Previously: A no-good, very bad double date.
—
Concert Interruptus
Samantha: This episode begins with Rory laying on Lorelai’s bed while she rummages through the closet. Lor insists that there is nothing in the closet she could possibly give up, which Rory doesn’t believe. She offers up the red and black halter top as an example, but Lorelai maintains that it’s a classic. Rory reminds her that it has tassels. Turns out there is a charity rummage sale happening and Lorelai volunteered to run it but now can’t decide on anything to donate. As another hopeless pack rat, I empathize with Lor’s plight. (M: As an anti-hoarder, OMG GET RID OF ALL OF IT.) (S: Glad we can represent both Gilmore girls here.) Rory heads over to the closet, grabs a random chunk, and both Lorelai and I protest because WAIT RORY WHAT’S IN THAT CHUNK? She tells her mother to get rid of everything in the dresser that she would be embarrassed to be wearing in a car accident and meet her downstairs. That’s not a bad rule of thumb…..*eyes closets thoughtfully*. Except all my clothes are wonderful and there’s nothing to see here!
I will follow where you lead!
Post credits, Rory and Lane are in the living room sorting through various clothing donations. The house is overflowing with rummage sale stuff. Luke arrives with clothes, rags, pots and pans, his upcoming album.
Here’s a link to Scott Patterson singing:
Samantha: Lorelai comes down and offers the girls cheese sans crackers. She finds Luke in her kitchen and they have “probably just kiss already” fueled banter. She tosses Lane a pack of American cheese (M: omg not even real cheese) and Taylor shows up with dishes. He would like to write out an instruction manual to go with his chipped butter dish and Lorelai obliges. She wanders around the living room and finds a sorta ugly sweatshirt with rhinestones on it and covets it, despite Rory telling her that the point of this is to get rid of stuff.
Enter Sookie, announcing that they are all going to love her. They go back and forth about how they all already really love her before Sookie announces that she has 4 tickets to the Bengals in very fabulous seats, for our four ladies. As I’m recapping I’m remembering how hard it is to capture the charm of this show in words, because it’s a very charming scene.
Mari: I almost started recapping this episode before finally passing it off to Sam. I recently binged The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and LOVED it. And it reminded me of how much I’m not loving this. I’m not hating it. It’s okay. I think partially, I probably need to give it some more time but also this is a difficult show to recap. And Mrs. Maisel would be, too. When so much of the charm is dialogue and the timing of their banter, you lose something when trying to condense and communicate that.
Mostly I wanted to say: I don’t love this yet. Pray for me.
Samantha: It’s okay! I think it’s also hard to go into something that has been hyped to you for years. Expectations get all skewed, and then when you put that together with recapping the show… I can’t blame you. But yes, Mrs. Maisel is AMAZING and everyone should go watch it.
Chilton. A teacher is announcing a debate assignment about the trial of Charles I. Tristan creep stares at Rory and the teacher calls him out. I sort of love this teacher a lot. Because it’s a TV show, Rory gets put on the same team as Paris, Madeline, and Louis. They try to decide where to meet up and all the girls have reasons for why their house won’t work (redecorating, measles, affairs) and it is decided that the Chilton girls will venture into Stars Hollow and the land of the Gilmore Girls. Tristan smarms up, clearly shook by being called out in class, and flirts with Paris. Her heart eyes make my own heart hurt. He ignores Rory. Paris walks away with a little smile on her face.
Rory heads into Luke’s and smiles at a Rummage Sale sign he has in the front window. She teases him a bit about putting the sign in his window when he hates that stuff.
Luke: Your mother asked me to put it there, okay?
Rory: And you said yes?
Luke: She’s not real good with no.
Rory: No she’s not.
Luke: For every second you laugh at me that’s one second longer you’re waiting for coffee.
Lorelai comes in wearing the fairly ugly sweatshirt and a cowboy hat. She’s verging into the Willow Rosenberg Fashion Disaster area, maybe. (M: Definitely.) Luke comes back with the coffee and zeroes in on Lor’s fairly ugly sweatshirt. He demands that she take it off and starts yelling about how it isn’t hers. He slams the coffee down and storms away.
Later, Sookie and Lorelai are sorting even more stuff and Melissa McCarthy kills it with the physical comedy. Rory comes down and reminds her mother that the girls are coming over to study any minute. She just wants it to be over so she can focus on the concert.
Miss Patty arrives with giant drums and tells Lorelai that she danced on them in the Copacobana in 1969.
Rory tells Lorelai that Lane called and that told her mother the truth, that she wanted to go to a rock concert, and the Gilmore girls bemoan her stupidity. The thing here is, why is Lor on board with lying to Mrs. Kim? Wasn’t it a big deal last episode that she didn’t want to lie to other mothers?
Mari: I guess now it’s okay for The Bangles?
Samantha: Miss Patty notices the rhinestone hoodie and realizes that it belonged to Luke’s ex, Rachel. Sookie and Patty fill Lorelai in on the Very Serious Ex who broke Luke’s heart 6 years ago. Lor can’t believe she didn’t know about this and neither can I. Sookie tries to write it off as “you had a child and were moving!” but this has never jived with the friendship they portray to me. The idea that Luke has been an important part of their lives since Rory was young, but somehow Lorelai never knew about the woman he almost married. She would have been at the diner where Lorelai gets her coffee every day. Perhaps I’m misremembering, though. Patty tells Lor to hide the sweatshirt. Lorelai admits she can’t imagine Luke with a girlfriend.
Paris and the Gang arrive and it’s awkward. Lorelai tries to friendly banter (noting that they have great girl group names) but the girls aren’t into it. Never pass up a Gilmore Banter opportunity, ladies! Madeline and Louise have genuine fun looking through the clothes and talking to Rory about Dean before Paris snaps about how much she wants to win the debate. There’s a long pause and then Madeline asks, “So how good of a kisser is Paul Bunyon anyways?” It’s cute.
Living Room Under the Regime of Paris. Paris tells them to memorize everything because notecards are for losers. The thought of no notecards fills me with anxiety for them. Sookie comes down and says goodbye and “see you tonight!” Rory fills the girls in on the Bengals concert and Madeline and Louise can’t believe she’d want to hang out with her mom. M&L inquire about how old Lorelai is and realize she had Rory when she was 16. Paris tries to force the subject back to the debate but Madeline wants to know if Rory thinks her mother regrets getting pregnant so young. Paris thoughtlessly replies “Of course” which makes Rory defensive. “I mean I don’t think that she’d recommend it, but I think she’s happy with how things turned out.”
This tension filled convo is interrupted by the woman of the hour coming downstairs and wondering if the girls want pizza. M&L are fascinated with Lorelai and how she’s more like a big sister who Rory actually likes. “She’s my best friend,” Rory replies.
Rory heads into the kitchen where her mom is putting Poptarts on platter as appetizers. They discuss the potential of Madeline and Louise becoming actual friends and Rory admits that it’s a possibility. Things like putting Poptarts on a platter are the kind of small details that endear Lorelai to me. (M: Because who wouldn’t smile when presented with Poptarts on a platter?) She proposes that Rory take the 4 amazing tickets to the show tonight and invite the Chilton girls, as a way to continue the bonding experience and hopefully make her some friends. Rory is reluctant but Lorelai insists that she and Sookie can buy cheap seats at the door and it’s fine.
I’m always torn here because
1. It’s a great and selfless mom move for her to give up these great tickets so that Rory can make some friends.
2. However Sookie is the one who actually got the tickets and I kind of feel bad that she’s losing out without a say.
Mari:
3. WHAT IF THERE ARE NO TICKETS?
Sorry, I don’t have children. I’m selfish.
Samantha: Same, girl.
The idea is pitched to the girls and though Paris tries to get out of it (I feel you, girl) it’s decided that everyone will go.
Bengals Concert. Lorelai gives the girls a Bengals pep talk and tells them to meet her and Sookie in front of the theater after the concert. Rory agrees and the groups split up.
Rory and Co find their seats and marvel at how close they are. Madeline and Louise also marvel at the cute boys sitting behind them, one of which is Brandon Routh who went on to star in Superman Returns and also be on the CW’s Arrow. (M: Huh.)
Lorelai and Sookie climb up to the nosebleeds, Sookie mentioning the movie Everest, and collapse out of breath into their seats. They try to make “this is totally fine” noises before falling into fits of laughter over how bad their seats are.
Mari: They are laughing at his misfortunes.
Samantha: The show starts and Lorelai makes a giggly joke about needing a flamethrower instead of a lighter since they’re so far away. We get some shots of The Bengals performing, and it’s cool to see the show paying tribute to a girl band. We also see M&L flirting with the boys and Paris and Rory smile bonding over their boy crazy friends. Lorelai and Sookie dance and look like they’re having a blast, which made me all happy nostalgic about concerts with my friends.
Lorelai: I never pictured Luke with an Elle Macpherson kind of pretty.
Sookie: No? Pictured him more with a Lorelai Gilmore kind of pretty?
Lorelai: The air up here must be very thin because you’re delirious.
Sookie: And you’re jealous.
Mari: My earlier confession seems awkward now. I did like this, though, and I appreciate that Sookie saw what was happening and called her out on it.
Samantha: Louise informs Rory of a massive party going on down the street and wants them all to go with the cute boys. Rory says hell no because they have to meet her mom after the show. Louise poo poos and wonders if Rory is afraid. “Of going out into a strange city with two guys I don’t know? Yeah.” Preach. Louise decides that her and Madeline are going anyway and right now, which is pretty ungrateful. Paris declines going. Louise brats that Rory is a “very good little girl” and Madeline sweets that the party is on the corner and she should try to come. Also that they’ll be back by the time the concert is over. Rory is pissed and Paris is really into the band. Fair, Paris. Fair.
After the show, Paris and Rory wait outside for Lorelai and Sookie. Rory asks Paris what she sees in Tristan but Paris doesn’t think she’d understand. Rory informs her that if it’s just that he’s cute there are a lot of cute boys who AREN’T jerks. Wisdom for the ages, Rory. Paris tells Rory that he’s not always a jerk. She’s known him forever and his parents suck. He also kissed her once, in 6th grade, on a dare. Rory thinks she could do better, and Paris admits that she knows he flirts with her to get to Rory but “at least he’s flirting with me.” Paris being cranky vulnerable and Rory being genuinely curious/concerned really sells this little scene. This show does friendships so genuinely.
Lorelai and Sookie arrive, bearing tshirts for everyone because they’re the best. Rory tells her mom that Madeline and Louise left, which sends Lorelai into Angry Mama Bear Good Parent Mode.
Lorelai storms into the apartment building with the gang following her. “I leave the house with four girls, I’m coming home with four girls.” She starts knocking on doors, trying to find the college boys.
Mari: For my 15th, my family was throwing me a surprise birthday party and I was a brat the entire weekend because my mom kept telling me I couldn’t do things. Also, I wore like plaid golf pants to the party.
Samantha: I have suddenly remembered the purple plaid golf pants I wore to by 13th birthday party. The horror.
Lorelai is worried about how the other girls are going to treat Rory in school but explains that she had to do it because they could have gotten hurt. Maybe Lorelai could teach a class to other TV Land adults? Rory understands and the good news is that Paris is splitting the debate time with her (instead of relegating Rory to the conclusion) which is a Big Deal.
Lorelai approaches Luke and they briefly small talk about sushi magnets before Luke admits he was a jerk for freaking out and apologizes. She gives him back the sweatshirt because it means something to him, and he admits that he wouldn’t want to forget everything about his relationship with Rachel. Before walking away he makes sure that she understands that he is not pining for Rachel, just remembering. Just so she knows, in case she wants to, you know, investigate how he looks with a Lorelai kind of pretty. That last part was maybe adlibbed by me.
Next time on Gilmore Girls: Rory pretends to be a 50s housewife to make Dean happy in S01 E14 – That Damn Donna Reed.
I'm a 28 year old graduated English major and almost librarian. I can often be found singing too loudly (poorly) in the car or spending some time (hours) on Tumblr. I am a lover of Harry Potter, the Spice Girls, and too many other things.
I'm a 30-something south Floridan who loves the beach but cannot swim. Such is my life, full of small contradictions and little trivialities. My main life goals are never to take life too seriously, but to do everything I attempt seriously well. After that, my life goals devolve into things like not wearing pants and eating all of the Zebra Cakes in the world. THE WORLD.
