Customer Reviews

Gilmore Girls: The Complete Fourth Season

5 star:		(115)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

There was much talk and debate over Gilmore Girls' fourth season. Some thought it was great and that it was one of their best seasons. Others thought that it had a lot of good stuff, but had problems and was, quite easily, it's weakest season. I can't say that it's a bad season, because it's not. The second half contains some truly great episodes, but season four was a disjointed disappointment. The show went through a transition this year, and shows that go through a certain 'growing up' phase do have some problems. They usually don't go through it unscathed. Season four of GG is no exception. Rory leaves home and Stars Hollow and goes off to live in her dorm at Yale. This leaves a new, and awkward, dynamic between mother and daughter and the show. The relationship between the two was a major factor of the series, and the fact that they spoke to one another on cell phones more than anything else it seemed was also a component that didn't add to the season. They added in the character of Jason 'Digger' Stiles, and most people didn't really like him or warm up to him. This was not actor Chris Eigelman's fault, as he was good. The only actor who could match Lauren Graham's rapid speak and quick wit. Lorelei also had new developments in her life. She and Sookie were getting serious about opening their own inn, and in the meantime, take on careers as caterers. It seemed that the writers had a hard time settling into their new set ups and situations, and it left the show disjointed, misguided, and just not the same show. This was mostly during the first half of the season, although there were some highlights. "Chicken Or Beef" was a classic GG episode dealing with Rory running into ex Dean, who invites her to his upcoming wedding. "The Festival Of Living Art" was another notable episode, with the town becoming living pieces of art in the town square. But there were more misfires and duds than great eps. "An Affair To Remember" had Rory spending the entire episode looking for a place to study. This was a problem with Rory. There was this big new change in her world, and the writers didn't seem to exploit it much. Rory was lost for a good portion of the season, and it seemed they couldn't figure anything good to do with her. Thankfully, once the second half kicks in, the show regains it's footing and the writers seemed to have finally gotten a hold of what the show wa doing this season. The second half really kicked into gear, and it's what saved the season. This is why I gave it four stars. Jess returns, and not for the good, in "A Family Matter", and the season had one of it's best episodes with "A Clang In The Clamor", a classic GG episode with a wonderful Luke/Lorelei moment in the old church. "Tick..Tick..Tick..Boom" and "Afterboom" was a tremendous two parter. A true season highlight. Lorelei and Sookie's new inn, The Dragonfly, is coming into shape towards the end of the season, and it appears to be a great new place. "Luke Can See Her Face" is a great episode. It's a pivotal ep in the L/L movement, when Luke finally realizes that Lorelei is the one. The season finale, "Raincoats And Recipes", is the type of stuff season finales are made off. Pitch perfect. An episode that changes everything in the Gilmores' world, and promises great stuff to come. And come it did in the show's magnificent fifth season. Season four was not bad. It had problems and flaws, and is easily it's 'least' season, but it overcame them in the second half. Ther performances were still up to snuff, and Lauren Graham continues to be one of the top best actresses on TV. She has "Emmy" written all over her, and continues to be denied that honor. Yes, moving out and moving away can be awkward and things are just different. Maybe that was the writers' point, but it was obvious that it's hard, different, and awkward to write as well. Season 4 started off with a whimper, but it sure ended with a major bang.

Although reviewers were quick to criticize season four, no one will deny that the last few episodes of the season were some of the best the show has ever brought forth.

Season four brings Lorelei and Rory to a new place in their relationship. Rory moves out of the house and into the dorms, and Lorelei struggles with the realities of bringing her life-long dream of owning an inn to fruition. Through phone conversations and Friday night dinners the girls struggle to keep their relationship as close as it once was. Dean reappears as a married man, Luke is as funny and endearing as ever, and the elder Gilmores struggle to adjust to changes in their marriage. Digger and the lawyer prove amusing distractions to the real love story, which finally reaches its beginning in a satisfying scene outside the Dragonfly. And lets not forget about the final scene, which left everyone in shock - because when Rory messes up - she messes up big.

This collection is a must have for any Gilmore Girls enthusiast. Don't listen to the naysayers. There are a lot of gems to be found throughout season four.

Nominated for 1 Emmy and 1 Golden Globe in its first five seasons, Gilmore Girls has experienced much greater success among TV viewers than among industry critics. In fact, the show is the first script supported by the Family Friendly Forum's script development fund to go on and become a regular television series. Part of an initiative between The WB Network - maker of such hits as Dawson's Creek (1998), Felicity (1998), Angel (1999), and Smallville (2001) - and fellow industry executives, this push for more family-oriented programming resulted in a series showcasing a unique mother-daughter bond and the various people they encounter on their life voyage of discovery. Set in the fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, Gilmore Girls utilizes many of the same sets as the hit series The Dukes Of Hazzard (1979) - another successful Warner Brothers production from years past...

Gilmore Girls is set in a small idyllic community in Connecticut filled with a wide range of diverse characters and eccentric personalities. Against this backdrop, Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) attempts to raise her daughter and best friend, Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel), to carve out a better life for herself. Having made a number of youthful mistakes, Lorelai made the decision to raise her daughter by herself at a young age (the same age as Rory when the series begins), and she's bound and determined to make sure that Rory makes better decisions for herself. As Rory prepares to go off to college, she displays many of the same likes and dislikes as her mother - especially when it comes to the opposite sex, and that's what worries Lorelai the most... A borderline soap opera, Gilmore Girls is more of a serial drama that focuses on the love, friendship, and shared growth of a mother and daughter as they live out their dreams in modern day America...

The Gilmore Girls (Season 4) DVD features a number of touching episodes including the season premiere "Ballrooms and Biscotti" in which Lorelai and Rory return from their European vacation to experience a whirlwind of activity. Taylor gets upset when Rory declines the offer to be the Stars Hollow Ice Cream Queen, while Rory herself is in a panic after realizing she wrote the wrong date for freshman orientation on her calendar. Now, she must fit a week's worth of preparation into two days, and Emily isn't very happy about it... Other notable episodes from Season 4 include "The Nanny and the Professor" in which Rory becomes concerned when Paris's new boyfriend turns out to be one of her college professors, and "Luke Can See Her Face" in which a self-help tape and a long talk with Jess help Luke to envision a path to the relationship he's been seeking all along...

Below is a list of episodes included on the Gilmore Girls (Season 4) DVD:

Episode 66 (Ballrooms and Biscotti)
Episode 67 (The Lorelai's First Day at Yale)
Episode 68 (The Hobbit, the Sofa, and Digger Stiles)
Episode 69 (Chicken or Beef?)
Episode 70 (The Fundamental Things Apply)
Episode 71 (An Affair to Remember)
Episode 72 (The Festival of Living Art)
Episode 73 (Die, Jerk)
Episode 74 (Ted Koppel's Big Night Out)
Episode 75 (The Nanny and the Professor)
Episode 76 (In the Clamor and the Clangor)
Episode 77 (A Family Matter)
Episode 78 (Nag Hammadi is Where They Found the Gnostic Gospels)
Episode 79 (The Incredible Shrinking Lorelais)
Episode 80 (Scene in a Mall)
Episode 81 (The Reigning Lorelai)
Episode 82 (Girls in Bikinis, Boys Doin' the Twist)
Episode 83 (Tick, Tick, Tick, Boom!)
Episode 84 (Afterboom)
Episode 85 (Luke Can See Her Face)
Episode 86 (Last Week Fights, This Week Tights)
Episode 87 (Raincoats and Recipes)

The DVD Report

As always, this season is laced with witty banter, charming humor, and verbal sparring that makes the show what it is. This season brings truth to the world of Stars Hollow, as life gets more complicated for Rory and her mother: being close isn't so easy from different towns, let alone entirely different worlds. Rory begins Yale and along with her great sense of style, she also brings that famous naivete and innonence we know and love. She realizes that a lot more exists beyond her little hometown, and with that revelation comes a sense of loss for Lorelai. The only reason somebody wouldn't enjoy this season is if they were looking for an unrealistic portrayal of life! The Gilmore Girls is real, clever, and always heart-warming in a non-cliche way. I have never found a better show for all ages, and especially for women. Never a dull moment, nothing overdone, and all the drama that we need to keep us waiting for more. This season is just as amazing as all the rest...may there be many more to come!

I think of the fourth season of GG as a transition season, that is extremely important for any show surpassing the two-three season point. Both Rory and Lorelai are dealing with life-changing circumstances...and for the most part they must figure out a way to do it alone. Furthermore, Mr. And Mrs. Gilmore's marriage has reached a stalemate, and they have to decide whether or not they even like each other anymore. Lane moves out of her chastity belt of a house, and Luke closes the chapter of his married life...only to open new doors on a relationship he has really always wanted!

By far the best part of the season, ( I have to agree with other reviewers) is the Luke and Lorelai dynamic, I to this day think they have the best on-screen chemistry in television.

Much of the season is heartbreaking and like watching a train-wreck where you really can't stop what is the inevitable...growing pains for Rory as she is forced to confront the consequences of decisions made in Season 3....nonetheless the season ends in a huge bang, it will leave you both smiling and questioning.

Perhaps I have made Season 4 sound a little too dramatic, it is important to know that all the same qualities you find in the previous GG season still pertain to this season in many ways, the show is wittier, funnier, and sarcastic as ever. The supporting cast is perhaps the most fabulous and diversified cast in TV.

Here are the extras:

"Who Wants To Get Together - a montage of the season's best hook-ups
Goodies & Gossip - Fun Factios appear on screen throughout the Girls in Bikinis, Boys Doin' the Twist episode
Stars Hollow Interactive Trivia Game
Additional Scenes
(...)
Also, although the show was broadcasted in both full frame and wide-screen form, these DVD will be shown only in full-frame like the other seasons.

The conventional wisdom about season 4 of "Gilmore Girls" is that it wasn't as good as the show had previously been. Supposedly Rory's move away from her mother to Yale removed much of the show's fizz. I simply have to disagree with this. With a show as intelligent and well-written as this one the characters are going to grow and evolve almost like people do in real life (especially young people like Rory.) This can dramatically be seen at the end of season 4 as Rory embarks on the first of several badly thought-out decisions that continue into the current year. It's rare on TV that a sympathetic character is allowed to mess up her life, complete with consequences. (Like Willow, on "Buffy The Vampire Slayer", for example.) It seems that some fans don't have the patience to allow a character to grow, or just don't like the new and unfamiliar. If you see "Gilmore Girls" as one long story and season 4 as just one chapter in a continuing drama it will make more sense to you. Look at it this way: Rory could totally change her life in a new direction tomorrow, while still remaining the same quirky girl we all like. Wouldn't that be interesting?

It's not like there wasn't other cool stuff going on in Stars Hollow. We can see Luke and Lorelai inch ever closer, almost unwillingly it seems at times (I especially like "In the Clamor and the Clangor.") The wonderful Liza Weil, hilarious as the abrasive but vulnerable Paris, stumbles into unlikely romance. Lorelai and Sookie's frustrations in opening their inn seem very true-to-life to me, culminating with Lorelai's near-nervous breakdown in "The Incredible Shrinking Lorelais." As always, Lauren Graham is "a geyser of charisma", as Fametracker puts it. I don't think there is a more compelling or watchable (or funnier) actress around today. Why she isn't a great big movie star is a complete mystery, but we should enjoy her on "Gilmore Girls" while we can. Alexis Bledel has been criticized for her "mumbly" line readings and waifish countenance, but she strikes me as a more convincing kid than the more phony self-assured young adults we see on other shows. That she has inherited her mother's bad dealings with men (except for Luke) is a nice touch of psychological realism. Season 4 ends of course with Lorelai finally falling into Luke's arms at long last, a most satisfying event for most fans, and reason enough to own this DVD set.

(Included in the DVD set is an astounding deleted scene where Lane and Rory totally dis Liz Phair's most recent album, thus once again proving what hilariously pretentious little rock snobs they are.)

The first two episodes of season four were a really great start to the new season. However from that episode through episode 10, the show hit kind of a rough patch. The episodes in a lot of ways seemed unimportant, or too insignificant to warrant any attention. For example, the storyline where Rory is looking for the perfect tree to sit under, and the whole Lorelai-Jason relationship, which seemed only to serve to kill time until Luke and Lorelai finally got together.

However, staring with episode 11 "In the Clamor at the Clangor" the season really started to turn around. Copying what another reviewer did, I am going to give you my rankings of each episode of the season on a scale of 1-5. However, my rankings are quite different from this reviewers:

1. Ballrooms and Biscotti- Rory finds out she must go to Yale a week earlier than she thought -4 stars

2. The Lorelais' First Day at Yale- Lorelai comforts Rory as she gets homesick at her first day in Yale- 5 stars

3. The Hobbit, the Sofa, and Digger Stiles- Lorelai and Sookie cater a Lord of the Rings party, where Sookie worries she won't be a good mother- 2 stars

4. Chicken or Beef?- The night before Dean's wedding to Lindsay Luke discovers that he might not fully be over Rory yet- 3 stars

5. The Fundamental Things Apply- Rory acts akwardly on her first date in college while Lorelai invites Luke over for movie night 2 stars

6. An Affair to Remember- Emily makes Lorelai and Sookie jump through hoops to cater one of her events, Kirk goes on a date with a girl who might actually like him.-3 stars

7. The Festival of Living Art- Lorelai is determined to be the Renoir girl when stars Hallow hosts the fetival of living art, Sookie gives birth- 3 stars

8. Die, Jerk- Rory angers a ballerina when she gives her a bad review- 1 stars

9. Ted Koppel's Big Night Out- At the Harvard/Yale game Emily discovers that Richard has been having secret meetings with his almost wife Pennalynn Lott, Lorelai finally agrees to go out with Jason- 3 stars

10. The Nanny and the Professor- Michel babysits for Sookie while Rory deals with the fact that Paris is now dating Professor Flemming- 1 star

11. In the Clamor and the Clangor- Luke and Lorelai decide to destroy the Church bells that are driving the town crazy- 4
stars

12. A Family Matter- Liz visits Luke in Stars Hallow, Lorelai shows Jason around Stars Hallow- 3 stars

13. Nag Hammadi is Where they Found the Gnostic Gospels- Luke gets drunk when Jess tells him he's a judgemental know-it-all, Luke gives Lorelai some earings Liz gave to him- 4 stars

14. The Incredible Sinking Lorelais- Unable to catch each other on the phone, Lorelai and Rory have melt downs and have to turn to Luke and Dean for comfort- 5 stars

15. Scene in a Mall- Emily has a melt down in a mall when Richard won't listen to her concerns- 4 stars

16. The Reigning Lorelai- Gran dies, leaving Lorelai to make the arrangements for her funeral.- 4 stars

17. Girls in Bikinis, Boys doin'the Twist- Rory and Paris have spring break in Florida, while Luke discovers that Nicole has been cheating on her- 4 stars

18. Tick, Tick, Tick, Boom!- Kirk hides Easter eggs in the square, Emily and Richard discover that Lorelai and Jason are going out- 4 stars

19. Afterboom- Luke files for divorce from Nicole, Lorelai breaks up with Jason after he decides to sue her father- 3 stars

20. Luke Can See her Face- After buying some self-help tapes,
Luke finally realizes that he should be with Lorelai, Lorelai, Sookie and Michel sleep in the zuchini patch- 5 stars

21. Last Week Fights, This Week Tights- Luke escorts Lorelai to Liz and TJ's wedding where they have thier first dance, Dean saves Rory from a bad date- 5 stars

22. Raincoats and Recipes- Luke and Lorelai finally kiss at The Dragonfly's test run, Rory and Dean have sex- 5 stars

Definatley worth the buy for any Gilmore Girl's fan. From episode 11 on this season is really great in my opinion.

I love GG so much. It is one of the best shows and I watch the first three seasons over and over. The two main problems(there are so many little ones that I can't get into detail.): Jess is gone. He was my favorite character and him and Rory should always be together. (Hello they are together for now in real life too!) Another issue is that Rory and Lorelai aren't living in the same house so there isn't that chemistry between mother and daughter. I hate that once Luke and Lorelia START to get together I can't appreciate it because the rest of the show sucks. Another (HUGE) issue is that Rory decides to cheat with a married man. What the heck is wrong with her? She has always been the innocent girl and she now starts to become an idiot. I still love the show and I will keep on watching faithfully though hoping it will get better again.

Raincoats and Recipies, in my opinion, it the best episode of
this season. I love how Luke and Lorelai (FINALLY!!) get together. I hate what Rory does. It's kind of ridiculous to say
that Dean is "her Dean", because he's not!!!! He's married!! Although, we can't blame Rory for all of it. It was like Dean attacked Rory-but she let him!! I absolutely hate when Jason comes and tells Luke that Lorelai and him are working it out and how everything is right. It makes me sick. I liked Girls in Bikinis, Boys Doing the Twist, but Paris kisses Rory!!! Oh God, that was awful. I still can't think of Rory the same way!!!
Overall, this is a great season.

There are widely diverging opinions about Season Four of THE GILMORE GIRLS, and the reason is pretty easy to spot: it departs sharply from the previous three seasons and strikes out in entirely new directions. It would be wrong to say that everything had changed, but an extraordinarily large number of things did. The short list of major changes would include: Rory has moved to New Haven (22.5 miles north of the fictional Stars Hollow--north because this is the only place it would be close enough for the kinds of commutes to Hartford people are always making) and has started her freshmen year at Yale; Rory has no boyfriend for the entire year, while Lorelai is dating her father's new business partner; for the entire season Lorelai, Sookie, and Michel are inn-less, but are instead in the process of restoring the Dragonfly Inn; Dean gets married, though not very successfully; Sookie and Jackson have their baby while the elder Lorelai dies; Lane is forced to move out when her mother discovers her large cache of rock CDs, her membership in a band, and her unwillingness to attend the Adventist college any longer; and Kirk--yes, Kirk--gets a girlfriend. Only a few of these changes would have been sufficient to alter the tone of the show, but together they create a completely new atmosphere and feel.

By far the biggest change is Rory's going to Yale, where she does both better and worse than she had hoped. She lives her first year in an impossibly large suite of rooms with Paris Geller, along with two other girls. Paris spends her freshman year having an affair with a distinguished sixty-year-old professor played by Michael York, while Rory spends much of her time traveling back to Stars Hollow. My one real complaint with the show is that "Yale" is merely a set that they manage to keep recycling for the various parts of the university. In the entire season, there is one and only one actual shot of the real Yale, a lone shot of the eastern entrance to Old Campus and the building that houses the Classics department. What baffles me is why they used only this one shot and even then only once. Was it stock footage they found somewhere? If they actually sent a camera there, why not get shots of the New Haven Commons or the Beinecke Library or Woolsey or Sterling Library or Harkness? Or a shot of any of the colleges would have been nice. OK, I digress, but it would have been nice to see some effort to create an illusion.

I personally like to see shows develop and change, so the alterations in the show didn't bother me very much. My own belief is that shows must evolve over time or become stale and die. I am delighted that this was not the case for THE GILMORE GIRLS. There was a genuine intent on the part of the producers of the show to keep the show alive. I found most, though not all (I really didn't care for the character of Jason Stiles and especially his relationship with Lorelai), of the plot lines to be interesting and fun, and welcomed Kirk's increased role in the show. He has evolved from being a mere bit player in Season One to being one of the regulars. My favorite subplot was probably that dealing with Lane, with her band moving to new levels of success, and her expulsion from her home for not being a very good Adventist. Her Season Three near-boyfriend Dave Rygalski left the show when actor Adam Brody transformed into Seth Cohen on THE O.C., and his guitar was replaced by former Skid Row member Sebastian Bach. I loved the way that Bach didn't really fit into the band easily because of his being so much older than the others, but his having guitar chops vastly beyond the quality of the other members as well as his desire to be in the band finally landed him a spot. I've always loved Lane and wished that she played a more central role in the show. I felt that in the first three seasons she was a more two-dimensional character. Here she finally starts to develop into a more realistic and nuanced character.


It is rather odd how slowly the DVDs for the show are coming out. The standard practice for most shows has become to get the previous year's season out on DVD before the new one begins, but anyone wanting to start anew on the show will not be able to catch up by watching all five previous seasons on DVD. But the great news is that while it has been slow to come out on DVD, on TV it has remained consistently excellent. Will the show last past Season Six? A good friend of mine pointed out that the principles were signed to a six-year contract, so it could very well be that if the show lasts beyond the next season, some major changes could be in store. If Lauren Graham fails to sign a new contract, it would pretty much signal the end of the show, which would in turn create a crisis for the WB. With their cancellation of ANGEL last year and with SMALLVILLE having matured as a series, without the GILMORE GIRLS there are amazingly few frontline series left on the network. Stay tuned for further developments.