23 Years Later, Gilmore Girls’ Greatest Episode Is Still the Best 44 Minutes in TV Drama History

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With the arrival of fall, many people revisit the beloved series Gilmore Girls. Premiering over twenty-five years ago, the show remains a comforting and nostalgic experience. Known for its witty mother-daughter duo, Gilmore Girls is especially popular during autumn thanks to its depiction of cozy New England weather and the charming town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut.

I’ve always loved Gilmore Girls for how quickly and cleverly the characters talk, but honestly, the whole show is just brilliantly written. There’s one episode in Season 3 that really stands out – it’s both really funny and surprisingly sad, and it just feels like everything comes together perfectly in that hour.

The 24 Hour Dance Marathon Was a Classic Gilmore Girls Episode

Stars Hollow is famous for its town festivals, and the 24-hour dance marathon was one of the most memorable. The episode ‘They Shoot Gilmores, Don’t They?’ (Season 3, Episode 7) brought many storylines together, much to the delight of fans. The whole thing began because Lorelai really wanted the trophy offered as a prize in the dance marathon, which was being held to raise money for a protective tarp during a bridge construction project.

Each year, a local man named Kirk always won the town’s competition and loved showing off. Lorelai wanted someone to finally defeat him, and her daughter, Rory, stepped up to the challenge. Predictably, the competition – combined with lack of sleep and physical exertion – caused a lot of chaos. The only person who really benefited was Lane, who reconnected with Dave, her longtime crush and the lead singer of the band she was now playing with.

Things weren’t going well for Lorelai and her family. She had to ask her daughter to be her dance partner after her original partner’s wife became jealous and suspicious. At the same time, she found herself caught in the middle of Sookie and Jackson’s arguments about having more children and when.

Rory found herself stuck in an unwanted dance marathon, which created a lot of personal turmoil. Just as the competition was ending, the complicated relationship between Rory, Dean, and Jess reached a breaking point. While on the verge of winning, Rory broke down on the dance floor, forced to confront her past mistakes with Dean and her hidden feelings for Jess. The episode perfectly captured the challenges and heartache of teenage romance.

The Gilmore Girls’ Weakness Has Always Been Romance

At its heart, Gilmore Girls is a story about the bond between a mother and daughter, but it also explores the romantic lives of both women. The latest episode strongly suggested Lorelai and Luke were meant to be together, despite both of them seeming oblivious to it, even though Luke was always there.

Luke and Lorelai unexpectedly found themselves in the middle of Sookie and Jackson’s discussion about having kids. Luke, typically grumpy, shared his belief that having children these days was a big responsibility. He realized he sounded stronger than he meant to, and quickly told Lorelai he wasn’t opposed to kids altogether – he just would need to be with the right person before considering it. In a rather direct way, he then asked Lorelai if she ever wanted to have children of her own.

There was a definite tension in the air when Lorelai admitted she might want to have more children, if she met the right person. Both she and her companion acknowledged how strange the conversation was, adding to the simmering, slow-developing romance that wouldn’t truly blossom for two more seasons. Meanwhile, Rory experienced much more intense romantic ups and downs, which were important for her storyline this season.

Throughout the episode, Dean was stuck watching Rory and Jess interact while Jess stayed for the entire 24-hour dance marathon. The more time Jess spent with Rory, the more frustrated she became, even making rude comments about his girlfriend, Shane, who didn’t realize what was happening. Rory pretended to be annoyed by Jess’s attempts to bother her, and it was clearly succeeding. Dean had to witness all of this, knowing the underlying reason for their conflict. Finally, feeling humiliated, Dean broke up with Rory right on the dance floor and walked away.

Even Jess was surprised by how openly he reacted, but there was a reason. He’d been feeling embarrassed and belittled for almost a year. Rory was initially drawn to Jess because of his intelligence and his rebellious nature. He was a bit of a rule-breaker, which was something she admired, and they had a lot in common.

Rory began to lose interest in Dean, but she couldn’t bring herself to end the relationship, even though she was treating him badly. She consistently denied any feelings for Jess, even misleading Dean about how she really felt. There wasn’t a clear reason for this behavior, except that Dean represented comfort and familiarity, while Jess was a risk. Although Dean’s public confrontation with Rory was wrong, it came after she had repeatedly hurt him.

Looking back, I always felt Rory was really harsh with him – she could have just ended things cleanly. Honestly, I think the whole dance marathon situation really pushed them to the breaking point. Without that crazy, sleep-deprived environment, maybe they wouldn’t have even reached that fight. It’s like being awake for a full 24 hours just forced Rory to finally say what she was truly feeling, and it all came out at once.

She couldn’t help but lose her composure, particularly when Jess deliberately brought up problems in her relationship with Dean. Jess didn’t exactly plan for things to escalate as they did, but it was clear he’d brought Shane along to make Rory jealous. A mix of teenage emotions led to a dramatic confrontation, which Lorelai unfortunately missed while she was with Luke. The Gilmores weren’t known for handling relationships gracefully, constantly creating drama and repeating the same mistakes. This conflict was the heart of the episode, and it ended on a very upsetting note.

The Ending of the Episode Capitalized on the Episode’s Namesake

The show focused on both the characters’ logical decisions and their feelings. From season two onward, Rory and Dean’s relationship always felt unstable, particularly after Rory kissed Jess at the end of the season. However, the episode was designed to be emotionally impactful.

The episode title, “They Shoot Gilmores, Don’t They?” comes from the 1935 novel They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, which was also made into a 1969 film starring Jane Fonda. Given Gilmore Girls‘ tendency to include pop culture references, the film was probably the biggest influence on this episode.

Okay, so I just finished watching “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” and it really stuck with me. The whole movie revolves around this incredibly intense dance marathon, and honestly, watching it felt a lot like binge-watching the Stars Hollow dance marathon from Gilmore Girls – tons of drama! While thankfully no one actually died like in the movie, the psychological toll on these characters was seriously unsettling and just as gripping. It’s a dark film, but the emotional devastation is incredibly powerful. It’s no surprise it received so many Academy Award nominations.

Rory needed to face the pain she’d caused Dean, despite claiming to care for him. She’d ended their relationship through cheating and dishonesty, and now had to accept the fallout. Her choices also prevented Lorelai from achieving a long-held dream, as Rory had walked away feeling devastated.

The episode ended perfectly with Rory’s return. Lorelai found her daughter crying while Kirk, again, surprisingly won the marathon. While Lorelai comforted Rory with a hug, Kirk celebrated by running around the room with his trophy, set to the Rocky theme song. This entire scene had been hinted at earlier, as Rory had actually described exactly how the night would unfold.

Everything unfolded as predicted: Andrew ended his date abruptly and stormed off, Taylor got drunk and wouldn’t stop talking about magic, and Kirk, predictably, won and made sure everyone knew it. While these things seemed funny at first, they ultimately made the event feel unpleasant. Kirk’s celebratory behavior, in particular, happened right in front of Lorelai and Rory, turning what could have been a nice moment into a really sad one.

The episode, “They Shoot Gilmores, Don’t They?”, felt particularly sad because the drama could have easily been prevented. If Rory had simply been truthful, she wouldn’t have faced public humiliation. The episode title is a reference to the film “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?”, which also used a central metaphor. In that film, the character Gloria wants to be killed because she’s lost her desire to live – similar to how farmers would euthanize a crippled horse to end its suffering, she asks for release from her pain.

While Gilmore Girls isn’t a gloomy show, the episode’s title was intentional. It wasn’t simply a comparison of different stories featuring dance marathons; it highlighted the patterns of errors made by Lorelai and Rory, and suggested they’ll probably keep making them in the future.

Lorelai was in denial about her feelings for the right person, while Rory completely mishandled her relationship. The show doesn’t condemn either of them, but it doesn’t excuse their choices either. This episode’s sharp writing made it one of the best in the series, as it expertly depicted both women struggling with their personal lives and making things worse for themselves.

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2025-11-05 06:45