A Quick ‘Gilmore Girls’ Primer For Newbie Fans

Let me start off by saying that, as a Gilmore Girls fan, I in no way judge anyone who is not. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone, right? And I am certainly not without sin. For instance, I have never seen an episode of Pretty Little Liars in my entire life, and that show basically uses the same set as Gilmore Girls. So, I get it. We all have our flaws. But this is a big year for Gilmore Girls fans, and whether you’re trying to get into the show before the revival premieres or just want to understand what all of your fan friends are talking about, this ultimate Gilmore Girls primer is just the thing you need to understanding the world in which this show exists.

So get your notebooks ready. Get some coffee while you’re at it. You’re going to want to take notes on these very important elements of being a Gilmore Girls fan. They are the things that every true fan knows like the back of their hands. They’re also the things that will make any fan nod and smile knowingly in that annoying way that all Gilmore Girls fans do. Oy with the poodles already, am I right?

Don’t worry. We’ll get to that, too. So sit back, relax, and get ready to get all the essential details from the first seven seasons of Gilmore Girls.

Stars Hollow

This is the town where most of the girls’ action takes place. It’s in Connecticut, and it is absolutely adorable. Other towns where you might see the Gilmore girls lurking: Hartford around, where the grandparents live, and New Haven, where Rory eventually goes to Yale University.

Luke’s Diner

The main hangout spot for the Gilmore girls. They eat breakfast here when they have time for more than a Pop-Tart, and often they enjoy dinner here as well. It’s a diner in an old hardware store, and it serves the best cup of coffee in Stars Hollow. Oh, it’s also where Luke Danes, aka Lorelai’s on-again off-again love interest, works.

Coffee

These girls drink a lot of it. Get ready to get caffeinated.

Team Dean/Jess/Logan

Which team you are on totally defines what sort of Gilmore Girls fan you are. But here’s the easy break down: Dean was Rory’s first love, and though loved her hard, he was a bit of buffoon at times; Jess was the ultimate bad boy but connected with Rory on an intellectual level that only sometimes made up for how he treated her; Logan was Rory’s college love with tons of old money, lots of privilege, and a softer side only Rory gets to see. If you’re going to choose a side, make sure you choose wisely.

"Oy, With The Poodles Already!"

Used these days to respond to people who just won’t shut up, this phrase originated from an episode of Gilmore Girls where Lorelai discussed how “oy” and “poodle” were the funniest words in the English language. Those Gilmore girls really like their word play.

The Dragonfly Inn

The Inn that Lorelai owns and runs with her bestie, Sookie St. James. It’s adorable. If it were real I’d stay there every night.

Friday Night Dinners

A requisite for the Gilmore girls. In the first episode of the show, Lorelai asked her very well off parents for money to pay for Rory’s private school education. In exchange, her mother asked for Lorelai and Rory to come to dinner every Friday night. And thus a tradition begun, and even after the money was paid back, it continued.

Sookie

Not Stackhouse — that's a whole different show. I'm talking Sookie St. James! She is Lorelai’s best friend and co-owner of The Dragonfly Inn.

All Those Lorelai’s

Yes, there are multiple characters named Lorelai in this show. There’s the original Lorelai (Richard Gilmore’s mother), our Lorelai (named after her paternal grandmother), and our Lorelai's daughter Rory — whose full name is really Lorelai.

Paul Anka

No, not the legendary singer and songwriter. Paul Anka in Gilmore Girls is the dog that Lorelai adopts after Rory goes to college. He’s incredibly quirky and fits in perfectly in Stars Hollow

Hep Alien

Lane, Rory’s best friend from high school, starts a band with other rock enthusiasts in Stars Hollow. This is what they name it. It’s a weird name. Let’s move along.

Town Meetings

These are the main event in any Stars Hollow resident’s life. They happen regularly to decide everything from where the corn maze will be set up this year to whether or not Luke should be allowed to date Lorelai. Yeah, things get personal in Stars Hollow.

Yale

Where Rory goes to college after spending her entire life wanting to go to Harvard. It’s also where her grandfather, Richard Gilmore, went to college.

Winter

Winter is coming, but when it happens in GG, it's not a bad thing. It's the most special time of year for the Gilmore girls, actually, and they love all the trappings that come with it: Snow, skating, and singing carols around Stars Hollow. (OK, probably not that last one.)

And there you have it, my Gilmore Girls newbies: Everything you need to know to get you started on the road to fandom.

Image: Netflix; Giphy (14)