1st Season
2000-2001
#1 Pilot
#2 The Lorelais' First Day at Chilton
#3 Kill Me Now
#4 The Deer-Hunters
#5 Cinnamon's Wake
#6 Rory's Birthday Parties
#7 Kiss and Tell
 		#8 Love and War and Snow
#9 Rory's Dance
#10 Forgiveness and Stuff
#11 Paris is Burning
#12 Double Date
#13 Concert Interruptus
#14 That Damn Donna Reed
 		#15 Christopher Returns
#16 Star-Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers
#17 The Breakup, Part 2
#18 The Third Lorelai
#19 Emily in Wonderland
#20 P.S. I Lo...
#21 Love, Daisies and Troubadours
Other seasons
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

#1 Pilot: Aired Thursday, October 5, 2000

We are introduced to Rory, a studious yet fun-loving sixteen-year-old girl, and her young single mother, Lorelai, who manages an inn. Rory's best friend is Lane, a girl from a strict Korean family, while Lorelai's best friend is Sookie, the clumsy yet talented cook at the inn. There's also Luke, who runs the local coffee shop, Michel, the French man who works the front desk at the inn, and Miss Patty, who teaches dance and knows everything that goes on in the small town of Stars Hollow. Lorelai hires a talented but tempermental harp player for the inn. When Rory gets into a prestigious prep school, Chilton, both mother and daughter are ecstatic, but independent Lorelai is forced to ask her rich judgmental parents for help with the tuition. Lorelai's parents agree to give their estranged daughter the money, on the condition that she and Rory come to dinner once a week. Meanwhile, Rory meets the cute new boy in town, Dean, and has second thoughts about Chilton. Rory and Lorelai have a rare fight over Rory's changing schools, but when Rory finds out about Lorelai's sacrifice in going to her hateful parents, she agrees that Chilton is the best place for her.

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#2 The Lorelais' First Day at Chilton: Aired Thursday, October 12, 2000

Rory's first day at Chilton does not quite go as planned. First Lorelai oversleeps and, unable to pick up her dry-cleaning, has to take Rory to school wearing a tie-dye T-shirt, cut-off jeans and cowboy boots. Then Rory is immediately targeted by the top girl in school, Paris, as a threat, and by a handsome boy, Tristin, as a virgin. Chilton is demanding, fast-paced, and friendless. Meanwhile, Lorelai battles her overbearing mother, who, now that she's paying for Rory's education, also tries to butt-in on the younger generation of Gilmores by meeting with Chilton's headmaster, getting Rory a parking space (and a car to put in it), buying Rory more uniforms, and installing DSL into Lorelai's house without asking. Lorelai also gets asked out on a date by a handsome Chilton father that she meets while dropping off Rory. She noncomittally turns down the dad, and is intrigued by Luke's reaction when she tells him the story.

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#3 Kill Me Now: Aired Thursday, October 19, 2000

While Lorelai organizes the double wedding from hell of two sets of twins at the inn, Rory goes golfing with her grandfather at Emily's insistence. Lorelai expects Rory to be miserable, but when Rory actually has a good time, Lorelai starts to feel insecure and lashes out at Rory about stealing her sweaters. Lorelai realizes that just because she doesn't want a relationship with her parents doesn't mean that Rory can't have one, and young mother and daughter reconcile. Jackson feels betrayed when he can't provide Sookie with strawberries for her strawberry shortcake and she goes to another fruit vendor.

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#4 The Deer-Hunters: Aired Thursday, October 26, 2000

Rory is miserable at Chilton when Paris continues to taunt her, Tristin continues to call her "Mary," and she gets a D on her first English paper. She studies madly for her upcoming Shakespeare test, but Lorelai keeps distracting her. Lorelai, at a parent-teacher meeting, meets Max Medina, Rory's English teacher, finds out about the D, and realizes that she needs to help Rory study instead of taking her out for ice cream. Rory oversleeps on the morning of her test because she was up late studying, and then gets hit by a deer while driving her mother's car to school. When Max tells her she's late and therefore isn't allowed to take the test, she loses her temper and yells at both Paris and Tristin. Lorelai fights for her daughter with the headmaster, but Charleston just says that Chilton might not be the right place for Rory. Lorelai makes sure that Rory isn't feeling undue pressure from her, but Rory insists that she wants to stay on at Chilton and that Harvard is still her dream. Max arranges for Rory to do extra-credit work to make up for the missed test, and tells Lorelai he very much enjoyed meeting her. Sookie is upset when a restaurant reviewer gives her a good review, but calls her magic risotto just "fine." She figures out that the reviewer had her risotto with the wrong wine, and tracks him down to hand-deliver risotto with the correct wine.

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#5 Cinnamon's Wake: Aired Thursday, November 2, 2000

Michel puts up with French people staying at the inn. Lorelai agrees to go out on a date with Max, but has to cancel when Babette's cat, Cinnamon, dies. Emily can't believe that Lorelai refused to go to her father's grandmother's sister's daughter's funeral, but can make time for a cat's. Rory is a little uncomfortable with Lorelai dating her teacher, but quickly accepts it. Miss Patty has an encounter with the new assistant manager at the local grocery store. Sookie and Luke have a little food rivalry, but learn to work together. Dean continues to pursue Rory, but when she is painfully shy around him, he says he can take the hint to back off. She tells him that she doesn't necessarily want him to back off.

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#6 Rory's Birthday Parties: Aired Thursday, November 9, 2000

Emily insists on having a party for Rory's birthday on Friday while Lorelai plans one of her famous blow-outs for Saturday. Lorelai thinks that her mother is finally making a real effort to get to know Rory, but Rory is horrified when her grandmother invites her classmates from Chilton to the party. Rory snaps at Emily when Emily tries to get her to make a speech in front of her classmates, and Emily gets upset and freezes her out. Rory tries to make peace by inviting Emily to her Saturday-night party. Emily and Richard attend the party in Stars Hollow. Emily is impressed by Sookie's cooking, and realizes that she doesn't know Lorelai at all. Emily thinks Luke has a crush on Lorelai. Rory and Paris begin to make peace when they realize they both want to go to Harvard. Rory tells Tristin to leave her alone after he tells her he's in love with her, and Paris makes sure that Rory's not interested in Tristin. Lorelai spies Dean giving Rory a private birthday gift.

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#7 Kiss and Tell: Aired Thursday, November 16, 2000

Dean gives Rory a spontaneous kiss in the grocery store, and Rory immediately tells Lane. Lane's mother overhears and tells Lorelai, who is shocked that Rory didn't tell her. Lorelai tries to be cool about it, but Rory knows she's freaked out. Lorelai invites Dean over to watch a movie with her and Rory, mortifying Rory, but the two Lorelais band together and the elder gives the younger a few tips on how to deal with guys. Rory and Dean have a nice evening, and Lorelai sneaks a little warning in to Dean about how he shouldn't hurt Rory. Rory and Dean share another more romantic kiss on the porch at the end of the evening, and Rory and Lorelai stay up late gossiping about boys and kissing. Luke fights the whole town when he doesn't want to decorate his diner for Thanksgiving.

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#8 Love and War and Snow: Aired Thursday, December 14, 2000

Rory spends the night at her grandparents' house during a snowstorm and teaches them the joys of frozen pizza. Lorelai and Max go out on the first date and Max ends up staying on the couch. Luke bemoans the town's annual war reenactment. Lane feels like Rory isn't being a good friend.

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#9 Rory's Dance: Aired Wednesday, December 20, 2000

With some encouragement from Lorelai and Lane, Rory gets up the nerve to ask Dean to Chilton's formal dance. Lorelai makes Rory a beautiful dress, but gives herself a back spasm in the process. Emily comes over to watch Rory go to the dance, and ends up sticking around to take care of an immobile Lorelai. Rory and Dean have a great time, despite Paris's insecurities about bringing her cousin as her date and Tristin trying to pick a fight with Dean. Dean and Rory finally decide they're boyfriend and girlfriend, and end up falling asleep while reading a book together at Miss Patty's studio after the dance. Emily and Lorelai wake up to find Rory not yet home and freak out. Emily yells at Lorelai and accuses her of having raised an irresponsible daughter. Lorelai defends Rory and kicks Emily out, but when Rory finally gets home, Lorelai yells at her and worries that Rory is going to make the same mistakes she did at age sixteen. Rory apologizes for screwing up, but insists it was an accident and assures her mother she's not doing anything she shouldn't be.

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#10 Forgiveness and Stuff: Aired Thursday, December 21, 2000

Lorelai, still on bad terms with both Rory and Emily, is shocked when her mother uninvites her to the annual Christmas dinner, the only thing Lorelai actually looks forward to at her parents' house. Rory goes to dinner in Hartford, while Lorelai stays home and finds Dean tapping on Rory's window. Lorelai tells Dean she doesn't hate him. Lorelai ends up at Luke's diner where she gets a call that her father is in the hospital. Luke drops everything, kicks out all his customers, and drives Lorelai to Hartford. After much angst and worry, it turns out that Richard just had a touch of angina and is okay. Lorelai and Rory make up. Lorelai and Emily make peace.

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#11 Paris is Burning: Aired Thursday, January 11, 2001

Lorelai gets nervous about her relationship with Max and uses Rory's attachment to him as an excuse to break up. Her attempt to dump him on Parents' Day at Chilton leads to a passionate kiss which is overseen by Paris. Paris has been having her own trouble, with her parents' messy divorce in the newspapers, and she spreads the news about Lorelai and Max across campus to get the attention off her own family. Just as Lorelai realizes that Max just might be her Mr. Right, Max realizes that his job could be in jeopardy and tells Lorelai he needs some space. Sookie asks out Jackson.

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#12 Double Date: Aired Thursday, January 18, 2001

Lane gets Rory to set her up with Dean's friend, Todd. The two girls double-date, but don't tell Lorelai that they're doing so since Lane isn't allowed to date guys her parents haven't met. Lane not only learns that Todd is boring and stupid, but she gets busted by her mother. Sookie and Jackson finally go out on their date, but Jackson's annoying cousin Roon is in town, so Sookie talks Lorelai into coming along to keep Roon company. Roon and Lorelai immediately dislike each other, and Roon takes off while Lorelai hangs out with Luke to give Sookie and Jackson some time alone. Luke almost asks Lorelai out, but instead they just agree that they had a good time and they should do it again sometime. Lorelai is frustrated studying for an impossible test in business school, and is pleased when she gets an A-.

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#13 Concert Interruptus: Aired Thursday, February 15, 2001

Rory is assigned to a debate team for class with Paris, Louise and Madeline, and when the three girls come over to study, she is surprised to actually be getting along with Louise and Madeline. Sookie procures four tickets to The Bangles concert in New York and although Lorelai is incredibly excited to go, she gives them to Rory to take her classmates and help cement any possible new friendships. Louise and Madeline end up ditching the concert to go to some party with random boys they meet, and Paris actually enjoys spending time with Rory and Lorelai when it involves embarassing the other two sixteen-year-old girls by dragging them from the party. Lorelai acts jealous when she finds out about Luke's old girlfriend, Rachel, who broke his heart. Lorelai organizes a charity rummage sale, and Rory has to keep her mother from buying even more junk than she donates.

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#14 That Damn Donna Reed: Aired Thursday, February 22, 2001

The sexual tension grows between Lorelai and Luke when they pick out new paint for his diner and Luke comes over to the Gilmore household to help Lorelai recover Rory's lost mid-term project, a baby chick. Lorelai gets more and more defensive when Sookie suggests she might have a thing for Luke, but finally admits to her mother that she might have feelings for Luke. Rory is horrified when Dean confesses that there's something attractive about the Donna Reed housewife lifestyle. Rory housesits for Babette when she and Morey go to New York and leave their new kitten behind, and she uses the opportunity to give Dean a Donna Reed night, complete with sixties housewife outfit and a home-cooked meal. Dean assures her that, although he enjoyed having someone cook him dinner, he doesn't expect her to be a housewife. Richard and Emily get anxious when their annual plans to go to Martha's Vineyard in the spring are put in jeopardy because they didn't rent their usual place in time. Rory's dad, Christopher, comes back into town to surprise the Gilmore Girls.

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#15 Christopher Returns: Aired Thursday, March 1, 2001

Rory's father, Christopher, is in town and staying with the Gilmore Girls. The whole town is curious about him. Christopher tells Lorelai that he's finally getting it together, and his business in California is doing well, but his proud talk is belied by the fact that his credit card is rejected when he tries to buy Rory the expensive dictionary she wants. Emily and Richard invite the whole family, including Christopher and his parents, over for Friday dinner, but the reunion quickly turns into a disaster when Christopher's father can't restrain himself from reminding Lorelai that she ruined Christopher's life. Christopher and Lorelai comfort each other on Lorelai's old childhood balcony, and re-create Rory's conception there (hopefully not actually conceiving this time). The next morning Lorelai feels terrible when she realizes she forgot her painting date with Luke, and things don't get better when Christopher proposes. Lorelai insists to Christopher that he's not actually ready to be settled and married, and even though Rory hopes her parents might get back together, Christopher leaves town. Lorelai ends up surprising Luke with a freshly painted diner that he actually likes.

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#16 Star-Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers: Aired Thursday, March 8, 2001

Love is in the air as Stars Hollow prepares to celebrate its history and the young lovers that founded the town. Tristin disgusts Paris by making out in the hallway at school while Lorelai has to put up with Sookie and Jackson making out in the kitchen at the inn. Rory begs off Friday night dinner to celebrate her three-month anniversary with Dean. Dean prepares a perfect night for them, including showing Rory a present he's been working on for her. He's building her a car. Dean tells Rory he loves her, but when she can't say the words back they end up breaking up. Lorelai sneaks out her old bedroom window after her mother tries to set her up with a boring actuary. Luke's ex-girlfriend Rachel comes back to town. Lorelai considers calling Max Medina.

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#17 The Breakup, Part 2: Aired Thursday, March 15, 2001

Rory deals with her breakup with Dean by making a list of things to do that they've been putting off, and ignores Lorelai's advice to wallow. The news travels quickly through town and Luke ends up in a physical confrontation with Dean. After a very active Saturday, Rory decides to go to Madeline's party and brings Lane along with her. Having talked to Rory about wallowing, Lorelai realizes that she still isn't over Max, and goes to his house to talk to him. Even though they can't find a solution to their parent/teacher situation, they end up falling into bed together, and vow to keep talking to each other to try to find a solution. Meanwhile, at the party, Lane finds herself falling for a Korean future-doctor, and is horrified that she likes a guy her parents would approve of. Rory ends up bonding with Tristin over their mutual break-ups, but when he kisses her she bursts into tears and drags Lane home. Rory spends the rest of Saturday night wallowing with her mother.

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#18 The Third Lorelai: Aired Thursday, March 22, 2001

Richard's mother, Lorelai-the-first, comes to visit, and Lorelai is pleased when her grandmother tortures Emily. Lorelai-the-first offers Lorelai early access to Rory's trust fund to pay for Chilton, and Emily freaks out, thinking that she will lose her Friday dinners with her daughter and granddaughter. Emily tries to convince Lorelai that she'll lose Rory once Rory has access to so much money, and Lorelai argues that that's not true. Lorelai-the-first catches Emily and Lorelai arguing, and decides that Lorelai is not mature enough to supervise Rory with such a large amount of money and rescinds the offer. Rory and Tristin discuss their strange kiss and decide to put it behind them. Rory convinces Tristin to ask out Paris, and then finds herself helping Paris get ready for the date. After one date and one kiss, Tristin tells Paris they're better just as friends, and admits that he asked her out on Rory's advice. Paris ends up furious at Rory for setting the whole thing up.

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#19 Emily in Wonderland: Aired Thursday, April 26, 2001

Lorelai starts to become friends with Rachel, and at her new friend's request speaks to Luke about accepting the fact that Rachel is serious about sticking around this time. Luke has his doubts, but gives Rachel a drawer and some keys. Rachel thanks Lorelai. Lorelai is not sure she's done the right thing. Lane is excited when Henry calls, but dissects his answering machine message looking for bad signs. Rory takes Emily around Stars Hollow and shows her the potting shed where she lived with Lorelai when she was a baby. Emily is horrified by the shed and creates a dream-like pink and fluffy room in her own house for Rory. Lorelai is confused by the room until Emily lashes out at her, not able to believe that Lorelai wanted to leave home so badly that she would take her baby and live in a potting shed. Lorelai, against her better judgment, gives Roon a job as a handyman at the inn and lets him stay in the potting shed.

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#20 P.S. I Lo...: Aired Thursday, May 3, 2001

Lorelai helps Luke find a gift for Rachel's birthday and ends up buying him some chic clothes as well. Lorelai and Max have been having some great phone conversations for a few weeks now and decide that it's time for them to go out on a date again. Lane is hesitant to tell Rory that Dean is her new science partner, and when Rory accidentally finds out she lashes out at Lane for trying to protect her. Rory also finds out that Max and Lorelai are pretty much back together and is upset that Lorelai didn't tell her. Rory and Lorelai end up having a huge fight and Lorelai is horrified when Rory runs away and spends the night at Emily and Richard's house. Lorelai finds herself in the market yelling at Dean for hurting Rory and Dean tells Lorelai that all he did was tell Rory he loves her. Lorelai goes to her parents house and she and Rory quickly make up. Lorelai tells Rory that she knows why she and Dean broke up. Lorelai worries that Rory has inherited her commitment issues. Max wonders why Lorelai hasn't told anyone they're getting back together, and Lorelai assures him that she'll tell everyone she knows.

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#21 Love, Daisies and Troubadours: Aired Thursday, May 10, 2001

Rory tries to talk to Dean, but keeps backing out at the last minute. Tristin tries to get Rory to go to a P.J. Harvey concert with him, but she refuses. Tristin tells Paris that Rory is going on a date with him and Paris is furious with Rory. Finally Dean hunts Rory down at school, and there's almost a big misunderstanding when she sees her with Tristin, but she tells Dean that she loves him and they end up kissing passionately in the Chilton parking lot. Luke spends all his free time mending things at Lorelai's house, until Rachel gets concerned. Lorelai talks to Luke and Luke admits it's a little weird living with Rachel. Once again, Lorelai convinces Luke to commit to his relationship with Rachel. Rachel decides to leave town because she believes that Luke is in love with Lorelai, and she encourages Luke to tell Lorelai. Lorelai has been happily dating Max, and in the middle of a weird argument he proposes marriage to her. She says that's not the way that a proposal is supposed to go. He admits she's right, and the next day fills the lobby at the inn with 1,000 daisies. Max tells Lorelai on the phone that he knows they belong together. The town troubadour gets some competition.

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