Yep, Dave knows it’s a week late.
October 27, 2004
Oh I think all that needs to be said about last week’s episode is Lauren Graham is wearing black Lisa Loeb type glasses for at least forty percent of the episode. Geeks around the world rejoice. There is much dancing.
Okay, not all? Perhaps there are some ladies out there for whom Lauren Graham in glasses is not a sufficient review and/or turn on. Okay. I’m not appeased, I’ll tell you that right up front, but finally, for the first time really, someone expresses some concern that this whole Dean/Rory relationship is NOT A GOOD IDEA. And considering that this little thing has been the big shining example of what’s wrong with the season so far, I should be saying things like Hurrah and prancing in a circle, hurling my arms towards the heavens with glee, right? Maybe. But I’m not. Because Luke’s got his own issues with Dean, not the least of which involves the fact that he’s hurt Rory before (a good point) or that she dated his sister’s son (I’m iffy on this one.) He doesn’t, however, seem to have too huge a problem with the fact that Dean was married. Sure, he complains a bit about it, but not in an overt way. In a “I’m sorry I got mad, that was uncalled for” kinda way. And I think it was called for. Damned called for.
Anyhoo. This week there’s plot threads progressing all over the place. Emily and Richard Gilmore are still getting along very poorly, so much so that they’ve ceased all direct communication with one another, opting instead to speak through their household help. On Friday dinner, when Richard is out, Emily leads Lorelai and Rory through a frantic search of Richard’s pool house looking for the liquor he’s taken from the main house. Both Rory and Lorelai experience grave feelings of betrayal searching through his things. Emily finds a sequined vest and rants about whatever Richard is doing with the sequined vest that he never did with her. Meanwhile, inside the main house parlor sits a single occupancy panic room that causes both Rory and Lorelai to ask about Jodie Foster, a reference completely lost on Emily. (Her pass code is 111111 by the way, don’t tell anyone.) It seems that both of the elder Gilmores are experiencing feelings of loneliness, but neither of them will admit it. Richard takes the first steps at Lorelai’s insistence and tells Emily that he’s joined a Barbershop Quartet, hence a sequined vest. The Gilmore grandparents are always delightful and Emily is about two rants away from being completely off her rocker these days. One hopes they reunite, however so we are spared from the WB forcing us to accept Emily Gilmore dating. Ick.
Lane’s bold laying out of “how it is” to Zach last week has had seemingly no effect on their relationship at all, frustrating her to no end. No amount of subtle prodding seems to get through to him. (Though I’d imagine not a lot of subtle things EVER get through to Zach) In fact, Zach behaves as though nothing had happened until Lane takes back her “I like you.” He approaches her at Luke’s and tells her it just takes him a long time to process things, but he likes her too. I like the possible relationship here. Much better choice than Lane dating Sebastian Bach, anyway. I think the dynamic with the band is intriguing, especially when Lane’s mother finds out that she’s dating a boy! A BOY!
On the Luke & Lorelai front, more cutsies and relationship progress. They are perfect together. They’re so quirky and weird that really no one else could complete them. Their banter is hilarious because they’re both deadpan. Speaking of people who are perfect for each other, Dean and Rory ain’t it. Yeah, I know, we’ve spoken of this before. But what’s nice is I’m seeing Luke as representative of the portion of the audience that dislikes Dean and what he stands for. They do a double date at the Black, White & Read Theater where the scheduled show is Cool Hand Luke. Kirk (who it seems like has less and less of anything productive to do around Stars Hollow, sort of like Homer, does he even have a real job?) informs them that the first reel was destroyed in a tragic fire during an earlier show, so they can either have him act out the first reel or they can watch Pippi Longstocking. They opt for Pippi, because Luke is a Pippi virgin. (So THAT’s what that title means)
Luke’s annoyance with Dean progresses through the little things, specifically the fact that Dean and Rory are behaving like couples do. It comes to a head when they return to the Gilmore house. Dean asks for a beer, setting Luke off about the underaged drinking. Finally, during a game of Bop-It Dean and Luke get into it, pissing off Dean enough to leave and Rory to chase after him. At this point, Luke’s been in the right the whole way. He complains to Lorelai that specifically Dean is not good enough for Rory. And he’s not. If he was, he would’ve stuck around, treated her right and sure as hell wouldn’t have MARRIED SOMEONE ELSE! Oh, yeah, that’s a helluva thing to just gloss right over, isn’t it? It’s like on season 7 of Buffy when they expected us to believe that in less than 6 months, Willow got over the death of the love of her life enough to have fun sex with Kennedy. I DON’T BUY IT!
Other than that little pet peeve, which I hope they will someday soon address REALLY, good episode. Best Geek reference: “Hanging out with Tex Watson.” Best line: “That gay fellow whose tiger tried to eat him.” Three and a half out of five cookies.