Entering the Warm World of Stars Hallow

When I moved away from home to attend Carleton University in 2016, I found myself in a constant blur of lectures, homework, and socializing. My mind was always racing with worries about grades and homesickness.

I missed my mom, with whom I’ve always shared a close relationship. I often found (and still find today) myself constantly calling her to hear her voice. My first year living away from her was difficult, and my longing for her company was a new feeling.

I didn’t find an outlet to escape these thoughts until my friends suggested I watch Gilmore Girls.

Gilmore Girls premiered on October 5th, 2000 and aired for seven seasons. It follows Lorelai Gilmore, a young, single mother and her daughter, Rory, born when Lorelai was 16. After Rory’s birth, Lorelai moves out of her parent’s mansion in Hartford, Connecticut, to a garden shed in the fictional town of Stars Hallow.  

Enjoying its second wind in the streaming world, Gilmore Girls has welcomed new fans to the world of Stars Hallow. To accompany its streaming success, Netflix produced A Year in the Life, a reboot picking up nine years after the series finale, to check in on what the titular ladies have been up to.

The show is simple, reflecting on real-life scenarios with a hint of family drama. It runs on quick dialogue and a relatable storyline, which have played factors in the show’s success.

The characters of Rory and Lorelai, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, undergo series of life events. They are relatable, making it the perfect, slow-paced show to watch.

Looking at Lorelai, she is a motherly figure who is far from perfect but does everything in her capability to be the greatest mother she can be. She goes back to college and navigates her way through her career and her romantic life.

As a young adult, I harbour some sort of a relationship with Lorelai myself, although I am not a mother. She is likeable not just for her spunky fashion and quick humour, but for her vulnerability as a character. Lorelai consistently fails but is always back on her feet.

Rory is shy and soft-spoken, unlike her mother; however, she is incredibly smart and gained her mother’s wit. As Rory develops from a high school sophomore to an Ivy-league student, she undergoes many firsts throughout the series that I and countless other viewers relate to.

When she experienced her first romance, I instantly related. I felt those butterflies she had when she had her first kiss, and I felt the heartbreak when she got dumped.

As someone known for being quiet and would rather stay in and read than go to a party, I continue to feel a deep connection with Rory.

The dynamic mother-daughter duo makes me feel closer to my mother. Seeing Lorelai and Rory experience a similar mother-daughter relationship that I share with my mom brings me a warm sense of comfort.

It is refreshing to have a teenage female protagonist who doesn’t hate their mother, a common trope in many shows and movies featuring teenage girls. As close as they are, Rory and Lorelai both make mistakes and experience bumps along the way, which make this dynamic even more realistic.

I felt like Lorelai and Rory were real people in my life, and I was getting a glimpse not only into their lives but my own. The show is raw and emotional but funny and happy at the same time.

It creates a sense of warmth, welcoming its viewers to sit down with a cup of coffee on a chilly night, and become engulfed in the lives of the Gilmore Girls.  

Sarah Travis

Sarah is a second-year Professional Writing student at Algonquin College. When she’s not in zoom classes, she’s either making coffee for the green siren, or at a thrift store.