Gilmore Girls

10 Best Episodes of Gilmore Girls - Season 2

Set in the charming town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, the series follows the captivating lives of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, a mother/daughter pair who have a relationship most people only dream of.

Written by Sophie and last updated on feb 04, 2023.

PS: The following content contains spoilers!

PPS: I will admit that parts of this page was written with the help of AI - it makes my work so much easier to not start from a blank page!

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Gilmore Girls - S2E11

#15 - Secrets and Loans (Season 2 - Episode 11)

Lorelai and Rory have a major falling out after Rory goes against her mother's wishes and asks her grandparents to lend Lorelai the money she needs to repair termite damage to their house; Lane's desire to become a cheerleader causes a strain in her relationship with Rory; after an exhaustive and unproductive attempt to raise the funds she needs based on her own credit rating, Lorelai is forced to ask Emily to cosign a loan; Rory drives Paris crazy when she refuses to reveal her PSAT scores.

The episode was rated 7.69 from 514 votes.

Gilmore Girls - S2E8

#14 - The Ins and Outs of Inns (Season 2 - Episode 8)

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Lorelai and Sookie gear up their plans to open an inn, but encounter a roadblock when the owner of their dream location refuses to sell the property. The unexpected arrival of Mia, the absentee owner of the Independence Inn, complicates matters even further when Lorelai begins to experience pangs of guilt at leaving Mia with the responsibility of running the Inn again. When Lorelai finally summons up the courage to tell her about their plans, Mia is supportive and enthusiastic, and announces that this was just the opportunity she was waiting for to sell the Inn. Lorelai is saddened at this news and tells Emily how much the Inn means to her as the place where she and Rory grew up together, oblivious to the pain she is causing her mother. Lorelai's emotional turmoil culminates with having her first ever argument with Sookie. After a pep talk from Luke, Lorelai apologizes to Sookie and recommits to their friendship and partnership. Stung by the loss of years and memories while Lorelai and

The episode was rated 7.70 from 536 votes.

Gilmore Girls - S2E15

#13 - Lost And Found (Season 2 - Episode 15)

Rory embarks upon a campaign to improve Lorelai's relationship with Jess, and convinces her to let him clean out their gutters so he can make some extra money. Luke can't stand how cramped his living quarters have become now that his sister has sent all of Jess's things to Stars Hollow, so he goes apartment hunting, first with Jess and then with Lorelai, who finally finds him a great place to live. When he finds out later that Taylor will be his new landlord, he explodes, tells Taylor to throw out his application, impulsively buys the building which houses his diner and the flower shop next door, and begins to take down the adjoining wall to expand his living space. When Dean notices that Rory isn't wearing the bracelet he made for her, she covers her shock at its loss and lies that she removed it because of a rash on her arm. She searches for it frantically all over Stars Hollow, not realizing that Jess picked it up after she dropped it on the bridge two weeks earlier when they shared

The episode was rated 7.70 from 509 votes.

Gilmore Girls - S2E5

#12 - Nick & Nora/Sid & Nancy (Season 2 - Episode 5)

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Luke's sister Liz, afraid that her 17 year old son Jess is headed for trouble, puts him on a bus to Stars Hollow to live with Luke. Lorelai finds out and offers Luke some guidance on the care and feeding of a teenager, but is rebuffed. Undaunted, she hosts a dinner party for Jess, who is sullen and angry with everyone except Rory. At the first opportunity, he takes a beer from the fridge and sneaks out to the back porch. Lorelai finds him and gives him a lecture on how good he has it with Luke. Jess tells her what she can do with her little speech and then leaves. When Luke finds out about Lorelai's meddling, they quarrel and he goes to find Jess. Taylor calls Luke the next day to accuse Jess of stealing money from the bridge fund container at the market. Luke confronts Jess about this accusation, and becomes so frustrated at his response that he shoves him into the lake. Realizing that he needs Lorelai's help, he goes to her house to patch things up, only to find that one of Babette's

The episode was rated 7.76 from 535 votes.

Gilmore Girls - S2E17

#11 - Dead Uncles and Vegetables (Season 2 - Episode 17)

Lorelai and Rory pitch in at the diner while Luke plans his Uncle Louie's funeral; Taylor is unhinged when a farmer's market opens in the town square and puts a damper on his business; Emily goes completely overboard in helping Sookie plan her wedding; Rory prods Jess into being more of a help; Luke is upset when family and friends cite Louie's unpleasant personality as a reason for not attending his funeral, but is comforted when Stars Hollow comes through for both him and his uncle in the end.

The episode was rated 7.77 from 497 votes.

Gilmore Girls - S2E7

#10 - Like Mother, Like Daughter (Season 2 - Episode 7)

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Headmaster Charleston decrees that both Gilmore girls need to improve their socialization skills at Chilton if they want him to write a glowing recommendation for Rory's Harvard application. Rory's first attempt to socialize leads her to ask a group of girls at lunch if she could join them. They agree and hit it off famously. After lunch, an insanely jealous Paris accosts Rory and tells her the the group that she innocently stumbled into is ""The Puffs"", Chilton's famed secret sorority. Paris would do anything to join, and she begs Rory not to bad-mouth her to the group. At the next opportunity, Rory talks Paris up to the group and they are both accepted as pledges. The Puffs ""kidnap"" Rory, Paris and the other pledges very early one morning under the guise of taking them to breakfast, but instead take them to Headmaster Charleston's office to be initiated into the group. In the middle of the ceremony, they are discovered by Charleston and the security guards. He calls their parents an

The episode was rated 7.79 from 545 votes.

Gilmore Girls - S2E16

#9 - There's the Rub (Season 2 - Episode 16)

When Emily and Lorelai go to a spa for a weekend of relaxation, Emily lets her hair down, kicks up her heels and ends up bonding with Lorelai in a way that only her daughter could inspire. Thrilled that she has the house all to herself, Rory hopes to spend a quiet night at home doing laundry and eating Indian food. Her plans are foiled -- first by Paris, then by Jess, and finally by Dean. In the process, she discovers that she has a surprising savior, a secret suitor, and a skeptical sweetheart.

The episode was rated 7.80 from 520 votes.

Gilmore Girls - S2E6

#8 - Presenting Lorelai Gilmore (Season 2 - Episode 6)

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Richard, who has become increasingly irritable and contentious with Emily, begins to put in more hours in the office than ever. Without telling Emily, he cancels several important social engagements due to the pressures of work, which leaves her both upset and concerned about her husband. At the urging of her friends, she decides that Rory's making her debut at a society ball will be just the thing to get Richard back into the social swing. To Lorelai's amazement, Rory willingly agrees and Emily goes into high gear shopping in preparation. Dean protests loudly about the formal attire he is forced to wear and the fox-trot lessons he is forced to take from Miss Patty, so Rory promises him a lifetime of watching Battle Bots at his side if he'll be a good sport and go along with the occasion. Lorelai asks Christopher to escort their daughter on the night of the big event, and he surprises her by agreeing to come willingly. Lorelai is in for even more of a shock when he arrives on time, dr

The episode was rated 7.82 from 532 votes.

Gilmore Girls - S2E13

#7 - A-Tisket, A-Tasket (Season 2 - Episode 13)

The annual Stars Hollow charity picnic basket lunch auction sparks controversies among couples throughout town; Jess outbids Dean for Rory's basket, causing Dean and Rory to quarrel when Rory abides by tradition and shares the lunch with Jess; Jackson refuses to bid on Sookie's basket after she leads him to believe that she doesn't want to move in together; Luke comes to Lorelai's rescue, bids on her basket, and feeds them both at the diner after Miss Patty sets Lorelai up with a trio of unsuitable bidders; Henry tires of the end runs around Mrs. Kim, and calls it quits with Lane; Rory and Jess hit it off at lunch and Jess leaves with a secret souvenir -- the bracelet that Dean gave Rory, which he picks it up and holds on to after Rory drops it; Sookie and Jackson work things out so well that he proposes and she accepts; Lorelai and Rory quarrel when Rory finds out that her mother lent a sympathetic ear to Dean's concerns about Jess; after Emily agrees with her daughter's distrust of J

The episode was rated 7.83 from 531 votes.

Gilmore Girls - S2E1

#6 - Sadie, Sadie (Season 2 - Episode 1)

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Lane freaks out when her parents buy her a one-way ticket to Korea for the summer; Luke gives Lorelai a lot to think about when she tells him about Max's proposal; Lorelai finally says ""yes"" to Max and tells everyone except her parents; when Rory brings Dean to a special dinner at her grandparents' house to celebrate making it into the top 3% at Chilton and Richard attacks Dean for not meeting Gilmore standards of excellence, Rory springs to Dean's defense and creates a rift between Richard and his granddaughter; Emily is heartbroken when she finds out about the wedding from Sookie instead of Lorelai.

The episode was rated 7.84 from 559 votes.

Gilmore Girls - S2E12

#5 - Richard in Stars Hollow (Season 2 - Episode 12)

Richard visits Stars Hollow, and drives Lorelai and Rory crazy by passing judgment on every aspect of their lives.

The episode was rated 7.86 from 520 votes.

Gilmore Girls - S2E22

#4 - I Can't Get Started (Season 2 - Episode 22)

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Sookie's wedding draws near, and both bride and groom are getting frazzled, to say nothing of Michel, who Lorelai has placed in charge of the preparations at the Inn. Lorelai finally relents and goes into the diner, where she apologizes profusely to Luke, who is polite, but cool and somewhat remote. Christopher comes to town for the removal of Rory's cast and decides to stay for Sookie's wedding. After he confesses that his relationship with Sherrie is over, he and Lorelai rekindle their relationship, much to the delight of both Rory and Emily. Their reunion is cut short when Sherrie telephones Christopher to tell him she's pregnant, and Christopher returns to Boston, leaving Lorelai devastated. Paris is running for student body president. She's commissioned Madeline and Louise to poll the student body and is shocked to find that even though she's overwhelmingly considered to be the most competent candidate, she'll probably lose the election because she's also the least liked candidate

The episode was rated 7.87 from 513 votes.

Gilmore Girls - S2E2

#3 - Hammers and Veils (Season 2 - Episode 2)

Rory stresses out about being too far behind on extracurriculars, which puts a strain on her relationship with Dean; Henry expresses an interest in dating Lane; Richard and Rory patch up their differences; hurt over being the last to know, Emily gives Lorelai a frigid reception when her daughter finally tells her the good news; all of Stars Hollow turns out for Lorelai's and Max's engagement party.

The episode was rated 7.88 from 542 votes.

Gilmore Girls - S2E10

#2 - The Bracebridge Dinner (Season 2 - Episode 10)

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A blizzard prevents a group from attending the historical dinner that Sookie has painstakingly prepared at their request, so she and Lorelai decide to invite all their friends in Stars Hollow to enjoy the feast at the Inn. At Rory's urging, Lorelai also invites Richard and Emily, in an attempt to boost Richard's spirits. During dinner, Emily is hurt and angered when Richard reveals that he has quit his job without consulting her. Jess tries to get between Rory and Dean when Dean is distracted by his little sister.

The episode was rated 7.88 from 542 votes.

Gilmore Girls - S2E21

#1 - Lorelai's Graduation Day (Season 2 - Episode 21)

Lorelai and Rory have breakfast at Sookie's in an effort to avoid Luke's, but Lorelai can't avoid an awkward encounter with him at Doose's Market, where he fails to pick up on her hints to patch things up; in an effort to help Lorelai through final exam stress, Rory gets her excited about attending her college graduation ceremony and secretly invites Richard and Emily, despite Lorelai's assertion that they'd never agree to attend; after a late night phone call from Jess, Rory impulsively cuts school the next day and visits him in Manhattan; Christopher sends Lorelai a graduation gift basket filled with fun goodies and an expensive necklace; Lorelai is shocked to see Emily, Richard and the film crew accompanying them to her graduation, and must contend with an obnoxious classmate with an attitude about the rich; Rory is furious with herself when she takes the wrong bus home and misses her mother's graduation; when Rory finally arrives home, Lorelai forgives her when she realizes that th

The episode was rated 7.90 from 520 votes.

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