The Mycenaean

Gilmore Girls first aired on the WB in 2000 and ran until 2007. Over the course of seven seasons, the life of a young mother and her teenage daughter fascinated watchers worldwide. 

Lorelai and her daughter Rory live in a small town called Stars Hollow that’s full of vivacious people like them. When Rory is accepted into a prestigious private school, Lorelai is focused on asking for financial aid from her estranged parents. They happily pay with one condition; the duo must have dinner with them every Friday night. 

The women keep watchers engaged with their fast quips, bizarre eating habits, and humorous drama. 

Today people everywhere stream Gilmore Girls on Netflix, but the question is why do so many people continue to watch?

Comfort show 

The writers are able to keep watchers engaged with snappy conversations and lighthearted drama. Nothing in the show is high stakes or distressing for watchers. Instead, people are invested in their daily struggles. 

Ashelynn Justice, junior, said, “I consider it a comfort show because it is very calming but still interesting enough to watch.” 

Justice was always invested in all of Rory’s relationships and sees herself in Lorelai.

The show is also easy to follow along with so you can multitask while you watch or stop in the middle of an episode. This makes for an enjoyable watching experience and effortless to come back to. 

Mother daughter relationship 

The Gilmore Girls are a representation of an extremely close relationship between a mother and daughter. In part because of their sixteen year age gap, but also because it’s just been the two of them all Rory’s life. Lorelai and Rory are best friends, and this is a relationship that some strive to have.

Many mothers watched the show when it came out and loved it so much that they shared their love for the show with their daughters. 

Renna Farthing, senior, and her mom Kerry binged the show together and have watched it through more than once.

Farthing said, “We started watching it because my mom had watched it before and wanted to watch it with me because of Lorelai and Rory’s relationship…it’s a bonding experience because we can make fun of it or just talk in general about our feelings about the show and characters.”

Farthering’s mother, Kerry, said, “We like watching it together because Renna is the Rory to my Lorelai.”

Natalie Vargas-Kitchens, junior, said, “The show really reflects the ups and downs of a mother daughter relationship.”

A connection between a mother and their teenage daughter is one of the most important relationships someone can have and Gilmore Girls is a strong demonstration of that. 

Relatability 

People are not going to watch or read anything if they do not see themselves in the protagonist. It is infinitely easier to empathize with a character and root for their success if you can connect with their feelings, problems or personality. 

It is also easy to relate to characters who have common flaws and have daily life struggles. 

Since the demographic of characters is very broad in Gilmore Girls –people ranging from teenagers to mature adults— it applies to individuals of all ages. Teeangers can relate to the pressures of acedemic validation that Rory faces. Young parents can relate to Lorelai’s financial and career struggles. 

The show runs for the duration of Rory’s high school and college years so watchers grow up alongside the character. Watchers get to see her grow into the woman she is while relating to her life experiences. 

Vargas-Kitchens also said, “It is easy to relate to Rory since she’s my age and goes through all the typical teenager things.”

Another reason people continue watching the show is because it is timeless. The themes of the series are still relatable to peoples lives even 20 years later, so when one wants to feel understood they can come back to a show that reflects aspects of their own life. 

It is safe to say Gilmore Girls is not going anywhere! It is just too good not to love.