Gilmore Girls: 30 greatest episodes ranked worst to best

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Gilmore Girls

Gilmore Girls
30. THE FESTIVAL OF LIVING ART (S. 4, E. 7)
29. THERE’S THE RUB (S. 2, E. 16)
28. GILMORE GIRLS ONLY (S. 7, E. 17)
27. BUT I’M A GILMORE! (S. 5, E. 19)
26. GIRLS IN BIKINIS, BOYS DOIN’ THE TWIST (S. 4, E. 17)
25. TEACH ME TONIGHT (S. 2, E. 19)
24. PILOT (S. 1, E. 1)
23. BLAME BOOZE AND MELVILLE (S. 5, E. 21)
22. LET ME HEAR YOUR BALALAIKAS RINGING OUT (S. 6, E. 8)
21. THE DEER HUNTERS (S. 1, E. 4)
20. BON VOYAGE (S. 7, E. 22)
19. LORELAI’S GRADUATION DAY (S. 2, E. 21)
18. SCENE IN A MALL (S. 4, E. 15)
17. RORY’S BIRTHDAY PARTIES (S. 1, E. 6)
16. WE’VE GOT MAGIC TO DO (S. 6, E. 5)
15. LOVE, DAISIES AND TROUBADOURS (S. 1, E. 21)
14. A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME (S. 5, E. 22)
13. WEDDING BELL BLUES (S. 5, E. 13)
12. DEAR EMILY AND RICHARD (S. 3, E. 13)
11. FRIDAY NIGHT’S ALRIGHT FOR FIGHTING (S. 6, E. 13)
10. YOU JUMP, I JUMP, JACK (S. 5, E. 7)
9. THE LORELAI’S FIRST DAY AT YALE (S. 4, E. 2)
8. I CAN’T GET STARTED (S. 2, E. 22)
7. THE BRACEBRIDGE DINNER (S. 2, E. 10)
6. RORY’S DANCE (S. 1, E. 9)
5. A DEEP-FRIED KOREAN THANKSGIVING (S. 3, E. 9)
4. THE ROAD TRIP TO HARVARD (S. 2, E. 4)
3. RAINCOATS AND RECIPES (S. 4, E. 22)
2. THOSE ARE STRINGS, PINOCCHIO (S. 3, E. 22)
1. THEY SHOOT GILMORES, DON’T THEY? (S. 3, E. 7)

If you're out on the road feeling lonely and so cold, all you have to do is put on "Gilmore Girls" and be whisked away to the zany, fast-talking world of Stars Hollow and instantly feel better. "Gilmore Girls" premiered Oct. 5, 2000 on The WB, telling the story of Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham), a quick-witted single mother raising her bright daughter, Rory (Alexis Bledel), in scenic Stars Hollow, CT. What could've been just another teen show for the network soon emerged as one of the sharpest and most lovable shows on television. Pour up the coffee, load up on junk food and click through Gold Derby's gallery above of the top 30 episodes of "Gilmore Girls."

For those of a certain age, "Gilmore Girls" was a formative show to grow up with alongside Rory. The conflicts are relatively small-scale, with complex characters who are relatable in some ways and aspirational in others, who you may laugh at in one scene and cry with in another. While the show is stylistically heightened and unrealistic at times, there is a refreshing realness in its underlying messages. Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, "Gilmore Girls" wasn't anywhere near the highest-rated show on television but it maintained a loyal audience through all seven seasons. Sherman-Palladino became known for her rapid-fire dialogue filled to the brim with pop culture references, which the show's cast perfected over the years. Her knack for writing memorable characters with distinct personalities kept the show's cult audience watching year after year, gripped to the screen as Lorelai and Luke's (Scott Patterson) sexual tension grew and Rory succeeded academically as her love life was in turmoil.

The charming mother-daughter duo of Lorelai and Rory is the emotional core of the series, but the sprawling ensemble of characters around them helps immensely, between kind-hearted cook Sookie (Melissa McCarthy), loyal friend Lane (Keiko Agena) and Rory's boyfriends, Dean (Jared Padalecki), Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) and Logan (Matt Czuchry). Another emotional core to the show is Lorelai's parents, the wealthy Emily (Kelly Bishop) and Richard Gilmore (Edward Herrmann), whose strained relationship with Lorelai provides much of the show's conflict.

"Gilmore Girls" was only acknowledged by the Emmys once in seven seasons, nominating it for Best Makeup for the season four episode "The Festival of Living Art." Voters gave it the win, technically making "Gilmore Girls" an Emmy-winning series, but diehard fans will agree the show was unfairly shafted by voters, perhaps due to bias against The WB programming. However, fans of Sherman-Palladino are happy to see her finally getting her due at with "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."

The series took on new life when all seven seasons were released on Netflix in 2014. This led to the emergence of the "Gilmore Guys" podcast, which broke down every episode of the series, as a new generation of fans fell in love with the world of Stars Hollow for the first time. It was announced in 2015 that Sherman-Palladino was set to create a revival limited series, "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life," which dropped on Netflix the following year. As Sherman-Palladino left the show before its final season, this served as proper ending for her original vision.

So which "Gilmore Girls" episode do you think we ranked at the top? Click on the gallery as we reminisce on "Rory's Dance," "The Bracebridge Dinner," "They Shoot Gilmores, Don't They," "A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving," "Raincoats and Recipes," "You Jump, I Jump, Jack" and many more!

We'll start things off with the only episode of "Gilmore Girls" that ever won an Emmy. "The Festival of Living Art" won the prize for Outstanding Makeup for a Series (Non-Prosthetic) and it's easy to see why, with the townsfolk of Stars Hollow dolling themselves up as famous paintings. This is a classic Stars Hollow episode that is memorable for its unique brand of zaniness, but we do get some interesting side stories where Sookie is freaking out about her pregnancy and Lane meets aged guitarist Gil for her band.

Quippiest quip:

Taylor: “The Last Supper” cannot be funky.

Some of the best episodes of "Gilmore Girls" involve Lorelai and Emily patching up their relationship after years of estrangement, and that's what "There's the Rub" provides. The mother and daughter go for a weekend of relaxation at a health spa, where they bond and Lorelai convinces her mother to steal a robe. Meanwhile, hijinks ensue among the younger generation as Dean, Jess and Paris all drop in unannounced to hang with Rory.

Quippiest quip:

Paris: We're friends?
Rory: I'm not sure if there is an exact definition for what we are, but I do think it falls somewhere in the bizarro friends-ish realm. Come on, stay.
Paris: Okay. But if you're doing all this so you can freeze my bra, I'll kill you.
Rory: Duly noted.

Season 7 was a rough one as series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino had left the series, and many fans felt her absence. This episode, though, gets to the heart of the show's central conflict between the three generations of Gilmore women as they go on a road trip to Mia's wedding, the owner of the Independence Inn who took in Lorelai at 17 after she left home. It is heartbreaking as Emily observes how close Mia is with Lorelai and Rory and we soon find out that Emily had previously requested photographs from Mia of those early years.

Quippiest quip:

Emily: And he’s getting to be a serious pain in the “you know what”.
Lorelai: The nose? The ear?
Emily: Would it give you that much pleasure to hear me say “ass”?
Lorelai: Well, I wasn’t sure but, yes.

Rory's downfall is foreshadowed here as she reacts rather poorly to Logan's parents disapproving of their relationship. As the episode title suggests, there is an insecure entitlement to Rory that sets up the drastic actions she is about to take, including stealing a yacht and dropping out of Yale when faced with further rejection. It's not as sunny as many other episodes, but the characterization is fascinating nonetheless.

Quippiest quip:

Rory: Remind me to tell you about the time my mother wore a rhinestone penis T-shirt to diner and my grandma had her car towed.

Spring break! Rory and Paris head to Florida for some wild and crazy adventures, where they just so happen to reunite with their old Chilton classmates/party girls Madeline and Louise. It's rare to see episodes outside of chilly New England so it's nice to see the characters and the show itself go outside its comfort zone.

Quippiest quip:

Rory: You’re not worried, are you? Because I’m just going for the sun and to read, nothing more.
Lorelai: I know, I know. It’s just, it’s always the good kids who’ve never had a drink that take one sip of Kahlua and fall out of a window.
Rory: So you’re sad you never taught me how to drink?
Lorelai: Exactly!
Rory: Well, grab a bottle and some quarters and let’s go.

Jess becomes more developed as a character here as Rory tutors him. As Rory tells him, Jess has so much potential if he would just apply himself more and their flirting reaches new levels here. Then they get into a car accident that leaves Rory with a wrist fracture that forces her to wear a cast. For a show with relatively small stakes, it's a dramatic turn of events that leaves Lorelai and Luke more rattled than the ones involved in the accident. Luckily there's some great comedy in this episode as we get to see Kirk's glorious short film, "a film by kirk."

Quippiest quip:

Kirk: It's not exactly "Babe," it's more like "Babe 2."
Lorelai: Got it.
Kirk: Same pig, harder edge.

As soon as we entered the idyllic little corner of the world that is Stars Hollow, millions of viewers were hooked. The first episode of "Gilmore Girls" is dedicated to setting up the dynamics of the show, including Lorelai and Rory's super close relationship, Rory's bright future as she gets accepted into Chilton Prep and the strained relations between Lorelai and her parents as she asks them for financial aid. The show may be finding its sea legs here but it beautifully sets up a world fans will want to go back to again and again.

Quippiest quip:

Lorelai: This is it. She can finally go to Harvard like she’s always wanted and get the education that I never got and get to do all the things that I never got to do and then I can resent her for it and we can finally have a normal mother-daughter relationship.

"Blame Booze and Melville" is incredibly important for Rory's character development, as she grapples with real-life failure while working at the newspaper. After being told by Logan's father that she doesn't have what it takes to be a journalist, she joins Logan in impulsively stealing a yacht. This underlines Rory's sense of entitlement, showing how a kid like this, as bright as she is, would react to criticism in the real world outside of the Stars Hollow bubble.

Quippiest quip:

Rory: I can’t get “coming around the mountain” out of my mind. It’s like one of those phrases like “drop it like it's hot” that I really wish I’d never heard.

Jess returns for the first time since Season 4 and reignites his old flame with Rory. It is a welcome return, as Jess doles out some hard truths to Rory, who is intent on dropping out of Yale. Naturally, there is some tension as Logan does everything in his power to shoo Jess away. It's nice to see some common sense being knocked into Rory after making some questionable choices. For a dose of levity we also get some great stuff with Lorelai's dog, Paul Anka, in this episode.

Quippiest quip:

Logan: So what are we talking here? Short novel? Kafka length, or longer. Dos Passos? Tolstoy? Or longer? Robert Musil? Proust? I’m not throwing you with these names, am I?
Jess: You seem very obsessed with length.

This is an early Rory-centric episode that features one of the more humorous moments in the series, in which a deer hits Rory's car while at a stop sign. As she repeatedly clarifies, she did not hit a deer. A deer hit her. This episode is a humbling one for Rory as she deals with a bad grade in class and the competitive nature of private school. It's a low stakes installment in the grand scheme of things, but it accurately portrays that "end of the world" feeling of life as a teenager.

Quippiest quip:

Rory – I was at a stop sign and it hit me.
Lane – Was it a 4-way stop?
Rory – What does that matter?
Lane – I don’t know! I don’t know what to ask after you’ve been hit by a deer. 

The final episode of "Gilmore Girls" (setting aside the recent "A Year in the Life" continuation) is an unabashedly sweet one, and the clear highlight of Season 7. In many ways, it is a love letter to the fans for sticking with the show for seven years, with Rory preparing for her new job as a political reporter and Luke devising a huge blowout party to honor both her and Lorelai. Luke and Lorelai realize their future is with each other and Rory pays tribute to the extraordinary, formative years she spent in Stars Hollow. And it all ends where it started, with the Gilmore girls enjoying a cup of coffee at Luke's Diner.

Quippiest quip:

Emily: Oh, please don’t become one of those “I had a heart attack, let me express my every thought” types.
Richard: Not every thought, dear, just this one. It takes… a remarkable person to inspire all of this.
Lorelai: Thanks, dad.

Rory secretly invites Emily and Richard to attend Lorelai's graduation from business school. It is a lovely moment of great pride as Lorelai's parents tearfully watch their daughter accept her diploma. Meanwhile, Rory decides to cut class to be with Jess in Manhattan, later realizing she won't make it in time for the graduation, but Lorelai is forgiving. In a series full of interpersonal conflict, it's just nice to see good things happening for our heroes.

Quippiest quip:

Lorelai – Ugh, Rory, my brain is full. It has reached capacity. It’s Shea Stadium when the Beatles played. It’s cramped and girls are screaming and I think George is fighting with Ringo.

"Scene in a Mall" is devoted to fun character exploration for the stellar ensemble beyond Lorelai and Rory. We get fun stuff with Lane moving into an apartment with Zack, Kirk becoming way too invested in a dog-sitting enterprise and Paris freaking the hell out after Rory catches a cold. But the emotional core of the episode comes from Emily, who Lorelai and Rory catch shopping aggressively at the mall. It turns out, Emily is frustrated with Richard's constant business trips and she's having an emotional meltdown over what her life has become.

Quippiest quip:

Christine, Lane's cousin: I thought my mom was harsh, but your mom makes the guy from Joy Division look like one of the Teletubbies.

One of the earliest episodes of "Gilmore Girls" underlines the show's generational conflict. Emily and Richard host a fancy birthday party for Rory, who is mortified that they've invited classmates she barely gets along with. Lorelai subsequently gives her a better birthday party, which Emily and Richard also attend. Emily coming to the realization that they do not truly know their daughter anymore is a powerful moment that humanizes an often prickly character.

Quippiest quip:

Rory: So, is this party Grandma’s having gonna be a big deal?
Lorelai: Not really. The government will close that day. Flags will fly at half-mast. Barbra Streisand will give her final concert, again. Now, the Pope has previous plans, but he’s trying to get out of them. However, Elvis and Jim Morrison are coming and they’re bringing chips.

Emily and Richard's love for their granddaughter is on full display in "We've Got Magic to Do," as they confront Logan's parents for disapproving of Rory. Emily's takedown of Logan's mother is legendary, calling her a "gold-digger fresh off the bus from Hicksville." All throughout we see how concerned Emily and Richard are about Rory's happiness and future, only wanting the best for her.

Quippiest quip:

Emily: Hats off to you for bagging him. He's still a playboy you know. Well of course you know! That would explain why your weight goes up and down thirty pounds every other month.

Max proposes to Lorelai in this Season 1 finale, but the show and the audience clearly know Lorelai's true love is Luke, which drives much of the conflict here. The 1,000 daisies Max orders for the proposal are a good symbol for the show itself — warm and pleasing to some, excessively sweet to others. This episode also features Rory professing her love for Dean in a way only she could: "Because I love you, you idiot!"

Quippiest quip:

Michel: When you make light, it increases my ennui.

It's major drama in this Season 5 finale as Rory is in trouble for stealing a yacht with Logan and must ask a disappointed Lorelai to bail her out. Rory also informs Lorelai that she wants to drop out of Yale after Logan's father told her she didn't have what it takes to be a journalist, and she goes to her grandparents, who support her and allow her to stay at their pool house. We also get an impulsive Lorelai, who has been through the emotional wringer in this episode, proposing to Luke.

Quippiest quip:

Lorelai: Now what's on the agenda for today? I hear there’s a shipment of plutonium coming in on the docks. And I thought we could dress up as nuns and you could fake a stigmata and you could put the plutonium under your habit.

The 100th episode of "Gilmore Girls" is chock-full of love, sabotage and sudden reveals. Emily and Richard renew their vows while Rory is ready for a relationship with Logan. Everything culminates when Lorelai, Luke and Christopher catch Rory and Logan having an intimate moment and Lorelai learns that Emily invited Christopher to the ceremony to sabotage her relationship with Luke. When Lorelai tells Emily, "You and me, we're done," it is justifiably chilling.

Quippiest quip:

Emily — When a woman gives birth to a crack baby, you do not give her a puppy.
Lorelai — What… does that mean?

Sherry giving birth allows us, through flashback, a proper glimpse into Lorelai's life as a pregnant teen and her strained relationship with her parents. Even if the actress playing teen Lorelai isn't exactly perfect casting, it's hard not to be emotional watching her relationship with Emily in both the past and present. In a series full of Lorelai and Emily conflict, it is nice to see an act of kindness between them as Lorelai buys her mother a DVD player to help her pass the time on Richard's business trips.

Quippiest quip:

Sherry – Maureen told me that Howard Stern said that if you squat it makes the baby come out faster.
Lorelai – Okay, as long as you have a sane reason from a reliable source.

Season 6 is a divisive one, but many will agree that "Friday Night's Alright for Fighting" is an easy highlight. All the simmering tensions comes to the surface at Friday night dinner as Emily and Richard find out they no longer need to pay for Rory's Yale education. Emily realizes Rory is a spoiled brat, Rory feels defensive and Lorelai and Emily once again squabble over Lorelai's teen pregnancy, in between bites of delightful sorbet.

Quippiest quip:

Emily: So I lead her over to the good table, smiling like we are the best friends in the world, and I tell her, “Shira, you don’t think Rory is good enough to be in your family? She is. We are just as good as you are. After all, you are nothing but a two-bit gold digger, and how you managed to bag Mitchum I will never know."

The ultimate episode for Rory-Logan fans. In "You Jump, I Jump, Jack," Rory finds herself whisked away by the Life and Death Brigade, of which Logan is a member, to a secret event in the woods. Logan persuades Rory to get onto some setup scaffolding and jump while wielding umbrellas. Meanwhile, Luke tries to ingratiate himself with Lorelai's erudite parents to not so great effect.

Quippiest quip:

Rory – Am I Patty Hearsting it the whole trip?

Rory is a bit homesick as she adjusts to life at Yale, just as fans are adjusting to Rory being away from Stars Hollow. Lorelai's decision to sleep over and order takeout to help her adjust demonstrates the deep bond they share. This is also where Rory starts to make new friends and reunite with her Chilton frenemy Paris, who, coincidentally enough, becomes her Yale roommate.

Quippiest quip:

Rory: You never socialized me properly, I should hate you right now. Do something to make me hate you.
Lorelai: Um… go Hitler!

There is a wistful air to the Season 2 finale. Sookie gets married to Jackson in this episode, but the Gilmore girls are in flux as they grapple with their romantic lives. Lorelai thinks there's a second chance with Christopher in her future only to learn he knocked up Sherry, and intends to stay with her this time. Meanwhile, we get our first Rory and Jess kiss here, even though she's still with Dean. Awkward.

Quippiest quip:

Rory: Oy with the poodles already!

"The Bracebridge Dinner" is one of those "Gilmore Girls" classics that never gets old. We get some good old fashioned Stars Hollow zaniness as the town convenes for an elaborate recreation of the 19th century at the Independence Inn. We get some good character drama in this one too, with Rory asserting her desire to see Christopher, much to Lorelai's chagrin, and Richard announcing his retirement without telling Emily first.

Quippiest quip:

Rory, about Paris: I think she periodically makes a whirring noise and then just shuts down.

Past and present combine in this early episode of "Gilmore Girls." After Rory takes Dean to the Chilton Formal Dance, they wind up falling asleep at Miss Patty's, causing a worried Emily to angrily tell Lorelai that Rory will end up just like her, pregnant at 16. The wounds of the Gilmore bloodline are brought to the surface here, but we also get some classic boy squabbling in this episode as Tristan has a funny way of showing how much he likes Rory.

Quippiest quip:

Emily: “We’re in here." That’s how you answer the door?
Lorelai: Well, I was all out of Saran wrap.
Emily: I don’t even want to try to figure that one out.

There are plenty of great Christmas or Halloween episodes of your favorite TV shows, but "Gilmore Girls" gets Thanksgiving right with this classic. The Gilmore girls find themselves committed to have Thanksgiving at Lane's, Luke's, Sookie's and Emily and Richard's. The madcap energy of this episode is so much fun as Lorelai and Rory try to please everyone to the point of exhaustion. We also get some primo drama here as Lorelai freaks out over Rory applying to Yale and Dean and Jess fighting over Rory, with Jess emerging the victor.

Quippiest quip:

A drunk Sookie: I've already gone through the five stages of grieving: Denial, anger… I don't remember these two but they were served on the rocks with salt!

Lorelai and Rory escape the madness of Stars Hollow to visit Harvard, a decision mostly spurred on by Lorelai calling off her wedding to Max. While Lorelai may not be her best self in this episode, showing how co-dependent her relationship with Rory really is, there is fascinating characterization here as Lorelai feels regret for not doing more with her life upon visiting the hallowed Harvard halls, but beams with pride as Rory shows she is destined for greatness.

Quippiest quip:

Lorelai: Rory, stop it. We are not going to have this fight in a flowery bedroom with dentists singing "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" in the background. It’s too David Lynch!

The moment every "Gilmore Girls" fan was waiting for. "Raincoats and Recipes" was the climax of a four-season long journey to get Lorelai and Luke together, with a long-overdue kiss as she prepares to open the Dragonfly Inn. The episode also features a controversial decision as Rory has sex for the first time with Dean, who is married. This provides one of the first moments of a rift between Lorelai and Rory, which is tough to watch but refreshingly realistic.

Quippiest quip:

Taylor: It’s the little things, the details, that distinguish the Barbra Streisands from the Roslyn Kinds.

It's the end of an era as we witness Rory graduate Chilton and Lorelai moves on from the Independence Inn. As Rory proclaims her mother to be her true role model during her valedictorian speech, the tears shed by Lorelai onscreen are not alone. It's sad to see some doors close, especially, in this case, for Rory and Jess shippers, but it is such a defining inflection point for the series that it will always be a bona fide classic.

Quippiest quip:

Lorelai: Look, if you need to work as a low-paid intern for a magazine or a stringer for some small-town newspaper or Tom Brokaw’s toupee comber-outer before you make real money, then that’s what you’ll do.

"They Shoot Gilmores, Don't They" features everything a "Gilmore Girls" fan loves about the show. We have zany town antics, in the form of Stars Hollow's 24-hour dance marathon; Lorelai and Rory teaming up at the dance to defeat reigning champ Kirk; Rory's boy problems that escalate to the point of Dean breaking up with her; and Lorelai and Luke inching one step closer to getting together by discussing kids. Plus, Lane gets more fleshed out as Dave and he tries to be Uber-Christian to impress her mother. It's everything that makes "Gilmore Girls" such a quirky yet lovable show, and a world you want to revisit winter, spring, summer and fall.

Quippiest quip:

Lorelai: Miss Patty showed his wife a picture of me and she thinks I look like Elizabeth Taylor, which makes her Debbie Reynolds and him Eddie Fisher. He’s no Eddie Fisher, trust me. Fisher Stevens, maybe.

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