When a lot of fans think of Gilmore Girls, they probably picture some of the series' iconic winter episodes. Picturesque Stars Hollow covered in a blanket of freshly fallen snow, Lorelai and Rory bundled up and sipping hot coffee, Luke building an ice skating rink at the Gilmore homestead... the series is definitely well suited to winter viewing. But the truth is, Gilmore Girls is great in any season — in case you couldn't tell by the four season-themed episodes of the revival series — and that includes the warmer months. So naturally, there's one Gilmore Girls episode that's perfect for summer.
The episode in question is Season 4's "Last Week Fights, This Week Tights," the penultimate episode of the season. It came at a particularly eventful period for the Gilmore women: Rory was rekindling a relationship with a married Dean, while Lorelai was on the verge of finally dating Luke. In the midst of all this controversy, turmoil, and romance, the series managed to squeeze in an episode that addressed all of it and moved the story along while also providing lots of fun, summery goodness. So what is it about this episode that makes it perfect for the laziest time of the year?
The episode starts off with some Maypole dancing in the town square followed by a horse wandering through the Dragonfly Inn, so it's clear from the get-go that this episode takes place in the warmer months. But it's the main plot of the episode where the summer vibes really kick in, as it involves the wedding of Luke's sister Liz and her goofy boyfriend, T.J. So right there, you've already got the first big summer item: a summer wedding! Who doesn't spend every other weekend of their summer at a wedding? It's just what you do when the weather turns hot. But Gilmore Girls didn't just stage a summer wedding and call it a day. Oh no, the show gave Liz and T.J. a Renaissance faire-themed wedding, complete with flower crowns, tights, and minstrels — not to mention Luke and Lorelai sharing a romantic dance, kicking off their own summer romance. What's more summery than an outdoor wedding? An outdoor Renaissance faire wedding.
Although the Renaissance faire wedding just screams "summer," it's hardly the only bit of summer magic the episode has to offer. "Last Week Fights, This Week Tights" also sees Rory saying goodbye to her college roommates — Janet, Tanna, and of course Paris — as she prepares to leave Yale and head back to Stars Hollow for the summer. Anyone who's gone to college will get the nostalgia feels as Rory packs her belongings and prepares for her last final of the year, gearing up for a lazy summer at home. Though in Rory's case, it will be a summer filled with drama.
While Rory is just about to leave campus — with Dean, no less — Jess shows up and asks her to run away with him. She says no, and ultimately decides to begin an affair with Dean, and the whole love triangle just reeks of summer flings. You've got Jess asking Rory to throw care to the wind and shirk off her responsibilities — something that's really best suited for summer — and then Rory exhibiting a different kind of irresponsibility, choosing to start an affair with her now-married ex-boyfriend. Rory's summer fling with Dean is the type of regrettable romance the summer's heat and lack of responsibilities have a way of encouraging.
Between the outdoor Renaissance faire wedding, the end of a school year, and the summer flings, "Last Week Fights, This Week Tights" is the perfect summer episode of Gilmore Girls. Watching it in the warmer months will make you want to get outside, find some romance, and maybe make some bad decisions, and isn't that what summer is all about?
