Tiffany Fraser

When Gran (recurring guest star MARION ROSS) dies suddenly, Richard has an emotional breakdown. Emily handles the funeral arrangements with her usual efficiency--until she finds a letter Gran had written to Richard years earlier, begging him not to marry Emily. Lorelai is forced to take over the preparations, leading to her own small breakdown while buying new clothing for Gran to be buried in.

Miguel Ferrer ('Lateline') guest-stars as Nathan, a successful New York publicist who hires Grace (Debra Messing) to decorate his office on the condition that Will (Eric McCormack) agrees to date him. Meanwhile, Jack (Sean Hayes) uses Karen (Megan Mullally) to teach Will how to kiss someone he finds unattractive.

In this ripped-from-the-headlines plot, Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) investigate the carjacking/murder of a young mother who leaves behind a husband and four small children. The case seems cut and dry when they discover the woman covertly recorded her own murder on a pocket tape recorder, even getting the murderer to say his name. When the tape and murder weapon get thrown out of court on a technicality, McCoy (Sam Waterston) and his new partner, Asst. D.A. Jamie Ross (Carey Lowell, 'Leaving Las Vegas'), must pull out all the stops to keep a cold-blooded murderer from going free.