10 Gilmore Girls Easter Eggs You Might’ve Missed In The Walmart Ad

If the ending of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has left you wondering where to harness your Easter egg sleuthing skills next, don’t worry. The Gilmore Girls fandom welcomes your astute eye. Specifically, the new Walmart commercial that reunited Luke and Lorelai and pays homage to all things Stars Hollow features several sneaky nods that will delight fans on a second, third, or umpteenth viewing.

Have you spotted them all? Here’s a breakdown of some of the Gilmore Girls commercial Easter eggs that manage to say so much about Rory, Stars Hollow lore, and beyond — even in a mere 30 seconds.

That Deer

The decorative deer in the town square is a little too realistic for me to believe that it’s meant just as seasonal decor and not as a reference to Rory hitting a deer — sorry, being hit by a deer — during her early days at Chilton.

Dave “Gruber” Allen

Notice the Stars Hollow denizen gently strumming his guitar at the start of the episode? Scott Patterson (who plays Luke) confirmed on his podcast that it’s none other than Dave “Gruber” Allen. He portrayed the musician competing for a spot as town troubadour several times throughout the series, and the minister who performed Liz and TJ’s wedding in Season 4.

The Stars Hollow Gazette

A blue dispenser for the town newspaper can be seen outside Luke’s Diner. It’s a small detail, to be sure, but one that quietly communicates the Gazette is still going strong eight years after Rory took a job there in A Year in the Life.

Williams Hardware

Another interesting part of the diner exterior is the “Williams Hardware” sign positioned on top of the door. Gilmore Girls fans know that Luke’s Diner is located at what used to be his father’s hardware store, making this a deep-cut design nod.

Kirk’s Latest Job

Kirk was practically the inventor of the side hustle in the original series, so it’s incredibly fitting that he’s the one who delivered Lorelai’s Keurig machine from Walmart.

Arts & Crafts

ICYMI, fans have theorized that the adorable, holiday-themed arts and crafts hanging up behind Luke’s counter could be the handiwork of Rory’s child. As one Redditor put it, “The only way Luke would decorate the diner is if his grandkid did the art. He would absolutely dote on that child.”

Luke & Lorelai’s Rings

Not that there was any doubt, but Luke and Lorelai’s wedding rings are a sweet reminder of the pair’s nuptials in A Year in the Life.

The Sweet Snowman

There’s a snowman decoration on Luke’s counter — you can see it better in the ambient “Christmas at Luke’s Diner,” also uploaded by Walmart. While it’s certainly not an unusual sight at this time of year, it could have added significance as a nod to Rory and Lorelai building a snowman for a contest in Season 2’s “The Bracebridge Dinner.”

During Jess and Rory’s carriage ride later in the episode, he remarked that the snowman looked like Björk (which Rory confirmed was exactly the idea). Jess said she should win. And what do you know? The next morning, their opponent’s elaborate snowman was mysteriously destroyed, a noble gesture from Jess, who was crushing on her hardcore at the time.

The Walmart Of It All

Speaking of Jess, the commercial itself is almost an Easter egg about Jess, who, in Season 3 of Gilmore Girls, was once named Employee of the Month while holding a secret full-time job at the retailer.

A Pesky Door

Spot the door to Luke’s Diner? Patterson said on his podcast that it was a “problem” at times because it kept swinging open when it was supposed to be shut. He saw it as a metaphor. “It was almost like the spirit of the Gilmore Girls fans was telling us, ‘Please open this door, and keep it open. We want more episodes.’”