Ballrooms and Biscotti

Season 4, Episode 1, Aired
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Episode Summary

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 retailates 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.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (11)

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  • A very good season 4 opener!

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By holden_potter, Apr 18, 2010 Report Abuse
    Gilmore girls are back from their world trip! They talk fast again and send presents to the Stars Hollow residents. Lorelai plans an incredible final week with Rory before she leaves Stars Hollow and goes to Yale but it turns out that Rory has written the Introduction day date down wrong. So there are only two days left until first day at Yale. There is so much to do but there is so little time. The girls visit Sookie and Jackson. Sookie is pregnant and is about to give birth every minute. Jackson is so hilarious that he doesn't want to know the sex of the baby. Also Rory is pronounced as Stars Hollow Ice Cream Queen by Taylor but this year she has no time to participate. Taylor accuses Rory of being unkind to the town residents. Rory realises that she loves this town very,very much and it is hard for her to leave it. Kirk is Kirk again-funny and charming in his own way. Lorelai understands the truth about Luke's cruise and his relationship with Nicole. Her reaction shows how much she loves Luke but maybe not as just a friend.Again that Friday night dinner with Gilmores. It is so hilarious that Emily holds Rory as hostage. She is mad at Lorelai for not attending the dinner now that she doesn't need them anymore when Rory is going to Yale. At the end, the mother and daughter end up spending the anticipated biscotti night eating biscotti and watching ballrooms.
    So good 4 season opener!moreless

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  • Totally everything I love about the girls.

    9.3
    "Superb"
    By scooby_92, Apr 16, 2010 Report Abuse
    The opening scene with Babette yelling back and forth was hysterical and then she goes into the house and just starts making hot chocolate without being asked was classic Babette.

    Jackson no wanting to know the sex of the baby, but Sookie not wanting to wait until the baby was born. Hid everything she bought and kept it in the shed.

    Luke being vague about his trip you knew something had happened on the cruise. Later he admits to Lorelai he got married, but is getting divorced. And by Lorelai\'s reaction you knew she was jealous of Nicole and her feelings for Luke came out even more.

    moreless

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  • Lorelai and Rory return from there backpacking trip, only to discover that they have little time left until Rory goes to college. Good opener for season 4.

    9.2
    "Superb"
    By stewie1423, Jul 01, 2008 Report Abuse
    I enjoyed this and its the longest I've had to wait in between episodes/seasons (Only got the DVD today). There isn't a huge amount to talk about but I'll start with Rory and Lorelai's return. It was amusing how they didn't get Luke a gift so Lorelai gave him 'fake' French jam. Plus Kirk being annoyed about not getting a present was funny.

    I hope Lane does appear more often this season, which I doubt due to Rory going to college. Taylor and Rory, that ice-cream thing was funny, especially when the kids were crying because she wasn't doing it, good to see her stand up for herself.

    Sookie is far along in her pregnancy and Jackson was amusing with his badge about not wanting to know the sex. Sookie later tells Lorelai its a boy and shows her all the stuff she has ready (Blue stuff meaning it's a boy). Lorelai was obviously jealous when Luke revealed that he married Nicole.

    Which if I hadn't read in the info for the episode, would have surprised me. Emily keeping Rory at her house was very funny, how she did, plus it was hilarious how she spoke to her new maid. The ending was good, preparing us for the next episode, Rory's first day at college. I really can't wait for that, I'm so interested to she how both Lorelai and Rory cope without each other!moreless

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  • They are back!!!

    9.2
    "Superb"
    By karatiz, Dec 23, 2007 Report Abuse
    Season 4 begins with the Lorelai's return from Europe.
    So sweet of Babette, she was so worried with them that she called every consul in the plan, just because they were a few days late, that's a friend worried.

    Now they have to give everyone the gifts, how could they forget Luke? Luke is Luke lol I found it sweet, they looked for something perfect for him but they couldn't find it, or they didn't look right or Luke is so important that anything was good enough.

    Then the real world knocks on the door. Rory is named Ice Queen without even knowing and they don't have a week before Rory's first day at Yale, they only have two days!!!

    Taylor is a jerk, he makes Rory Ice Queen without her knowing or agreeing and when she refuses he just ignores it!! Just to make her feel guilty!! She has more things to do, I liked her speech, she was right!

    Luke got married!!! lol and now is getting divorced!! That's what a romantic cruise make people do...

    And Emily keeping Rory "hostage", that was fun lol Richard when to bed and she just didn't want Rory to leave, all because Lorelai didn't went to dinner.
    At least they enjoyed the evening there...moreless

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  • Lorelai and Rory are back from Europe.

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By Black_Grace, Aug 09, 2007 Report Abuse
    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 retailates 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.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • In a deleted scene with Rory and Lane, we learn that Lane's boyfriend, Dave, has gone to college in California. This is a play off of the fact that Adam Brody, the actor who plays Dave, left Gilmore Girls for The O.C., which takes place in California. Edit
    • At Friday night dinner, Richard asks Rory about their visit with the Gundersons in Zurich and the Egleholms in Denmark during their European trip. It's surprising that he didn't inquire about Hopie, Emily's sister in Paris. Edit
    • So far, only Luke has shown feelings for Lorelai. This is the first time Lorelai's reaction to Luke's wedding/divorce shows that she's not indifferent to him. It will be confirmed later in the season (episode 11) when she's very upset about him moving in with Nicole and she tells Luke that she doesn't want him to move out. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Music "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" by Diana Ross "The Girl From Ipanema" by Fantastic Strings "That's a Plenty" by Hisao Sudou & New Downbeats Orchestra "Tell Her What She Wants To Know" by Sam Phillips Edit
    • German episode title: "Überraschung!", meaning "Surprise!". French episode title: "Retour Au Bercail", meaning "Back Home". Edit
    • Keiko Agena (Lane), Yanic Truesdale (Michel), and Liza Weil (Paris) do not appear in this episode. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Taylor: You don't have to yell, Luke! Luke: You put a giant window in my wall! Taylor: So what? Luke: A giant window! Right here! You can see my entire diner. And when I'm in my diner, I can see your whole stupid store. Taylor: I don't understand how yours is a diner and mine is a stupid store. Luke: Look at this place! Look at you. All you need is six dancing penguins and Mary Poppins floating in the corner to bring back the two worst hours of my childhood! Taylor: I don't believe you had a childhood. I believe you came out a bitter, surly killjoy! Luke: You can't change the basic structure of this place without my okay! (Taylor's staring at Luke's arms) What? Taylor: Your hand's near the wax lips. Luke: So? Taylor: If you could move it just so you don't accidentally touch the candy. (Luke raises his hand dramatically) Taylor: (Threateningly) Lucas. (Luke puts his hands in all the candy bins) What do you think you're doing? Stop that right now! Luke: (Throwing candy in the air) Look at the all pretty candy! Edit
    • Lorelei: Now if Sophia could just die during a fox trot that would be perfect. Edit
    • Lorelai: Oh man. Smell this. Rory: What? Lorelai: I forgot that pillows don't have to smell like feet. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Lorelai: I'm so wiped. I shouldn't have taken that third Excedrin PM last night. Rory: Third? Why'd you take three? Lorelai: Oh, well, uh, originally I took two, then somewhere around four in the morning, I woke up and had a major Marilyn moment.

      A 'major Marilyn moment' refers Marilyn Monroe whose death was ruled an accidental overdose. Edit
    • Sookie: Oh, was it warm? I read it was warm.

      Sookie is referring to the heat wave that hit Europe in 2003. The temperature reached an average of 45 degrees for several weeks that summer, causing the death of thousands of people, especially the elderly. Edit
    • Rory: If we were caught smuggling hash over the border and we were thrown in some Turkish prison, wouldn't you want someone to know that we were in Turkey? Lorelai: Where'd we get this hash we were smuggling? Rory: You were at a café, you met a guy, he was sweet-talking you, he put the stuff in your purse when you weren't looking. I believe this quote actually references the movie Midnight Express which is a 1978 film in which Brad Davis plays Billy Hayes who was caught smuggling drugs out of Turkey. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Since the appeals procedures looked bleak, his family and his American lawyers encouraged him to escape. After a violent exchange with a guard, he fled and made his way back to the U.S. It was inspired by a true story. Edit

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