We can all agree that nothing comes close to the magic of Gilmore Girls fall. Rory's sweaters! The colorful leaves! The coffee! (There is so much coffee, I genuinely considered putting it twice just for emphasis.) Even if it's still warm where you live, you can get into the Stars Hollow spirit thanks to these fall Gilmore Girls episodes. Whether you choose a season 3 classic or a dramatic installment from season 7, you're in for a treat. Watch any, or all, of these Gilmore Girls episodes on Netflix now!
The Best Fall Gilmore Girls Episodes
Warner Bros. Television/The CW
Season 1 Episode 1, "Pilot"
The very first episode of Gilmore Girls has ALL the fall vibes to me. Aside from Rory's timeless white cable knit sweater and the iconic "What do you need, hot tea? Coffee?" "Lipgloss." conversation, meeting the residents of Stars Hollow in the Gilmore Girls pilot will make saying goodbye to summer way easier.
Season 1 Episode 6, "Rory's Birthday Parties"
Rory's turning 16 but instead of one Sweet Sixteen, she gets two: a laidback party at home with all her friends (and plenty of feather boas), and a more formal party at Emily's home. Considering Rory's birthday is October 8 in the show, this is definitely a fall episode. But Rory's Stars Hollow party is so fun yet comforting that I'd get cozy vibes even if it happened in the middle of summer!
Season 1 Episode 7, "Kiss And Tell"
Rory and Dean finally share their first kiss (in Doose's — romantic!). And like any small town, all of Stars Hollow almost immediately finds out about it. Not only does this episode have my favorite Gilmore Girls quotes ("He kissed you and you said 'thank you?' Well that was very polite.") but it also features plenty of town square walks — fall foliage, pumpkins, and all.
Warner Bros. Television
Season 2 Episode 4, “Road Trip to Harvard”
Roadtrips might be a popular summer activity, but this Gilmore Girl episode has fall written all over it. Lorelai and Rory take a roadtrip to Harvard, as the title suggests, and wind up staying at a very memorable bed and breakfast during their travels.
Season 2 Episode 5, “Nick & Nora/Sid & Nancy”
Stars Hollow is welcoming autumn, and all its traditions, in this season 2 episode. There are plenty of long sleeve shirts and flannels to go around, but this is also the episode that introduces us (and Rory) to Milo Ventimiglia's Jess. "Thank you Gilmore Girls," we all say in unison.
Netflix
Season 2 Episode 7, “Like Mother, Like Daughter”
In this Gilmore Girls fall episode, Headmaster Charleston gets Lorelai and Rory to be more engaged at Chilton. For Rory, this means getting accepted into a clique, while Lorelai winds up at a fashion show fundraiser — wearing matching outfits with Emily.
Warner Bros. Television
Season 3 Episode 7, “They Shoot Gilmores, Don’t They”
This episode is one reason Gilmore Girls season 3 is my personal favorite season — and it's one of the top-rated episodes of the whole series on IMDb! The annual Stars Hollow dance marathon is back, and Lorelai and Rory will stop at nothing to win. But when Dean and Jess both wind up in the stands, things take a turn for the confrontational.
Season 3 Episode 8 “Let the Games Begin”
Rory and Lorelai are back on an Ivy League campus when Richard and Emily bring them on a Yale trip. The women are excited to see the sites, but are less thrilled when Richard reveals he arranged a surprise interview with the Dean of Admissions. There are pumpkins, there are sweaters, and, of course, there's plenty of coffee.
Season 3 Episode 9, “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving”
Nothing screams Rory and Lorelai like four Thanksgivings, which is exactly what happens in this Gilmore Girls episode. That, as well as Jackson and his friends deep frying a turkey in his front yard, will make this one of the most iconic TV episodes ever.
Warner Bros. Television
Season 4 Episode 6, “An Affair to Remember”
Emily hires Sookie and Lorelai as the caterers for an office party, while Rory searches for a good place to study on campus. Remember when Rory finds the perfect study tree, then screams at another student when they sit under it? Yeah, that's this episode. Enough said.
Season 4 Episode 7, “The Festival of Living Art”
When Stars Hollow is asked to host a Festival of Living Art, everyone from Kirk to Taylor to Lane comes together to bring it to life in this fall Gilmore Girls episode. Like all town traditions, this one has a quirky and humorous start, but it comes together in a really breathtaking way.
Season 4 Episode 9, “Ted Koppel’s Big Night Out”
It's tailgate time! Rory and Paris join Richard and Emily for the Harvard-Yale football game, and there is literally nothing more autumnal than a bunch of school sweatshirts, Bloody Mary's, and football. I'm getting all nostalgic just thinking about it!
More Gilmore Girls Episodes To Watch This Fall
Season 5 Episode 6, “Norman Mailer, I’m Pregnant!”
Rory's trying to find the perfect story for the Yale newspaper, and gets wind of the Life and Death Brigade — and its connection to Logan. Back in Stars Hollow, Sookie gets upset when the Dragonfly Inn's accountant suggests they drop the lunch menu.
Warner Bros. Television
Season 5 Episode 7, “You Jump, I Jump Jack”
Logan welcomes Rory into a Life and Death Brigade camping trip. But don't get it twisted: there might be tents, but there are also nice cots, ballgowns, and death-defying stunts. This is how we all spent sophomore year of college, right?
Season 5 Episode 8, “The Party’s Over”
Rory's Sweet Sixteen wasn't the last party she gets from Emily. In this Gilmore Girls fall episode, Emily and Richard team up to introduce Rory to more young men after learning she's back together with Dean, which leads to Rory and Dean officially breaking up, and Logan and Rory taking another step toward their future relationship.
Netflix
Season 6 Episode 7, “Twenty-One is the Loneliest Number”
Emily throws Rory a sophisticated 21st birthday party, but it's nothing like what Rory has always dreamed of. While I love a party episode, no amount of impeccable Gilmore Girls fall vibes could fix the fact this one takes place during Lorelai and Rory's fight.
Season 6 Episode 8, "Let Me Hear Your Balalaikas Ringing Out"
A recently-published Jess returns to join Rory and Logan for dinner, get under Logan's skin, and ask Rory "WHY did you DROP out of YALE?" And it's this one conversation that seems to remind Rory of why she wanted to go to school in the first place, and she re-enrolls.
Season 6 Episode 10 “He’s Slippin’ ‘Em Bread…Dig?”
Thanksgiving is here again, and this time, Luke's sister Liz is determined to fix a wonderful, Martha Stewart-level feast, while Christopher surprises Lorelai and Rory with news. One cool detail about this fall Gilmore Girls episode is that Carole King, who sings the theme song "Where You Lead," makes a guest appearance as Sophie, Stars Hollow's music shop owner!
Tyler Golden/Netflix
Season 7 Episode 6, “Go Bulldogs!”
Lorelai and Christopher visit Rory during Yale's Parents' Weekend and run into Emily and Richard. Unfortunately, Christopher then makes a mess of the day when he tries to prove he's a cool dad. Luke (who's actually our favorite Stars Hollow dad) meets April's swim coach and asks her out.
Season 7 Episode 7, “French Twist”
It's Gilmore Girls meets Emily in Paris when Christopher and Lorelai bring Chris' daughter Gigi to Paris. Rory and her friends spend a girls' night in Stars Hollow. I wish we could all spend a girls' night in Stars Hollow!
Season 7 Episode 9, “Knit People Knit”
The latest Stars Hollow marathon involves knitting needles and lots of yarn. But when Christopher's donation helps the event reach their goal, it ends up shutting down. Luke asks for equal parental rights when he realizes Anna is moving April to New Mexico. Despite all the drama this episode holds, the coziness of the knitathon warms me right down to my toes!
Saeed Adyani/Netflix
Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life, “Fall”
Aptly named "Fall," this fall Gilmore Girls episode is almost like a mini movie, and there are plenty of nostalgic callbacks. Rory and Dean run into each other in Doose's, and Rory joins the Life and Death Brigade for one final adventure.
Which fall Gilmore Girls episode is your favorite? Tell us in the comments and check out our Facebook page for more fun Gilmore Girls content!
Lead image via Warner Bros. Television