As fall comes around the corner and Georgia weather begins to cool, audiences await to stream their favorite autumn television shows while lying in cozy, pumpkin spice-filled environments. While September marks the beginning of fall, “Gilmore Girls” fans prepare to rewatch the coveted fall episodes the show boasts. Throughout these episodes, one stands out across the show’s catalog. Season three, episode nine, “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving,” showcases Rory and Lorelai Gilmore’s thankful, feast-filled community.
“I think that episode just perfectly depicts how people who are so different can all come together because even though the characters are different, they shared a special day with each other. Despite Lorelai and Rory originally being worried that they had too many plans for Thanksgiving, the show beautifully combines each aspect of their life in one episode. The meal with Emily and Richard, the meal with the Kims and the meal at Luke’s just shows how special each person is to Lorelai and Rory,” magnet junior Nadia Guthrie said.
This episode of the notable television show follows the Gilmore girls as they take on the various Thanksgiving feasts lined up for their day. Lorelai, the owner of the Independence Inn, alongside her best friend Sookie St. James, sought to organize the Thanksgiving feast for visitors staying over the holiday. During this time, Lorelai’s mom, Emily Gilmore, demandingly entered the Independence Inn kitchen, asking for the Gilmore girls’ presence at their Thanksgiving dinner the following day. While Lorelai did not prioritize her relationship with her mother, the Gilmore girls unhappily agreed to visit for dinner.
The November 27 lineup for the Gilmore girls consisted of: Lane Kim’s house, the St. James’ household, Luke’s Dinner and ultimately the Gilmore grandparents’ residence. This episode captures the essence of the appreciative community the Gilmore girls hold, expressing exciting feelings for the fall. “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving” became the favorite fall episode for teen audiences due to Star Hollow’s quirky attributes and the community shown throughout the episode. While other fall episodes, including “A Road Trip to Harvard” or “Twenty-One is The Loneliest Number”, attract the audience’s attention spans, these episodes do not fully grasp the fall nuance because of the lacking elements of pumpkin spice references, auburn landscapes and the fulfillment of thankful community.
Before the Gilmore girls’ first stop, the Kims’ household, they picked up bushels of vibrant flowers, chocolate turkeys and cranberry sauce, to show their appreciation for the various hosts. At the Kims’ Thanksgiving dinner, the Gilmores said an exciting hello to Lane, Rory’s best friend, alongside her hopeful and dreamy boyfriend, David Rygalski. The Gilmores took a quick snack after discovering Mrs. Kim’s traditional interpretation of a cooked turkey, to-furkey.
Next up on the Thanksgiving schedule: the St. James’. Walking up to the St. James’ residence, the Gilmore girls encountered Sookie sitting alone at her specially planned Thanksgiving get-together, with a frown across her face. Sookie explained that Jackson St. James, her husband, took charge of the turkey chaos not knowing he would boil the bird in oil rather than roast it. This moment added emotional turmoil to the favorite episode but it brought attention to the boyish fun expressed in the turkey frying. Jackson — dressed in carpenter-like clothing to protect himself from the 15 gallons of boiling peanut oil — received cheers and chants from his fellow guy friends as he lowered the turkey into the industrial burner with enthusiasm.
Although opposers may believe that this moment adds a selfish aspect to the episode due to Jackson’s inability to care for Sookie’s opinion on the feast, the turkey frying moment brings a new perspective to Thanksgiving dinners while also expressing the importance of a supportive community.
Following the short visit at the St. James’, the girls head over to the acclaimed Luke’s Diner. As the Gilmore girls greet Luke Danes’s moody yet grateful persona, they continue their annual debate on his hatred of flowers. Danes claims that he does not own a vase suitable for the flowers, leaving Lorelai to pressure him into purchasing a flowerpot for next year’s blooms — calling it a tradition. The Gilmores saved their appetite for Luke’s Diner, enjoying the traditional Thanksgiving feast alongside their favorite people: Jess Mariano, Babette Dell, Morey Dell and Danes.
The stop at Gilmore’s favorite dining spot for their authentic Thanksgiving meal showcased the community Stars Hollow offers the two. This moment displayed the reality of town get-togethers, expressing the comfort of close-knit solidarity.
Ending their day off at Richard and Emily Gilmore’s formal dinner party brought feelings of resentment for Lorelai and Rory. As the pianist played beautiful tunes to heighten the mood at the party, the Gilmore girls countdown the minutes until they sprint out of the unpleasant household. While the internal conflicts expressed bring about a negative connotation within the familial relationships at the dinner party, the decor surrounding the house adds a boost of eye-catching vibes. Richard and Emily fill the halls with Autumn-colored streams of leaves, candle-lit sconces and a beautiful cornucopia centering the dining table.
“I honestly love this episode because it does not depict a typical Thanksgiving. Most people assume that Thanksgiving is only for family reunions and while that can be true sometimes, community is more than family, which this episode pictures so clearly. Nothing about ‘A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving’ was traditional, yet somehow it all meshed so well and it felt even more relatable,” Guthrie said.
While “A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving” held an array of traditional Thanksgiving elements, the segment focuses heavily on community dependence, leading it to become the perfect episode for a cozy fall night.
