The trend to revisit Gilmore Girls during the Fall holiday season is upon us. The town of Stars Hollow is filled with small-town vibes, a cozy atmosphere, and the perfect autumn setting.
Many of the most iconic episodes take place during the fall season, but these ten episodes are a non-negotiable must-watch during the holidays.
Season 1, Episode 5 “Cinnamon’s Wake”
The title of this episode refers to the beloved cat of neighbors Babette and Morey, Cinnamon, who passed away. The loving, close-knit community of Stars Hollow throws a wake to honor Cinnamon. The beginning of Rory and Dean’s relationship is beginning to sprout, alongside Lorelai starting a relationship with Rory’s teacher, Max Medina (Maaax Medina). Sadly, Lorelai forgets about her date with Max because of the wake. This episode highlights the cozy, close community of Stars Hollow, from the town meeting and Cinnamon’s wake, showcasing that even the death of a pet is a town event.
Season 1, Episode 7 “Kiss and Tell”
This is considered the ultimate fall episode due to the town’s Autumn festival featuring haystacks, pumpkins, and scarecrows. Rory and Dean even have their first kiss at Doose’s Market, and Rory becomes a shoplifter out of pure nervousness from said kiss. Once Lorelai finds out about this kiss, she invites Dean over for a mother-daughter-potential boyfriend movie night. To prove to Rory that she approves of Dean.
Season 2, Episode 7 “Like Mother, Like Daughter”
Headmaster Charleston calls Rory and Lorelai into his office due to their lack of participation in school events and extracurricular activities. This encourages Lorelai to do an obligatory fashion show at the Independence Inn. Rory also joins the secret society, “The Puffs,” that Paris has been desperate to join. After a middle-of-the-night adventure that leads the group into Headmaster Charleston’s office, they rang a bell, resulting in the Puffs getting in trouble. This episode shows Lorelai and Rory walking through the fall-themed Stars Hollow and gives a glimpse into the high society of Chilton, as well as the fall vibes of the fashion show at the inn.
Season 3, Episode 8 “Let the games begin”
This episode takes place the morning after the Stars Hallow dance Marathon, an extremely popular fall event, with Kirk on his four years in a row champion streak. As Rory and Lorelai sit in the town square surrounded by hay and pumpkins, it is the epitome of the classical fall coziness. The episode continues with the tour of Yale hosted by Emily and Richard Gilmore, and the walkthrough of Yale gives the classic New England warm fall aesthetic.
Season 3, Episode 9 “A deep-fried Korean Thanksgiving”
Nothing is more fall than a classic Thanksgiving episode. Rory and Lorelai have to attend four different Thanksgivings hosted by Lane, Sookie and Jackson, Luke, and Emily and Richard. My personal favorite side plot of this episode is Kirk and his cat, who is also named Kirk. The cat begins to terrorize and harm him, forcing “human Kirk” to sleep in the town gazebo, far away from Kirk the cat.
Season 4, Episode 6 “An Affair to Remember”
Although this episode may not be directly “fall,” it has cozy autumn vibes through the focus on Rory at Yale. Lorelai and Sookie cater an office party for Emily and Richard, and Rory seeks a good study spot under a tree at Yale. I personally love the scenes with Rory under the tree; it looks so comfortable and is a perfect study spot. Kirk has another memorable sideplot, preparing for his first date with Lulu, and to his surprise, she actually enjoyed the date, turning into his girlfriend.
Season 4, Episode 9 “Ted Koppel’s big night out”
This is my favorite episode out of the entire series, following a tailgate party at the Harvard-Yale game. When Richard begins singing a cappella with his former singing group, The Wiffenpoofs, it is honestly magical. The episode takes a turn when Emily finds out Richard has been meeting his ex-fiancée, Pennilyn Lott, for an annual lunch. It also ends with a surprise, as we find out Paris’s secret romance with an older professor, Asher Fleming (ew).
Season 5, Episode 6 “Norman Mailer, I’m Pregnant”
Normal Mailer, an author, visits the Dragonfly Inn, which irritates Sookie because he is not ordering any food. Every episode that includes Rory at Yale has such nostalgic, fall vibes, which perfectly encapsulate the season, as Rory begins to find interest in a Yale secret society. She gets small hints from Logan, which originated her nickname as “Ace”. Eventually, Christopher (Rory’s dad) calls Lorelai to receive help taking care of Gigi (his daughter), but this upsets Rory, urging Christopher not to ruin the relationship between Lorelai and Luke.
Season 6, Episode 9 “The Prodigal Daughter Returns”
Sometimes, I catch myself skipping the beginning of Season 6 because I hate when Rory and Lorelai had their falling out, so this is the perfect episode to start on, as they reconnect at the end of the episode. The new school year is beginning, Rory is going back to Yale, and all is well between Rory and Lorelai. However, Luke discovers he has a child, named April, which marks the beginning of the end of his relationship with Lorelai.
Season 7, Episode 9 “Knit People Knit”
This dumpsterfire of an episode I find extremely hard to watch, but it must be included because there is nothing cozier than a Knit-A-Thon. Christopher attempts to integrate into Stars Hollow by making a generous donation to the town’s Knit-A-Thon, backfiring on him and giving me second-hand embarrassment. Meanwhile, Luke declares his fight for custody as April’s mother, Anna, announces she will be moving to New Mexico with their daughter.. The episode spirals into more trouble, with Marty (one of Rory’s friends) confessing that he still has feelings for Rory at Lucy’s party.