The Return to Stars Hollow

Examining the ever-present need to rewatch the cult classic the minute the leaves begin to turn.

BY RACHEL HOPPE

I’ll be the first to admit it: "Gilmore Girls" is my pleasure show, and I don’t even feel guilty about it. There’s something inherently comforting about the grainy, early-2000s cinematography paired with the cozy atmosphere the quaint, east-coast town of Stars Hollow brings. Upon making contact with the crisp autumn air for the first time in the season, I immediately crave to hear Carole King joyously sing the show’s theme song, “Where You Lead”. Rewatching the pilot for the umpteenth provides me with the same comfort as wrapping myself up in a warm and familiar blanket. 

Though, why is it that I and so many others partake in the sacred autumnal tradition that is rewatching "Gilmore Girls?" As much as I love the show, it can be incredibly infuriating to watch. The two main characters, mother Lorelai and daughter Rory are incredibly stuck up and unaware of their own privilege–something that pretty much no character seems to be aware of. If you’re anything like me, you shudder the moment anyone mentions “Yale Rory” for that exact reason. Beyond that, Rory’s abhorrent taste in men never fails to irk me (though this may be my own personal gripe with the show). 

All that aside, my frustrations with the show are trumped time and time again by the warm and fuzzy, New England-small-town vibes that "Gilmore Girls" exudes. Nothing motivates me to tackle my own responsibilities more than hearing Rory Gilmore talk about her personal reading list or seeing the intense dark academia aura Rory’s school, Chilton, emanates. 

Through watching "Gilmore Girls", I am provided with an outlet to romanticize my life to its fullest capacity. As a self-proclaimed victim of the burnt-out gifted kid complex, it’s comforting to watch Rory fall down a similar–albeit much more drastic–path. I mean, it may be difficult to find the effort to do my homework sometimes, but at least I’m not attempting to steal a yacht or dealing with a crippling caffeine addiction. 

With that said, the annual ritual of the "Gilmore Girls" rewatch casts a cozy and familiar shroud around my life that no other show does for me. It is a necessary tradition that leaves me motivated to achieve any and all of my goals with the confidence and charming quips of a Gilmore.