An attempt to cure your winter blues

As promised, I am back to finish sharing the most fall-feeling episodes from each season of “Gilmore Girls.” Despite the snow Fargo received last week, the calendars still say “fall.” “Gilmore Girls” is the perfect show to make people feel all of the fall vibes that Fargo is taking away. So, let’s take a walk through the best fall episodes from the remaining seasons of “Gilmore Girls.”

Season 5: Emily Says “Hello” (episode 9)

This episode begins with Lorelai walking into a fall-filled Doose’s market. Fall garlands and pumpkins surround the front door of the market as she speaks with Sookie’s husband. The rest of this episode revolved around drama and fighting. It’s not exactly the most comforting episode, but the fall scenery makes it fit right in with the rest of the best fall episodes. All three of the Gilmore Girls face relationship troubles, some with each other.

While this plot does feel different from the usual girl-group vibes, it shows that nothing can be perfect all of the time. Even the most aesthetically pleasing scenery can’t mask real problems. As Lorelai and Sookie walk through town unpacking Lorelai’s recent argument with Rory, they show off their stylish jackets and the decorated town. Any episode including a walking and talking scene distinctly shows readers what season the episode takes place in. 

Season 6: He’s Slippin’ ‘Em Bread … Dig? (episode 10)

In complete contrast to the previous episode, this episode highlights Lorelai and Rory catching up after they were estranged for a while. While they both still have other problems in their lives, they have each other to help work through it again. This reconciliation gives viewers the satisfaction of a classic, cozy, chummy “Gilmore Girls” episode. The rest of the characters start preparing for Thanksgiving, leaving lots of room for fall decorations and warm colors in the background of conversations.

Luke and Lorelai separately ponder sharing secrets with each other, bringing deep tension to Thanksgiving dinner. Despite this tension, Sookie’s Thanksgiving meal is still a resounding success and brings peace to the “Gilmore Girls” world.

Season 7: French Twist (episode 7)

Season seven doesn’t contain the strongest fall vibes despite it being the last regular season of the series, but this episode contains hints of the fall coziness that fans love. While Lorelai and Chris are in France, contrasting the fall weather back in Connecticut, the rest of the characters provide a typical fall episode. Pumpkins line Lorelai’s porch as she rushes out of her house to the airport, and the rest of the characters wear jackets and sweaters, signifying the fall season.

Rory and her college friends have a girls’ night back at her house in Stars Hollow, providing viewers with a sense of comradery and coziness. Lorelai gets married to Chris in France without telling Rory, a plot point viewers only find out at the end of the episode. This brings a familiar feeling of excitement and drama.

This episode leaves viewers on the edge of their seats, prepping them for the conflicts to come. Once again, this episode isn’t the most fall-ish, but it brings enough of the orange hues and adventure to keep fans invested.

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life – Fall (episode 4)

Amy Sherman-Palladino must’ve known that the world wasn’t done with “Gilmore Girls” yet because she made a second show to revisit the beloved Lorelai and Rory in their more recent years. She went so far as to dedicate each episode to a season. It feels fitting that the last episode, the one closing out the “Gilmore Girls” world forever, would be the fall-themed episode. 

This episode brings back everything about fall that fans love. The warm lighting, fall decorations filling Stars Hollow, and cozy clothing tie this episode together beautifully. Rory’s college friends, including her college boyfriend, visit to save Rory from her mundane life. She spends her days working at the Stars Hollow Gazette, an unglamorous reality for someone with such a prestigious education and such big dreams.

Lorelai embarks on a journey of self-discovery, and ends up having her epiphany at the top of a random hill near the hiking trail she was rejected from. She was turned down due to her lack of a hiking permit. This realization leads her to ask Luke to marry her; an untraditional engagement, but we could never expect typical from Lorelai Gilmore anyway.

Emily, Lorelai’s mother, finds herself completely discontent with the life she built with her now-deceased husband. She quits the DAR, a club to which she had committed most of her life, and she puts her house up for sale. She finds a new job in Nantucket, where she moves, and even wears a pair of sneakers. This unsettled, adventurous, humble, and even somewhat kind version of Emily contrasts the strict version of Emily that fans have grown accustomed to. Presenting this hopeful version of Emily was the perfect way for producers to close out this central character.

Lorelai and Luke end up getting married the night before their official wedding, a perfect spontaneous Lorelai moment. This moment reflects Lorelai’s marriage to Chris in season seven but leaves viewers much more content. The show concludes with the revelation of Rory’s pregnancy. This moment perfectly brings all of “Gilmore Girls” together through the feelings of fall, Lorelai’s long-time feelings for Luke, and the similarity of Rory’s pregnancy to her mother’s pregnancy with her.

The writers of “Gilmore Girls” did a fantastic job writing the seasons into each of their episodes, making the fall feels of the finale so meaningful to viewers. It was the perfect, full-circle way to close such a beloved show.