Every Season Of Gilmore Girls, Ranked
During its run on The WB (and The CW) from 2000-2007, "Gilmore Girls" emerged as one of TV's most beloved teen drama shows, eventually finding a second life on Netflix. It was lauded for its rapid-fire banter laden with pop culture references, its quaint New England charm, and its quirky characters. All of this was held together by the unshakeable bond between Lorelai and Rory Gilmore — more like the best of friends than mother and daughter.
Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, "Gilmore Girls" has since become the ultimate cozy watch, especially during Pumpkin Spice Latte season. The series takes us through Ivy League ambitions, boyfriend troubles, and some of the greatest will-they-or-won't-they? romantic tension of all time, between the bubbly, perpetually-caffeinated Lorelai and grumpy diner owner Luke Danes.
But, "Oy with the poodles already!" If you're reading this list, you already know what "Gilmore Girls" is all about, so let's start ranking the seasons.
8. A Year in the Life
The rise of streaming and nostalgia led to a wave of revival series like "Girl Meets World," "Fuller House," and "The X-Files." In 2016, Netflix gave Amy Sherman-Palladino the creative freedom to make what should have been a dream come true for "Gilmore Girls" fans. But "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life" ultimately does a great job of shattering these hopes and dreams. The sharp cinematography makes Stars Hollow feel artificial. The fatphobic jokes are unnecessarily cruel and dated. The writers shoehorn their original vision for season 7 into a story set almost 10 years later. Luke and Lorelai still not married and questioning having children at nearly 50 years old feels preposterous (not that there aren't first-time parents within that age bracket, but the revival behaves as if their dilemmas are brand new). The best storyline is the one that had to be created after actor Edward Herrmann's real-life passing.
Worst of all, we are robbed of seeing Luke and Lorelei's wedding because of "budget constraints," aka more time devoted to a cringey Life and Death Brigade montage and a Stars Hollow Musical that — while somewhat funny — feels endless and makes you want to scream "WHY ARE WE WASTING TIME ON THIS?!" It might have been appropriate in a 22-episode season, but not a four-episode miniseries. The final four words about Rory's pregnancy — "Mom?" "Yeah?" "I'm pregnant." — that Amy Sherman-Palladino wanted to use end up feeling lackluster. Though some may see it as a poetic, full-circle ending, it's a rather grim outlook that no matter what you do, you can't escape turning into your parents ("Where you lead, I will follow," as Carole King sings in the opening). Starting with Rory and Lorelai's new roles as a mother and grandmother would have been a far more exciting storyline to explore in this series.
7. Season 7
"Gilmore Girls" season 7 is notorious for all the wrong reasons — mainly because it is the only season without Amy Sherman-Palladino and her partner Dan Palladino, the backbone of the series' originality and wit. As Sherman-Palladino explained Entertainment Weekly, their requests for "more personnel, more writers, a staff director" were (stupidly!) denied by the network, and their one-year contract was not renewed. The new writers did what they could, but the Palladinos' signature style — dialogue that crackles and pops, performances at a breakneck pace, and a finger on the pulse of pop culture — is impossible to emulate.
Season 7 is fine, it just doesn't have that same spark. Lorelai's rushed marriage to Chris without Rory present is upsetting, but it is easy to see after the chaos of season 6 why she wanted to give him another chance. The rest of the storylines, particularly Lane's honeymoon pregnancy and Sookie's unwanted pregnancy after Jackson lied about his vasectomy, veer into soap opera territory. The season is a chore to get through, but it builds to a sweet (if not overly rosy) series finale where the entire town bands together to throw Rory a graduation party. I personally find it far more fitting and hopeful than what Sherman-Palladino had originally planned, which we eventually got to see in "A Year in the Life."
6. Season 6
The sixth season of "Gilmore Girls" is such a hot mess that it caused some fans to speculate that Amy Sherman-Palladino purposefully tanked the storylines as retaliation for not renewing her contract. She certainly paints the new writers into a painful corner with the events that take place during this awful season, such as Lorelai sleeping with Christopher or — even worse — the arrival of Luke's secret daughter, April. While the idea of seeing the jam-hands-hating Luke having to form a connection with his young daughter is charming, the ramifications on his relationship with Lorelai are frustrating and out of character. The postponement of Luke and Lorelai's wedding, along with Anna's reasons for keeping Lorelai away from April, are somewhat justifiable, but feel incredibly contrived — as if the Palladinos are purposefully forcing conflict. Lorelai is not just a girlfriend, but Luke's fiancé and the perfect person to help teach this blue-collar curmudgeon how to relate to his pre-teen girl. At the same time, Logan and Rory's relationship and cheating issues do not pack quite the same emotional punch as her other love interests. Overall, "Gilmore Girls" season 6 just feels annoying and dour. The one bright spot is seeing Lorelai and Rory finally make up after their fallout in Season 5.
5. Season 5
This season stands out in "Gilmore Girls" because it's so radically different from the others, marking the start of Rory's unexpected downward spiral. While some fans might argue that this development seems inconsistent for such a meticulous goody two-shoes, I find it a fascinating and worthwhile character arc that keeps audiences on their toes. Who could predict that the bashful bookworm would end up dating a married man, stealing a yacht, dropping out of Yale, and cutting off communication with Lorelai? Wouldn't Rory maintaining her polished image get a little boring season after season? It makes complete sense that once Rory left the protective bubble of Stars Hollow, she would struggle and question her identity; it's a dilemma that many young people face when they first move away from home.
While Rory flounders in the real world, we finally get to see Luke and Lorelai in a romantic relationship. The thrill of their long-awaited union juxtaposed with the sadness of Rory and Lorelai's estrangement makes this season riveting.
4. Season 3
The Rory/Dean/Jess love triangle crashes and burns in season 3 — particularly in one of the best "Gilmore Girls" episodes, "They Shoot Gilmores, Don't They?" which takes place at a 24-hour dance marathon. #TeamJess wins out, but he and Rory's relationship is different than her first one with Dean. Although she and Jess have chemistry and share a love of literature, his hot-headedness and wayward nature d not make him a very good boyfriend — which is a massive bummer. Rory's magnetic attraction to Jess, his rebelliousness, and her lingering feelings for Dean (who ends up getting engaged to Lindsay) create an intriguing web of emotions. They are just as confusing as Lorelai's involvement with Sherry, Christopher's newest baby mama, and Luke's relationship with a high-powered lawyer named Nicole.
One of the highlights of this season is the introduction of Dave Rygalski, played by an adorable Adam Brody. He's a sweet musician who reads the entire Bible to find a quote for Mrs. Kim so that he can take Lane to the prom. It's a shame that Adam Brody's gig on "The O.C." took him away from "Gilmore Girls," because he seemed like a great partner for Lane. The development of their romantic relationship would have been a joy to see — more so than with the oafish Zack. Season 3 is a whirlwind of romantic and familial conflicts filled with the small-town idiosyncrasies and coming-of-age themes that make "Gilmore Girls" so revered.
3. Season 1
The first season of "Gilmore Girls" lays the foundation for what would make the show such a classic. Many of the episodes would become some of the most iconic, such as Lorelai dropping Rory off at Chilton while wearing cowboy boots, shorts, and a tie-dye top, or Rory dressing as Donna Reed to teach Dean a lesson about pop culture and feminism. The Palladinos also establish the chemistry between Luke and Lorelai that they would go on to torture us with for the next three seasons. There's a sweet innocence to this season that the rest of the series can never recapture, as Rory's conflicts mostly involve adjusting to a new school and having her first kiss and first boyfriend.
To me, the first season of "Gilmore Girls" feels like enveloping yourself in cozy blanket or taking a walk on a brisk autumn morning. It has a youthful simplicity and warmth that no other series captures. The first season also makes it clear what a wonderful concept "Gilmore Girls" has. There is so much emotional resonance to be found in the story of a 30-something year old woman who got pregnant at a young age and is raising a 16-year-old daughter, especially when she does not want her daughter to follow in her footsteps. Your introduction to these intelligent and witty women is so enticing, you can't wait to spend more time with them on screen.
2. Season 4
Some teen shows are lucky enough to make it to the college years, such as "Dawson's Creek" or "Saved By the Bell," but it is a difficult shift to make. "Gilmore Girls" season 4 does a good job of getting into a new groove as we see Rory try to assimilate into Ivy League life and Lorelai opening her own inn. The season feels very transitional as a whole, setting the trajectory for the later seasons. Both of the Gilmore girls are in the midst of their life-long dreams coming true, but it's proving to be more difficult than they imagined. Lorelai's relationship with Jason is an intriguing distraction: they have a sarcastic rapport built from childhood friendship, but his partnership with Richard turns everything sour. It's just another way for the Palladino's to gradually tease Luke and Lorelai's epiphanies about one another.
The Palladino's orchestrate the progression of Luke and Lorelai's romantic relationship in the most natural and balletic way possible, beginning with Luke humbly listening to self-help tapes to get in touch with his emotions. During a dance they share at Liz's wedding, you can cut the romantic and sexual tension between them with a knife. As an audience member, you are absolutely begging for them to finally realize how much they care about one another. The way their first kiss finally(!!!) unfolds is one of the best moments in television. Then, the Palladinos wallop the audience with Rory's controversial decision to sleep with the married Dean. This is a shocking departure for her character and ends the season on a cliffhanger.
1. Season 2
Season 2 is the beginning of the love triangle between Rory, Jess, and Dean. Rory's sudden intrigue with this bad boy unfolds in ways that are uniquely "Gilmore Girls": they bond over Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" and obscure records; they are thrown together during the eccentric Stars Hollow experiences of a horse-drawn carriage ride and Bid-on-a-Basket tradition. Seeing Rory spin off her perfectly-poised axis for the first time — even going so far as to skip school, miss her mother's graduation, and cheat on her boyfriend — is really absorbing to watch.
At the same time, Lorelai confronts the future she could have had — and possibly could still have — with Rory's father Christopher. Both Gilmore girls face the same difficult situation: their current relationship is not lining up with their true feelings. Rory must confront her undeniable attraction to Jess, despite caring for Dean, while another mistake gets in the way of Christopher and Lorelai's reconciliation. Like the car crash Rory and Jess are involved in, you can't look away from the drama of this season. Through the Gilmore girls' thorny relationships, season 2 draws you even deeper into this weird and wonderful world of Stars Hollow.