8 Best Gilmore Girls Winter Episodes
A list of the best Gilmore Girls episodes for the winter season
As much as I love fall, there’s really nothing quite as magical as snow in the wintertime. Warm-toned lights illuminate people’s windows, making their houses look so much warmer, so much more inviting, as you rush inside to get out of the cold. Christmas lights sparkle along rooftops, reflecting against the fresh snow so that it looks like fireflies dancing in the night.
While I’ve only experienced this kind of winter less than a handful of times—which might totally be influencing my perspective since my main exposure to it comes from media—each one was nothing short of magic. I’m sure the reality of living in this climate is extremely different from the temporary experience of visiting it, but that still hasn’t stopped me from occasionally daydreaming of a life in a small town where I can watch the first snowfall from my window. Just like in Gilmore Girls.
In my post “5 Best Gilmore Girls Fall Episodes” (which also includes a general synopsis of the show if needed), I mentioned that Gilmore Girls is most iconic in the fall. I still stand by this, but upon rewatching all the winter episodes, I was surprised that many of my favorites are actually winter rather than fall. I’ll always love the autumnal vibes of this show, but they really do winter right, which is why it was so hard to narrow it down.
So, as promised, here are the top eight Gilmore Girls episodes I feel are a must-see, especially as the days grow colder and darker and we need a little extra coziness in our lives—once again ordered based on “most winter vibes”.
1. Love & War & Snow (season 1 episode 8)
I was really torn on which episode should be number one on this list. However, I don’t think there’s any better way to start winter than with season one’s very first, first snow episode (the first of the first).
The first snowfall of winter is a theme that runs throughout the show, often bringing change and new beginnings into the girls’ lives, and this episode is the first to introduce us to this. It not only features a sweet moment between Lorelai and Rory as Lorelai recounts how Rory was born during a snow storm, it also includes one of my favorite Lane moments. With the two girls growing up, Lane and Rory now have to figure out how to be in each other’s lives as they navigate boys, different schools, and embarrassing moments—like touching a boys’ hair in front of everyone… without his permission. Pure girlhood in all it’s messy, awkwardness. Plus, Lorelai has a fun encounter with a love interest as the snow finally begins to fall.
2. The Bracebridge Dinner (season 2 episode 10)
I think this is the most obvious pick on here, and was tied for first, but alas, it couldn’t beat the nostalgic vibes of season one. Still, this episode practically embodies the magic of winter.
With the guests unable it make it to the Independence Inn, Lorelai and Sookie are left with all the preparations for the 19th century themed dinner they were planning and no one to enjoy it, until they decide to invite all their friends from town. Everyone, including the grandparents and Paris—Rory’s frenemy, who, at this point, was turning into more of a friend—show up, filling the episode with personality and fun. The themed dinner gives it a Christmasy air with candles lining the table and garland hanging from the pillars and fireplaces, but the horse-drawn sleigh ride is what sends it over the top. Before dinner, everyone gets to enjoy a ride through town in the snow with the twinkling Christmas lights dangling from the trees and iconic Stars Hollow gazebo in the background. It’s an episode with nearly all the best winter activities and the coziness of a dinner at the Independence Inn.
3. That’ll Do Pig (season 3 episode 10)
Actually, I almost skipped over this episode, but if I’m being honest, it’s kind of a mixed bag for me. It’s got some really great moments and some really not so great moments, but the Stars Hollow Winter Carnival gives it the perfect winter wonderland vibe.
With the Dean and Rory breakup now a good few episodes behind them (rip Dean fans), Rory and Dean are now trying to be friends. So, to prove their new-found friendship to each other, they decide go to the winter carnival together. The carnival is full of winter fun with games, food, and lights strung from the tops of all the booths, but the Dean and Rory friendship is weird, and Jess’ attitude throughout the whole episode is gross, but not as gross as his and Dean’s rivalry. However, there are still a few other moments throughout the episode that make up for it, like Gran’s sudden appearance and the fact that she knew Korn—the heavy metal band from the 90s—as well as a funny moment between Lorelai and her mom, Emily.
(If you’re interested in a more in-depth discussion of all the things wrong with this episode, check out
and ’s article “We Don’t Want To Be Friends, Dean! & Jackson’s Dark Turn” or just check out their whole page! . I couldn’t believe I hadn’t found it sooner, and absolutely loved and related to their every word).4. In the Clamor and the Clangor (season 4 episode 11)
Alright, you caught me, this one is a bit of a personal favorite, but I promise it still has all the wintery goodness. Even though Rory is now in college, and it’s not quite as nostalgic as seasons one through three, it’s still a great episode, and it all starts at a funeral for a man named Stan—a Stars Hollow resident who is never shown, but apparently beloved. A little later, the two Gilmores are seen walking through the town with snowball fights going on behind them when, as per Stan’s wish, the church bells are fixed and they begin to ring. Both Gilmores stop in their tracks and the camera pans out, revealing the entire town covered in snow with each and every person listening to the bells.
While we get a lot of beautiful shots of the town and Rory’s snow laden college in this episode, it’s also one of my favorite “new beginnings” episodes. While Rory deals with a boy—who she thinks is gossiping about her, leading her to do something rash but really funny—Lane is on the brink of one of the biggest moments of her life, it’s just not the moment she thinks it is. Having hidden her true self from her mother her whole life, she ends up shattering that entire facade all in one night. It reminds me of something I read once about how, sometimes, we need to blow up our lives in order to move forward.
5. Secrets and Loans (season 2 episode 11)
I had never thought about it before, but there are a lot of really great Lane moments in the winter episodes, and this is just one of them. It also includes some beautiful snow shots at Lorelai and Rory’s house, as well as around the town.
As Rory settles into her new life in private school, Lane struggles to fit in without her at their old school. So, she decides to join the cheer team, a decision that drives a wedge between the two girls. It’s another one of those pure girlhood moments that’s silly when we look back on it, but made total sense as young teens growing up and developing new interests that might be separate from our friends.
Back at the Gilmore house, Lorelai and Rory deal with termites eating away at the foundation of their home, a storyline that causes a rift between the mother-daughter duo when Rory decides to bring it up to Emily. But it also gives us the hilarious scene where Lane’s mom, afraid Rory is somehow a termite carrier, sprays her away from their house with a hose, pushing her back out onto the icy town streets.
6. Just Like Gwen and Gavin (season 6 episode 12)
Honestly, I fully expected not to like this episode (as I tend to do with most episodes after season 3), but it was much better than I remembered. Not only are there breathtaking, snowy landscapes, but it also, once again, features the Stars Hollow Winter Carnival.
Between Paul Anka—the dog, not the singer—dressed as a fortune teller and the witty quips from April, Luke’s daughter, this episode is both funny and cute. Unfortunately, Luke’s decision to keep April’s existence a secret from Lorelai somewhat shrouds it in an anxiety and dread over the inevitable moment she finds out. Still, this episode is packed with town antics—like Taylor’s disguise as a tourist so as to inspect Kirk’s planning capabilities, or the Kim’s hilarious fiery pit of hell booth in which everyone is a winner, or should I say sinner (lol)—and winter scenery. But nothing quite beats the wonderland feel the winter carnival gives off (also seen in “That’ll Do Pig”) with it’s string lights and thick blankets of snow.
7. Forgiveness and Stuff (season 1 episode 10)
While there are a few episodes that revolve around Christmas, this is the only one I acknowledge as a true Christmas episode—please, don’t even mention “Santa’s Secret Stuff” to me—and I don’t even care that more than half of it takes place inside a hospital.
Following the aftermath of the Rory and Dean incident where the two accidentally stayed out all night, Lorelai, Rory, and Emily, aren’t on the best of terms. In light of this, Rory attends her grandparent’s annual Christmas party without her mom but, while there, her grandfather collapses. The rest of the episode mostly consists of Emily yelling at nurses and frantically running around to find out more information on her husband’s treatment, but it also sheds a new light on Lorelai’s relationship with her father. With the tacky, yet cute, hospital Christmas decorations as our background, we’re given a new perspective on the Gilmore family dynamic.
8. Honorable Mention: Star-Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers (season 1 episode 16)
Technically, this is a winter episode, it’s just very late winter (or is it early spring?). Either way, even though there’s no snowflakes falling from the sky or littering the ground in light, fluffy patches, it still includes one of my favorite Stars Hollow events: the Founders Firelight Festival. It’s really a pity it’s only featured in this one episode, but I guess that makes it extra special.
The episode starts with Miss Patty, the dance instructor, narrating the story of the Stars Hollow founders as the camera glides through the town, following along with different characters as they setup for the festival. This scene alone is enough of a reason to watch as it gives it a wondrous feel one can only compare to the nostalgic coziness of sitting criss-cross applesauce in the school library while listening to the librarian read your class a story on a cold, rainy day. However, the rest of the episode also contains a cute outing to celebrate Dean and Rory’s anniversary, and Lorelai’s hilarious encounter with a blind date. Even though the episode ends on a sad note, I still feel the magic captured by the firelight festival makes it worth watching.
Well, I guess that’s it for this holiday season! I hope you enjoyed reading about why I think these episodes are the best for winter, and hopefully it was helpful if you’re a seasonal watcher like me. Happy Gilmore Girls watching season!
❄️I would love to know…❄️
Did I get all your fav Gilmore Girls winter episodes? If not, which one is your fav?
Between the fall and winter episodes, which do you like more? I LOVE fall, but, overall, the winter episodes are a bit better.
Thanks for the s/o Summer! <3
I love all these episodes so much! My favorites of the bunch are definitely “Love & War & Snow” because the feeling of the first snow is always magical, and “The Bracebridge Dinner” because one, vibes, but two, Jess and Rory riding in the sleigh together 😌 I actually had no memory of “Santa’s Secret Stuff” so I looked it up and immediately said to myself, “oh THAT’S why.” #JusticeForLane #NumberOneChristopherHater
Also as someone who did grow up in a walkable suburb in the snowy weather, it’s magical for the first day or so, until you realize you have to walk to school with mountains of snow and ice on the sidewalks 🥲