Gilmore Girls: Season 03 (2002) Reviews

As season three of Gilmore Girls gets under way, it seems apparent that single mom Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) must abandon all hope of marrying Christopher Haden (David Sutcliffe), the father of Lorelai's teenaged daughter, Rory (Alexis Bledel). The pain of this realization is mitigated somewhat as Lorelai's attraction to café owner Luke (Scott Patterson) grows stronger -- even though she is less aware of this than the people around her. In other developments in the rural Connecticut community of Stars Hollow, Rory applies to Harvard, convincing her boyfriend, Dean (Jared Padalecki), that their relationship is doomed and driving him into the arms of another woman. Rory then gravitates to town reprobate Jess (Milo Ventimiglia), much to Lorelei's dismay. Equally dismayed is Rory's snooty classmate Paris (Liza Weil), who has a mini-breakdown when her own application to Harvard is rejected. As it turns out, Harvard is not on Rory's plate either; she decides to enter her dad's alma mater, Yale, even as Jess (who has flunked out of high school) and Dean (who has proposed to his current sweetie) drift out of her life...maybe. In the season-three finale, Lorelai and her business partner, Sookie (Melissa McCarthy), decide to open up a new bed-and-breakfast after the Independence Inn closes down, and Rory delivers an unforgettable commencement address at the Chilton Prep graduation ceremonies. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi