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The sum of its parts was definitely greater than the season
whole as Gilmore Girls kicked off its fourth year by
separating its high-powered mother-daughter duo. After years of
toil at snooty private school Chilton, Rory (Alexis Bledel) was
finally off to the greener pastures of college as she began her
first year at Yale. The not-so-long distance put a crimp in her
relationship with her mother, Lorelai (Lauren Graham), as the
two were forced to continue their chatty conversations via
phone--not exactly the same as trading barbs face-to-face. While
Rory adjusted to college life with cranky roommate Paris (Liza
Weil) in tow, Lorelai found herself without a daughter, but
gained a boyfriend in the form of Jason "Digger" Stiles (Chris
Eigeman), a childhood friend and now her father's business
partner. But the lure of Stars Hollow, the Gilmores' cherished
country town, would prove too hard to resist, as Lorelai finally
made plans to open her own inn, and the two ladies found
themselves attracted to town residents--for Lorelai, an
intensifying of her friendship with diner owner Luke (Scott
Patterson), and for Rory, a return to old boyfriend Dean (Jared
Padalecki), which put a decided tension into a show that sorely
needed it. Nevermind that both men were married to other women!
The first half of the fourth season definitely foundered, as the
show's usually topnotch creative team struggled to find a way to
keep the Gilmore chemistry afloat despite separating their main
characters. There wasn't much drama to be found for Rory in
starting college, and though it got off to a great start,
Lorelai's relationship with Jason never fully gelled. However,
once the show got its girls into the arms of their Stars Hollow
men, it turned around almost immediately, surging towards a
creative revival that put its ratings higher than they'd ever
been before. Along the way to its surprising and complex season
finale, there were great episodes to be had: "Girls in Bikinis,
Boys Doin' the Twist," which found Rory and Paris on spring
break; "The Reigning Lorelai," centering on an unexpected
funeral; "The Festival of Living Art," which had Stars Hollow
resident re-creating classic works; and "Luke Can See Her Face,"
which finally brought the Luke-Lorelai romance to the forefront.
The season may have started out rough, but this fourth year
ended with a bang, and the promise of more fireworks to come.
--Mark Englehart
Product Description
Boola boola! Rory starts her first year at Yale. Moola moola!
Lorelai finally opens the Dragonfly Inn, although it takes her
last dime (and a loan from Luke). The Gilmore girls return for
another scintillating, snappy-patter year of Gilmore Girls.
Welcome, Gilmore groupies, to the fourth season of the series
acclaimed for its agile balance of life and laughter. Oh yes,
and love. Lorelai has a romantic fling with her father's new,
younger partner, but ends the year with the guy every fan has
known was right for her all along. For Rory, Cupid seems to be
on sabbatical -- then Dean and Jess re-enter her life. Sookie
gets a Davey, Lane gets a life, Kirk gets a girlfriend(!) and
you get a 22-episode vacation in Stars Hollow, plus DVD Extras
and a mint on the pillow.
Season 4: 2003-2004
#
Title
Original airdate
Code
66
"Ballrooms and Biscotti"
September 23, 2003
176151
Warp speed. The Gilmore girls return from
their summer holiday and find out they have to cram
one-and-a-half weeks of activities into three days
before Rory's Yale orientation. Meanwhile, Luke and
Nicole have surprising news from their vacation, and
Sookie has found out the sex of her baby. Emily takes
advantage of Lorelai's skipping of the Friday night
dinner, and monopolizes Rory's last night before Yale.
67
"The Lorelais' First Day at Yale"
September 30, 2003
176152
Rory arrives at Yale, and realizes that
she's not quite ready to leave Lorelai and Stars Hollow.
She is also surprised to find that one of her new
roommates is someone she knows very well.
68
"The Hobbit, the Sofa and Digger
Stiles"
October 7, 2003
176153
Lorelai and Sookie begin a catering
company, starting with a
Lord of the Rings-themed children's party that
leads Sookie to doubt her abilities as a mother. Richard
goes into business with his former associate's son,
while Emily surprises Rory with unrequested furniture.
Rory has her first college party.
69
"Chicken or Beef?"
October 14, 2003
176154
Lorelai begins renovations on the
Dragonfly Inn. Dean invites Rory to his wedding, but
Luke later tells Rory not to go after Dean makes a
drunken and shocking confession to Luke on the night of
his bachelor party that he still loves Rory.
70
"The Fundamental Things Apply"
October 21, 2003
176155
Rory tries to start dating again, and is
disappointed. Lorelai invites Luke, the "uber monk,"
over for movie night.
71
"An Affair to Remember"
October 28, 2003
176156
Emily plans a launch party for Richard's
new business and hires Lorelai and Sookie to cater it.
And Kirk prepares – extensively – for a date. But
neither affair goes quite as expected.
72
"The Festival of Living Art"
November 4, 2003
176157
The whole town gets involved posing as
famous artwork for a festival. Lorelai is nervous about
a possible repeat performance of her flinch several
years ago in the same role, and Kirk as Jesus in The
Last Supper is warring with the guy playing
Judas. While the show goes on, Luke's about-to-be ex
shows up, and Sookie's baby is a no-show, days after the
due date. (This episode won the show's only Emmy, for
Outstanding Makeup for a Series (non-prosthetic).[2])
73
"Die, Jerk"
November 11, 2003
176158
En pointe and in print. To get a story
published in the school newspaper, Rory blasts the Yale
ballet...and earns the lead ballerina's wrath, who
leaves a note on Rory's door saying "DIE JERK". Jason
finagles an invitation to the Gilmores' Friday dinner.
74
"Ted Koppel's Big Night Out"
November 18, 2003
176159
When the four Gilmores run into an old
acquaintance at the Harvard-Yale game, Emily fights with
both Richard and Lorelai, prompting Lorelai to accept a
dinner date with Jason. Meanwhile, Lane begs Luke to let
her replace his new employee.
75
"The Nanny and the Professor"
January 20, 2004
176160
Sookie's new nanny turns out to be
Michel's old rival, who has child-phobic Michel so
paranoid he offers to play
Mary Poppins to Sookie's new baby, Davey. Meanwhile,
one of Rory's professors shows a penchant for women 40
years his junior...Paris Gellar.
76
"In the Clamor and the Clangor"
January 27, 2004
176161
Hear the tintinnabulation. Restored
church bells set everyone on edge, prompting Lorelai and
Luke to a late-night escapade. When Lorelai discovers
Luke has "moved" to another town with Nicole, she
freaks. Rory has an embarrassing run-in with a fellow
student who turned her down for a date. When Mrs. Kim
discovers Lane's secret rock-'n'-roll life — after a
failed gig at the famous
CBGB club in New York — she and Lane discuss Lane's
secret life.
77
"A Family Matter"
February 3, 2004
176162
Luke is wary when his flaky sister Liz
unexpectedly visits. Then the other shoe drops: Jess is
back in Stars Hollow. Paris dumps Jamie for her new
flame.
78
"Nag Hammadi Is Where They Found the
Gnostic Gospels"
February 10, 2004
176163
When Luke wants to do something about
Liz's latest boyfriend, who seems to be yet another
loser, Jess accuses him of being a know-it-all buttinski
... and Luke takes the criticism to heart. Also, Jess
runs away from Rory every time he sees her, but later
has a surprising proclamation to make.
79
"The Incredible Sinking Lorelais"
February 17, 2004
176164
Things fall apart. Humiliated when she
has trouble keeping up with her course load, Rory turns
to Dean for support. Running out of time and money to
renovate the Dragonfly, and reeling from being labeled
as a failure by her grandmother, Lorelai turns to Luke
for a loan.
80
"Scene in a Mall"
February 24, 2004
176165
Conspicuous consumption. Hurt that
Richard spends so much time on business and so little
time with her, Emily hits the mall, dragging Lorelai and
Rory with her when she runs into them on their
mother-daughter day. Lane moves into an apartment with
her band mates.
81
"The Reigning Lorelai"
March 2, 2004
176166
Trix, Richard's mother, dies, and in the
process of attending to every little detail of the plans
Trix left for the funeral, Emily finds an upsetting
letter that Trix wrote to Richard the night before his
and Emily's wedding. Emily abruptly halts planning the
funeral, leaving the task to Lorelai.
82
"Girls in Bikinis, Boys Doin' The
Twist"
April 13, 2004
176167
Rory and Paris go south for a rite of
passage: spring break! Jason awkwardly peforms the rite
of giving Lorelai his house key. Luke is read his rights
after attacking a suspicious car outside the house that
belongs to him and Nicole.
83
"Tick, Tick, Tick, Boom!"
April 20, 2004
176168
Taylor returns to Stars Hollow looking a
little different, and Kirk panics about a mistake he
made during the Easter egg hunt he planned in Taylor's
absence. Former business associate Floyd, Jason's
father, slaps a lawsuit on Richard and Jason's
partnership, simultaneously revealing Lorelai's secret
to her astonished parents.
84
"Afterboom"
April 27, 2004
176169
What happens after an explosion?
Everything's in pieces. The crisis in Richard and
Jason's business dramatically affects Richard and
Emily's marriage as well as Lorelai and Jason's
relationship.
85
"Luke Can See Her Face"
May 4, 2004
176170
The least-likely person to buy self-help
tapes buys self-help tapes. And what do you know? They
help. Thanks to the voice from the boom box, Luke
finally realizes who will make him happy. Feeling
better, Luke completes his journey by handing over the
tapes to a flummoxed Jess.
86
"Last Week Fights, This Week Tights"
May 11, 2004
176171
Wedding day at Stars Hollow-and Liz and
T.J.'s Renaissance-themed ceremony seems to have an
effect on Luke and Jess. Meanwhile, Rory and Dean share
another secret conversation.
87
"Raincoats and Recipes"
May 18, 2004
176172
The Dragonfly hosts a test-run weekend,
and it seems everyone Lorelai knows is there (including
someone she does not invite), oohing, aahing, laughing,
loving, clashing, crying, fuming, leaving. Richard and
Emily continue to fight, Kirk suffers from night
terrors, Taylor offers up his commentary in classic
Taylor style, Michel proposes some changes to the inn,
and Luke and Lorelai have a serious discussion. Rory and
Dean's relationship moves to the next level, and
Lorelai's disapproval sparks a fight between her and
Rory.
