Dakin Matthews Movies

To help Rory (Alexis Bledel) get over her nervousness concerning her graduation, Lorelai takes her daughter out on a shopping and dining binge. Luke (Scott Patterson) joins the ladies along the way, and they all end up at a karoake bar, where Rory manages to get Lorelai drunk. What follows is a boozy but sincere rendition of a Dolly Parton song in which Lorelai reveals the depth of her feelings for Luke. Meanwhile, Zach (Todd Lowe) is offered a job opportunity that may separate him from his family for several months; and Logan (Matt Czuchry demands an answer from Rory. This episode marks the last appearance of Vanessa Marano as April Nardini. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the wake of his father's death, Lorelai (Lauren Graham) is anxious to make Luke (Scott Patterson) feel better. Meanwhile, Miss Patty (Liz Torres) marks her 40th anniversary in show business in her own inimitable fashion. And back at Yale, Paris' (Liza Weil) foray into speed-dating pairs her up with "Daily News" editor Doyle (Danny Strong), while Rory (Alexis Bledel) is faced with double duty, escorting a new student around the campus and getting even for a practical joke perpetrated by Logan (Matt Czuchry). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

While picking up a prescription in Hartford, Lorelei (Lauren Graham) runs into her former fiancé Max Medina (Scott Cohen), and begins to wonder if breaking off their engagement was a good idea. Back in Stars Hollow, Rory (Alexis Bledel) and Paris (Liza Weil) vie for the honor of being keynote speaker at the Chilton Bicentennial, a competition which ends on a discordant note as Paris goes off the deep end (in front of a nationwide TV audience, no less) after getting turned down by Harvard -- which, according to her convoluted logic, is punishment for having sex with her beau Jamie. Also, the viewers find out why Sookie (Melissa McCarthy) is acting so strangely...at the very moment that Sookie finds out herself. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Having vanquished The Source of All Evil, the Charmed Ones are offered a reward by the Angel of Destiny (Dakin Matthews). The girls are given the choice to remain "Charmed" or to be divested of their powers and restored to normalcy, thereby saving them from all future demon attacks. Meanwhile, poor Cole (Julian McMahon), though expunged of The Source's influence, is trapped in another realm -- and why are the girls being investigated by the FBI? This final episode of Charmed's fourth season ends with some good news for Piper (Holly Marie Combs)...or at least we hope it is good news! ~ Rovi

Slipping on the ice outside a bus station, Monica (Roma Downey) suffers a severe concussion--and a complete loss of memory. Not only does she not realize that she is an angel, but she also fails to recognize Tess (Della Reese), Andrew (John Dye). . .or God. Falsely arrested for theft, Monica must be taught how to pray by a mortal, and is able to recover only after being the beneficiary of someone else's forgiveness. Once she has figured out who she is and what she's supposed to be doing in this episode, Monica tackles her latest assignment--persuading an embittered doctor (Michael Moriarty) to forgive the man who murdered his wife--with a new and somewhat overpowering zeal! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

We'd rather not rehash the sordied Menendez murder case in this space; besides, it isn't necessary, inasmuch as no fewer than two TV movies were produced on the subject in 1994. The first was Fox's Honor Thy Father and Mother; the second, telecast less than a month later, was Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills. Two hours longer than the first film, Menendez spends half of its running time recounting the events leading up to the Menendez brothers' murder of the parents, while the second half devotes itself to their overpublicized trial. Lyle and Eric Menendez are played, respectively, by Damian Chapa and Travis Fine. Edward James Olmos and Beverly D'Angelo costar as the ill-fated parents, while Margaret Whitton is cast as attorney Leslie Abramson. Once past the most lurid aspects of the case-notably the Menendez boys' insistence that their crime was motivated by extreme parental abuse-this 4-hour wallow gets pretty tiresome. Menendez was originally telecast in two parts, on May 22 and 23, 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Making her annual pilgrimage to Ireland, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) is determined to catch up with the sightseeing that has so often been interrupted in the past by murder. Alas, it isn't long before our heroine is involved in another homicide case. This time around, the eldest son (Gordon Currie) of Jessica's widowed friend Fiona Griffith (Fionnula Flanagan) is accused of killing the American cousin (Andrew Robinson) who had planned to horn in on the family business. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Farrah Fawcett stars as a struggling defense lawyer in the made-for-TV Criminal Behavior. Defending a nurse on theft charge, Farrah ends up ferreting out clues in a ticklish LA murder case. The path to the truth is labyrinthine, and no one can be trusted. A. Martinez, Andy Robinson and Cliff DeYoung costar. Based on a Ross MacDonald novel, Criminal Behavior debuted May 11, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This episode is set in Ireland, where Jessica (Angela Lansbury) has arrived to research a new book in the company of her college colleague, retired Irish detective Sean Culhane (George Hearn). Invited to stay at the home of wealthy developer Neal Gillen (Dakin Matthews), Jessica and Sean are among those present when Gillen suddenly dies, presumably of natural causes. It turns out, however, that Gillen's death may have been premeditated--and may also have been tied in with a local legend concerning the spirit of a "crying woman." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Robert Urich stars as a self-involved computer executive who becomes inadvertently involved in a crime. He witnesses the kidnapping of a 3 year old girl, an event that shakes him out of his aloofness and insensitivity. Feeling partially responsible, Urich determines to aid in the rescue of the child, working together with the victim's mother (Megan Gallagher). Even though we can see the happy ending a mile off, Urich's conscience-stricken performance sustains audience involvement in this superior entry. And Then She Was Gone was first telecast September 29, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Based on the book Hot Toddy, by Andy Edmunds, this made-for-TV movie revolves around the mysterious death of '30s film star Thelma Todd (Loni Anderson). ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi

Based on a best-selling novel from Danielle Steele, this made-for-television melodrama tells the sad story of a highly successful businessman whose idyllic life is destroyed when his new bride dies of cancer, leaving him with her daughter. To make matters worse, his late wife's ex-husband shows up demanding custody of the child. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi