18 Essential Episodes of Gilmore Girls
This article was first published on February 6, 2024. Just in time for the holidays, all seven seasons of the original run of Gilmore Girls are now available to stream on Hulu as well as Netflix. The revival series Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life is exclusively on Netflix.
Millennials and Gen-Zers may have different takes on fashion trends, emojis, and the use of the word slay, but one thing we can all agree on is Gilmore Girls. Although the last episode of the WB show pre-revival aired in 2007, Gilmore has stayed hugely popular thanks to the magic of streaming; in 2022, for instance, it was the ninth-most streamed show on Netflix, with over 20 billion minutes watched — and that’s just from people who viewed it on their actual TVs, not the presumably millions of others who experienced the joys of Stars Hollow on their laptops and phones. (Including, perhaps, one Ms. Taylor Alison Swift?)
It’s not simply nostalgia that makes so many people keen to relive Gilmore Girls (or experience it for the first time), although the series, with its plethora of bucket hats and flip phones, certainly has that in spades. What makes Gilmore such a continued classic is its whip-smart humor, passionate love triangles, and, of course, that unique, beautiful bond between its titular heroines. No series before or after has captured a mother-daughter dynamic quite like Lorelai and Rory’s, so full of love, laughter, and pancakes, and perhaps none ever will. It’s just one of many reasons that Gilmore Girls remains so special.
But if you need a reminder, why not revisit the show’s most essential episodes, which we’ve rounded up below? From classics like the Dance Marathon to tearjerkers like Rory’s Chilton graduation, the hours on this list represent Gilmore at its very best — and will provide a pretty good summary for anyone just getting into the whole thing and wanting to learn what all the fuss is about. After all, to quote Lorelai and Rory, Gilmore Girls isn’t just a show — it’s a lifestyle. A religion.
“The Lorelais’ First Day at Chilton” (Season 1, Episode 2)
You thought I was going to start with the pilot, didn’t you? Although the series’ first episode introduces us to its central characters and the world of Stars Hollow, “Chilton” is what really sets up the Gilmore Girls universe in full. There’s tension between Lorelai and Emily over Rory’s education, the introduction of Rory’s lifelong frenemy/rival Paris, and Lorelai feeling inadequate in both dress and demeanor. It’s not one of Gilmore’s strongest episodes (the dialogue is … rough), but it’s a strong indication of all that’s to come later on.
“Rory’s Dance” (Season 1, Episode 9)
By nine episodes into the first season, Gilmore had started to find its footing, but this hour was the first to take things from good to great. In “Rory’s Dance,” the youngest Gilmore girl takes new boyfriend Dean to the Chilton dance (wholesome!) but they accidentally fall asleep together and come home at 5 a.m. (not so wholesome). Lorelai’s anger at her daughter, couched in fear that Rory will repeat her same mistakes (which Rory defensively denies), is compounded by Emily’s anger at her over her parenting style, and the three Gilmore women’s fight is a marvelous, furious sight to behold.
“Christopher Returns” (Season 1, Episode 15)
Ugh. Christopher. One of Gilmore Girls’ most infuriating men (and that’s saying a lot), Rory’s dad makes his first but certainly not last visit to Stars Hollow in this episode under the guise of wanting to better know his daughter. Unshockingly, he can’t accomplish this without causing major issues for everyone else; he fights with Emily and Richard, proposes to Lorelai (who thankfully turns him down … this time), and gives Luke some not-so-friendly competition. And then he returns to California to never be seen again! Ah, if only.
“Nick & Nora/Sid & Nancy” (Season 2, Episode 5)
You know who else came from California but managed not to completely screw things up? Jess Mariano! Gilmore’s most beloved bad-boy-with-a-heart-of-gold-and-Kerouac arrives in Stars Hollow with a bang in this season-two episode, pissing off everyone and wearing a puffer vest that, while hideous, can’t disguise his good looks. It’s just the start of Jess’s (too-short, in our opinion) reign, but what a start it is.
“A-Tisket, A-Tasket” (Season 2, Episode 13)
It was difficult to choose between including this episode and “The Bracebridge Dinner” for this list, as both installments are great showcases for Stars Hollow’s perhaps too-close community. But as much of a delight as Lorelai’s historical feast in “Bracebridge” is, it’s the picnic basket lunch auction in “A-Tisket” that really displays the town’s quirks and charms in full force — and sets up some romantic complications for both Gilmore girls. When Jess outbids Dean for Rory’s basket and gets to have lunch with her, Dean grows jealous (a recurring theme), and when Luke buys Lorelai’s basket in the guise of saving her from a date with a rando, it marks a notable step in their non-diner relationship.
“Teach Me Tonight” (Season 2, Episode 19)
Where to start with this episode: Rory and Jess’ car crash, Lorelai and Luke’s fight, Christopher’s return, or Kirk’s Oscar-worthy and highly disturbing short film, A Film By Kirk? It’s as drama-filled an installment of Gilmore as they come, and thanks to some especially sharp writing, moving performances from the main cast, and the pitch-perfect, only–in–Stars Hollow weirdness of Kirk’s movie, it’s also one of the show’s very best hours ever.
“They Shoot Gilmores, Don’t They?” (Season 3, Episode 7)
Ah, the infamous Dance Marathon. Considered by some fans to be Gilmore Girls’ best episode ever, “They Shoot Gilmores” features yet another strange-but-wonderful Stars Hollow tradition, the end of Rory and Dean (for now) as Jess drives the final wedge between them, and Adam Brody being adorable as Lane’s decidedly non-Korean crush Dave. That final shot of Lorelai holding a sobbing Rory in her arms as an oblivious, triumphant Kirk dances around them is a doozy.
“A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving” (Season 3, Episode 9)
Move along, Friends — it’s Gilmore Girls that has one of the best Thanksgiving TV episodes of all time. In “Deep-Fried”, Lorelai and Rory overcommit and have to eat four different dinners, which, turns out, sounds better than it actually is. Between the questionable tofurkey at the Kims’ to the deep-fried disaster at Sookie’s, the day is full of plenty of food, fights, and highly entertaining chaos.
“Those Are Strings, Pinocchio” (Season 3, Episode 22)
Got your tissues ready? Gilmore’s season-three finale sees Rory graduate from Chilton, an event that signifies not just her achievements but Lorelai’s, too. It’s an emotional hour (that speech!) that also marks a significant change in the Gilmore dynamic, with Emily and Richard agreeing to pay for Yale in exchange for Rory and Lorelai reinstating their Friday night diners, enabling Lorelai to finally live her dream of buying the Dragonfly Inn.
“The Lorelais’ First Day at Yale” (Season 4, Episode 2)
In a complete non-shocker, Lorelai and Rory don’t exactly take well to being separated for the first time. Although Rory is eager to begin her collegiate career at Yale, homesickness kicks in hard and she spends her very first night at school hosting her mom for a sleepover. Sure, it’s not the healthiest start to Rory’s adult life, but at least Lorelai helps Rory make some friends by buying takeout for everyone. Also, Paris returns, as Rory’s roommate! (With a life coach, because it’s Paris.)
“The Festival of Living Art” (Season 4, Episode 7)
Are there better season-four episodes than this one? Sure — just see the next one on our list. But “The Festival of Living Art” makes the cut for its hilariously absurd Stars Hollow antics (Kirk as Jesus is a sight), the birth of Sookie and Jackson’s son, and the makeup and costumes so intricate that they won Gilmore Girls its only ever Emmy — a travesty, but that’s for another time.
“Raincoats and Recipes” (Season 4, Episode 22)
This was a season finale for the ages, with serious emotional whiplash: Lorelai and Luke finally get together after years of will-they-won’t-they tension (yay!), but Rory and Dean sleep together despite the fact that he’s married (not so yay, especially in the eyes of her disapproving mom). As if that wasn’t enough, Emily and Richard announce they’ve separated, the Dragonfly Inn officially opens, and a startlingly nude Kirk struggles with night terrors.
“You Jump, I Jump, Jack” (Season 5, Episode 7)
Welcome to the fold, Logan Huntzberger. This may not be the first episode to feature the guy who’ll become Rory’s third serious boyfriend, but it’s one of the most pivotal. When Logan and his friends, aka “The Life and Death Brigade,” take an unexpecting Rory for a risk-filled weekend away, our heroine is at first unsure — but she soon lets her guard down and joins in on the fun, opening her eyes to a new way of living. Also in this hour: Emily harangues Luke and Lane and Zach start dating.
“Wedding Bell Blues” (Season 5, Episode 13)
The 100th episode of Gilmore Girls, “Wedding Bell Blues” has no shortage of drama, including Emily and Richard renewing their vows, Rory making out with Logan during the reception (and getting caught), and Lorelai telling Emily, who tried to sabotage her daughter’s romance with Luke by inviting Christopher to the party, that their relationship is over. Of course, we know the break is only temporary, but that doesn’t make it any less hard to watch.
“A House Is Not a Home” (Season 5, Episode 22)
It was inevitable that the princess of Stars Hollow would eventually make some big mistakes, but did they have to be so cringey? In the season-five finale, Rory steals a boat (!), quits Yale (!!), and starts a massive rift with Lorelai (!!!), who deals with her grief by … proposing to Luke (!!!!). It’s not just the scope of Rory’s ill-advised actions that’s so hurtful to her mom (and viewers), but the fact that, knowing that Lorelai will call her out for her behavior, she leans on Emily and Richard for support instead. It’s tough to watch, especially for those who know the feud won’t be resolved for many more episodes.
“The Prodigal Daughter Returns” (Season 6, Episode 9)
This episode contains both good news and bad: Rory returns home and ends her fight with Lorelai, but Luke finds out he has a daughter named April, who, it turns out, happens to be the world’s most annoying preteen girl. And so starts the worst Gilmore plotline ever, with April causing so much tension between Lorelai and Luke that it torpedoes the romance they worked so hard to build. But hey, at least Rory and Lorelai are finally back together.
“Friday Night’s Alright for Fighting” (Season 6, Episode 15)
Sure, there’s other semi-important stuff in this episode like April causing tension on Luke and Lorelai’s relationship and Rory saving the Yale paper with Logan’s help, but none of that holds a candle to the hour’s real showcase: Rory and Lorelai’s return to Friday night dinner at Emily and Richard’s. Epically loud, painfully real, and perfectly edited, the scene encapsulates everything that makes Gilmore great.
“Bon Voyage” (Season 7, Episode 22)
Let’s get it out of the way: Most of Gilmore Girls season seven is less than stellar, thanks to series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and her writing/life partner Daniel Palladino leaving the show before the season’s start. But the finale does a decent enough job wrapping things up. Rory, after getting a dream job working on the Obama campaign, is fêted by the town in an emotional good-bye party, and Luke and Lorelai get back together for good. Despite the season’s flaws, the series ends exactly how it should (at least until the 2016 revival), with the two Gilmore girls in Luke’s diner, mainlining greasy food and happily chatting away.
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