Sometimes new TV shows take a moment to find their footing and develop their voice. However, Gilmore Girls is the rare kind of series that had a lot of personality from the start and always knew exactly what kind of show that it wanted to be, so it's pilot episode is a very good introduction to the show as a whole.
However, there are certain elements of the pilot that still do stick out in contrast to the rest of the series. What interesting elements of the premiere episode of Gilmore Girls have been forgotten by most fans, but is worth ing?
Rory Was Reading Moby Dick
Of course just like nearly every episode of the series, Rory was in the midst of reading a book in the pilot episode as well. Her novel of choice in this particular instance was Moby Dick, the Herman Melville classic.
While it was certainly an insight into Rory's interests, it may have been more of a surprise that Rory hadn't ever picked up such a well known book prior to that.
Dean Was Cooler
Despite the fact that Dean Forester was pretty much everyone's dream first boyfriend, he and Rory did seem slightly ill-suited to each other in the series simply because a lot of their relationship seemed to revolve around Rory introducing Dean to her and her mom's unique style and taste.
However, when Rory makes a relatively obscure reference to Rosemary's Baby in the first episode, Dean totally gets it, which makes it seem like they may have initially intended for him to be more on Rory's wavelength from the start.
Rory Actually Attempted To Play Sports
Whenever anyone thinks of an adjective to describe Rory Gilmore, "athletic" certainly isn't one of the words that will come to mind, with good reason.
After Rory gets her ittance letter to Chilton, she's so excited that she actually tries to participate in gym class for the first time, only to immediately realize that her aversion to sports is well-founded because she's terrible at them.
Lane Had A Dad
Of course, Lane's father wasn't actually shown on screen in the pilot episode, but Lane much more casually mentions her parents as a duo instead of just her mother.
The premiere episode isn't the only time where the cameo in the Gilmore Girls reboot).
Lorelai And Rory's Music Taste Was A Bit More Mainstream
Throughout the series, Rory and Lorelai both demonstrate that their music, film, and literary taste is very intentionally off the beaten path.
And while Macy Gray wasn't quite as mainstream at the time as say, Britney Spears, the fact that Lorelai and Rory both make a point of name checking the musician in the pilot episode showed that the plan may not have initially been for their tastes to be quite so unusual.
The Gilmore House Exterior Was Different
Although a lot of the sets for the Gilmore Girls pilot were clearly not the sets that the show used for the rest of the series, one of the more interesting quirks is actually in the exterior of the Gilmore mansion.
In the pilot, it looks like the Gilmore's house is facing a relatively normal suburban street and the neighbors across the street are clearly visible, whereas in the future the house looks much more private.
And The Interior Looked Different Too
Despite the fact that Lorelai spends a very brief time visiting with her parents to ask for money for Chilton, the interior of the house that is on display looks significantly different as well.
The interior design of the sitting room is different, the room itself is much smaller than how it looks for most of the show, and the dining room isn't actually visible from the sitting room.
Luke's Looked Different
In the pilot episode, Luke's Diner was already firmly established as one of the most important locations of the series, but it's look was pretty dramatically different.
It looked like it's dining room was just a long rectangle, and a lot of the interior design elements had the same converted hardware store vibe but looked different. It also looked significantly smaller than the restaurant does for most of the series.
The Layout Of The Town Was Different
The central town square ultimately became a really important element of Star's Hollow in general, and although the shots of the town itself were relatively brief in the premiere, it certainly looks different.
The street that Luke's is on looks like a normal street that has buildings on either side, and it definitely looks busier and more traffic-laden than the Star's Hollow town center typically does.
And Everything In It Was Generic
The tiny town of Star's Hollow ultimately became sort of a character in the series itself, but what distinguishes it in the series premiere episode is that it's actually completely lacking in distinction.
With the exception of Luke's and Miss Patty's, pretty much every business or storefront that can be spotted in the pilot is totally plain and generic with no actual business names.