Why Rewatching "Gilmore Girls" Every Fall Feels Like Coming Home

I know firsthand how interesting growing up in a small town can be — in all its frustrating yet lovely glory — but even if you're more of a big city lover, Stars Hollow immediately draws you in with its own romanticized quality. At first glance, the town's physically cozy nature feels like the best part of the show. There are sweaters, coffee mugs, and trips to Luke's Diner galore. But while fall might be *the* Gilmore Girls season, there's an emotional comfort that comes through the screen, even when the town (and real world) aren't covered in autumn leaves. Knowing Luke will always serve the same breakfast, Michel will always have a snappy one-liner, and Kirk will always do...whatever Kirk does establishes a very real consistency the chaos and unpredictability of the real world will never offer.

Studies show that rewatching our favorite TV show helps us feel less alone because of how connected we become to the characters we love, and that connection definitely spills over into our real lives. Thanks to Rory Gilmore, I always carry a book, and Paris Geller continually inspires me to be less timid when voicing my opinions.

When we spoke to relationship expert Elizabeth Earnshaw, LMFT, about why we love fictional characters so much, she explained that the emotional ties we develop to childhood characters give us positive attributes to emulate. "Being able to see the representation of what could be can allow [children] to fantasize that they have it for themselves, allowing them to create a world within their minds that feels safe," she says. And as adults, that feeling is only intensified as our lives become more stressful. But more than the emotional benefits, comfort shows can actually improve our mental health and intellect as well.

70 percent of people said they prefer to watch their comfort show when stressed — and I'm definitely one of those people. Not only does knowing what's coming next in a story mean you can anticipate any sad plot points, but it also minimizes the amount of new information our brains have to process (called our cognitive load). This is especially helpful when bad news from family members, stress from work, and everything going on in the world is already maximizing our cognitive load. That means knowing exactly how Gilmore Girls' plot twists and heartbreaks will lead to a happy ending gives us double the serotonin!

When the world around us (or our small, personal worlds) feels like it's spiraling out of control, the silly problems of Stars Hollow feel welcome. It's not necessarily because they're a distraction, but because we can expect what the outcome will be — and we know that no matter what, the people of Stars Hollow will take care of each other.

The characters in Gilmore Girls might talk fast, but the show is a celebration of the slower moments in life, the moments when you have time to breathe, and when you become aware of how much you love the people around you. The people who hold you while you cry over a broken heart, pour you another cup of coffee (even though they know they shouldn't) to see you smile, and who go out of their way to help you just because they love you.

Stars Hollow will always be there with a wacky town tradition, a joke, and lots and lots of junk food. Watching Gilmore Girls feels like coming home because as soon as you press play, you do come home.