Gilmore Girls (season 4)

The fourth season of Gilmore Girls, an American dramedy television series, began airing on September 23, 2003 on The WB. The season concluded on May 18, 2004, after 22 episodes. The season aired Tuesday nights at 8/7c.

Gilmore Girls
Season 4
Season 4 DVD cover
Starring	Lauren Graham Alexis Bledel Melissa McCarthy Scott Patterson Keiko Agena Yanic Truesdale Liza Weil Sean Gunn Chris Eigeman Kelly Bishop Edward Herrmann
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	22
Release
Original network	The WB
Original release	September 23, 2003 – May 18, 2004
Season chronology

On December 17, 2003, The WB announced that the show was renewed for a fifth season.[1]

Cast

Main article: List of Gilmore Girls characters

Main cast

• Lauren Graham as Lorelai Gilmore
• Alexis Bledel as Rory Gilmore
• Melissa McCarthy as Sookie St. James
• Scott Patterson as Luke Danes
• Keiko Agena as Lane Kim
• Yanic Truesdale as Michel Gerard
• Liza Weil as Paris Geller
• Sean Gunn as Kirk Gleason
• Chris Eigeman as Jason Stiles
• Kelly Bishop as Emily Gilmore
• Edward Herrmann as Richard Gilmore

Recurring cast

• Jared Padalecki as Dean Forester
• Milo Ventimiglia as Jess Mariano
• Jackson Douglas as Jackson Belleville
• Liz Torres as Miss Patty
• Emily Kuroda as Mrs. Kim
• Sally Struthers as Babette Dell
• Ted Rooney as Morey Dell
• Michael Winters as Taylor Doose
• Todd Lowe as Zach Van Gerbig
• John Cabrera as Brian Fuller
• Wayne Wilcox as Marty
• Sebastian Bach as Gil
• Danny Strong as Doyle McMaster
• Kathleen Wilhoite as Liz Danes
• Michael DeLuise as TJ

Guest

• Teal Redmann as Louise Grant
• Shelly Cole as Madeline Lynn
• David Clayton Rogers as Trevor
• Teddy Dunn as Graham

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	US viewers (millions) [2]
66	1	"Ballrooms and Biscotti"	Amy Sherman-Palladino	Amy Sherman-Palladino	September 23, 2003 (2003-09-23)	176151	5.2
Lorelai and Rory return from their whirlwind tour of Europe. Taylor and Luke have it out over the new soda shop. A very pregnant Sookie updates Lorelai on the latest baby news. Taylor doesn't take it well when Rory declines the privilege of being the Stars Hollow Ice Cream Queen. Mother and daughter get caught up in a flurry of activity after Rory realizes that she wrote down the wrong date for freshman orientation, and she only has two days to get ready for Yale, instead of the week she was planning on. Emily is upset when Lorelai misses Friday night dinner and retaliates by turning it into a four-hour extravaganza, complete with ballroom dancing videos before the souffle course. Lorelai is shocked when Luke finally tells her what happened on his cruise with Nicole.
67	2	"The Lorelais' First Day at Yale"	Chris Long	Daniel Palladino	September 30, 2003 (2003-09-30)	176152	3.9
While Luke is willing to lend Lorelai his truck to help Rory move into her dorm, he's not too thrilled when the project turns out to take all day to accommodate Lorelai's last minute shopping trips to keep Rory's room on a par with the rest of the dorm, to say nothing of Lorelai's seeming inability to drive a stick, losing his spare tire, and saddling him with the old mattress from Rory's dorm room. Rory's roommates turn out to be a jock, a 15 year old prodigy sorely lacking in socialization skills, and none other than Miss People Person herself, Paris Geller, who arrives with a life coach in tow. Nicole's partners descend on the diner and threaten to ensnare Luke in a morass of paperwork and legal complications when he refuses to hire a lawyer or even discuss accepting a settlement. Responding to Rory's attack of homesickness after just four hours, Lorelai returns to Yale and sets up a dorm-wide takeout food test to judge the quality of the local restaurants, their delivery speed, and the cuteness of their delivery boys. As a thanks for the takeout feast, the next morning some dormmates arrive with breakfast, having "Lorelai'd" a few places on campus to find the best place for coffee and muffins.
68	3	"The Hobbit, the Sofa and Digger Stiles"	Matthew Diamond	Amy Sherman-Palladino	October 7, 2003 (2003-10-07)	176153	4.9
To help meet the expenses of opening the inn, Lorelai and Sookie decide to become caterers on the side, with their first assignment being a Lord of the Rings theme party. At Yale, Rory returns from class to find that Emily has redecorated their common room. Meanwhile, Richard ponders a proposal to take on a new business partner.
69	4	"Chicken or Beef?"	Chris Long	Jane Espenson	October 14, 2003 (2003-10-14)	176154	5.5
Back home for the weekend, Rory has an uncomfortable encounter with Dean, her ex, and ends up getting invited to his wedding the next day. Meanwhile, Lorelai and Sookie visit Michel at his trendy new workplace, but run into problems getting the permit they need to begin construction on the inn.
70	5	"The Fundamental Things Apply"	Neema Barnette	John Stephens	October 21, 2003 (2003-10-21)	176155	5.5
Rory accepts a classmate's invitation to go out on her first date since breaking up with Jess, while her roommates engage in a war of wills. Meanwhile, Lorelai invites Luke over to share the traditional Gilmore movie night she used to have with Rory, although she is somewhat disturbed after discovering that the designer she just hired to decorate the inn used to work for Emily.
71	6	"An Affair to Remember"	Matthew Diamond	Amy Sherman-Palladino	October 28, 2003 (2003-10-28)	176156	5.2
Emily offers Lorelai and Sookie the job of catering the party to launch Richard's new business venture, then runs them ragged with demands. Meanwhile, at school, Rory finds that her roommates' activities are preventing her from studying.
72	7	"The Festival of Living Art"	Chris Long	Daniel Palladino	November 4, 2003 (2003-11-04)	176157	4.7
Sookie and Jackson decide to have a home birth and enlist the services of a formidable midwife. When Stars Hollow mounts a festival of living pictures, Kirk goes way overboard in getting into character for his role as Jesus in "The Last Supper", while Lorelai has a bad case of stage fright. Meanwhile, Lane, Zach, and Brian finally find an awesome guitarist to replace Dave, but wonder if he isn't too old to join the band. Nicole asks Luke if they can postpone the divorce and start dating again. Note: This episode won the show's only Emmy Award, for Outstanding Makeup for a Series (non-prosthetic).[3]
73	8	"Die, Jerk"	Tom Moore	Daniel Palladino	November 11, 2003 (2003-11-11)	176158	4.9
Richard and Emily hold widely differing points of view on the success of their business trip to Atlantic City. Spurred on by her editor, Rory writes a strongly opinionated dance review that leads to a dining hall confrontation with the ballerina. Even though she continues to resist his interest in her, Lorelai can't help but be impressed by Jason's smooth moves as he manipulates a frosty Emily into inviting him for Friday night dinner so that he can woo Lorelai. Lane and Dave have a long distance argument over pottery. Michel is back on the staff of the still-under-reconstruction Dragonfly Inn, but his one sneeze has Bruce, the midwife, erecting barriers to his attending a staff meeting which includes an overly-protective new mother Sookie and baby Davey. When she learns that Nicole and Luke have put their divorce on hold and have resumed dating, Lorelai becomes so flustered that she has an argument with Luke. Richard ecstatically roams throughout the house with his laptop after he goes wireless with Jason's help, but Emily fails to be charmed by either the Internet or Mr. Stiles.
74	9	"Ted Koppel's Big Night Out"	Jamie Babbit	Amy Sherman-Palladino	November 18, 2003 (2003-11-18)	176159	5.2
Rory and Paris have lunch at Yale with Richard, who introduces them to his friend, Professor Asher Fleming. During Friday night dinner at the Gilmore residence, Lorelai asks for an invitation to the Yale-Harvard game even though Rory clearly gives her an out. Emily is irritated when Lorelai shows up for the game wearing Harvard colors. The Gilmores tailgate in style with flasks, an RV, a BBQ, and servants to wait on their guests. Emily is upset when Pennilyn Lott, Richard's first girlfriend, shows up and asks about the Inn, and Richard is forced to confess that he has continued to have an annual dinner with Pennilyn the entire time that he and Emily have been married. Lorelai takes Jason up on his earlier offer of a dinner date, but they end up leaving the stuffy restaurant and having a great time dining al fresco at a local grocery store. Rory walks back to the dorm after the game and discovers Paris kissing Asher Fleming.
75	10	"The Nanny and the Professor"	Peter Lauer	Scott Kaufer	January 20, 2004 (2004-01-20)	176160	4.1
Luke becomes overwhelmed by Lane's work ethic when he hires her to work at the diner. Michel exhibits a profound jealousy of Tobin. Emily and Richard find the treats they brought home from Switzerland are widely panned. Rory is less than thrilled with the new man in Paris' life, especially when she learns that he's teaching her contemporary political fiction class. As Lorelai and Jason grow closer, she begs him to keep their relationship a secret from her parents. Rory's talent for millinery combines with her talent for writing to win her a position on the "Daily Yale". Inexplicably, Sookie and Jackson allow Michel to babysit for Davey, forcing Lorelai to come to the rescue when Michel, not being one to fail to disappoint, needs to get himself and Davey out from under a problem. Richard becomes intensely irritated when the Chez Gilmore walking tour benefiting the Historical Society overstays its welcome.
76	11	"In the Clamor and the Clangor"	Michael Grossman	Sheila R. Lawrence, Janet Leahy	January 27, 2004 (2004-01-27)	176161	4.4
Lane sneaks out of the house when Gil gets the band a 1:00 a.m. gig at CBGB's. Luke and Lorelai take matters into their own hands when newly restored church bells turn out to be less welcome than originally anticipated. Rory gets personal with William during a political discussion when she suspects that he's been spreading embarrassing stories about her. Lorelai is initially distressed when she learns that Luke has moved to Litchfield to live with Nicole, but a visit to his apartment over the diner dispels her worries. Lane and her mother have a long-overdue talk with life-changing consequences after Mrs. Kim discovers her daughter's secret life.
77	12	"A Family Matter"	Kenny Ortega	Daniel Palladino	February 3, 2004 (2004-02-03)	176162	4.9
Luke has his hands full as family members return to Stars Hollow: Liz for her high school reunion and Jess for his car. Lane busies herself at Yale by being the suite's Helpful Hannah. Lorelai agrees to accompany Jason on an office furniture shopping trip on his morning off, but the press of international business calls keeps getting in the way. Jamie's in town, and Paris keeps avoiding him. Lorelai and Jason agree that Emily and Richard need to be told about their relationship, but Lorelai just can't bring herself to do it after Emily mocks both Jason and the idea that he would ever hit it off with her daughter. Rory's finally speaking her mind on Paris's romantic entanglements backfires when Paris decides she has a future with Asher and breaks up with Jamie. Rory becomes concerned that her mother is having financial problems. When Lorelai and Rory discover Jess sleeping in his car in the freezing cold after an argument with his uncle, Lorelai intercedes on his behalf with Luke, who relents and allows Jess to come inside while Luke spends the night in Litchfield.
78	13	"Nag Hammadi Is Where They Found the Gnostic Gospels"	Chris Long	Amy Sherman-Palladino	February 10, 2004 (2004-02-10)	176163	4.6
Jess' attempts to keep a low profile until Gypsy completes the repairs on his car are put to the test as he keeps bumping into Rory all over town. Taylor puts Kirk in charge of the annual Firelight Festival, and his managerial skills, or lack thereof, place a strain on the preparations. Lane follows Rory back to Stars Hollow and a place on the Gilmore couch for the weekend, but isn't quite ready to face her mother. Emily is in a dither about filling a table at a benefit and enlists the help of Lorelai and Jason, whom she encourages to pretend that they're a couple. Luke is less than impressed by Liz's latest business venture and newly-arrived boyfriend, which prompts Jess to give his uncle an earful about minding his own business. After Lorelai and Liz finally meet, Lorelai gets a renewed perspective on Luke. Liz's high school classmates descend upon her brother and reveal long-held crushes on him. Richard is suspicious when Jason's father greets his son at the benefit and doesn't inquire about the business. Lorelai fixes Luke's broken heart after his confrontation with Jess while Luke fixes Lorelai's broken window. Liz and T.J. end their visit to Stars Hollow, but not before T.J. has a few choice words for Luke. Jess makes a startling confession to Rory before he leaves town.
79	14	"The Incredible Sinking Lorelais"	Stephen Clancy	Amy Sherman-Palladino, Daniel Palladino	February 17, 2004 (2004-02-17)	176164	4.8
When Trix returns to town and berates Lorelai and Richard for being financial failures, Richard angrily sets his mother straight, to Emily's delight. Lorelai and Sookie explore ways to ease their financial crunch and raise money to pay their construction crew, one of whom is now Dean. Janet and Paris go head-to-head over the constant presence of Janet's boyfriend in the suite. Lorelai and Rory play an increasingly frustrating game of telephone tag. After Paris, Tanna, and Janet complain about close quarters in the suite, Lane moves out of the dorm and in with Lorelai, and gets her job back at Luke's. Lorelai and Sookie have a heated discussion about sharing the responsibilities of opening their inn. Rory is distraught when one of her professors tells her to drop a class because she can't handle her course load. Lane runs into her mother and receives a frosty reception. At the end of a very long, hard day, Lorelai and Rory still can't manage to connect, and end up taking solace in the arms of the married men in their lives, Luke for Lorelai, and Dean for Rory.
80	15	"Scene in a Mall"	Chris Long	Daniel Palladino	February 24, 2004 (2004-02-24)	176165	4.8
Kirk branches out from dog sitting for Lulu into a new canine-centered career. Paris goes into germ-phobic overdrive when Rory gets a cold Lane gets an apartment with Zach and Brian and faces a frigid reception from her aunt and mother, and an overly-eager, non-stop-talking cousin when she packs up her things and moves out. When they realize that their relationship is increasingly being conducted over email and the phone, Lorelai and Rory decide to play hooky and go window shopping in the mall, where they run into Emily in the middle of a shopping binge meltdown. Luke lends Lorelai the thirty thousand dollars she needs to finish construction on the Inn. After Emily confesses that the shopping binge and bickering with Richard stems from her anger at being ignored, neglected, and made to feel useless by her husband, Lorelai reassures her of how much she's accomplished and urges her to talk to Richard, but Emily can't seem to make the connection with her husband she so desperately desires. Rory and Luke get a peek into Dean's life as a married man, and Luke gets an inkling that something is amiss when he catches Dean's wistful looks towards Rory as Dean unsuccessfully tries to paint a happy picture of life with Lindsay and her parents.
81	16	"The Reigning Lorelai"	Marita Grabiak	Jane Espenson	March 2, 2004 (2004-03-02)	176166	5.0
The rift between Emily and Richard widens when he goes on a golf date with clients instead of accompanying his wife to the funeral of her best friend. Doyle goes on a theft and plagiarism rant. Trix dies suddenly and stricken with grief and guilt, Richard is inconsolable. Emily calls it quits on arranging Trix's funeral and drops everything in her daughter's lap after finding a letter in which her mother-in-law pleads with her son on the eve of his wedding to Emily to marry Pennilyn instead. Luke and Nicole have all of Stars Hollow listening in and reading lips as they quarrel. Worried about her parents and frantic over fulfilling Trix's exacting requirements for her funeral, Lorelai has a meltdown while shopping for Trix's funereal undies. After the service, cousin Marilyn regales family and friends with tales of Lorelai the First. Emily and Richard finally reach out to each other as he defies one of his mother's last wishes for the sake of his wife.
82	17	"Girls in Bikinis, Boys Doin' The Twist"	Jamie Babbit	Amy Sherman-Palladino	April 13, 2004 (2004-04-13)	176167	4.5
Lorelai and Rory get the dubious honor of the first ride in Kirk's latest venture, the Stars Hollow pedi-cab. Rory, Paris, Janet and Glenn escape a cold, rainy winter in Connecticut and head to Florida, where they run into Madeline and Louise, who show them the spring break ropes. The Shins play at a club they attend. Jason gives Lorelai the key to his apartment as a symbol of his commitment to their relationship. Lorelai bails Luke out of jail after he's arrested for beating up the car belonging to the man he suspects is having an affair with Nicole; Lorelai stops Luke from beating up the car again when the man is still in there with Nicole.
83	18	"Tick, Tick, Tick, Boom!"	Daniel Palladino	Daniel Palladino	April 20, 2004 (2004-04-20)	176168	4.2
Luke makes a bigger fuss than Davey when Sookie and Jackson bring their son into the diner. All of Stars Hollow is amused when Taylor returns from his Caribbean cruise with a drastic change in his appearance. Richard and Emily are stunned when Floyd informs them that Lorelai and Jason have been dating for months. Luke comes to the rescue when Kirk's failure to make a map of the Easter eggs he hid in the town square gets Taylor's nose out of joint. Richard and Jason discover that Floyd's peacemaking overtures are a disguise for his plan to ruin Richard financially by suing them for stealing his clients. While shopping with Lane in Doose's, Rory has harsh words about Lindsay as she relates her quarrel with Dean over his plans to drop out of college to earn more money to buy a house, unaware that his wife is listening in the next aisle. Richard resolves his problems with Floyd at Jason's expense. Dean and Rory agree to continue their friendship despite Lindsay's demand that they stop speaking to each other.
84	19	"Afterboom"	Michael Zinberg	Sheila R. Lawrence	April 27, 2004 (2004-04-27)	176169	4.3
Luke finalizes his divorce. The band's latest gig is a big hit, but leaves Lane feeling lonely. As the Dragonfly Inn nears its opening date, Michel gives travel agents the grand tour and Sookie is back in the kitchen, if not on her feet. Doyle clues Rory in on Asher's reputation as a serial student dater. Lorelai and Richard have it out over his treatment of Jason. Lane is upset to discover that her mother has taken in a Korean exchange student who could be her double, and confronts the girl when she sees her wearing her old clothes. When Jason decides to sue Richard after discovering his treachery, Lorelai breaks up with him. Afraid that Richard's actions will put a rift in their relationship with Lorelai and Rory, Emily asks her husband to reconsider, but he brushes her off. Asher is displeased when Rory questions whether the "A" he gave her for a paper she thought she did poorly on has any connection to her friendship with Paris. After Richard and Emily act very strangely during Friday night dinner, Lorelai does a little investigating and discovers that her mother has moved out of the house and into a hotel. Lane begins to realize how much she misses her mother.
85	20	"Luke Can See Her Face"	Matthew Diamond	Amy Sherman-Palladino, Daniel Palladino	May 4, 2004 (2004-05-04)	176170	4.2
Jackson's devotion to his wife and her famous zucchini soup set the stage for the perfect antidote to the stress surrounding the opening of the Inn. Luke unwittingly comes to the rescue when Sookie tries to set Lorelai up with the poultry supplier. Liz returns to Stars Hollow to announce that she's getting married in the town square in a week. Paris and Asher decide to travel to England together during the summer. T.J. has a tumultuous bachelor party. At Luke's request, Jess changes his mind about attending his mother's wedding and returns to Stars Hollow for the festivities. Rory tries to hide her discomfort when Lorelai tells her about overhearing a fight between Dean and Lindsay. A self-help tape helps Luke clarify his thinking, and a talk with Jess gets him started on the path to having the relationship he's been looking for all along.
86	21	"Last Week Fights, This Week Tights"	Chris Long	Daniel Palladino	May 11, 2004 (2004-05-11)	176171	4.6
As Stars Hollow prepares for the Renaissance-themed wedding of Liz and T.J., Kirk feels slighted when Miss Patty chooses someone else as the maypole dance captain. Lorelai discovers an equine visitor in the Dragonfly Inn's lobby. Rory's suite mates depart for summer vacation. Lorelai urges Mrs. Kim to call Lane. Lorelai unsuccessfully attempts to get Emily to admit to the separation during Friday night dinner. T.J. revels in the wonders of tights, but discovers their main drawback during the ceremony. Mrs. Kim gets some good advice from Lorelai after initially fleeing in horror at the sight of Zach and Brian and Lane's shabby apartment, and eventually returns for tea armed with a game plan. Rory calls Dean to rescue her from the disastrous date Emily has arranged for her with the son of a friend. Luke and Lorelai share significant glances during a slow dance at the wedding, which prompts Luke to ask Lorelai out on a date. Jess expresses his gratitude to Luke before saying goodbye. Rory tells Jess it's over between them when he asks her to go away with him.
87	22	"Raincoats and Recipes"	Amy Sherman-Palladino	Amy Sherman-Palladino	May 18, 2004 (2004-05-18)	176172	5.5
Momentous changes are in the air as: the Dragonfly Inn approaches opening day by having a shakedown weekend. Rory and Dean take a major step forward in their relationship, to Lorelai's dismay. Emily and Richard admit that they're separated. Kirk decides to let Lulu in on the deep, dark secret of his night terrors. Jason appears at the Inn to plead his case with Lorelai, to no avail. Luke answers Lorelai's question about the status of their relationship when he makes it passionately clear to Lorelai that they're dating, to which she enthusiastically agrees. However, as Lorelai returns home she finds that Rory had lost her virginity to a married Dean. In 2009, TV Guide ranked this episode #75 on its list of the 100 Greatest Episodes.[4]

DVD release

The Complete Fourth Season[5]
Set details		Special features
22 episodes 6-disc set 1.33:1 aspect ratio 1.78:1 aspect ratio (international) Subtitles: English, Spanish and French English (Dolby Digital 2 0 Surround)		Additional scenes "Ballrooms and Biscotti" "The Reigning Lorelai" Who Wants to Get Together: A Montage of Season Four's Most Romantic Moments Gilmore Goodies & Gossip: On-Screen Factoids — "Girls in Bikinis, Boys Doin' the Twist" Stars Hollow Challenge Trivia Game "Guide to Gilmorisms" booklet
Release dates
North America	United Kingdom	Continental Europe	Norway	Australia
September 27, 2005	July 27, 2009	June 14, 2006	November 15, 2006	July 5, 2006

References

1. "TV News". The Tribune. Scranton, Pennsylvania. December 22, 2003.
2. ""Gilmore Girls" USA ratings".
3. IMDb: Awards and nominations for Gilmore Girls. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
4. "TV Guide's Top 100 Episodes". Rev/Views. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
5. Lecter, Scott (October 16, 2005). "Gilmore Girls: The Complete Fourth Season". DVD Talk. Retrieved February 20, 2012.