21. Here Comes the Son

Complete story — includes the ending

Jess heads out to Venice, California, only to learn that his father's community is just as quirky as Stars Hollow. He meets his father's extroverted girlfriend, who lives in a cluttered house with her shy daughter and a pack of dogs. His father hesitates to take Jess in, but changes his mind after Jess confesses he has nowhere else to go. Back in Connecticut, the rift widens between Lorelai and Emily. Luke tells Lorelai that Jess took off for good. Lorelai waits for the right moment to break the news to Rory, who is stressing over finals and graduation. Note: This was to be a backdoor pilot for a spin-off called "Windward Circle", that would focus on Jess living in Venice, California and befriending a group of skateboarders. However, The WB did not pick up the series due to creative disagreements with Amy Sherman Palladino.