It's been nearly five years since the Gilmore Girls returned to the small screen with A Year In The Life, and fans are still hoping for a revival follow-up... but in the meantime, there's still plenty to love in rewatching the original series. From the first episode, that saw Rory get into Chilton and Lorelai reconnect with her parents to pay for it, to the finale, where the whole town got together to wave Rory off after graduation, every episode has its own magic.

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But when comparing that first and last episode, which is truly the best? Is the pilot superior for being the one that introduced the world to the Gilmore Girls, or is it the finale, for wrapping everything up with such a sentimental last scene? Each has its strong points, and of course, the only way to know for sure is to rewatch the entire series.

Pilot: That Initial Luke/Lorelai Tension

gilmore girls lorelai and luke painting luke's diner

While the true core relationships of the show are those between Emily, Lorelai, and Rory, Luke and Lorelai still occupy a special place in the hearts of Gilmore Girls fans. And in that pilot episode, Luke and Lorelai are front and center, from that very first scene that Lorelai walks into Luke's for coffee. They may just be friends at this point, but the tension and chemistry between them is incredible - and in many ways, better than it is after all the break ups and make ups throughout the series.

Finale: The Luke/Lorelai Reconciliation

Lorelai Gilmore sings karaoke in season 7 of Gilmore Girls

On the flip side, Luke and Lorelai's final kiss in the Gilmore Girls series finale is something that built up over years - and that may well be something that means more to fans than just those first few scenes did. By this point, fans are rooting for the couple, having got to know and love them over the past 7 seasons, and that means a lot more.

Pilot: More Michel

Michel smiling at the inn on Gilmore Girls

Michel is one of the most underrated characters in Gilmore Girls, and he gets far more time in the pilot than in the finale. The pilot also includes one of his best lines in the show, when he is refusing to pick up the phone at the Inn because 'people are particularly stupid today, I can't talk to any more of them'. Michel's sass alone makes the pilot a winner.

Finale: A Much Better Sookie

Unfortunately, while the pilot Michel was significantly better, the same can't be said of Sookie. In the pilot (and the first few episodes) the writers made the choice for her to be ridiculously (and completely unrealistically) clumsy - to the point that she is constantly injured and setting things in her kitchen on fire.

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She's a phenomenal chef, and it makes no sense that she would be this incapable. Thankfully, by the finale, Sookie became a much more balanced and realistic character.

Pilot: Rory & Lane

Rory reading a book standing with Lane in her school band uniform on Gilmore Girls.

Rory and Lane's friendship is one that ends up falling by the wayside in the later seasons of Gilmore Girls, as Rory heads off to Yale and Lane ends up married and pregnant in Stars Hollow. The pilot shows the two of them when they are still best friends, which makes it significantly sweeter than the finale, when they have already grown apart.

Finale: Rory's Bright Future

Rory at her graduation with her family in Gilmore Girls

Admittedly, Rory's future is pretty bright (not to mention front and center) in both the pilot and the finale, as she is headed to Chilton in the pilot. However, seeing Rory head out into the big wide world after watching her grow up over the course of the series is a special kind of hopeful. The fact that she is going out to work at her dream job, covering the campaign trail for Barack Obama, is amazing, and ends the series on an incredibly uplifting note.

Pilot: More Space For Side Characters

Babette, Troubadour, Taylor Doose

In the first episode, Gilmore Girls is still setting up the town and the side characters for the audience, which means that there's a much better balance of characters to enjoy.

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From Michel and Sookie getting a bigger chunk to the various inhabitants of Stars Hollow, the pilot feels a bit broader - while the finale is much more focused on Lorelai and Rory.

Finale: Lorelai & Her Parents

Lorelai and Emily talking in Emily's house on Gilmore Girls

While many of the other side characters get a little more space to breathe in the pilot, Emily and Richard Gilmore get much more space (and appreciation) in the finale. Seeing their final speeches to both Lorelai and Rory, how close they have become, and how proud they are of both daughter and granddaughter is absolutely tear-jerking. In the pilot, though, the relationship is stilted and two-dimensional.

Pilot: It's Funnier

Lorelai grinning at Luke and asking for coffee on Gilmore Girls

The pilot is packed with significantly more laughs than the finale, making it better for fans who loved the light humor of Gilmore Girls. This makes sense, as it is just setting things up, and is all about the bright and breezy interactions of the Stars Hollow Gilmores. There are more one-liners, and the opening scene of Lorelai and Rory getting approached by the same man at Luke's remains hilarious.

Finale: It's All About Closure

gilmore girls rory season finale

The finale, though, isn't about laughing (although there are certainly some good laughs in there too). Instead, this does what a good series finale is supposed to, and wraps things up. The characters all get their closure, and the audience gets all kinds of sweet final speeches and tear-jerking moments as the whole town (and then some) turn up to say farewell to Rory... and fans get to say farewell along with them.

NEXT: Gilmore Girls: Each Main Character's First & Last Line In The Series