In “Star-Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers,” Stars Hollow leans fully into romance. With the Founders Firelight Festival approaching, old feelings resurface, new tensions emerge, and not everyone is on the same page about what love is supposed to look like. In this post, I break down every pop culture reference from Hell hath no fury to Christine.

In “Christopher Returns,” the past comes crashing into the present. From disastrous family dinners to awkward morning-after conversations, this episode uses pop culture references to unpack love, blame, and expectations. In this post, I break down every reference from Fiddler on the Roof to Alfalfa.

In “That Damn Donna Reed,” ideas about tradition, independence, and relationships start to clash. Rory and Dean face their first real disagreement, Lorelai navigates one of her early Luke moments, and a missing chick somehow ties it all together. In this post, I break down the episode’s pop culture references, from The Donna Reed Show to Michael Douglas.