8 Quintessential 2000’s TV Show Episodes To Rewatch This Fall

Pumpkin picking, hayrides, crunching leaves, a warm chai latte, all things that define the perfect fall. Why only experience it in person when you can tune into these festivities on TV? Countless classic series feature characters engaging in everyone’s fall favorites, from festivals and fairs to Halloween and Thanksgiving traditions.

2000s classics capture the essence of autumn when the season rolls around. Here’s a guide to enjoy the most fall-filled episodes for the perfect night-in!

. “Kiss and Tell” Gilmore Girls (Season 1, Episode 7)

Stars Hollow is adorned with its best fall decorations to commemorate the Autumn Festival. Luke’s characteristic cynicism leads him into a squabble with Taylor Doose over Luke’s lack of fall decorations, in which Taylor remarks the persuasive and unintentionally comedic phrase “Autumn has many varied hues to toy with.” Rory stumbles into her first kiss with Dean in Doose’s market, mistakenly shoplifting cornstarch amidst the chaos of this romantic exchange. Hesitant to tell Lorelei, tensions arise when Lane’s mom reveals Rory’s secret. While Gilmore Girls is spiritually an autumn series, this episode takes the turkey. You can’t get more classically and campily fall than Lane and Rory dressed as pilgrims for the town’s “Cornucopia Food Drive.”

. “Thanks For The Memories” Grey’s Anatomy
(Season 2, Episode 7)

Contrasting with the cold, bustling environment of the usual hospital setting, this special Thanksgiving episode offers several fall-themed storylines. Of course, the hospital is the usual retreat for the family-averse Meredith Grey, finding herself on an emotional case with her angsty situationship, Derek Shepherd. The other characters fall into troubles like Izzie’s last-minute beginner turkey cooking, “assisting” Burke and driving Christina to predictably retreat to the hospital. George is kidnapped by his dad and brothers into a dreaded hunting tradition. Alex is plagued with stressful studying to retake his board examination, causing tension between him and Izzie. Despite a hectic surgical case and the others’ festive troubles, the OG five, Meredith, George, Izzie, Christina, and Alex, come together to enjoy a wholesome Thanksgiving feast at the classic Grey home.

. “Homecoming” Vampire Diaries (Season 3, Episode 9)

The homecoming dance encroaches Mystic Falls High, but this is only a piece of the puzzle of a drama-filled scheme the episode entails. The main three, Damon, Stefan, Elena, and their allies, all plan to kill Klaus, one of the powerful original vampires. Their scheme, of course, runs into obstacles, and nothing goes as intended. Rebekah experiences a familial betrayal. Stefan takes an unexpected turn in the plan, causing tension with the main three. Tyler and Caroline run into trouble. The episode unravels to the extreme within the backdrop of an autumnal high school dance. In lighter aspects, the drama is contrasted with a mystical setting. Warm amber and gold tones light the homecoming dance, embellished with muted florals, deep reds, pumpkins, and string lights. A typical Vampire Diaries-esque foggy haze emphasizes the season of this episode; candle lights, fallen leaves, and a moody aura bring together the mood of both the episode’s drama and festive nature.

. “Conversations with Dead People” Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Season 7, Episode 7)

The town of Sunnydale experiences several eerie encounters on one chilling fall night. Buffy is up to her usual mission, this time facing an old classmate-turned new vampire, switching the fight into a psychological introspection of Buffy’s psyche. Connected to this extraordinary therapy session, Dawn is haunted by a seemingly motherly figure who hints to her of Buffy’s danger. Willow is visited by a familiar spirit, whose inviting nature is laced with suspicion. Spike delves into dark acts, compelled by evil. The episode isolates these different storylines, all to capture the lonely, sinister nature of the night. Dim lighting and gold/brown tones enhance the autumnal environment, warm lamps and shadows count towards the stillness in the air, and the cold fall nights.

. “Pilot” Pretty Little Liars (Season 1, Episode 1)

Introducing Rosewood, Pennsylvania. A cookie-cutter town with a chilling darkness lying beneath it. A sleepover of five friends, Aria, Spencer, Hanna, Emily, and Alison, begins the madness of the series. The sleepover’s playfulness comes to a halt when Alison DiLaurentis mysteriously disappears. A year’s time jump reveals the group’s separation after this event. Alison’s body is found, and they become reunited by chilling messages from an anonymous sender, “A.” The sender has mysterious ties to Alison’s secrets, threatening the exposure of the four girls, introducing the series’ plot. The episode opens the show as eerie and mysterious, with muted brown, amber, and grey scenery. Fallen leaves, cloudy skies, and warm lighting define its crisp late-summer-to-fall time setting.

. “Road Trip To Harvard” Gilmore Girls (Season 2, Episode 4)

In an attempt to escape familial pressures and romantic turmoil, Lorelei and Rory impulsively depart from the crisp Stars Hollow for a road trip. Fall is all over this episode; each stop along the way encapsulates the tones, decor, and vibes of the season. They stumble upon a cozy, traditional bed and breakfast that screams autumn with its warm tones and classic New England decor. They stop at Rory’s dream school, Harvard University. Rory is struck with aspirations and visions of her future as a student. The ivy-covered buildings accentuate the amber and golds of the wind-swept Massachusetts trees. In classic Gilmore Girls tradition, hot coffee and colorful scarves complement the episode’s soft and nostalgic soundtrack. The episode evokes fall’s tradition of new beginnings, a fresh start for the girls, in Lorelei’s romantic life and hopes for Rory as a student, and in Rory’s academic aspirations and spirit.

. “The Treasure Of Serena Madre” Gossip Girl (Season 3, Episode 11)

Memorable yet chaotic spectacles haunt the Upper East Side once again, but this time it’s Thanksgiving. Serena, back from a voyage with the congressmen Tripp van der Bilt, her married boss (and secret affair), is expectedly on the radar of the gossipy elite New York community. Blair is beyond upset with her mother, who possibly created a recipe for disaster by inviting her boyfriend, Cyrus, and the recently married Lily Van der Woodsen and Rufus Humphrey to the same Thanksgiving feast. Nate is struggling with feelings for Serena, uncovering truths about her affair in his turmoil. Dan and Vanessa are amidst some awkward romantic confusion. Jenny experiences romantic and social struggles of her own, with her blossoming connection to the dangerous Damien Dalgaard, on top of her manipulative and calculative obligations of being the new queen bee of Constance Billard. The iconic Thanksgiving dinner scene unravels the conflicting and dramatized tensions between all these storylines in a fascinating and almost comedic manner, strangely complemented by Jason Derulo’s “Whatcha Say.” The setting is a classic chilly New York fall, deep warm tones, autumn decor, cozy pea coats, and fashionable fall outfits. Warm golden lighting, matched with perfectly placed elegant dinnerware and candle adornments, contrasts with the disorderly troubles and secrets of the elite.

. “Chick Flick” Charmed (Season 2, Episode 18)

“Chick Flick” encapsulates the essence of a classic horror movie, evoking the campiness of Halloween with the show’s supernatural theme. The Halliwell sisters, Prue, Piper, and Phoebe, get tangled up in a series of duels against the villains of old slasher films, conjured up by the underworld-escapee and main villain of the episode, the Demon of Illusion. Prue’s love interest, Andy, is roped into the chaos of the episode, realizing the extent of the girls’ jeopardy. Their fates are in the hands of their plan to defeat the demon of illusion, severing the ties the enemies have to the real world. The episode’s thrilling plot and spooky encounters are complemented by amber lighting and dim interiors that define an October night. The playful fear and nostalgia of the callback of slasher films accentuate the Halloween and horror movie themes prevalent in the fall. Foggy San Francisco streets, matched by the candlelit Halliwell manor, accentuate the crucial October spookiness.

. Honorable Mention: The La La’s in Gilmore Girls

I think I speak for my fellow fall-fans in that the number one fall habit/tradition is humming or imagining the Gilmore Girls’ “La La” tunes while walking outside on a crisp autumn day. Nothing is more representative of iconic 2000s fall nostalgia than these transitional chimes. The “La La’s” appear in several episodes, but they themselves evoke a cheery fall mood to uplift any chilly day.

The fall comfort rewatch

While fall is usually a time of transition and new beginnings, the best medicine for a cozy night in is a classic 2000s series. Enjoy these flicks for your mental fall mood board and bask in the autumn moods, colors, and decor!

• 2000s
• college
• entertainment
• fall