Leaves are falling, cider is brewing, and candles are burning; autumn is officially here. As the weather gets chillier, you might find yourself digging up old sweaters and reaching for the remote to put on a seasonal favorite: Gilmore Girls (2000).
The show is a comedic drama that follows the strong relationship between a mother and daughter, Lorelai and Rory, living in a small, quirky town called Stars Hollow. But to some, Gilmore Girls is much more than that. It is a yearly ritual that commences once the first green leaf turns yellow. But, why is that?
The creators of the show, Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband Daniel Palladino, visited a small town in Connecticut around October in 1999. The attractiveness of the town sparked the concept of Stars Hollow and all of its characters. This destined the series, with all of its charm, to the season of autumn. It even premiered on October 5.
Gilmore Girls’ characteristic fall vibe is composed of the little details. The intro of the show itself exhibits the warmer side of the color wheel, depicting red, orange, and yellow, all closely correlated with the season. The first two images in the intro are a variety of trees covered in color-changing leaves. Throughout the episodes, there can be pumpkins in the background, as well as other autumn decorations. Even the girls’ obsession with coffee connects with how people start enjoying hot drinks as the weather gets colder.
Character wardrobe has a lot to do with autumn too! Rory is known for her outfits in the earlier episodes, such as her Chilton school uniform, and her constant use of sweaters and cardigans. We all know that fall is sweater weather. Flannel and denim are seasonal must haves and “coincidentally” are the only fabrics the character Luke, owner of Luke’s Diner, is ever seen wearing other than his iconic backwards baseball cap.
Fall is the time to fall in love, at least in the Gilmore world. Lorelai and Rory both catch feelings for their love interests in, you guessed it, the fall! Rory’s relationships mostly start around this time— even her first kiss happened in the beginning of the school year. Lorelai also follows this pattern with the men she meets and falls for. Many pivotal moments in the show occurred during the same iconic months: October and November. Even Rory’s birthday is on October 8th! Sometimes summers are skipped entirely from one season to the next.
Halloween and Thanksgiving are the non-religious holidays that start off the school year and are celebrated by most Americans. Thanksgiving specifically is when the whole family gets together, which mostly causes a bunch of drama (we all have that one aunt), but it still ends up being a nice evening. Stars Hollow feels like one big family, the good and the bad. Entering a period of family gatherings and reminders of why you only see each other once or twice a year, the characters in Gilmore Girls go through the same experience.
The residents in the show are closely involved in each other’s lives. Everyone knows everyone’s business; gossip in the town travels like wildfire. This can grow to be irritating, but it also ensures that people are taking care of each other. The Stars Hollow community is one of the strongest, and it’s the reason Lorelai was drawn to make a home there.
Social media has amplified the autumn vibes in Gilmore Girls. Creation of trendy aesthetics like “cottage core” and “light academia” has led people to put such labels on shows, movies, and books, thus putting Gilmore Girls into a cozy fall category. The series already has the mood but the media has enhanced the aesthetics and evolved it into traditions and trends. In a way, it was because of Tik Tok and other platforms that the tradition came to be.
Museum School’s sophomore Alice Oberman loves watching Gilmore Girls in the fall. Since 2022, when she first watched the series, she has rewatched the whole show twice. “This is a yearly tradition for me”, she tells The Gallery. “Every time it hits November, I love to rewatch my favorite seasons. It definitely is seasonal for me. I get a lot of fall nostalgia.” Her favorite thing about the show is its humor and its charismatic characters. She adds that social media influences her decision to rewatch it as well. “If you haven’t seen Gilmore Girls already, go watch the show! It is incredible, very well written and well made.”
Especially for people who live in a big bustling place like New York City, it’s easy to find comfort in a show that feels like you’re snuggled up by the fireplace with a cup of tea (or coffee) in your hands. The show’s sense of homeyness and warmth might be the reason Netflix ratings grow so rapidly this time of year. What are you waiting for? Get out your candles, sweaters, blankets, and coffee and turn on that TV.
