With a cool rain bringing the temperatures down from the 80s, one might say that fall is finally here in South Bend. And with fall comes the typical autumnal activities: apple picking, cider, thick sweaters, soups and your go-to fall rewatch of a movie or show. For many, fall marks the official rewatch of the hit show “Gilmore Girls.” Oct. 5 marked the 25th anniversary of the pilot, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel as the fast-talking, hilarious and lovable mother-daughter duo.
The pilot episode begins with the nostalgic and forever-recognizable The La’s song “There She Goes” as Lorelai Gilmore (Graham) walks into Luke’s coffee shop. Luke and Lorelai’s first interaction gives rewatchers a pleasant reminder of the long story arc those two characters will have later on throughout the series. When Lorelai Gilmore, the younger, also known as Rory (Bledel), walks into the cafe, the mother-daughter duo springs into their easygoing conversation, the dialogue known for being quick and realistic.
Episode one of any show typically sets up the characters’ motivations, with “Gilmore Girls” being no exception. Early on in the episode, we learn that Lorelai and her friend and coworker, Sookie, plan to open their very own inn as soon as they have the money for it. Rory, on the other hand, got accepted into a highly selective preparatory high school, Chilton Academy, which we learn is one step in her plan to go to Harvard. Like Lorelai’s struggle with money for the inn, the tuition for Chilton also poses a financial strain on the family.
Falling to her last resort, Lorelai visits her parents, who, upon first glance, are visibly much wealthier than she is, and their dialogue and demeanor convey a sense of estrangement between the parents and their daughter. Lorelai admits to her parents that she needs money for the down payment, and her parents agree on the one condition that Rory and Lorelai join them for dinner weekly.
While things seemed to be looking up Chilton-wise, Rory (literally) runs into Dean, a new boy at school, who she bonds with immediately. After their one afternoon of interaction, Rory decides she doesn’t want to leave to go to Chilton anymore, and Lorelai understandably freaks out when she tells her. Regardless, they still go to dinner and a fight breaks out between Lorelai and her mother in which much is revealed about their family dynamic. Rory overhears much of their conversation, including hearing that her mom had to ask them for money. Realizing the strength it took, Rory reconciles with her mom and agrees to go to Chilton.
Watching this episode 25 years after it aired, many things hold up, but I believe the nostalgia is what makes it so rewatchable. I wasn’t around in the year 2000, so while I can’t speak on the original reactions to the pilot episode, I can say that “Gilmore Girls” as a whole holds up as a comfort show to many, despite the irks some people have with it. In an effort to be relatable, the writers of the show placed pop culture references throughout the script, particularly in the dialogue between Lorelai and Rory. This dates the show a bit, but the issue most people have with this aspect of the show is that it’s almost too witty and that there are too many references. Another consistent issue people have with the show is Rory herself and the decisions she makes, particularly regarding relationships. We get a taste of it when she almost gives up Chilton for a boy she met that day, but the main issues come in later seasons.
Despite the problems, the nostalgia and magical feel carry throughout the show and bring a sense of comfort over any viewer. Much of the magic of the show comes from its idealized view of life in the small town of Stars Hollow. This storybook town hosts the inn where Lorelai works, the high school Rory attends and other places and events, like the hayride, bakery and other shops and cafes. The set encapsulates a perfect New England fall, complete with all the magic of the small town.
From the seemingly never ending mornings before school, to the perfect walkability of Stars Hollow, to the unity and sense of community present throughout, the life of Rory Gilmore and her friends and family is enviable to those of us stuck in a car-based world where we wake up 15 minutes before class and long for community in everything we do. Part of the appeal of a show like “Gilmore Girls” is that to college students, living walking distances away from everything we need combined with the academic setting means we can live out our own Gilmore-style life, romanticizing every aspect of fall until we feel like we too experience the magic of Stars Hollow.
