3x01 "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days" | September 24, 2002
While coping with her sadness about Christopher, Lorelai has an intriguing dream about Luke. Rory returns from Washington to realize that she still may have feelings for Jess. Sookie and Jackson fight over decorating their house.

3x02 "Haunted Leg" | October 1, 2002
To Lorelai's horror, Kirk asks her out on a date after being encouraged by Luke. Christopher shows up uninvited at Friday night dinner and quarrels with both Lorelai and Rory before Emily asks him to leave. Rory runs into Jess and they each betray their hurt feelings -- Rory about Shane and Jess about not hearing from Rory all summer.

3x03 "Application Anxiety" | October 8, 2002
Rory's application for Harvard arrives, plunging Rory, Lorelai and Emily into a frenzy. Taylor steamrolls Luke into opening a soda shop next to the diner. Lane places an ad in the paper for a band and finds a musical soulmate. Lorelai and Rory have dinner with a Harvard alumni and his family which may assure her chances of acceptance; and Dean worries about his and Rory's future.

3x04 "One's Got Class and the Other One Dyes" | October 15, 2002
Lane alleviates her frustration about the strictures of her household and the future of her band through a colorful, if temporary, display of independence. Lorelai and Luke are asked to speak about their success at the local high school, but things don't go quite like Lorelai planned.

3x05 "Eight O'Clock at the Oasis" | October 22, 2002
Lorelai attends Emily's society auction where she meets a very handsome man but neglects to get his number, forcing her to ask her mother for it. Lorelai and Rory agree to water their new neighbor's lawn while he's out of town and Jess comes to Rory's rescue when the lawn's sprinker system malfunctions.

3x06 "Take the Deviled Eggs..." | November 5, 2002
Lorelai chauffeurs Rory to Sherry's baby shower in Boston and finds herself dragged into the festivities against her will. Jess comes home with a car and Luke tries to find out where he got the money to pay for it.

3x07 "They Shoot Gilmores Don't They" | November 12, 2002
Lorelai is determined to win the Stars Hollow Dance Marathon and wrest the trophy from four-time champion Kirk, but has trouble getting a partner until she finally convinces Rory to help her dance her way to victory. Dean sits on the sidelines to cheer his girl on, and is soon joined by Jess and Shane, who spend their time making out while Jess keeps his eye on Rory.

3x08 "Let the Games Begin" | November 19, 2002
After Lorelai tells Luke about Rory and Jess, he lays down some ground rules with Jess about dating Rory. Lorelai and Rory reluctantly agree to accept Richard's invitation to accompany him and Emily to his Whiffenpoof reunion at Yale, where he springs quite an unwelcome surprise on all three women.

3x09 "A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving" | November 16, 2002
It's Thanksgiving, and Lorelai and Rory have dinner at four different places. At the Kim's, Lane has managed to get Dave invited and Lorelai is forced to eat tofurkey. At Luke's, Luke and Jess make it a foursome with Lorelai and Rory. At Sookie's, Jackson and his family have deep-fried the turkey, the lawn, and just about everything else. And at Emily and Richard's, Rory reveals that she has applied to Yale.

3x10 "That'll Do, Pig" | January 14, 2003
It's Richards's birthday and his mother arrives from Europe to help celebrate and announce she's moving back to the states, but not everybody is happy about the news. Rory has her hands full at school with Francie and her and Dean decide to be friends, which has Jess a little insecure.

3x11 "I Solemnly Swear" | January 21, 2003
Lorelai and Sookie attend a seminar on operating an inn where Sookie bumps into an old friend. Emily is being sued by a maid for wrongful termination and asks Lorelai to attest to her character. Francie manages to come between Paris and Rory, leaving Rory out in the cold.

3x12 "Lorelai Out of Water" | January 28, 2003
Luke is opposed to having Taylor's attorney oversee the paperwork for the construction of the new soda shop until he meets the attractive redhead, Nicole. Lorelai and Rory clean out the garage so Lane's band can use it for practice. Paris tries to impeach Rory during the student council meeting, which gets them both sent to the head masters office. Lane's prom plans backfire.

3x13 "Dear Emily and Richard" | February 4, 2003
The war between Paris and Rory continues when Paris picks a yearbook photo of the "Franklin" staff that has the worst possible shot of Rory. When Sherry goes into labor and asks Rory to be with her at the hospital, Lorelai is reminded of the day Rory was born. Flashbacks tell the story of 16-year-old Lorelai as she learns she is pregnant, decides not to marry Christopher, and ultimately leaves home with her new baby.

3x14 "Swan Song" | February 11, 2003
Emily pressures Rory into bringing Jess to a Friday night dinner which turns out to be an unqualified disaster. Lorelai, Alex, Sookie and Jackson go to New York for the weekend. Jess gets a black eye in an altercation with an opponent he is too embarrassed to reveal. Zack and Brian realize that Lane and Dave are hiding something from them, but miss the mark on the true nature of the secret.

3x15 "Face-Off" | February 18, 2003
Trix comes for a short visit and drives Emily crazy until Emily finally finds something scandalous to hold over Trix's head. Lane and Dave cook up a fake-date scheme. The Stars Hollow High hockey team reaches the regional semifinals for the first time in 40 years. Jess neglects Rory on the weekend so she ends up going to the hockey game, where she sees Dean with his new girlfriend.

3x16 "The Big One" | February 25, 2003
Rory and Paris compete for the honor of speaking at Chilton's Bicentennial. Sookie and Jackson get some very life changing news. Lorelai runs into Max and it's apparent that they're not quite over each other. Rory's college acceptance letters finally arrive.

3x17 "A Tale of Poes and Fire" | April 13, 2003
Rory visits Paris, who is hiding from the world, and prompts her to rejoin the land of the living. The Poe Society is in town, and the Independence Inn catches fire, forcing guests to move into Lorelai's house. Rory finally decides between Harvard, Yale and Princeton.

3x18 "Happy Birthday, Baby" | April 22, 2003
Emily and Richard rejoice when Rory announces her decision to attend Yale. Kirk sustains baking-related injuries while helping with preparations for Lorelai's surprise birthday party. Richard stuns Lorelai with a very special birthday gift. Luke meets Nicole's parents but is too distracted by Jess' behaviour to make a good impression.

3x19 "Keg! Max!" | April 29, 2003
Lorelai is appointed Grad Night Treasurer and runs into a playing-it-cool Max at her first Chilton Booster Club meeting. Lane's band gets their first gig at a party. Staff cutbacks at the Inn force Lorelai to do turn-down service, and she becomes very unsettled at seeing a cozy Luke and Nicole together. When Rory discovers that Jess's frequent absences have caused him to flunk out of school, it leads to an argument. Afterward Dean comes upon a tearful and distraught Rory.

3x20 "Say Goodnight, Gracie." | May 6, 2003
Fran Weston dies and Lorelei and Sookie try to buy the Dragonfly Inn. Rory and Jess try approaching each other but fail to talk. Dean gives Rory some surprising news. Mrs. Kim agrees to let Lane go to the prom with Dave. Luke is worried that an unexpected visitor to Stars Hollow will cause problems for Jess.

3x21 "Here Comes the Son" | May 13, 2003
Jess heads out to Venice, California only to learn that his father's community is just as quirky as Stars Hollow. Luke tells Lorelai that Jess took off for good but Lorelai waits for the right moment to break the news to Rory, who is stressing over finals and graduation.

3x22 "Those are Strings, Pinnochio" | May 20, 2003
Rory graduates from Chilton, and the girls look forward to their futures. Luke has second thoughts about a trip with Nicole after something Lorelai tells him. Jess makes silent contact with Rory after her graduation ceremony from Chilton.