15 Things You'll Only Understand If You're A TRUE Gilmore Girls Fan
Gilmore Girls was on the air from 2000 to 2007, and fans around the world fell in love with the charming mother-daughter duo, Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, the picturesque small town of Stars Hollow, and the whole cast of colourful characters that made their lives exciting. It may have been marketed as a teen show initially, but it soon found fans from all age ranges, since the trio of Gilmore girls (if you include Emily Gilmore in the mix) covered all generations. It had been a decade since the show was last on the air, but fans continued to obsess over the show, binge-watching the episodes over and over on Netflix or on their original DVD box sets. We all couldn't get enough of Stars Hollow and the whole Gilmore family.
Now, there are fans who have seen the show at some point and enjoyed it, and then there are the super fans. The ones who dream of drinking Luke's coffee and spending the night at the Dragonfly Inn, and chatting with Lorelai over breakfast. The ones who want to stroll past the town gazebo and hear the 'la la la la's playing in the background. The true, lifelong fans.
Here are 15 things that you'll only understand if you're a true Gilmore Girls fan.
15 You want to drink coffee all the time
There are a lot of phenomenal supporting characters on Gilmore Girls, but there's one crucial one that isn't played by any actor or actress - the character of coffee. For the Gilmore girls, coffee is basically lifeblood. They're drinking it 24/7, they're always talking about it, and it seems to be the source of their endless energy (plus, all that caffeine probably boosts their metabolisms so they can handle all that pie and fries from Luke's). So, if you're a true Gilmore Girls fan and you liked coffee to start with, chances are you're full blown obsessed after watching episode after episode of them essentially writing love letters to the caffeinated beverage. You wonder what the secret behind Luke's coffee is, and if you could ever replicate it. You desperately want to drink coffee at Luke's. You order “coffee, coffee, coffee!” like Lorelai does. And you have absolutely no shame in your addiction because, hey - if it's good enough for Lorelai and Rory, it's good enough for you
14 You seriously contemplate moving to a small town
First of all, it absolutely breaks your heart that Stars Hollow isn't a real place you can live. Sure, Amy Sherman-Palladino was inspired by a real town in Connecticut, but there's nothing quite like the picturesque place depicted episode after episode. You want to argue at a town meeting. You want to read and drink coffee in the gazebo. You want to walk down the street, stopping in at Luke's for a quick bite, seeing Andrew at the book store, browsing for antiques and getting yelled at by Mrs. Kim. Logically, you know that small towns aren't quite as picture perfect as Stars Hollow, but still - there's a part of you that dreams of packing up and finding your own Stars Hollow somewhere. I mean, people are always talking about how the fast pace of modern life is causing us way too much stress - why not unwind in a small town?
13 You literally cannot hear the theme song without singing along
Carole King is a hugely talented songwriter with an endless string of hits under her belt. If you peek into her catalogue and start listening, chances are you'll find a ton of great new songs to add to your playlist. However, for a Gilmore Girls fan, there's one song that always cues up happy memories - “Where You Lead (I Will Follow)”, the song used as the theme song for the show. You've listened to that song time and time again as new episodes start, and chances are, you can't really hear it without wanting to sing along. You know every word. You've listened to the full song so many times that you even know every word not featured in the show's theme. You put it on when you're sad and you just want to be whisked away to Stars Hollow. The song is like a sip of hot cocoa on a freezing day. If you're out on the road, feeling lonely…
12 You want to find a grumpy diner owner to become BFFs with
Listen, you realize that Luke Danes is a character created for a television show. You realize that Scott Patterson is reading the witty lines crafted by a team of talented writers, and that he's been carefully styled by a team of wardrobe stylists. You know that. However, deep down, you still walk into diners kind of hoping you can find your own Luke. He doesn't even need to be wearing a backwards baseball cap (although the flannel shirt is a non-negotiable). He doesn't even need to be the great love of your life (that would just be icing on the cake). You just want that grumpy diner owner vibe, someone who will pour you coffee while chastising your choice to have a second doughnut. You want a spot to go hang out whenever you're feeling down, or when something momentous happened in your life, where you know you can always talk to your grumpy pal with a heart of gold. You want a Luke Danes in your life. I mean, who doesn't?
11 You classify men by Gilmore Girls man-type
If you've been single and on the market looking for the perfect guy before, or if your girlfriends have, chances are you've sorted men into types. You know what we mean - the business guy who is all about his job, the bad boy who isn't the nicest but has a cocky, charming appeal, the nice guy who treats you well but just isn't that exciting, etc. And if you're a fan of Gilmore Girls, you know that over the seasons Lorelai and Rory have been involved with just about every type of man under the sun. There's the Dean and Max type - sweet, nice enough, nothing exciting. The bad boy, Jess. The friend turned lover, Luke. The cocky rich guys - Logan and Jason. So, it only makes sense that when your BFF is spilling the beans about her latest boyfriend, you'd comment about which Gilmore Girls man he most resembles. If she's not a fan, she'll just be confused - if she is a fan, she'll appreciate the easy to understand classification!
10 Melissa McCarthy will always be Sookie to you
It's no secret that Melissa McCarthy's career has absolutely blown up in the past few years. Sure, she was becoming a more recognized name while she was in Gilmore Girls, but her fame then was absolutely nothing compared to her fame now. She was involved with another relatively successful television show, Mike & Molly, but her rise to superstardom has been because of her film career. From Bridesmaids to The Heat to Tammy, McCarthy has established a reputation as a queen of comedy. She always brings her trademark brand of comedy to any role she takes on, and has audiences around the world cracking up. She's a superstar now. And, while she's certainly a talented actress who can convincingly play just about any role, let's be honest - at the end of the day, she's always Sookie to you. You've just watched her in that role way too many times, and you kind of always expect her film characters to secretly be amazing chefs because of that.
9 You wish you could eat like Lorelai and Rory do
The Gilmore girls' metabolisms are absolutely legendary. Lorelai and Rory eat a steady diet of diner junk food (things like burgers, fries, etc.), candy, top it off with some coffee and a few Pop-Tarts for good measure. Sure, Sookie occasionally feeds them more gourmet fare, and they have healthier food at Friday night dinners, but in general they eat with no regard to health or calories. In real life, the results of that type of diet would be disastrous - most people would probably gain a ton of weight, and introduce a lot of health issues into their life from all that salt and cholesterol and lack of greens. However, as a fantasy, it's kind of nice to imagine eating without having to worry about calories or anything like that. Ah, to have a Gilmore girl metabolism. Luke may be horrified at their diets, and you'd probably tire of a constant diet of junk eventually, but for a while… it would kind of seem like your childhood dreams come true.
8 The day you found out about the Netflix revival was the highlight of your week (or month. Or year.)
Gilmore Girls had a respectable run - in a world where many shows get cancelled after the first or second season, the fact that the show lasted seven seasons is fantastic. It just gives fans more episodes to binge-watch as they go through the series over and over again. However, particular because true fans questioned how the show ended since Amy Sherman-Palladino wasn't a part of season seven, there was always a need for a bit of closure, just a few more episodes. So, when Netflix announced that they were doing a revival - four long episodes, one for each season - fans around the world freaked out. There were Luke's coffee promotions in cafes. There were speculations and theories based on what cast members posted on social media. Fans around the world were utterly obsessed. And, if you're a huge fan of the show, chances are you were really, really pumped when you first heard the news.
7 It's your comfort ritual (and therapist)
Different people find different things comforting. For some, it may be a few episodes of a comedy, enjoyed with a huge plate of mac and cheese or chocolate. For others, you want your mind whisked away to a different world with a drama, paired with a few glasses of red wine and popcorn a la Olivia Pope. For Gilmore Girls fans, a couple episodes can cue the bluest of days. When you go through a bad breakup, you cue up the episodes where Lorelai and Rory were experiencing the same thing. When you're anxious about your career, you watch the arc where Lorelai is struggling to set up the Dragonfly when her partners aren't pulling their weight. When you're experiencing family drama, well, you just watch Lorelai and Emily. There's an episode that can help work through just about every problem under the sun. And sometimes, when you're having an awful day, just the sheer act of being transported to Stars Hollow for a few hours can be immensely comforting. We get it.
6 You analyze your Rory-like and Lorelai-like traits constantly
The perfect thing about Gilmore Girls is that the two women are so different. Sure, they have a love of junk food and have a lot of handsome men in their lives. However, when it comes to their characters, they're unique. Rory is far more introverted, whereas Lorelai is an extrovert. Rory has struggled under pressure many times in her life, while Lorelai has a crazy amount of inner strength (probably born from the experience of having to raise a child at such a young age). Rory is book smart, while Lorelai is street smart. They both have strengths and weaknesses, and chances are you've taken a look in the mirror before and tried to see where you'd fit in on the spectrum. Are you way more of a Rory, someone who grew up a voracious reader? Or are you a Lorelai, having raised yourself up by the bootstraps to pursue a dream? It's a constant inner battle.
5 You became a pop culture encyclopedia
Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, two of the minds behind Gilmore Girls, are basically walking pop culture encyclopedias. The show is absolutely filled with references, sometimes to things that were popular while the show was airing, and sometimes to arcane, indie things that the average person probably wouldn't know about. Whether you're looking for new books to add to your list or new tunes to listen to, a reference in an episode could easily guide you towards some new pop culture knowledge. I mean, if you think of it, just how many things did you discover because of Gilmore Girls? How many references did you try to decipher? I mean, fans who got the original DVD box sets will remember little booklets included that explained all the references that season. You got a pop culture education simply through the myriad of references that were made in the show's razor sharp dialogue, and that's pretty cool.
4 You will watch anything that any of the cast members is in
If you spot Melissa McCarthy in a movie, no matter how cheesy or slapstick it seems, you're probably going to sit down and watch it. You'll check out anything Alexis Bledel is in, and started watching The Good Wife simply because Matt Czuchry was in it. And let's not even talk about Milo Ventimiglia - you watched Heroes and This Is Us not because the shows themselves looked that exciting, but instead because of Milo. And Kelly Bishop? You would watch that woman sing and dance in any production under the sun. The fact is, if you're a true blue Gilmore Girls fan, you're a fan of the actors who played your favourite characters for life. You'll watch them and support them in just about any project - regardless of whether it seems like something you'd be interested in or not. And it doesn't just extend to film and television - we're betting true fans have definitely read Lauren Graham's book Someday, Someday, Maybe, even if they don't love chick lit.
3 You admire Kirk for being the original side hustle king
The word 'side hustle' is tossed around left and right today to refer to all the hobbies and second (or third) jobs that millennials take on in order to build their careers and build a better life. Side hustles are definitely here to stay. However, there was one resident of Stars Hollow who knew it all along - Kirk Gleason. There is literally no job that Kirk didn't have at some point. He's been a photographer, a termite inspector, and an assistant manager at Doose's Market. He worked at the video rental store, the beauty shop, and the movie theatre. He's tried his hand at entrepreneurial ventures and even dabbled in the arts. Kirk is the original side hustle king, and he deserves all our respect. Sure, he probably wouldn't have had the chance to take on so many roles in a town with a bigger population, but Stars Hollow let him try his hand at just about everything - and he definitely did.
2 You believe the first snowfall is truly magic
Stars Hollow had the type of climate you might expect in New England - warm in the spring summer, full of rich red and orange foliage in the fall, and snow-covered in the winter. And while Lorelai Gilmore found things to love in all seasons, there was one particular weather-related phenomenon that captured her heart - the first snowfall of the season. There was something about it that she found absolutely magical, and true fans of the show adopted that mindset after seeing her experiencing it in multiple seasons of the show. Now, many fans head out during the first snowfall of the season, thinking of Lorelai Gilmore, and hoping that something magical will fall into their lives. It just goes to prove that sometimes a television show isn't just a television show - it's something that can help change the way we look at the world, and introduce a little magic into our lives.
1 You daydream about owning an inn
Unless you have a passion for the hospitality industry from a young age, chances are you didn't grow up dreaming of owning your own hotel. After all, the vast majority of people in the industry never end up owning their own property - they simply work for a large chain. However, once Lorelai finally made her dream of owning her own inn real (after having toiled away for nearly two decades, working her way up from maid to manager at the Independence Inn), she made it seem like something we would all want to do. From Sookie's lovely menu to the cozy decor and features like the horses on the property, all fans wished they could stay at the Dragonfly - and it may very well have made you dream of opening your own picturesque country inn. Sure, it would be tough to find a Sookie and a Michel to help you with the undertaking, but hey - stranger things have happened.