The Best Episodes Written By Daniel Palladino
Every TV Episode Written by Daniel Palladino Ranked from Best to Worst by Thousands of Voters
Daniel Palladino Ratings Summary
The best episode written by Daniel Palladino is "Ethan…Esther…Chaim", rated 8.2/10 from 6 user votes. It was "directed by Daniel Palladino". "Ethan…Esther…Chaim" aired on 3/10/2022 and is rated 0.2 point(s) higher than their second highest rated, "It's Not a Mint".
8.2/10 6 votes#1 - Ethan…Esther…Chaim
Season 4 Episode 7 - Aired 3/10/2022
Abe forgets his tobacco. Joel raises a glass with Moishe. Midge learns firsthand about America’s bicameral system of legislature.
Director: Daniel Palladino
Writer: Daniel Palladino
8.0/10 2 votes#2 - It's Not a Mint
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 2/18/2013
Meanwhile, the girls react in different ways to the boys in their lives: Sasha and Roman get closer, Ginny can't stop staring at Frankie, Boo is caught in the middle of an unintentional triangle and Melanie is being stalked by Dez.
Director: Daniel Palladino
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.8/10 13 votes#3 - Spring
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 11/25/2016
As Rory's secret London love affair continues, working on her book proposal becomes increasingly difficult. Lorelai and Emily go to therapy together.
Director: Daniel Palladino
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.7/10 7 votes#4 - The Testi-Roastial
Season 5 Episode 6 - Aired 5/4/2023
Susie is honored at the Friars Club.
Director: Daniel Palladino
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.6/10 9 votes#5 - Love, Daisies and Troubadours
Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 5/10/2001
Paris wreaks her revenge after Tristan lies about going to a concert with Rory; Rachel leaves Stars Hollow after she becomes convinced that despite his protests, Luke is in love with Lorelai; Rory's defense of the Stars Hollow troubadour during a town meeting brings her back together with Dean, enabling her to finally say, and mean, the words that he's been longing to hear; Luke and Max meet and engage in a little not-so-friendly rivalry as Max begins to suspect, despite her protests, that Lorelai and Luke were once an item; Max proposes to Lorelai with a thousand yellow daisies.
Director: Amy Sherman-Palladino
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.5/10 2 votes#6 - Rich Man, Wood Man
Season 10 Episode 19 - Aired 2/20/1992
The gang tries to bring Woody back to earth after a vacation in London with Kelly and her money.
Director: James Burrows
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.5/10 2 votes#7 - Better Luck Next Year!
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 7/9/2012
A moving truck is being unloaded with everything that was in Michelle's apartment in Vegas, including things that were in the apartment that were not hers, as her landlord packed everything for her. Not having enough space for the things to be nicely put away, Michelle shoves them into the guesthouse and goes to sleep. Fanny wakes up Michelle in the middle of the night to talk and help her unpack or get organised and agrees to letting Michelle "borrow" her stove, as the kitchen in the guest house does not function. The next morning, Michelle gets caught eating chips and soda in her underwear by some of the ballet students.
Director: Daniel Palladino
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.5/10 2 votes#8 - Blank Up, It's Time
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 8/6/2012
Michelle is thrown for a loop when she discovers Fanny has a longtime, long-distance boyfriend. And Fanny surprises Michelle again by inviting her to see a play. Meanwhile, Sasha's rebellious behavior starts to affect Fanny's class. Fanny responds by giving Boo a coveted role in an upcoming performance.
Director: Daniel Palladino
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.5/10 2 votes#9 - Channing Tatum Is a Fine Actor
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 1/14/2013
Truly is evicted from her shop; Carl insists that Boo meet his parents; Talia sets Michelle up on a blind date; the girls are intrigued by two talented young newcomers.
Director: Daniel Palladino
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.5/10 2 votes#10 - The Astronaut and the Ballerina
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 1/28/2013
Michelle's brother, Scotty, comes for a visit after yet another failed marriage. Meanwhile, Melanie's new interest in roller derby leaves Ginny feeling abandoned, while Boo and Carl are overwhelmed with child care duties.
Director: Daniel Palladino
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.4/10 7 votes#11 - The Road Trip to Harvard
Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 10/23/2001
To escape everyone's reaction to the news of the broken engagement, Lorelai and Rory hit the road, and stumble upon the bed and breakfast from hell before eventually arriving at Harvard, where Rory gets a taste of college life and Lorelai muses over what might have been; Lane comes home loaded with bootlegs from Seoul; Lorelai breaks into tears when she sees the chuppah that Luke made for her; Luke commiserates with Lorelai even though he's secretly overjoyed to hear that the wedding's off; Lorelai decides to get serious about making her dream of opening an inn a reality.
Director: Jamie Babbit
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.4/10 7 votes#12 - The Bracebridge Dinner
Season 2 Episode 10 - Aired 12/11/2001
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.
Director: Chris Long
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.4/10 7 votes#13 - Dead Uncles and Vegetables
Season 2 Episode 17 - Aired 4/16/2002
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.
Director: Jamie Babbit
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.4/10 7 votes#14 - The Lorelais' First Day at Yale
Season 4 Episode 2 - Aired 9/30/2003
While Luke is willing to lend Lorelai his truck to help Rory move into her dorm, he's not too thrilled when the project turns out to take all day to accommodate Lorelai's last minute shopping trips to keep Rory's room on a par with the rest of the dorm, to say nothing of Lorelai's seeming inability to drive a stick, losing his spare tire, and saddling him with the old mattress from Rory's dorm room; Rory's roommates turn out to be a jock, a 15 year old prodigy sorely lacking in socialization skills, and none other than Miss People Person herself, Paris Geller, who arrives with a life coach in tow; Nicole's partners descend on the diner and threaten to ensnare Luke in a morass of paperwork and legal complications when he refuses to hire a lawyer or even discuss accepting a settlement; responding to Rory's attack of homesickness after just four hours, Lorelai returns to Yale and sets up a dorm-wide takeout food test to judge the quality of the local restaurants, their delivery speed, and
Director: Chris Long
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.4/10 10 votes#15 - Summer
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 11/25/2016
Rory tries to save the Stars Hollow Gazette from shutting down. Lorelai sits on the advisory committee for Taylor’s musical. Rory worries about Emily.
Director: Daniel Palladino
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.3/10 9 votes#16 - Christopher Returns
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 3/1/2001
Wanting to play a greater role in Rory's life, Christopher settles in for his visit and lets Rory give him the grand tour of Stars Hollow. When his parents arrive in Hartford for a visit, Emily invites everyone to Friday night dinner, which turns out to be an unqualified disaster after Richard nearly comes to blows with Christopher's father over critical comments about Lorelai. In the aftermath of the ruined dinner party, Richard retreats to his study to calm down, Emily makes a plate for Rory in the kitchen and reassures her how much she is loved and regarded, and Christopher finds Lorelai on the balcony of her old bedroom and comforts her by repeating a little romantic history. The next morning, Lorelai awakens with a start, horrified that she forgot to help Luke paint the diner after dinner on Friday night. Grabbing a jacket, she races to the diner still clad in her pajamas, and begs Luke's forgiveness. He shrugs it off at first, but appears somewhat wounded when he realizes that L
Director: Michael Katleman
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.3/10 13 votes#17 - The Punishment Room
Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 12/4/2018
Midge puts her impeccable planning to the test as she helps Mary with her special day. Joel attempts to keep finances steady at Maisel and Roth and ends up on a treasure hunt. Midge's act flourishes, but Susie's finances take a hit. Back at Columbia, Rose finds herself out of her comfort zone when auditing classes.
Director: Scott Ellis
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.2/10 13 votes#18 - Cinnamon's Wake
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 11/2/2000
During their weekly dinner at Emily's, Lorelai learns of her cousin Claudia's funeral, but as she didn't know the woman, she doesn't want to go. The next day Rory reminds Lorelai of the Chilton bake sale, and on their way out they meet their neighbors Babette and Morey out walking their cat Cinnamon. Dean surprises Rory at the bus stop and rides with her for a little bit, telling her ""Goodbye, Lorelai Gilmore"" as he leaves. At the Chilton bake sale, Lorelai sees Max Medina and is cold to him, but after he tells her that he wants to help Rory and be friends, she agrees to meet him for coffee. Rory ""accidentally"" runs into Dean at the market, and is teased by Miss Patty for it. Lorelai meets with Max, who says that they should date. Lorelai thinks it's a bad idea. Max proceeds to tell her that they are attracted to each other, and after a sad story about seizing the day, Lorelai agrees to dinner. Max leaves her with ""Goodbye, Lorelai Gilmore,"" leaving her just as flustered as Rory was wh
Director: Michael Katleman
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.2/10 9 votes#19 - That Damn Donna Reed
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 2/22/2001
An evening of ""The Donna Reed Show"" reruns infects Dean and both Gilmore Girls -- Dean expresses a longing for the type of family represented by the show, Lorelai helps Luke spruce up the diner with a fresh paint job and new curtains, and Rory dresses up like Donna and fixes a 1950s style dinner for Dean while petsitting Babette's new kitten; when the baby chick that's the subject of Rory's midterm project gets loose in the house, Lorelai frantically calls Luke to help her search the house; both Sookie and Emily force Lorelai to confront her feelings for Luke; Christopher roars into town on his motorcycle, and agrees to stay at Lorelai's and Rory's during his visit.
Director: Michael Katleman
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.2/10 6 votes#20 - Those Are Strings, Pinocchio
Season 3 Episode 22 - Aired 5/20/2003
Rory finally learns her mother can't afford to buy the Dragonfly Inn since financial aid for Yale didn't come through. She decides to take matters into her own hands with a quick visit to her grandparents' right before graduation. Luke has second thoughts about a trip with Nicole after something Lorelai tells him. Jess makes silent contact with Rory after she gives her speech at Chilton.
Director: Jamie Babbit
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.2/10 6 votes#21 - The Festival of Living Art
Season 4 Episode 7 - Aired 11/4/2003
Sookie and Jackson decide to have a home birth and enlist the services of a formidable midwife; when Stars Hollow mounts a festival of living pictures, Kirk goes way overboard in getting into character for his role as Jesus in ""The Last Supper"", while Lorelai has a bad case of stage fright; Lane, Zach, and Brian finally find an awesome guitarist to replace Dave, but wonder if he isn't too old to join the band; Nicole asks Luke if they can postpone the divorce and start dating again; Jackson's brother Beau, who's come to provide moral support during the delivery, is less than enchanted with Stars Hollow, and is right behind Sookie in expressing extreme frustration with the tardiness of the baby's arrival; as he escorts Lulu through town, Kirk proudly and repeatedly reminds everyone in Stars Hollow that he has a girlfriend.
Director: Chris Long
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.2/10 5 votes#22 - Luke Can See Her Face
Season 4 Episode 20 - Aired 5/4/2004
Jackson's devotion to his wife and her famous zucchini soup set the stage for the perfect antidote to the stress surrounding the opening of the Inn; Luke unwittingly comes to the rescue when Sookie tries to set Lorelai up with the poultry supplier; Liz returns to Stars Hollow to announce that she's getting married in the town square in a week; Paris and Asher decide to travel to England together during the summer; T.J. has a tumultuous bachelor party; at Luke's request, Jess changes his mind about attending his mother's wedding and returns to Stars Hollow for the festivities; Rory tries to hide her discomfort when Lorelai tells her about overhearing a fight between Dean and Lindsay; a self-help tape helps Luke clarify his thinking, and a talk with Jess gets him started on the path to having the relationship he's been looking for all along.
Director: Matthew Diamond
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.2/10 6 votes#23 - You Jump, I Jump, Jack
Season 5 Episode 7 - Aired 11/2/2004
After Kirk spills the beans that her daughter is dating Luke, Emily demands that Lorelai bring him to dinner so that they can get reacquainted; although Lorelai tries to warn him away, Luke goes anyway and is subjected to an evening of oblique insults from a passive-aggressive Emily; after Zach announces that he's ready to start going out with Lane, they spend a cozy first date at home after banishing Brian to Lane's bedroom; having not learned his lesson with Emily, Luke agrees to accept Richard's invitation to go golfing, and both men turn a deaf ear to Lorelai's pleas to cancel; Rory gets her story on the ""Life and Death Brigade"" by being blindfolded and whisked away by Logan and his friends to observe the elaborately staged weekend in the woods, and finally, after Logan encourages her to take a risk, to participate in the event's breathtaking finale.
Director: Kenny Ortega
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.2/10 12 votes#24 - It's the Sixties, Man!
Season 3 Episode 2 - Aired 12/5/2019
Midge struggles with Susie taking on a new client. Joel meets a mystery girl, Mei, who is as frustrating as she is intriguing. Abe initiates a new project with a group of young beatniks. Midge and Joel deal with their divorce.
Director: Daniel Attias
Writer: Daniel Palladino
7.1/10 7 votes#25 - The Ins and Outs of Inns
Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 11/20/2001
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
Director: Michael Katleman
Writer: Daniel Palladino