1x01 "Pilot" | October 5, 2000
After Rory is accepted to the prestigious Chilton Preparatory School, Lorelai is forced to go to her wealthy parents for financial assistance. Her parents happily loan their daughter the money in exchange for an end to the estrangement and a family dinner every Friday night. Unfortunately, things hit a snag when a cute new transfer student flirts with Rory, leading the younger Gilmore to wonder whether leaving Stars Hollow High is really what she wants.

1x02 "The Lorelais' First Day at Chilton" | October 12, 2000
Lorelai oversleeps on Rory's first day at Chilton, and discovers that all her good clothes are at the cleaners. Lorelai and Emily leave after some awkward moments in the headmaster's office, bickering the entire way out. Rory is later handed a three inch binder containing one week's worth of notes from one class and meets some insufferable classmates who are determined to make her life at Chilton miserable.

1x03 "Kill Me Now" | October 19, 2000
When Rory announces that she has to pick a team sport to play at Chilton, Emily insists that Richard take Rory to the club and teach her golf. Although Rory tees off to a rocky start, she soon gets into the swing of things and has a great time with Richard. Meanwhile, Lorelai feels jealous of Rory's growing relationship with her grandparents, culminating in an explosive argument between mother and daughter.

1x04 "The Deer Hunters" | October 26, 2000
Max Medina gives Rory the first "D" of her life on an English paper. Lorelai spends the week helping Rory study for an important Shakespeare test but they sleep in on the big day. Sookie gets a rave review in a magazine, but fixates only on the critic's use of the word "fine" to describe her famous risotto.

1x05 "Cinnamon's Wake" | November 2, 2000
When both a distant family member and a neighbor's cat die, Lorelai has to decide which wake to attend. Max and Lorelai get their feelings for each other out on the table. Meanwhile, Lorelai and Sookie attend a Chilton bake sale, and Rory and Dean's budding relationship takes one step forward.

1x06 "Rory's Birthday Parties" | November 9, 2000
It's Rory's birthday. She gets two parties, an elegant and horrible affair thrown by her grandmother and an informal fun party thrown by Lorelai.

1x07 "Kiss and Tell" | November 16, 2000
Rory gets her first kiss from Dean. The whole town is buzzing about it, yet Rory has not told Lorelai. Lorelai gets stressed when she hears about the kiss from Mrs. Kim instead of Rory. Rory freaks out at first when Lorelai invites Dean over to watch videos and eat junk food, but ends up having a good time.

1x08 "Love and War and Snow" | December 14,
It's snowing, and Lorelai is giddy. She runs into Max in Stars Hollow, and invites him back to her place. But they run into someone unexpected when they get there. Lane feels left-out of Rory's life.

1x09 "Rory's Dance" | December 20, 2000
Rory asks Dean to accompany her to a formal dance at Chilton, but the evening is spoiled when they fall asleep together after the dance, leading to a blow-up between Emily and Lorelai.

1x10 "Forgiveness and Stuff" | December 21, 2000
Emily and Lorelai have a tiff about Christmas dinner, leaving Rory to go by herself. When Richard collapses and is rushed to the hospital Luke gives a car-less Lorelai a ride. Relieved that Richard's collapse was only a bout of angina, the Gilmores settle their differences.

1x11 "Paris Is Burning" | January 11, 2001
As Lorelai and Max grow closer, Rory begins to get attached to the idea of Max in their lives, which worries Lorelai. Lorelai tries to ease out of her relationship with Max during Parent's Day at Chilton, but ends up passionately kissing him in his classroom just as Paris walks by. Stung by the details in the newspapers about her parents' messy divorce, Paris tells everyone in the lunchroom about Max and Lorelai to deflect gossip away from her and towards Rory. Rory confronts Paris, gets an apology, and offers a sympathetic ear, which is grudgingly accepted. Sookie asks Jackson out on a date and he accepts.

1x12 "Double Date" | January 18, 2001
After Lorelai encourages Sookie to ask out Jackson, she finds herself on the double date from hell with Jackson's cousin, Rune, which finally makes Luke work up the courage to ask Lorelai out. Meanwhile, Rory and Lane get into trouble when they double date with Dean and his friend Todd without telling their moms.

1x13 "Concert Interruptus" | February 15, 2001
Lorelai organizes the Stars Hollow Charity Rummage Sale, which enables her to learn some details about Luke's romantic past. Meanwhile, Lorelai, Sookie, Rory, Paris, Madeline and Louise attend a Bangles concert in New York, which leads to Lorelai busting Madeline and Louise at an older boy's party.

1x14 "That Damn Donna Reed" | February 22, 2001
An evening of "The Donna Reed Show" reruns infects Dean and both Gilmore Girls. Lorelai helps Luke spruce up the diner with a fresh paint job and new curtains, and Rory dresses up like Donna and fixes a 1950s style dinner for Dean while petsitting Babette's new kitten. Both Sookie and Emily force Lorelai to confront her feelings for Luke. Christopher roars into town on his motorcycle, and agrees to stay at Lorelai's and Rory's during his visit.

1x15 "Christopher Returns" | March 1, 2001
Christopher Hayden, Rory's father and Lorelai's old flame, makes a short visit in Stars Hollow. After a dramatic dinner between Richard, Emily, and Christopher's parents, Lorelai and Christopher make love on the balcony. Christopher proposes spontaneously to Lorelai, who rejects him.

1x16 "Star-Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers" | March 8, 2001
Luke's ex-girlfriend Rachel arrives in Stars Hollow unexpectedly, and immediately picks up on the attraction between Luke and Lorelai, which they deny. Rachel decides to stay for awhile, which leaves Luke and Lorelai with mixed feelings. Lorelai and Rory are amazed when Emily agrees to excuse Rory from Friday night dinner so that Rory and Dean can celebrate their three month anniversary. Dean treats Rory to a wonderfully romantic dinner, and then gives her a present: a car that he's restoring for her, but he has an even bigger surprise planned for her that leaves her unable to respond.

1x17 "The Breakup, Part 2" | March 15, 2001
Rebounding from a fight with Dean, Rory ends up kissing Tristan at a party, while Lorelai follows her own impulse to show up at Max's house for a night of passion.

1x18 "The Third Lorelai" | March 22, 2001
Emily becomes unhinged at the prospect of a visit from Richard's mother. Paris is outraged when she discovers that Tristan asked her for a date at Rory's urging. Fearing that she'll never see Lorelai again, Emily opposes Trix's offer to set up a trust fund for Rory.

1x19 "Emily in Wonderland" | April 26, 2001
Rachel finds an abandoned inn that Lorelai and Sookie fall in love with. Lorelai and Rachel spend the afternoon getting to know each other and Rachel asks Lorelai to put in a good word for her with Luke. As Rory takes Emily on a tour of Stars Hollow, Emily hits it off with Mrs. Kim and Michel, but becomes distraught when she sees Lorelai and Rory's first home. At Sookie's urging, Lorelai gives Jackson's cousin, Rune, a job at the Inn.

1x20 "P.S. I Lo..." | May 3, 2001
Overwhelmed by sadness at her breakup with Dean, Rory is distressed to discover that Lane and Dean have become science project partners. After discovering that Max that Lorelai are dating again, Rory takes off for Hartford to spend the night at her grandparents' house without telling her mother. When an angry Lorelai confronts Dean and discovers the truth about his breakup with Rory, she fears that she has taught Rory not to commit to a relationship.

1x21 "Love, Daisies and Troubadours" | May 10, 2001
Paris wreaks her revenge after Tristan lies about going to a concert with Rory. Rachel leaves Stars Hollow after she becomes convinced that despite his protests, Luke is in love with Lorelai. Rory's defense of the Stars Hollow troubadour during a town meeting brings her back together with Dean, enabling her to finally say, and mean, the words that he's been longing to hear. Luke and Max meet and engage in a little not-so-friendly rivalry as Max begins to suspect, despite her protests, that Lorelai and Luke were once an item. Max proposes to Lorelai with a thousand yellow daisies.