Gilmore Girls
Star-Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers
TV Flash files “Star-Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers” as hour 16 of 153 in the TV Flash guide — Gilmore Girls (2000–2007) on WB/CW, season 1, episode 16, aired 2001-03-08, 60 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S01E16: listed hour 16 of 153 in the Gilmore Girls guide, hour 16 of 21 in season 1. It aired 2001-03-08 (60 min). The listed hour before it is “Christopher Returns” (S01E15). Next is “The Breakup” (S01E17).

Catalog log
Broadcast listing — not a TV Flash recap.
Luke's ex-girlfriend Rachel arrives in Stars Hollow unexpectedly, and immediately picks up on the attraction between Luke and Lorelai, which they deny. Rachel decides to stay for awhile, which leaves Luke and Lorelai with mixed feelings. Lorelai and Rory are amazed when Emily agrees to excuse Rory from Friday night dinner so that Rory and Dean can celebrate their three month anniversary. When Lorelai arrives for dinner, she discovers the source of Emily's largesse -- her mother has invited another guest -- a man with whom she secretly hopes to fix Lorelai up. After a painful dinner with one of the world's most boring men, Lorelai attempts to escape through the window of her old bedroom, but is caught in the act by Richard. When he is forced to admit that even he is bored by the man, he uncharacteristically covers for her and lets her make her getaway. Back in Stars Hollow, Dean treats Rory to a wonderfully romantic dinner, and then gives her a present: a car that he's restoring for her. As they sit in the car, Dean professes his love, but Rory is unsure how to respond.
Viewer FAQ
Where does Star-Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers sit in the Gilmore Girls guide?
S01E16 is listed hour 16 of 153 — hour 16 of 21 in season 1, season 1 episode 16.
When did Gilmore Girls S01E16 air?
Star-Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers aired 2001-03-08 and is listed at 60 minutes.
Where should I start Gilmore Girls?
The WB premiere, with Lorelai and Rory in Stars Hollow. The talk speed is the show; don't skip to a later romance arc.
In the series
Why this series still plays
Lorelai and Rory fill Stars Hollow with rapid-fire pop-culture talk and coffee logistics. Amy Sherman-Palladino made walk-and-talk caffeine a lifestyle brand: Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel at 100 mph, grandparents as class warfare. Dialogue-forward comfort TV with a Netflix encore that reopened the town.
The first look is steam off a coffee cup and two women talking fast enough to count as tailoring. Lorelai and Rory Gilmore fill Stars Hollow with pop-culture talk, caffeine logistics, and class warfare with grandparents Richard and Emily — walk-and-talk as a lifestyle brand. Amy Sherman-Palladino premiered the series October 5, 2000, on The WB (later The CW) for seven seasons through 2007. Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel carry a town of eccentrics: Melissa McCarthy's Sookie, Scott Patterson's Luke, Kelly Bishop's…
Filed against
- Lauren Graham as Lorelai Gilmore
Lauren Graham's Lorelai Gilmore made Gilmore Girls a caffeine lifestyle brand — Stars Hollow walk-and-talk, Rory in orbit, grandparents as class warfare, Amy Sherman-Palladino dialogue at 100 mph. Comfort TV with a Netflix encore. TV…
- Alexis Bledel as Rory Gilmore
Alexis Bledel’s Rory Gilmore speed-talked Stars Hollow into a lifestyle brand — Lorelai’s coffee logistics, Amy Sherman-Palladino walk-and-talk caffeine, grandparents as class warfare, Lauren Graham at 100 mph. Dialogue-forward comfort TV…
- Melissa McCarthy as Sookie St. James
Melissa McCarthy’s Sookie St. James cooked Stars Hollow like a second heartbeat under Gilmore Girls’ walk-and-talk caffeine — 2000s dialogue-forward comfort, Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel at 100 mph, grandparents as class warfare. TV…
- Scott Patterson as Luke Danes
Scott Patterson's Luke Danes poured Gilmore Girls as Stars Hollow counterweight — Lorelai and Rory filling the town with rapid-fire pop-culture talk and coffee logistics, Amy Sherman-Palladino walk-and-talk as a lifestyle brand.…
- Kelly Bishop as Emily Gilmore
Kelly Bishop's Emily Gilmore turned Gilmore Girls grandparents into class warfare in a pantsuit — Stars Hollow caffeine, Amy Sherman-Palladino walk-and-talk, Friday-night dinners as a blood sport with china. TV Flash files her as 2000s…
- Yanic Truesdale as Michel Gerard
Yanic Truesdale’s Michel Gerard iced Gilmore Girls’ inn with disdain as hospitality — Lorelai and Rory filling Stars Hollow with rapid-fire pop-culture talk and coffee logistics, Amy Sherman-Palladino walk-and-talk caffeine as a lifestyle…