Autumn is the perfect season to watch Gilmore Girls again. The show is perfect for the Fall due to its seasonal aesthetic and cozy setting. There is always something so comfortable about Gilmore Girls, easing viewers into the wonderful world of Stars Hollow. The town has a lovable and silly cast of side characters, funny traditions and festivals, and an abundance of entertaining storylines.
Even with some of the more intense and upsetting storylines under its belt, Gilmore Girls has always been a cozy comfort show. Everything always turns out alright at the end of the day, and the town of Stars Hollow always seems like a dreamy and warm place to live, to the point where everything seems to stay the same. The characters are fun to watch, and their lives are enjoyable to follow, giving viewers a sense of safety and certainty lacking in many other shows. These are the coziest episodes of Gilmore Girls, ranked by how well they capture the unmistakable feeling of comfort and warmth.
Gilmore Girls TV-PGComedyDrama
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*Availability in US Release Date October 5, 2000 Cast Lauren Graham , Alexis Bledel , Scott Patterson , Melissa McCarthy , Keiko Agena , Yanic Truesdale , Kelly Bishop , Edward Herrmann Seasons 7 10 "The Festival of Living Art" Season 4, Episode 7
In a lot of ways, Stars Hollow was an idyllic small town due to its delightfully bizarre cast of characters, as well as its many festivals and traditions. Season 4, Episode 7, "The Festival of Living Art," saw the townspeople of Stars Hollow getting ready to host the Festival of Living Pictures. Lorelai hilariously tried to prove that she was still the right person to be the Renoir Girl after a past mistake.
This is such a cozy episode because there is something so fun and comforting about Stars Hollow's townwide events. From the Firelight Festival to the Dance Marathon, Stars Hollow was committed to embracing their quirky celebrations as a group. It was also fun to watch Kirk take his role way too seriously and to see the rest of the town getting very into the festival. As was per Stars Hollow tradition, the festival was weird and wonderful but undeniably impressive, especially from a technical standpoint.
9 "You Jump, I Jump, Jack" Season 5, Episode 7
Logan Huntzberger may not have been Rory Gilmore's best love interest, but he sure initiated one of the coziest episodes of the show. Season 5, Episode 7, "You Jump, I Jump, Jack," saw Rory going undercover for the Yale Daily News to learn more about the Life and Death Brigade. Logan brought Rory into the fold as a reporter to come to one of their events, but there were a variety of rules that she had to follow in order to be allowed there.
"You Jump, I Jump, Jack" was a very cozy and dreamy episode. The setting of the Life and Death Brigade retreat was absolutely stunning, complete with tents for all of them to camp out in. Rory was treated as a special guest, gifted a beautiful ballgown, and encouraged to join the main event. Side-by-side with Logan, Rory made the big jump while holding the umbrella, telling him, "You jump, I jump, Jack," a callback to one of Titanic's best quotes.
8 "The Road Trip to Harvard" Season 2, Episode 4
Another one of Gilmore Girls' coziest episodes to take place primarily outside of Stars Hollow was Season 2, Episode 4, "The Road Trip to Harvard." After backing out of her wedding to Max at the last minute, Lorelai spontaneously got Rory to go on a college road trip to Harvard with her to avoid dealing with everyone in Stars Hollow just yet. It was a lot of fun to see the two of them go off on their own, from their stay at the inn to their visit to Harvard.
When Luke found out Lorelai's wedding was off, he gave free coffee to everyone in the diner, as if anyone needed confirmation of his love for her.
This was a really cozy episode because of the Fall aesthetic and the contained Harvard setting. It was nice to see Lorelai and Rory get away from everything together, and it was funny to watch them stuck at a bed and breakfast straight out of Alice in Wonderland. Additionally, Luke's reaction to the dissolved engagement was absolutely wonderful. When Luke found out that the wedding was off, he gave free coffee to everyone in the diner, as if anyone needed confirmation of his love for Lorelai.
7 "Those are Strings, Pinocchio" Season 3, Episode 22
The first three seasons of Gilmore Girls were especially cozy because Rory was still living in Stars Hollow full-time, and it was always a joy to enter the world of the small Connecticut town. Rory's graduation episode in Season 3 was a true delight. There was some plot drama, with Rory agreeing to reinstate Friday Night dinners so that her grandparents would pay for Yale. Additionally, she answered a phone call from Jess and finally let him go.
The true heart of this episode was Rory's incredibly touching graduation speech, where she paid tribute to her grandparents and her mother. It was nice to see Rory graduate, knowing how hard she had worked to get through Chilton. Additionally, the mother-daughter relationship between Lorelai and Rory was centered once again in a very beautiful and sweet way. The episode marked the end of an era for Gilmore Girls, which was both heartwarming and exciting.
6 "There's the Rub" Season 2, Episode 16
"There's the Rub" is one of the funniest Gilmore Girls episodes. First, Lorelai and Emily went away together for a weekend spa trip. While Lorelai initially did not want to go with her mother, the two ended up sharing a bonding moment. Meanwhile, Rory was looking forward to having a night by herself, but things did not exactly end up going according to her plan.
While Rory was settling in for a night alone, she received two unexpected visitors. Paris was there to study, and Jess was there to bring her food. The three of them ended up eating dinner together, and it was incredibly fun to watch them bond due to their similar academic personalities. The surprising trio all played off of each other very well, and it was very comfy to watch them sharing diner food and chatting before Dean ultimately ruined it.
5 "Last Week Fights, This Week Tights" Season 4, Episode 21 Close
One of the most enjoyable celebrations in Stars Hollow was Liz and TJ's wedding in Season 4, Episode 21, "Last Week Fights, This Week Tights." For four seasons, the will-they-won't-they relationship between Lorelai and Luke was a major aspect of Gilmore Girls. Towards the end of Season 4, Luke finally decides to do something about his feelings for Lorelai, so he asks her to be his date for Liz and TJ's wedding.
Liz and TJ's wedding was very cozy, from the Renaissance theme, the cast of characters, and the lovely moments between Luke and Lorelai. It was really nice to see them dance together for the first time and get caught up in the fairytale and Renaissance aesthetics of the wedding. This was an episode that made viewers wish to be present for the wedding, eating turkey legs and dancing the walz.
4 "Rory's Birthday Parties" Season 1, Episode 6
Season 1 of Gilmore Girls had many cozy episodes, setting up the comfortable and warm aesthetic of the show. "Rory's Birthday Parties" saw Rory celebrate her birthday in two drastically different parties. One was at her grandparents's house with all of her classmates, and the other was at her house with all of her friends and neighbors in Stars Hollow.
This was a cozy episode, particularly for Rory's second and more accurate birthday party. It was fun to see everybody from Stars Hollow celebrating Rory in a way that was true to her and Lorelai. It was also interesting and refreshing to see Emily and Richard tentatively enter this unfamiliar world in order to show up for their granddaughter. There was even a cake with Rory's face on it, made by none other than Sookie.
3 "The Bracebridge Dinner" Season 2, Episode 10
A holiday turned into a spontaneous Stars Hollow event in Season 2, Episode 10, "The Bracebridge Dinner." When the dinner got snowed in, Lorelai and Sookie ended up hosting the whole town at the Independence Inn. It was a fun and cozy episode, complete with old-timey acting by the last-minute staff, a fancy meal cooked by Sookie, and even carriage rides for everyone there.
This episode was really enjoyable, thanks to the perfect Winter aesthetic to it. It also brought forward a variety of underlying feelings and secrets. Richard revealed that he had quit his job, much to Emily's shock. Dean exposed Jess' fight at school, which led to an unlikely and sweet moment between Jess and Rory in the carriage. Luke and Lorelai also shared a carriage ride that hinted at their eventual relationship. And the scene-stealing Kirk got yet another chance to shine.
2 "They Shoot Gilmores, Don't They?" Season 3, Episode 7
Gilmore Girls was always at its coziest and most enjoyable when Stars Hollow was putting on big events. One of the most memorable of these was the annual 24-hour dance marathon in Season 3, Episode 7, "The Shoot Gilmores, Don't They?" Lorelai went into the competition determined to win with Rory by her side as her dance partner. Meanwhile, Lane and Dave snuck some time together, and Rory's relationship with Dean reached a breaking point.
There was no image more memorable than Kirk carrying his trophy and doing a victory lap around a crying Rory, a scene that easily ranks among Gilmore Girls ' best and most oddly comforting.
This great Gilmore Girls episode was such a comfort to watch due to its contained and silly setting. Putting all of these characters in a dance marathon together while they were working through various issues made for an extremely entertaining episode. It saw the end of Rory and Dean's relationship and another victory for Kirk when Rory stormed off the dance floor in tears. There was no image more memorable than Kirk carrying his trophy and doing a victory lap around a crying Rory, a scene that easily ranks among Gilmore Girls' best and most oddly comforting.
1 "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" Season 2, Episode 13
The coziest episode of Gilmore Girls combined a townwide event, an intense family dinner, and some dramatic, romantic subplots for wondrous results. Season 2, Episode 3, "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," introduced fans to one of the more unusual Stars Hollow rituals. Every year, the women of Stars Hollow fill and auction off baskets for the men to bid on at the auction.
This episode had the fun setting of the basket event in the town square, as well as Rory and Jess' intimate lunch at the lake and Luke and Lorelai's shared meal in the gazebo. There were so many cozy settings that were utilized for moments of emotional honesty between different pairings of characters. There was also Sookie and Jackson's engagement, which was a very sweet and romantic moment. The episode also proved that Jess was pretty much the best Gilmore Girls boyfriend, which is enough to place it atop many fans' lists.
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