Gilmore Girls, which originally aired in 2000, has been a favourite of its loyal watchers for decades, with many people choosing to rewatch it more than twenty years later. But what is the psychology behind rewatching, and why do people often decide to watch Gilmore Girls more in autumn?
For those who have never seen Gilmore Girls (where have you been?) Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel play the lead characters of Lorelai and Rory, respectively. The show follows Lorelai, a single mother, and her teenage daughter, Rory, living in the fictional Connecticut town of Stars Hollow.
Other members of the Gilmore Girls cast include Jared Padalecki, a love interest of Rory’s, Melissa McCarthy as Sookie, and Milo Ventimiglia as Jess. So, why is the show so popular throughout autumn?
It’s safe to assume that Gilmore Girls is more appealing to watch during autumn because of the show’s original autumn release date, as well as the autumnal aesthetic we see as the setting for our characters. But there are several other reasons why it’s become an autumn favourite for many watchers.
We see the characters of this show constantly in front of autumnal backdrops or wearing autumn/winter clothing. They also participate in activities typically associated with the season, such as Halloween festivities and the start of school.
During spring and summer, the weather is warmer and the prospect of sitting inside and bingeing a show doesn’t sound quite as appealing. The cold and cosy feeling that lots of people associate with autumn could arguably be one of the reasons why they choose to binge Gilmore Girls.
As autumn kicks off, they may want to start the season with the comforting presence of their favourite show on repeat.
As September is usually the start of the school year, perhaps to a lot of people, autumn represents the start of a regular and consistent schedule that they can stick to more efficiently.
In Gilmore Girls, we see Rory start school, a theme featured in many episodes, which represents the routine and rhythm of work and school that people often adopt around the start of autumn. It may give viewers a sense of comfort and security to watch their favourite characters experience similar life events.
Perhaps the appealing nature of Gilmore Girls lies in its simplicity and relatable characters, who face issues that we experience in our own lives. There are other popular shows that feature similar plots and issues, such as One Tree Hill, New Girl, Life Unexpected, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, all of which explore family and relationship drama, complex protagonists, and other real-life issues that resonate with audiences.
