24 Years Later, Gilmore Girls’ Best Episode Is Still One Of Television’s Greatest Hours

Gilmore Girls has many memorable episodes, and its best one is still one of the greatest hours of TV. The 2000s saw a variety of great comedy-drama TV shows, with many of them now ranking among the best TV shows of all time. As years have gone by, some of the best TV shows of the 2000s have become classics, and one of them is Gilmore Girls. Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, Gilmore Girls aired from 2000 to 2007 for seven seasons.

Gilmore Girls takes its audience to the fictional small town of Stars Hollow, in Connecticut, to meet Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and her daughter, Rory (Alexis Bledel). Gilmore Girls explores their deep bond and dynamic, while following their daily lives and the many ups and downs in their personal, social, and professional lives. Gilmore Girls is still a very popular TV show, and it has reached a wider audience thanks to the streaming era.

Gilmore Girls is widely regarded as a “cozy” TV show, and yearly rewatches have become a must for fans during the fall and winter. Now, although Gilmore Girls has been removed from Netflix, the show is now available to stream on Prime Video, and it’s not too early to revisit it, especially its best episode, which still stands as one of the best in TV history.

Gilmore Girls’ “They Shoot Gilmores, Don’t They?” Perfectly Captures The Show’s Essence

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A big part of the charm of Gilmore Girls, especially in its first seasons, is its small-town vibe. Lorelai and Rory are part of a close-knit community, which can be chaotic and gossip-y at times, but Lorelai and Rory have earned their love and respect (especially Rory). However, that doesn’t exclude them from uncomfortable moments that soon become the talk of the town. The best example of this is season 3’s episode “They Shoot Gilmores, Don’t They?”

In it, Lorelai prepares for the Stars Hollow Dance Marathon, which she wants to win as she isn’t willing to let Kirk (Sean Gunn) win again. Rory ends up accepting to be Lorelai’s dancing partner, and while her boyfriend, Dean (Jared Padalecki), cheers on her, tension arises when Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) arrives. As the marathon continues, tension grows, culminating with Dean breaking up with Rory, and Lorelai and Rory losing to Kirk.

As chaotic as “They Shoot Gilmores, Don’t They?” is, it fits perfectly with the show’s tone, essence, and pace, as it’s still easy to follow and quite engaging. The episode captures the chaos of small towns, with their own rivalries and traditions, where privacy is truly a luxury as everyone knows everyone, and there’s always someone watching. This episode is also the peak of the love triangle between Rory, Dean, and Jess, bringing both romance and heartbreak into the mix.

The episode doesn’t forget about comedy, brought mostly by Lorelai and Kirk, but has an unforgettable ending with Lorelai holding a sobbing Rory while Kirk celebrates his victory. “They Shoot Gilmores, Don’t They?” is drama, comedy, heartbreak, and a cozy vibe all in one episode, which are the elements that have made Gilmore Girls such a beloved show.

“They Shoot Gilmores, Don’t They?” Was A Turning Point For Gilmore Girls

Not only is “They Shoot Gilmores, Don’t They?” the best Gilmore Girls episode, but it’s also one of its most important ones as it was a turning point for the show. As mentioned above, this episode was the climax of Rory’s love triangle, with Rory and Dean breaking up and Jess and Rory now free to be together. Rory and Jess are one of the most talked-about elements of Gilmore Girls, as it wasn’t exactly the healthiest relationship in the show.

Up to that point, Rory had a clear plan of going to Harvard, for which she had prepared for years, but after “They Shoot Gilmores, Don’t They?”, Rory’s path begins to change. Thanks to her grandfather, Rory begins to consider applying to Yale, where she eventually enrolls. Rory’s Yale years are some of the most controversial and divisive moments in Gilmore Girls history, and it all began after the chaotic dance marathon.

Although Gilmore Girls definitely had other great episodes after “They Shoot Gilmores, Don’t They?”, this one still stands as the show’s best and one of the most significant ones, with heartbreaking endings, uncertain beginnings, and upcoming twists that would change the course of Lorelai and Rory’s lives.

Release Date

2000 – 2007-00-00

Directors

Jamie Babbit, Amy Sherman-Palladino, Lee Shallat Chemel, Kenny Ortega, Michael Katleman, Matthew Diamond, Michael Zinberg, Gail Mancuso, Lesli Linka Glatter, Steve Clancy, Bethany Rooney, Jackson Douglas, Robert Berlinger, Steven Robman, Alan Myerson, Lev L. Spiro, Rodman Flender, Adam Nimoy, Arlene Sanford, Bruce Seth Green, Danny Leiner, David Paymer, David Petrarca, Eric Laneuville