4x01 "Ballrooms and Biscotti" | September 23, 2003
Lorelai and Rory return from their summer backpacking trip to Europe only to discover Rory miscalculated how much more time she had off till school starts which puts her in a bind with Taylor and Lorelai in a bind with Emily. Lorelai is shocked when Luke finally tells her what happened on his cruise with Nicole and Sookie is almost ready to have her baby.

4x02 "The Lorelais' First Day at Yale" | September 30, 2003
Luke lends his truck to Lorelai to get Rory moved into her dorm despite how much trouble it turns out to be. Meanwhile, the Gilmores realize Rory is growing up, but Lorelai helps her ease into her new life. Paris turns out to be one of Rory's new roommates and not by accident. Luke has to deal with his pending divorce.

4x03 "The Hobbit, the Sofa and Digger Stiles" | October 7, 2003
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.

4x04 "Chicken or Beef?" | October 14, 2003
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.

4x05 "The Fundamental Things Apply" | October 21, 2003
After reflecting on her lack of social life, Rory decides to try dating and finds it harder than it looks. Lorelai is still adjusting to an empty house and has Luke over to try to fill the gap. Meanwhile Lorelai is somewhat disturbed after discovering that the designer she just hired to decorate the inn used to work for Emily.

4x06 "An Affair to Remember" | October 28, 2003
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.

4x07 "The Festival of Living Art" | November 4, 2003
Sookie and Jackson decide to have a home birth and enlist the services of a formidable midwife. Stars Hollow is asked to host a Festival of Living Pictures when a neighboring town backs out, inspiring the town regulars to pitch in and attempt to pull it off in only a week. Lane finds the perfect guitarist to replace Dave, but Zach objects because of his age. Luke and Nicole decide to hold off on their divorce.

4x08 "Die, Jerk" | November 11, 2003
Richard and Emily hold widely differing points of view on the success of their business trip to Atlantic City. 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. Lane and Dave have a long distance argument over pottery. When Lorelai learns that Nicole and Luke have put their divorce on hold, she has a strong reaction.

4x09 "Ted Koppel's Big Night Out" | November 18, 2003
Rory and Paris have lunch at Yale with Richard, who introduces them to his friend, Professor Asher Fleming. During Friday night dinner Lorelai asks for an invitation to the Yale-Harvard game and the Gilmores tailgate in style. Emily is upset when Richard's college girlfriend shows up. Lorelai takes Jason up on his invitation to dinner. Rory walks back to the dorm after the game and is shocked to see there is a new man in Paris' life.

4x10 "The Nanny and the Professor"| January 20, 2004
Luke hires Lane to help out at the diner. Rory isn't happy Paris is dating her new teacher. Lorelai and Jason decide to keep their relationship from her parents. Sookie and Jackson allow Michel to babysit for Davey, forcing Lorelai to come to the rescue when Michel needs to get himself and Davey out from under a problem.

4x11 "In the Clamor and the Clangor" | January 27, 2004
Lane's band gets a gig at famous CBGB's in New York, but it doesn't come without a price. Rory gets personal with William during a political discussion when she suspects that he's been spreading embarrassing stories about her. Lorelei 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.

4x12 "A Family Affair" | February 3, 2004
Luke has his hands full as family members return to Stars Hollow. 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. Rory becomes concerned that her mother is having financial problems. Lorelai and Rory discover Jess sleeping in his car in the freezing cold.

4x13 "Nag Hammadi Is Where They Found the Gnostic Gospels" | February 10, 2004
It's firelight festival time again and with Taylor stuck out of town, Kirk tries to fill in. Luke meets his sister Liz's latest boyfriend. Jess, anxious to get out of town as soon as his car is repaired, stirs up trouble with family and friends.

4x14 "The Incredible Sinking Lorelais" | February 17, 2004
When Trix returns to town and berates Lorelai and Richard for being financial failures, Richard angrily sets his mother straight. Lorelai and Sookie explore ways to ease their financial crunch and raise money to pay their construction crew, one of whom is now Dean. 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.

4x15 "Scene in a Mall" | February 24, 2004
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. In order to spend some time together, 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. As always, Luke is there to help Lorelai when she needs it.

4x16 "The Reigning Lorelai" | March 2, 2004
Trix dies suddenly leaving Richard a mess and Emily handling all the arrangement, until she discovers a letter Trix wrote Richard the day before he and Emily married. 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. After the service, cousin Marilyn regales family and friends with tales of Lorelai the First.

4x17 "Girls in Bikinis, Boys Doin' The Twist" | April 13, 2004
Rory, Paris, Janet and Glenn escape an incredibly cold winter in Connecticut and head to Florida, where they run into Madeline and Louise, who show them the spring break ropes. 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 and Rory get the dubious honor of the first ride in Kirk's latest venture, the Stars Hollow pedi-cab.

4x18 "Tick, Tick, Tick, Boom." | April 20, 2004
Richard and Jason invite Jason's father for dinner only to discover he wants to ruin their competing company. After months of deception, Richard and Emily learn Jason and Lorelai have been dating. Rory tells Lane what she thinks of Deans selfish wife not knowing Lindsay can hear her.

4x19 "After Boom" | April 27, 2004
Luke finalizes his divorce. The band's latest gig is a big hit, but leaves Lane feeling lonely and she begins to realize how much she misses her mother. Lorelai and Richard have it out over his treatment of Jason but when Jason decides to sue Richard after discovering his treachery, Lorelai breaks up with him. 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.

4x20 "Luke Can See Her Face" | May 4, 2004
Liz returns to Stars Hollow with news that she and TJ will marry next week in the towns square which has Luke asking Jess to attend. Lorelai and Sookie overhear Dean and Lindsay's problems. Luke works on his dating and communication skills with a self help tape that makes him come to a startling revelation. 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.

4x21 "Last Week Fights, This Week Tights" | May 11, 2004
Stars Hollow prepares for the Renaissance-themed wedding of Liz and T.J. With Lorelais help, Mrs. Kim and Lane work out their new relationship. Thanks in part to her grandmother, Rory gets stranded on a bad date where she turns to Dean for help. Jess asks Rory to leave everything and run away with him. Rory's suite mates depart for summer vacation. Lorelai unsuccessfully attempts to get Emily to admit to the separation with Richard. Luke and Lorelai share a special momment at the wedding. Jess expresses his gratitude to Luke before saying goodbye.

4x22 "Raincoats and Recipes" | May 18, 2004
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. Luke answers Lorelai's question about the status of their relationship.