A Family Matter is the 12th episode of Season 4 on WB drama Gilmore Girls.
Synopsis
Luke (Scott Patterson) is wary when his ditzy sister Liz (guest star Kathleen Whilhoite, "ER") shows up for an unexpected visit. Lorelai (Lauren Graham) promises Jason (Chris Eigeman) that she will tell her parents about their relationship, but changes her mind after Emily (Kelly Bishop) jokes about how laughable it would be if Lorelai and Jason began dating. When Paris (Liza Weil) confesses to Rory (Alexis Bledel) that her affair with the professor is becoming serious, Rory reminds her how badly she is treating her boyfriend Jamie (guest star Brandan Barash), so Paris breaks up with him. Finally, Luke discovers Jess' car is missing and reports it stolen, but discovers that Jess has come back to town to pick up the car. Rory comes upon Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) sleeping in his car but walks away without speaking to him.
Plot
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.
Quotes
- Luke – Families. I mean, they're just messes. It's like this - spilled drink that just keeps spilling, and ya gotta keep cleaning it up, and you scrub and you scrub and you just can't get the stain up! Show me a happy family - just one. Didn't that Tolstoy-guy say something about families?
- Lorelai – Probably
- Luke – It's a famous thing he said. It's like: "all families are unhappy" …or, or, or "happy on the surface"… or "unhappy in the same way"…
- Lorelai – Sounds a little incomplete.
- Luke – Well, y'know, maybe he couldn't complete the thought because he was dealing with his stinkin' family
Trivia
- Paris breaks up with Jamie.
- Rory can't deal with Jess being back.
Music
- "Shy Boy" by Bananarama
Gilmorisms
MUSIC
LITERATURE
- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
FILM
POP CULTURE
- Lorelai – I love that shirt.
- Kirk – It's an Arnold Palmer.
- Lorelai – Yeah. It's not "Donner Pass", we have cheese.
- Lorelai – Well, it's freezing out here. He could die, he must not know.
- Rory – Or doesn't care.
- Lorelai: Do you think David Blaine put him up to this?
- Lorelai – So, danger, Will Robinson.
- Luke – Families. I mean, they're just messes. It's like this - spilled drink that just keeps spilling, and ya gotta keep cleaning it up, and you scrub and you scrub and you just can't get the stain up! Show me a happy family - just one. Didn't that Tolstoy-guy say something about families?