Gilmore Girls: All the pop culture references in A Year in a Life

A reference to John Oliver and Amy Schumer didn’t make it into the Gilmore Girls revival, but plenty of famous names, places, and things were cited by Lorelai, Rory, Emily, and Co. during Gilmore Girls: A Year in a Life. Ahead, a full list of the many, many references (and make sure to leave any we missed in the comments section).

  • Lorelai tells Rory she should sing “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables
  • Rory jokes that if Stars Hollow loses its phone booth, Superman wouldn’t be able to “save us from Ben Affleck.”
  • Lorelai and Rory joke about Zoolander 2.
  • Rory wrote a Talk of the Town piece for the New Yorker, has an interview with Conde Nast, and one of her freelance pieces was spiked by The Atlantic.
  • What’s on Lorelai’s DVR: Restless Virgins, Deadly Honeymoon, Killer Crush, Mini’s First Time, Accidental Obsession, Murder In a College Town, Crimes of the Mind, Fatal Acquital, Not With My Daughter, Baby Sellers, Unfinished Betrayal, The Girl He Met Online, The Boy He Met Online, Deadly Vows, Lying Eyes, Lies He Told, My Nanny’s Secret (a.k.a. all Lifetime movies)
  • “Did I tell you I attacked Gail Collins?” —Rory
  • Kirk starts a ride sharing business called Ööö-Ber.
  • Roy Choi is a pop-up chef at the inn; Anthony Bourdain was, too (but he parked in Sookie’s spot).
  • Lorelai says Peter Jackson could hang the painting of Richard at the Argonath.
  • Lorelai keeps the Lord of the Rings references coming in response to the painting of Richard: “Wizard, you shall not pass!”
  • Emily says Rory is “traipsing around” from couch to couch like Llewyn Davis.
  • “She learned all her language skills via The Breakfast Club.” —Lorelai on Rory
  • “Let’s just call him Doogie Howser,” Paris says. “You mean Neil Patrick Harris?” Luke responds.
  • “I’ll send you a DVD with my top picks. I’ll also include a copy of Gone Girl. NPH was great in that.” —Paris
  • Emily on going to therapy: “You have been trying to get me into a therapist’s office ever since you saw that Tony Soprano show.”
  • Sandee Martin tells Rory she wants Sandee Says to be bigger than The Huffington Post.
  • Over martinis, a very sloshed Naomi makes an all too real joke about Brexit: “God, I hate England. I’m voting for Brexit. It’s just a protest vote. It will never win.”
  • A whole group of A-list stars are nearby filming a movie, but since the set is actually in neighboring town Woodbury, all the headliners are holed up in an inn there, instead of the Dragonfly. Things we learn about these stars: Matthew McConaughey reads three newspapers a day, Jessica Chastain buys toiletries all over town, and Daniel Radcliffe wants a mini fridge. “Jennifer Lawrence is never ever going to stay here, and what’s the point of living if we’re never going to bag Jennifer Lawrence?” Michel moans. When Lorelai tells Rory about the debacle she jokes, “Play him some Skrillex. That always calms him.”
  • Kirk pays homage to David Lynch’s Eraserhead with his own zany, pretentious artsy film.
  • Paris says she sounds like a “Blake Shelton song” after ranting about seeing Tristan again.
  • Paris says Lena Dunham is moderating a panel discussion with her at the 92nd Street Y.
  • During Rory’s meeting at Condé Nast, GQ editor Jim Nelson (played by Dan Bucatinsky) keeps comparing her to David Foster Wallace, mentioning his 2005 collection of essays, Consider the Lobster.
  • “Viggo Mortensen is you! He’s totally you,” Lorelai exclaims to Luke while watching 2005 thriller A History of Violence. “Seriously, David Cronenberg owes you money. He must have dropped by the diner, saw you, got inspired and turned you into this ex-thug guy.”
  • “Be thinking about lines.” “Like Scarface.” “Wrong lines.”
  • Upon arriving in New York, Lorelai says she’s going to punch NY1 anchor Pat Kiernan “in the sack.”
  • Cronuts are out and “crodocakes” are in. Rory visits the crodocakes line to interview hopeful buyers when we find out the bakery is called “Monique Aswell,” no doubt a nod to Dominique Ansel, the New York-based creator of the original cronut.
  • Of course Lorelai watches Outlander! When she tells Rory she’s never had…