As the colors change into the oranges and reds of fall, students’ screens stream “Gilmore Girls” year after year. The show follows the chaotic lives of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, a mother and daughter duo from a small town in Connecticut, and how they balance the struggles of relationships and academic life.
“Gilmore Girls” first aired Oct. 5, 2000, and ended May 15, 2007, but the show’s ending marked just the beginning of its popularity. For over 25 years, the seven seasons of “Gilmore Girls” have been enjoyed both on cable TV and several streaming platforms as it remains an autumn classic each time the crisp air comes around again.
Whether the audience is parents or young adults, there is a piece of life that is captured in the sitcom, making it a relatable, comfort watch for many. The characters go through overly exaggerated real-life situations, such as family arguments or friendship fallouts, making it an effective drama that pulls at the heart strings of its viewers. No matter what the Gilmore girls go through, fans of the show always know that the show’s heartwarming nature will shine through in the end.
Students find comfort in turning on a cozy fall comedy that includes relatable struggles, as the fall season also brings about the busyness of college life. In the later seasons, the younger characters enter college and portray the pressures of balancing a social life with academics.
“I think it is relatable in the sense that you can see Rory’s struggle with stress and kind of not being as elite as she was at Chilton at Yale,” junior Annabelle Welch said. “She’s now surrounded by those who are on her level, so she has to adjust to that. That was difficult for me to adjust to here.”
The characters deal with friendships, relationships, difficult teachers and bad grades, all while trying to find their place in the world. The “Gilmore Girls” characters are continually evolving while also grasping for a sense of their old selves. As the show progresses, the characters realize they must change and adapt, especially when life does not go as planned.
While not all of Rory and Lorelai’s actions are admirable, their characters carry a vital lesson beyond what is shown on the screen. Unlike most 2000s sitcoms with laugh tracks and quick jokes, “Gilmore Girls” uses a fast-paced wit to grab the attention of the viewer while also showing the character’s flaws in a down-to-earth manner. Each scene — whether it be comedic, frustrating or sad — affects the audience emotionally and prompts them to continue watching to see how Lorelai and Rory’s stories progress.
“It’s not cheesy or shallow,” Welch said. “It’s actually sweet and deep, and you follow it all the way through. I started watching it, and then immediately was not watching it because it was popular — I was watching it because I loved it so much.”
“Gilmore Girls” continues to be a fall staple with a committed and ever-growing fanbase. Due to its overwhelming success throughout the years, Netflix created a four-episode reboot in 2016 entitled “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.” The mother-daughter duo also reunited at the 2025 Emmys, showing that “Gilmore Girls” still holds a beloved place in society even 25 years after its pilot.
Walsh is the asst. feature editor for the Liberty Champion.