Gilmore Girls is my #1 favorite show; it always has been since I can remember. I went from watching reruns with my mom on Saturday mornings to now rewatching it on Netflix so many times over that I honestly can’t even tell you how many times I’ve seen it. I will admit, though, that occasionally I’ll skip the seventh season when I watch. A girl can only handle so much. IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE SHOW: be warned, there are spoilers for every season beyond this point. Some important disclaimers to help give you a picture of my experience with the show: I’m Team Jess, Team Luke; Sookie and Jackson are my favorite couple; I believe Christopher was the worst choice for Lorelai and the worst character on the show; I believe Lorelai and Emily were both to blame for their poor relationship, but it can never really be repaired; I believe Rory was bad to Dean in the end, but he was worse to her for much longer; and I believe Logan was manipulative, bad for Rory, and ultimately caused her spiral down in season 5. And, unpopular opinion, I don’t think the revival was all that horrible (make no mistake, though, it could’ve been much better). So, without further ado, and in my very qualified opinion, here is the best episode from each season of Gilmore Girls.
- Season 1: Love, Daisies and Troubadours
-
I could watch all of season 1 on repeat for the rest of my life, but there’s just something so fulfilling about this episode. I just feel like it wraps up the season so well and I love that it brings resolve instead of a cliffhanger. This episode has some of the most beautiful romantic moments, from the 1,000 yellow daisies Max used to propose to Lorelai, to Rory’s iconic line: “Because I love you, you idiot!” I also think Luke repairing everything around their house in this episode is so funny. Lorelai and Rory are so happy about their relationships finally coming together, but all they really want is to see each other to share their news. I think it’s very appropriate that the very end of the episode closes with the two girls “in their own little corner of the world” (just like the song that plays).
- Season 2: The Bracebridge Dinner
-
This episode is just so much fun, I always look forward to it. I love that we get to see all our favorite Stars Hollow characters together when we usually only get to see a few of them at a time. I was also so happy to see jolly Richard return because he is one of my favorites and I hate watching him and Emily fight. The best part for me is the romantic tension between Jess and Rory. They share their little glances throughout the night, talk on the sleigh ride, and we all unspokenly know it was Jess who destroyed the snowman so Rory and Lorelai would win the contest.
- Season 3: Say Goodnight, Gracie
-
So. Much. Happens. In. This. Episode. Fran dies, so Lorelai and Sookie can finally get their inn. Jess meets his dad, which was shocking for all of us. Side note: I think the casting for Jimmy was so on point. The actor looked slightly like Jess, but even more impressive was how he reflected Jess’ intonation and facial expressions in his acting. Later, Rory has her breakdown about Jess being uncommunicative and acting strangely, and out of nowhere Dean gets engaged. Plus, Jess and Luke have a huge fight and Jess gets kicked out. I think we can all agree that the highlight of this episode is Dave’s speech to Mrs. Kim, so that he could take Lane to prom. Every Gilmore Girls fan has dreamed of Dave giving that speech to their mom and reading the whole Bible in one night, just for her.
- Season 4: Raincoats and Recipes
-
Okay, I think I may be biased toward the season finales. I almost switched my pick for Season 2 to its finale as well. But this episode is definitely one of the best in the whole series. Again, like The Bracebridge Dinner, we get to see all our Stars Hollow friends in one place. One downside of the episode, though, I hated the cheating with Rory and Dean. I especially like when Luke and Kirk have funny moments together, because Luke would never admit he cares about Kirk, but we see Luke go after him instead of staying with Lorelai. Speaking of–Luke and Lorelai kiss! We’ve all been waiting for this for four seasons, and I think the scene was written in perfect Luke and Lorelai fashion. They’re in the middle of a bickering match, but they still can’t help but want to be with each other.
- Season 5: You Jump I Jump, Jack
-
My highlight of this episode isn’t necessarily what someone would probably think when I said this was my favorite of the season. The main plot of this episode is, of course, Rory’s time with the Life and Death Brigade. Yes, I loved getting to see Colin, Finn, and Robert, and it was fun to see Rory out of her comfort zone. But what I look forward to in this episode is Luke having to meet Emily and Richard. Fans of the show know that one of the biggest problems between Lorelai and Emily is that she keeps her family life and her personal life separate. But when we get to see Luke interacting with Emily and Richard, it’s like worlds colliding. It’s so funny to try and watch Luke attempt to get the parents’ approval when he has no idea how different they really are.
- Season 6: We’ve Got Magic to Do
-
This episode is best known for the DAR party Rory throws, but I like it more for the things that the party causes. Personally, I love the Paris moments in this episode. She’s one of my favorite characters, especially in her college years, and she makes me belly laugh in this one. Plus, I love Richard and Rory both realizing that they did the wrong thing in their fight with Lorelai and that Mitchum really was ultimately to blame for Rory dropping out of Yale. The best parts, though, are the fights between the grandparents and the Huntzbergers. Richard yelling at Mitchum in the bathroom is always fun to watch, but nothing tops the way that Emily eviscerated Shira in every way, with a smile on her face while she did it.
- Season 7: Santa’s Secret Stuff
-
Season 7 isn’t my favorite. I’ll watch it because it’s Gilmore Girls, but most of it I would rather skip past (mainly because of Christopher). This episode, though, is my favorite from this season for a couple of reasons. First, I of course love the Christmas vibes (I love all things winter and Christmas). I also thought that the moment toward the end where Lorelai realizes how loyal and good-hearted Luke is when they reminisce on all the bad presents he bought for Rory. But, most of all, I love the natural dynamic between Rory and Lorelai, and how obvious it is that Chris does not fit into their lifestyle at all. If you couldn’t tell, I hate him for Lorelai.
These were some hard choices. Especially with the first three seasons, I was going back and forth between two or three choices for longer than I’d like to admit. Ultimately, every episode of this show is close to my heart. But these ones hold some of my favorite moments that make the show so special to me.