spirited and talkative mother with lots of pop-culture references. Despite their differences, their bond (especially over coffee) shines throughout the series as they consider themselves to be each other’s best friend.
Although Gilmore Girls first aired years ago, the show and its aesthetics still makes circles on social media platforms like TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram today. Fans have recreated outfits inspired by those worn by Rory and Lorelai on the show. There have even been Spotify playlists inspired by them such as one titled, “Studying like Rory Gilmore,” made by Spotify user Angel, which has 53,559 likes.
The phrase “Rory Gilmore Fall” has become popular among fans to describe the approaching fall season and its association to the start of school while still giving a nod to the academic focused Rory Gilmore.
This is one of the few shows that I never get tired of watching over and over, despite knowing what happens. Rory is also one of the first TV characters that I was able to relate to, in a way, because we both shared the same dream of becoming a journalist. It’s no surprise that the show became a cult classic because it’s easy to watch and despite the occasional drama that builds up in the episodes, the characters’ witty remarks and interactions with one another all make up this cozy, lighthearted show.
If you are in need of another show to start, you simply must add Gilmore Girls to your watchlist this season and maybe have your own “Rory Gilmore Fall” too.
