Season 2 of "Gilmore Girls" moved from Thursday nights to Tuesdays in the same 8pm time slot on the WB and ran from October 9, 2001 to May 21, 2002. The first season was moderately successful, ranking #126 in the Nielsen ratings and averaging 3.6M viewers per episode in the original time slot. The network also played reruns on Monday nights in March and April during a "Roswell" mid-season break with similar average viewership. For the sake of comparison, the most successful show on the WB during that television season was "7th Heaven," ranking #105 with 7.7M average viewers per episode. WB exec Jordan Levin expressed satisfaction with the show's early performance: "The fact that 'Gilmore Girls' beat 'Friends' in female teens this May sweep and is building Emmy buzz has been extremely gratifying for a freshman series."
S2 viewership on Tuesday nights was even better (5.2M viewers) with less competition for the same demographic. At #115, it ranked five slots ahead of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," which moved from the WB to UPN for its sixth season, but well below "That '70s Show" at #64 on Fox. It was the third best performer on the network behind "7th Heaven" and "Smallville," which is nothing to sniff at for a show that was essentially set up to fail against "Survivor" and "Friends." Amy Sherman-Palladino, who was roughly Lorelai's (Lauren Graham) age, was successfully running a show on a major network (err, netlet) along with her husband and creative partner, Dan Palladino. It's impressive as hell, which makes her Zionist status all the more disappointing to me as I write this in 2026 [insert sad trombone here]. I want to root for you, Amy, but all the dumb shit you say (along with the recent "Étoile" travesty) makes it hard.
In S2, the core "Gilmore" lore is firmly established: Kirk's (Sean Gunn) countless jobs, Lorelai and Rory's (Alexis Bledel) love of shitty men, Christopher's (David Sutcliffe) distaste for condoms, Lane's (Keiko Agena) obsession with the drums, Rory's support for Israel, and generational patterns that repeat no matter how hard you try to fight them. Lorelai fucks up her relationship with Max Medina (Scott Cohen), falling back into a brief groove with Christopher before he learns about Sherry's (Mädchen Amick) pregnancy. Rory starts out with Dean (Jared Padalecki) but spends the entire season inching closer to Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) while remaining firmly in denial of her feelings. Sookie (Melissa McCarthy) and Jackson (Jackson Douglas) get married, Richard (Edward Herrmann) and Emily (Kelly Bishop) have their first (minor) marital spat. It's a solid season that ends with Ella Fitzgerald melancholy in two of many unflattering dresses.
In a shameless bid to rank higher for S2 organic searches, here are the episodes I recommend watching next time you're stuck in 9-5 spreadsheet hell and need some comforting background noise.
💄 Top 5 Episodes From "Gilmore Girls" Season 2
- "The Bracebridge Dinner" - I would hate living in a small town where everyone knows my business and yet... There is something deeply appealing about events like this where everyone comes together to participate in themed absurdity.
- "There's the Rub" - Lorelai and Emily go to a spa together while Rory's solo Indian food study night is ruined by Paris (Liza Weil), Jess, and an irate Dean. It's impossible to watch without thinking about getting sixty-fortied over a shrimp cocktail.
- "Teach Me Tonight" - Jess and Rory get into a car accident, Lorelai treats Luke like garbage, and "A Film by Kirk" debuts to great critical acclaim at the Stars Hollow Movie Festival.
- "Lorelai's Graduation Day" - Rory goes to New York to see Jess, causing her to completely miss Lorelai's college graduation. It's ok, though, because for once, Lorelai and her parents actually have a nice moment together without the need for a Rory buffer.
- "I Can't Get Started" - Sookie and Jackson get married, Lorelai fucks Christopher, and Rory kisses Jess. As far as season finales go, this is a pretty perfect one. "Oy with the poodles already!"
I recommend pairing this season with a huge bouquet of pot roast and Fran's (Linda Porter) mocha crunch cream cake. Try hard not to get distracted by Michel's (Yanic Truesdale) tragic three-piece suit.
