Gilmore Girls. A show that never really appealed to me given the title (I’m not a girly girl
type) so I had never given it the time of day. That is, until my BFF
kept hounding me to watch “this show with a character a lot like (me)”
in it. A caffeine-induced smart ass (me) who had a kid when she was in high school (not me),
raised her separate from her grandparents and had developed a connection
with her daughter more akin to that of a friendship. I didn’t want to like this show but
I felt I’d give it a chance just to shut my BFF up. Wow. Little did I know
that show would go on to become one of my favorite series of all-time.
I immediately connected to Lorelai’s sense of humor, and yes, her addiction to
all things java. Here was this charming little town all decorated for fall with
fairy lights strung up along the streets, beaconing any wandering stranger to
check out its quaint shops and fall in love with its eccentric townsfolk. This show
immediately recalled another favorite show of mine, and one in which I’d come to
find out was an inspiration to GG's' creator, Northern Exposure. All of the humor, the
wit, the charming characters, the jovial folksy “la la”s which peppered the
background and transitioned the scenes, the endless pop culture references, the
quick-witted banter, the romance, all of it wrapped in this pretty little package of whimsy.
I was hooked. I immediately devoted the next few weeks to binging the series
which took a bit longer back then because I had to rent the DVDs via Netflix
because they weren’t streaming yet. By the 3rd disc, I jumped on Amazon and
searched for all the seasons on DVD and dropped over $300 snatching all of them up.
I lost myself in a world which never failed to put a smile on my face no matter
the drama going on in the episode. The slow burn romance between Luke and
Lorelai was my Kryptonite and kept me sweating in anticipation for ANY shared
scene between those two characters, on pins and needles waiting for that flashbulb
moment between them where they FINALLY realized their feelings towards each other,
and kissed each other with a fervent passion that had been simmering underneath
the surface for SO LONG. Yep, right up my alley. I really cared about Lorelai and
Rory’s bond but I equally relished the bond between Lorelai and her mother, Emily.
As strained as their relationship was, they had moments of understanding and
love which touched me deeply and kept me wanting more. To see both of those
disparate relationships clashing against one another really resonated with me.
I didn’t want their stories to end, I wanted my escape to Stars Hollow to last
forever, and in a way, it has with this fandom and board. I’ve met the most fabulous
people, some with whom I’ve forged lifelong friendships. I can’t even begin to tell
you how much that means to me. And all because of a show. So, this super cool
party person bids you super cool adieu and thanks you for joining me on this
wild ride and I look forward to all of our fabulous future discussions. Happy 20th Anniversary, Gilmore Girls! Copper boom!
~ Jen / Talula78

I was a pretty causal fan of the show early on.
I had watched some episodes, but never dove in fully. I was watching ABC Family
in 2004 and saw a promo for Gilmore Girls. They were going to start airing reruns
of the show. The promo included Luke and Lorelai's kiss in the season 4 finale
and I got pulled right in. I started watching season 5 live as it aired. I eventually
caught up on the rest of the episodes I missed through ABC Family and the DVDs.
It's hard to believe I've been an “all in” fan for 16 years now. This show has been
my escape and is why I found Fan Forum all those years ago. I found people who
loved the show as much as I did and wanted to talk about all things Gilmore.
I wasn't alone in my obsession with Luke/Lorelai and Rory/Jess. I'm grateful for
friends I've made here and thankful for all of our posters that have kept this
board going. I can't imagine my life without this show and I'm glad that the
WB took a chance 20 years ago.
~ Lindsay

I came late into the Gilmore Girls fandom,
but I instantly fell in love with it from the first episode. The characters
were all relatable on the show in one way or another, and I loved watching
them grow. I love the small town feel of the show and always loved seeing
the town change with the seasons. The show in general brings out a feeling
of nostalgia in me. The show in general can make you feel all sorts of emotions,
it can make me laugh, cry at times. I am really glad I discovered the show and
grew to care about the characters. It is now a show I will re watch over and over again!
~ Colleen / msstock87

''The first time I saw an episode of Gilmore Girls is a long time ago.
My sister was watching it casually and I had nothing else to do, so
decided to watch the episode aswell. My love for TV started with
Gilmore Girls. It was the first show I watched in full. I didn't have
the most happy childhood and Gilmore Girls always managed to make
me feel sane. It made me happy. It didn't matter if I was happy or sad;
the show always made me feel better. To this day it's the only show I
watched more than 2 times in total. It has become a tradition in our house
to rewatch the series every year. Surprisingly it never gets boring. Hell,
we even used the intro song of the show for our wedding; it played when
we were entering the room where we got married, with all the guests seated.
The music fitted perfectly; it finished when we arrived at our seats, like the
song was made for that moment. Making the show even more special.''
~ Alwayshappy